1983 Dodge Ram 150 question

[N.Cass]

Hello all! I just aquired a '83 Ram 150 custom, slant 6, 4 spd manual trans. After driving this truck I've decided the 1 bbl carb has to go. I think if I put a 2 bbl carb/intake on it should make it a little more "driveable." My questions are:

What intake/carb applications fit this engine? Can I use just about any 225c.i. slant six carb and intake? What else do I have to do after the installation of the carb and intake?

The truck doesn't have A/C. The "Lean Burn" system has been bypassed, so it has just standard electronic ignition. The truck and its drivetain has around 120K miles.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

Hello all! I just aquired a '83 Ram 150 custom, slant 6, 4 spd manual trans. After driving this truck I've decided the 1 bbl carb has to go. I think if I put a 2 bbl carb/intake on it should make it a little more "driveable."

It will definitely do that. A deeper (numerically higher) rear axle ratio will also be a very large help. But before you make any engine mods -- does this truck have to pass an exhaust emission test? Where are you located?

What intake/carb applications fit this engine?

All slant-6 manifolds fit all slant-6 engines. The manifold you want is the *IRON* 2bbl intake found in North America on '76-'80 cars and trucks with the "Super Six" engine. Take a magnet with you to make certain the intake you get is iron and not aluminum; the aluminum ones were hideously prone to leakage not only due to warping but also *through* the castings and sloppy EB welds, which were porous.

Your conversion is simplified by the manual transmission; you won't need to futz with kickdown linkage. Here is your shopping list:

Intake manifold (may as well get the exhaust, too, as a spare, if it's not cracked)

Carburetor (Carter BBD 2bbl)

Choke thermostat (bolted to number-5 exhaust manifold runner -- different for 2bbl)

Air cleaner

Throttle cable (shorter than 1bbl -- a V8 truck cable may work)

Throttle cable bracket (bolted to exhaust manifold)

Throttle return spring bracket (bolted to intake manifold)

You'll want to go through the carburetor and rebuild it -- they're not hard to rework with a quality kit.

The truck doesn't have A/C. The "Lean Burn" system has been bypassed, so it has just standard electronic ignition.

Guess this answers the smog check question with a "No"! Check and see which distributor is installed -- if they just yanked the lean burn and left the LB distributor in place, you'll pick up a great deal of driveability and performance with a thoughtfully-selected distributor such as the 3755042 units regularly sold on Ebay.

There are all kinds of other ways to spend money wisely (camshaft, clutch fan, Dutra Duals, for example) and foolishly (4bbl, headers, for instance) in your quest for better performance out of your 225. Suggest you go sign up for www.slantsix.org and start posting questions and reading past answers.

DS

 

[N.Cass]

It will definitely do that. A deeper (numerically higher) rear axle ratio will also be a very large help. But before you make any engine mods -- does this truck have to pass an exhaust emission test? Where are you located?

Thanks for the quick reply Daniel! I live about 50 miles north of Indianapolis; there are no smog checks where I live.

There are all kinds of other ways to spend money wisely (camshaft, clutch fan, Dutra Duals, for example) and foolishly (4bbl, headers, for instance) in your quest for better performance out of your 225. Suggest you go sign up for www.slantsix.org and start posting questions and reading past answers.

There isn't too much more I need to do; this truck drives pretty good. However with the 1 bbl, if I get a hill to climb or a stiff headwind, I am lucky to get more than 60 mph out of it. I will look at the distributer and see if it was replaced. Do you know how much this Carb/intake conversion will change the gas mileage? I am currently getting around 18 mpg.

Thanks again for the very valuable info, and now I begin my shopping!

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

Thanks for the quick reply Daniel! I live about 50 miles north of Indianapolis; there are no smog checks where I live.

Well, then, by all means!

There isn't too much more I need to do; this truck drives pretty good. However with the 1 bbl, if I get a hill to climb or a stiff headwind, I am lucky to get more than 60 mph out of it. I will look at the distributer and see if it was replaced. Do you know how much this Carb/intake conversion will change the gas mileage? I am currently getting around 18 mpg.

MPGs will not change much if at all -- the 1bbl carbs, especially the post-'81 units, are really poorly designed. The 2bbls are much better. Of course, MPG and driveability are highly dependent on carb condition!

Thanks again for the very valuable info, and now I begin my shopping!

DOnno if you'll see much of this stuff in yards near Indy; it goes by on Ebay fairly often.

DS

 

[Justin]

or dropping in a nice running 318ci V8 for more power and smoothness. I have an '87 Ram D150, last year for the /6. I should have gotten one with a 318ci but the /6 is OK for me. I just use it for hauling stuff, not for hauling ass. I think I wouldn't spend over $200 on hopping up a slant 6, I'd just put the money into a 318ci fund. Probably wouldn't be too hard to find a good running 318 for $500 or so.

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

or dropping in a nice running 318ci V8 for more power and smoothness.

My '89 has the 318. I'd much rather have a properly-set-up \6.

 

[Justin]

My '89 has the 318. I'd much rather have a properly-set-up \6.

My \6 isn't properly set-up, 1 barrel Holley, stock everything but runs perfect. Let's trade engines!

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

My \6 isn't properly set-up, 1 barrel Holley, stock everything but runs perfect. Let's trade engines!

Works for me. I am overstocked with Slant-6 buildup equipment. I have
*three* triple-SU sidedraft carb setups, two sets of Dutra Duals, numerous distributors, etc etc. etc.

 

[Guest]

Don't expect a big difference in power from replacing the one barrel carb with a two barrel. There will be an increase, but it will be small, and not that noticable.

 

[Justin]

Works for me. I am overstocked with Slant-6 buildup equipment. I have
*three* triple-SU sidedraft carb setups, two sets of Dutra Duals, numerous distributors, etc etc. etc.

Daniel, you live in Michigan, right? I remember you from some slant 6 sites a few years back. You're famous in the /6 community. Have a pic of your 1989 Ram? I have one of my '87 Ram D150 shortie I can email you. Maybe we can swap rigs. Here's some info. on my rig:

87 Ram D150, shortbed fleetside, 225 ci slant 6 (last year for the \6) runs good, AT -- 904 TorqueFlite (linkage is a bit stiff sometimes), white with small red pinstriping, blue interior (no carpeting), factory hubcaps, snow tires on back, new exhaust, rebuilt Holley 1 barrel, rebuilt title (has a new front end due to a hit -- new fenders, hood, grille ('81-'85 grille), new PS pump, new Ram's head, radiator, etc.), ex utility truck, shows 8,000 miles (probably 108,000), nice looking truck, way less rust than most NE trucks, located in NE OH, near PA.

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

Daniel, you live in Michigan, right?

Michigan and Ontario.

I remember you from some slant 6 sites a few years back.

I'm still around on slantsix.org

You're famous in the /6 community.

It's all a vicious rumor! ;-)

Have a pic of your 1989 Ram?

I can take one...

I have one of my '87 Ram D150 shortie I can email you. Maybe we can swap rigs.

I'd be interested if your '87 had A/C. I spent a ton of time, effort and $$ tracking down an original new factory A/C package and installing it in my '89 for the hot, sticky summer. It's cool, man...

Specs on mine, which I'll sell if a good offer comes my way:

'89 Ram D100, longbed fleetside, 318 ("5.2") V8/TBI, A998 auto w/TransGo "phase 1" shift kit (positive shifts but not harsh ones), rear ABS, hard bedliner, new stainless exhaust including catcon and muffler, brand new factory A/C (NOT the add-on type! If I didn't tell you, you wouldn't know the truck didn't come from the factory with A/C), red w/maroon interior and carpet, factory hubcaps, 1-year-old BFG all seasons and 1-winter-old Nokian Hakkapellittas, hard bedliner, rear step bumper, sliding rear cabglass, H4 headlights, new HD radiator, new (not rebuilt) alternator and starter, aluminum Edelbrock Performer intake w/custom spacer for factory TBI, engine removed, disassembled, cleaned, inspected, approved, resealed and reinstalled. New factory underhood pad. Regularly oiled against rust, of which there is none. Manual windows, manual locks. Halogen reversing lamps. Meets both US and Canadian safety standards and has manufacturer's labelling to prove it, so freely able to be registered in either the US or Canada.

-Stern (mail 318 at torque dot net )

 

[Justin]

I'd be interested if your '87 had A/C. I spent a ton of time, effort and $$ tracking down an original new factory A/C package and installing it in my '89 for the hot, sticky summer. It's cool, man...

AC?!?! Who needs it? I just open both windows on the '87 D150 and let the wind flow through, cools me off. But I understand your desire for AC. Your rig sounds nice, nicer than mine. It's hard to find a nice, original, ungoobered up old truck these days. Most have been tweaked and juryrigged and/or abused. My father (lives in AZ) is in the process of fixing up a '62 Ford Unibody short bed truck. He's using the front suspension and slant 6 out of a donor '78 Aspen. Ever see a Ford Unibody with a slant 6? He's a big /6 nut. He has about five /6's in his shop for parts. He has a /6 in his '64 A100 van, in his Dart, and soon one in his Unibody Ford. I've been telling him that we need to start a slant 6 wrecking yard/used parts warehouse and ship /6 parts worldwide (I'll create an internet database). As soon as his Unibody is done. I'll make a website about it and let y'all check it out.

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

AC?!?! Who needs it?

I'm a hedonist, even my '62 Lancer has Chrysler Airtemp A/C that'll freeze my nuts off if I'm not careful.

Your rig sounds nice, nicer than mine. It's hard to find a nice, original, ungoobered up old truck these days. Most have been tweaked and juryrigged and/or abused.

Station wagons are mostly all used-up, too.

My father (lives in AZ) is in the process of fixing up a '62 Ford Unibody short bed truck. He's using the front suspension and slant 6 out of a donor '78 Aspen. Ever see a Ford Unibody with a slant 6?

Seems a fairly popular swap, at least as far as the front suspension swap goes.

He's a big /6 nut. He has about five /6's in his shop for parts.

Ask him if he's ever seen a die-cast aluminum \6 block. I have one in my '62, and used to have four others.

-Stern