I owned a 95 6.5 Chev (4 spd auto), I owned a 94.5 Powerstroke (5 speed standard, great truck once I fixed it), and now I own a 95 Cummins (4 spd auto, which is 3/4 of the way toasted).

501,000km. Starts like my Honda motorcycle, runs well. Oil leak off the drivers side and under the valve covers. Drivers side front brake rotor is on it's way out, and I really need a friggin transmission rebuild, or a 5 speed donor truck.

But, for 3 grand, I cannae complain too much.

Hopefully this one won't fall victim to the luck I've had with vehicles since I started driving. 3 bikes, and 4 trucks, in 3 years. None of it was due to at fault accidents.

She's a reg cab long box, black 4x4 2500 with bags (complete with oinboard compressor) in the back and one very immaculate interior. All the options work. It has a very shitty cable disconnect for the 4x4 right now, looking into my options there, cause I'd rather not keep that system, but I've heard nothing but bad points about the vacuum system too. Electric? Air? I dunno. Gotta be something else.

 

wow sounds like that truck has been living a good life with 501,000

to bad they don't have best interior competitions haha

 

note, that's 501,000km, not miles.

bout 310,000 to you guys.

I actually don't think it lived the easiest life. I'm debating an NV4500 swap (with a donor truck I simply cannot see it being too horrid a job) or, for the cost of a donor truck, getting the 4 spd auto well built for 4 grand, and then getting the 250-300hp I want from the truck. . .

Although I've always liked Dodge diesels, I know the square root of f*** all about em, honestly.

changed air filter, oil/filter, did a tranny fluid swap (with some lube guard to add a little grip to the fluid) to try to help that a little. Then, once I bolted the pan back up, realized I coulda set the bands while I was in there (It's on the list now, guaranteed they're just loose as all hell) to try and get a little bit more from the tranny while I wait to head up north for work. Come February, when I am back, I'll see about the transmission more.

the P.O. was a total farmer. thought the torque converter was the only trans issue so he wired in a manual lockup switch for it. there are some really dumb things done to this truck that I'll have to get through before doing anything good to it. I just got done this little dance with my Ford, and now I do it again. Been very frustrating.

 

for the front end you can replace the two-piece axle with a solid one-piece axle. it's less than $300 and when you lock the transfer case in it's in four wheel drive.

 

and the response to that is:
How badly am I gonna chew off tires with a 1 piece axle?

if that is a non issue (I know the 03-08(9?) trucks had either 1 piece axles or 2 piece axles that were always locked in), then I'll definitely look into it. 5 out of 7 days, I don't need a 4 wheel drive truck.

but there is almost guaranteed to be 2-3 times during the week that I just cannot take no for an answer. Plus, there's the "out having fun" times.

 

why would it be any worse than normal? the front end won't be locked together. the one piece axle just replaces the two piece stocker, it doesn't lock the driver and passenger sides together.