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I just bought a 78 W200, first Dodge truck. *Pics added*

15K views 46 replies 23 participants last post by  lilredex 
#1 ·
Hello, I just bought a 78 W200 last night, it's my first Dodge truck. I've been reading a lot of posts here trying to learn about common problems and fixes but there's a lot to read!
The truck has the 360 with a holley 2 barrel. 4 speed tranny with granny low. All time 4wd of course. 4:10 gears with an lsd in the rear. It's a strong truck for sure, I wanted it to tow or haul not to offroad, unless it's getting firewood or something. I plan on putting on or building a dump bed kit for it too. Has anyone done this? DIY or did you buy a kit?
One of the first things I need to fix is to replace the oil pan gasket. Can I get the oil pan off without lifting the engine?
Then it's getting it to run right. It has a "reman" carb on it. A previous owners ebay score so I don't know if it's set up right or if it was messed with. It runs crazy rich, stumbles when I try to accelerate, a lot of pinging too. I can see a lot of gray smoke from the exhaust when I floor it while it's pinging and trying to accelerate. What are my carb options for the stock manifold? What will bolt up? I have no problem with using an adapter to mount a different carb. I'm not sure if I want to swap the manifold for a 4 barrel or not. I'm not after as much poer as possible, I just want it to run right. With the low gears, I don't need a lot of power to do what I want, so a carb that provides good fuel economy would be nice.
What's the timing supposed to be, the info I found says 0 degrees...
One more thing, this truck has no catalytic converters on it. It's just straight pipes from the manifold to two mufflers exiting before the rear wheel wells. Is it supossed to have cats or not for a 78? i ran the vin and it weight class is 6001 to 10000 lbs, and the title says the gross weight is 8000lbs so maybe the weight class makes it exempt??

Thanks for your help.
 
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#3 ·
You will probably get more fuel economy with a small CFM 4bbl as apposed to the 2bbl, and a little more power to boot.

I did when I took the 2bbl off my 79 360. I also did an ignition upgrade using GM ign module and ford coil.(that upgrade is somewhere on this site.) If your running old stock ignition parts-expect issues!

Tune-up,timing. Can also cause pinging.....

Sorry can't remember if the engine has to come up for pan removal, nor do I have any ideas as to the dump bucket.  Someone here will though!!
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the replies, I will get some pics up in the next week, my attention is now on selling my S10 so I can focus on the Dodge(and to have money to use).
I'll look for the info for the hei ignition, I did that on an old ford I had and liked it a lot.
The previous owner replaced the distributor wires and plugs, timing set, water pump and the carb. But I see the ignitor, or ignition box looks old.  The plastic cam for the fast idle is broken, gotta find one of those.
Once I find my timing light, I'll check the timing. I haven't needed it since the last 4 vehicles I've had didn't have distributors...

I've read that the stock 360 4 barrel manifold flows pretty well, is that true? Is it worth it to just get one instead of an aftermarket intake?

What tranny and transfer case is in this truck? Or at least, what oil should I put in them when I change it out? Motor oil or gear oil?


thanks
 
#7 ·
16.5" tires can be had, but they're getting pretty scarce.  Keep an eye out for some 16" or 17" wheels you can get cheap so when you need new tires, you'll have a better selection.
 
#8 ·
The engine pinging and the running rich maybe just a timing issue.  The pinging certainly sounds like that anyways.  I would also bet that some of the running rich could also stem from that as well.  That would be where I would start anyways.  Great looking truck. 

LT.
 
#9 ·
Yes the stock 360 4bbl intake is one of those rare animals that flows better than 75% of streetable junkyard/swap meet aftermarket intakes available for a 360.

With the 16.5"s, I found that it'd be cheaper to get new wheels and get tires for those.

You don't necessarily need HEI but a good solid working ignition is good. Making sure you have compression on all 8 would be a good idea too- that'd show if you're running like crap is from cyls down or not.
 
#10 ·
Not a lot of choices for the 16.5 tires. Tirerack.com has some. Might want to check with Treadwright too, they do retreads on light truck tires, I got some for my Ford and I like 'em. I think they had some 16.5 tread patterns to choose from but I'm going from memory.
Otherwise I'd do like the other guys suggested and just find some 16" wheels.
 
#11 ·
Welcome to the Mopar world frank. Very nice truck as well. To answer your question from before, it depends on the Tranny and Transfer case. The NP 203 factory recommended fluid is 10W30 engine oil, the NP 205 is gear oil and the 208/241's were spec'd for ATF. Personally, I've run gear oil in my 203 and 208's since day 1 and never had any issues in the past 55K miles or so. You just have to make sure whatever was in there before is completely drained out. Same goes for the Tranny. I would drain it out completely and fill it with a good quality gear oil even if it had ATF/engine oil before.

As for tires/rims, my vote would be for the switch to 16's as well. The choices for tires new and used is no contest vs. the 16.5's.  As a general rule of thumb, stock Ford steelies fit everything. They have the large center hole (to clear a full floating rear or huge front hubs) and no random offsets like some of the Chevy's had through the years. The last thing you want to do is have to grind the center out of a rim you just bought or grind the edge off a caliper to get the fronts to clear.
 
#12 ·
The profile and height of the 16.5's looks good on your truck.  One thing about them is not many people use them anymore.  I've seen a few on the used sections on line .  Try craigslist .  We have Kijiji here and Ive come accross 4 adds in one week.  Welcome.
 
#13 ·
The tires on it now are 8.75x16.5 , they seem to be more available than the 8.00 tires. The 8.00 are 28 1/2" diameter and the 8.75 are 29 1/2". I have found that if I do go with 16" wheels, that the 225/70 16 are the same diameter as the 8.00 and 225/75 16 would be as the same as the 8.75.
I just don't want a shorter tire since the 4:10 gears are low enough as it is....

I'll make some calls to some big tire places on Tuesday and see what they can do.
Then I'll call some junk yards and ask about some 16" wheels.
 
#14 ·
frank b said:
The tires on it now are 8.75x16.5 , they seem to be more available than the 8.00 tires. The 8.00 are 28 1/2" diameter and the 8.75 are 29 1/2". I have found that if I do go with 16" wheels, that the 225/70 16 are the same diameter as the 8.00 and 225/75 16 would be as the same as the 8.75.
I just don't want a shorter tire since the 4:10 gears are low enough as it is....

I'll make some calls to some big tire places on Tuesday and see what they can do.
Then I'll call some junk yards and ask about some 16" wheels.
l,d go with a set of 235/85/16 as there the most common 16 inch tire size and the cheapest
 
#15 ·
If you want to stay with the 16.5 size, look at a set of Military HUMVEE tires. Most are 35', 36', or 37'...
 
#16 ·
very nice lookin 78, I wish mine was that straight :(. lol good find frank.  my78 w200 has the 360 2 barrel 4-speed ( New Process NP435 ) and AWD transfer case ( New Process NP203) that should be what your has also. to verify crawl underneath and wipe the grime off the ID tags for the trans and transfer case the model #s will be printed there.  as stated above the NP435 uses 75w-90 gear oil and the NP203 calls for 10w-30 motor oil. 16" tires are gonna be much easier and cheaper to find. 235/85 r16 or 245/75 r16 will be your two best options for price and closest size to stock.  If I'm remembering correctly timing on that motor should be 8 degrees btc (+ -) 2. whatever ignition ya go with just make sure ya buy quality parts and it should run like a top :).  again nice truck keep us up to date man we love project pics  ;D {cool}
 
#18 ·
Thumper78 said:
very nice lookin 78, I wish mine was that straight :(. lol good find frank. my78 w200 has the 360 2 barrel 4-speed ( New Process NP435 ) and AWD transfer case ( New Process NP203) that should be what your has also. to verify crawl underneath and wipe the grime off the ID tags for the trans and transfer case the model #s will be printed there. as stated above the NP435 uses 75w-90 gear oil and the NP203 calls for 10w-30 motor oil. 16" tires are gonna be much easier and cheaper to find. 235/85 r16 or 245/75 r16 will be your two best options for price and closest size to stock. If I'm remembering correctly timing on that motor should be 8 degrees btc (+ -) 2. whatever ignition ya go with just make sure ya buy quality parts and it should run like a top :). again nice truck keep us up to date man we love project pics ;D {cool}
It indeed has the np435 and np203. It's also supposed to have a limited slip differential in the rear axle, but it looks like the axle has been changed at some point. I'll have to wait until I pull the cover off to change the lube to find out for sure.
I hope to have more pics up this week, the weather here is nasty today so it's gonna have to wait.
 
#19 ·
With the stock 2bbl intake, your carb choices are pretty limited. Stock 360, 4bbl intake is a good choice if you can find one otherwise a low rpm, alum aftermarket may be just as cheap and work as well. Edlebrock Performer was my manifold of choice. I topped it off with a 600cfm, vac sec Holley w/ electric choke. A set of headers finished the external bolt on stuff. Your truck may have squeaked by without needing cats due to the GVW rating in 1978. Start with a good tune up, cap, rotor, wires, plugs. Make sure the vac advance on the dist is still working, they can rust up and quit. Easiest wasy is pull the dist and work on it on the bench. Not a hard job and ALMOST impossible to get it back in wrong provided you dont rotate the engine. Plan on bailing on the 16.5 rims, dinosaurs now and tires have few choices and can be expensive. Change all your fluids and pull the front wheels and lube up that full time 44. Lotsa people miss that little job and end up cratering the bearings, which has resulted in most people condeming the FT setup. I have over 300k on my truck and am only on the 2nd set of front wheel bearings. The 203 is tougher than most people give it credit for and can easily be converted to a part time transfer case for just a few $$$. The 435 is pretty much bullet proof, keep clean oil in it. remove the vents from your diffs, thread a barb fitting in the hole and run the vent hose to higher ground if you plan on any deep water or mud work. I could go on and on but this should keep you busy for a while. ;D
 
#20 ·
By all means, keep going :)

I called around to some scrap yards and 16" wheels are too expensive from them to be an option right now, and there are none in the classifieds right now.
I called some good tire shops and a local one that I go to often, Reeds Tire in Stanley VA, has some Firestone Transforce 10 ply 16.5 tires. Mounted and balanced for $159 each.
http://www.firestonetire.com/productdetails/QuickSearch/Transforce_HT

Not an all terrain tire, but with the all time 4wd, I doubt I need all terrain tires....
I'm going to keep looking in the mean time, I still have to sell my S10 first before I dig into the Dodge.
By the way, my 11 year old son named this truck "The Creeper" I love it {cool}
 
#21 ·
The weather is better today, no ice cold wind so I snapped some quick pics. It's as it was when I brought it home.
Notice the rust spots, the spot on the bed where someone tryed to fix a dent ??? I would have left the dent. And the oil under it form the bad oil pan gasket leak. There are a few small holes in the floor, nothing major. But I'll have to fix them before I get it inspected.
And the tailgate actually works!!















 
#23 ·
man that truck is nice!!!.

Change all your fluids and pull the front wheels and lube up that full time 44. Lotsa people miss that little job and end up cratering the bearings, which has resulted in most people condeming the FT setup. I have over 300k on my truck and am only on the 2nd set of front wheel bearings. The 203 is tougher than most people give it credit for
{yes}x2

as far as acquiring 16 in steel wheels goes. I don't know if there is a u-pull junk yard near you or not. but where I'm at there's one I frequent that always has these old first gen trucks and they charge $7 per wheel. all ya got to do is go in and u can pull them till the sun goes down or ya run outa cash, lol. but that may be another way to go if ya can find a good u-pull near by
 
#24 ·
Thanks  :)

I plan on changing all the fluids, and I did see in the owners manual(still in the glove box with the build sheet) where there's a hole in the rotor to get to the grease fitting for the wheel bearings, that's cool!

A friend of mine may have some 16" ford wheels around the farm, I may have some old 2 stroke motorcycle parts left to work a trade  ;D

I started to call around to some junk yards, but the first place I called said $50 a wheel  :eek: So I stopped calling at that point...  The you pull it types that charge much less are too far away.
 
#25 ·
nice truck,rust is repairable.see it has the plow mounts on the front end.
wonder what caliber they used to shoot out the dent.... :p
its a good place to start.
 
#26 ·
Well, in the last two days I got a little further. I put a new Mastercylinder on it, as well as a new steel line on the rear axle. When the previous owner changed the axle, he flattened it. My wife helped me bleed it all out afterwards to get the old fluid out. The pedal is still soft and goes almost to the floor before the truck stops, which is how it was before. But the master cylinder was rusty and gunky inside and too cheap to not replace it. I did bench bleed it. I think the problem may be in the back brakes, I heard a lot of movement back there while bleeding them. I can't check the movement with the parking brake because the intermediate parking brake cable is missing. Something the previous owner didn't put back on I guess. I think he swapped the rear axle with the one on his dodge to get the trac-loc differential. This truck should have it but while spinning in the mud(my VA clay yard) I could see that only one rear tire spinning.......

I got the choke to work, or at least work better. It wasn't working at all before because it was unhooked from the choke thermostat, and the plastic fast idle cam was broken. I got a cam off Ebay, and hooked the linkage back up. It starts right up like it should but the choke thermostat doesn't pull down to open the choke up so it stays on fast idle. I see that the choke pull-off, the vacuum diaphram, is pulled all the way and that gets it about half open, but the rest I guess is in that thermostat, the one down on the manifold. I've seen these with a wire going to them, but this one does not. Is it supposed to be electrical?

I replaced the oil pan gasket yesterday, that was more of a pain then I expected! I got exited when the pan basically just fell off when I took the last bolts out. But what I didn't realize was that it fell out because of the missing front rubber gasket. So I put the cork side gaskets on the pan, the rubber front one on the pan, but the rear one on the engine, and lifted it into place to find that with the front rubber on it, it will not clear and the rubber falls off. So I took it off and got the pan close and installed the front rubber after it was up and almost in place using a paint can to hold it up. I got a bit confused when I put the rear rubber on the pan and could see that it was too long, but before I freaked out, I tried it's fit on the engine and it was perfect. It popped into place and held there actually. After a new filter and new oil I started it up and drove it around the block(country gravel road) and checked for leaks, none yet!

I did see while under the truck, that the drivers side inner wheel seal is popped out. I could pop it back in with my fingers but that's goint to need some attention. What's the procedure to get to that? Press out the ball joints to remove the spindle?
I also found a hole in the exhaust that I'll weld up later.

I thought about the dana 60 rear disc swap since I will most likely replace all the brake parts in the back, other than the drums. But I like having a parking brake, and those calipers are too pricey. Anyone do it with different e brake calipers?
 
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