As many of you know I have been looking for a pre-emission work horse.
This one is a find from a family member friend.

about 240k on it. Original owner. Body is good. Minor dent. Starts, runs. No dash crack. Hood and roof paint rough. Otherwise good. Driver seat foam damage.
Do not really know about maintenance history. Do not think it was abused. Has a canopy. Bed is very good.
Steering makes noise when turning side to side. Not sure what that is.

I do not know about what kind of issue I could encounter. What about injectors? I know the tranny could be an issue. Possibly front end work?

I am not sure about this rig. Price is right. But with 240k on it. Am I in for big issue's for immediate repairs looming?

Initially I was told it had 200k for miles whick excited me. Hearing it actually has 240k has lessened my excitement about it.

What are your guys thoughts on it.

I would probably put about 10k miles a year on it.

What would be a really good price on something like this.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old rugged cross,

Mileage is not an issue for that engine. An automatic transmission in it could be, they were a wink link. The interiors were kind of cheap but that’s not all that different than a lot of others from that era.

Ask him if he’ll let you use it for a weekend and check it out. That 5.9 Cummins is one hell of an engine and as long as it wasn’t abused, 240k on the clock is just getting started.

Thank you Twist. The owner died a while back. Has not been driven much in the last few months.

Oil seems to be a bit low. Maybe a couple of qts.

Tranny fluid looks good.

Front end seems loose. a couple inches each direction to get it to move. So the front end has issues. I believe the power steering pump is not good. Makes noise.

Front tires seem to be wearing ok.

Not a problem bud.

Forgot to hit on the steering noise but yes, the pump probably is an issue. Front end parts were also a common problem as I recall, having been around several 5.9’s beginning with a 12v 1996 up to a 24v 2006 with numerous others in between. Also check the steering box at that age.

I actually almost bought a ‘97 12v a little over 2 years ago and was going to give my daughter my truck as her first ride, but momma wasn’t happy about me giving mine up so we spent 5k more on a 2001 7.3 Powerstroke for the girl. Also a great engine and sold it in March for what we gave for it 2 years prior after we bought her newer truck. That 7.3 didn’t have signs on it for even 24 hours, no negotiation involved.

The engine is the starting point though. If it runs strong, the rest of the driveline feels good and just needs some front end attention, it’s a good truck.

Depending on the asking price of course.

Something I can offer is that it is an easy truck to re-key after you buy it.

That and some of the factory radios were contracted through Alpine. (Harmon/Kardon came in to play later)

Driveline is solid. Purge the transmission lines if you think it will be an issue later.

If you decide to drop the fuel tank and the tank strap wedges behind the carrier bearing, you may spontaneously craft some new swear words.

Good luck.

The 98.5-02 24v were great trucks. I had a '99 and wish I still had it. The automatic transmissions are a weak area, and that might be an expense right off the bat. The front solid axle had trouble, but there's an aftermarket steering gear box brace available. The steering pump was probably effected. The vp44 fuel pump needs fuel at a steady pressure to survive. An aftermarket fuel pump will help.

If this truck is something you're interested in, I'd find a certified diesel mechanic to go through the truck front to back and list what will need to be fixed. That will give you an idea if the truck is worth it.

No Toyota's in your area?

i have one
A great truck.

I have a 2005 2500 4wd 5.9 24v that I bought in 2013 with 150k on the odometer. Unless there are receipts showing the following work was recently done, I would expect to replace sooner rather than later:

- ball joints (upper & lower) and all other front end items, including anything steering related (pump, etc).
- shocks
- brakes
- injectors. With 240k and not knowing if the owner used any additives to overcome the "dryness" of the Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel fuel, I would plan on replacing the injectors and associated piping components (maybe the CP3 as well), again, sooner rather than later.


Additionally I would recommend:

- A/C system checked and to expect replacement of compressor and other items in the next few years.
- remove tail lights and either use high pressure air to blow or a pressure washer to hose out the space between the bed and the rear quarter panel. Even in the South I've seen a lot of these trucks with rust coming through the rear quarter panels - mine included and it's been a southern truck all its life. Expect to either repair the damage or replace the panels at some point.
- transmission flush - but expect to need a rebuild in the next few years.
- dashboard cover/protector; I don't remember the exact years that Dodge had the issue but it was around that time that their dashboards were prone to cracking in later years.

On the positive side:
- I've not had any issues with the engine; just a water pump replacement but I consider that normal wear and it's not an expensive fix.
- Geno's Garage offers new foam seat replacements for both driver's and passenger seats.
https://www.genosgarage.com/category/seat-cushions
- you won't lack for power with the 5.9!

If you get the truck and would like to know what lubricants, additives, filters, and other parts that I've come to consider the best for my use, let me know and I'll share the info.

Edit to add:

- look up Dodge Killer Dowel Pin. 2002 seems to be the last year it was a potential issue.
- figure on replacing the harmonic damper, if it hasn't already been done. Another piece that is considered to be a wear item. I replaced mine with a FluidDampr product, but OEM is a less expensive solution that will last many miles.

I don't mean to put you off the vehicle with the above. Dodge did not use the strongest parts for the front end on these trucks and the repair and replacement records of many owners reflect this. There are high quality replacement engine, drivetrain, and running gear parts available for all the issues on these trucks and once they are installed as needed you won't have to deal with them again for many years/miles.

I like my Dodge Cummins a lot. It's far more truck than I need and I would like an automatic as I get older - especially if I go into a city - but I see me keeping this one for a lot more years.

Thanks guys. Some great info. I am not near the truck but my brother is. He has driven it.
The front end is in need of work. He will be taking the truck to a shop he recommends and have it assessed and get a quote for the work. Am expecting a front end rebuild. I am guessing $2000. If I can negotiate a fair price to allow for that work to be done. Then it will go to a shop to have it serviced and evaluated for other items of need to be determined. Not sure on shocks but they will be checked also. Brakes feel good but will also be checked.
The tranny is the wildcard. He sais it shifted fine but with 240k miles I wonder about is longevity going forward.
Going to try to find out some service history on it. Do not know if that will be possible.

Thanks again guys, some great thoughts. Keep em coming.

Buy it, buy it now.

As long as the body and chassis are rust free, all of the other shit is tertiary. Someone asked if there are any Toyotas in your area, a Taco or a Tundra can never hold a candle to those year Rams for towing. If you want to crawl rocks, buy a Taco. If you want to tow 8000lbs and under, buy a Tundra. If you want to have a truck that will last a LOOOOONG time and probably outlive you, buy that Dodge. The most expensive thing you will ever have to mess with is the high pressure injector. Yes, the trannies aren't the best, but they are easily rebuildable.

Trucks today that are equivalent cost around 70k, and will break in 6 years due to DEF and emissions equipment. There are many videos available on YouTube and other sources of modern diesels shitting the bed. Someone offered me 25K for my truck recently and I declined. The last time mine was in the shop for anything other than an oil change was 2016.

I agree with what others have said, buy it.
I love the 5.9, it’s a beast of a motor.
I wonder if that tranny has already been rebuilt, mine didn’t make it to 100k, and my friends was history at 80k. Of course I’ve talked to guys with 300k on their trannys and still goin strong, so who knows.
My tranny is just short of a race trans now, so hoping I’m done with that!

Good engine, often overlooked is having the valves adjusted, engine will run cooler.

marksman41 covered everything (and more) than I was going to say.

I'm not sure I'd do a transmission flush on it though - but that's a personal opinion.

Make sure the Killer Dowel Pin issue has been addressed. I've been told it's not a matter of if it will fail, but when.


Still love my 2006 Dodge CTD w/ 150K on the odometer. For ball joints (after having issues with Moog replacements), I went with Carli rebuildable ball joints and haven't had an issue since.


ETA: Dad had a 2002 2WD and that was a wonderful machine. Very comfy to drive down the road and he was consistently over 20MPG when not hauling a load.

Absolutely 2nd the Carli ball joints. I went with the Dynatrac rebuildables, but I went back and forth between them and the Carli joints for a week before ordering.

These diesel trucks are heavy in the front end and while Moog's are okay expect to replace them every 50k miles, whereas the Carli and Dynatrac joints are "lifetime".

Unfortunately it doesn't look like either Carli or Dynatrac makes ball joints for 2002 Dodges, but a call to them might prove otherwise.

So tell me about the dreaded 53 Cummins block. Hope this one has the 55 block. I do not recall any discussion regarding the Mexican 53 block. Seems as it is prone to cracking.

This one is going on the rack at a Les Schwab truck shop tomorrow for some front end, steering, shock. brake, etc inspection. So will know more about this truck tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed.

Thanks guys.

quote:

Originally posted by Rev. A. J. Forsyth:
Buy it, buy it now.

As long as the body and chassis are rust free, all of the other shit is tertiary. Someone asked if there are any Toyotas in your area, a Taco or a Tundra can never hold a candle to those year Rams for towing. If you want to crawl rocks, buy a Taco. If you want to tow 8000lbs and under, buy a Tundra. If you want to have a truck that will last a LOOOOONG time and probably outlive you, buy that Dodge. The most expensive thing you will ever have to mess with is the high pressure injector. Yes, the trannies aren't the best, but they are easily rebuildable.

Trucks today that are equivalent cost around 70k, and will break in 6 years due to DEF and emissions equipment. There are many videos available on YouTube and other sources of modern diesels shitting the bed. Someone offered me 25K for my truck recently and I declined. The last time mine was in the shop for anything other than an oil change was 2016.

What he said. That is a solid engine, and will probably go double that milage, unless it was abused. That engine is also fairly easy to work on. So, yeah if the frame is in good shape, body is good, then it's probably a good truck.

ARman

ok, so it does seem the truck is in good overall condition. At least cosmetically. We have been able to find little maintenance history on it. The PO was a bit of an old timer that may of not been great on maintenance. We really don't know. Maybe he had a buddy or person he traded some work with who did service (shade tree style) is a guess. Car fax had dealer service for a few year and that is it. We should know a bit more about it once it goes to Schwab to check the front end. Once I know about that then we will decide what the next step is.
While it runs and shifts seemingly ok. I am thinking there are some expensive mechanical things that will need to be tended to at the very least.
Right now I am cautiously optimistic. But if it needs $2000 of steering and front end work and then $6k of other work it will be a no go. And I have a pretty good suspicion this is the case. Fingers crossed.

What would a new or rebuilt tranny cost on this rig?

Are they any quirks on the 4wd function. I assume you put the tranny in neutral and then put in 4L or 4H. Then put the tranny in N to remove. 2H is for normal driving. What is N for?
My family member is not a 4wd guy and had trouble getting into 4H? Or is my description not right?

What about the lift pump and also blow by in terms of the engine?

It does appear there is a fair bit of oil gunk underneath the engine? Normal?

Thanks guys.

I have an "02 2wd that I tow a gooseneck with that has 110,000. They are great trucks but a few things to watch for.
The lift pump can go bad (supplies fuel to the larger injection pump) and it will run but kill the injection pump. I've put an upgraded version of both on mine from a place called Blue Chip diesel.
The vacuum pump can develop a sudden oil leak so check that for your leak. 10 quarts can go out very quickly from there.
The power steering pump is stacked on the back of the vacuum pump which is an aluminum casting that can fail and then you loose the power assist of both systems at the same time. A friend had that happen, but luckily was going down the interstate on a straight and level section in a rural area with no traffic so he lived to tell about it. That particular part is one of the worst designs I've ever seen and I'm surprised it hasn't been in the news or had a major recall.
Others have already covered the other concerns. I've seen a number of these being run for 300,000 + miles.