Mid 80's Ram 50 Diesel

[MoparDave]

I've been aggressively searching the net for one of these trucks, I'm wondering if anybody had experience with them as far as reliability and such. They are like finding a needle in a haystack, which has me wondering if I'd be better off building another project with readily available parts such as a Mercedes diesel in a Dakota. My goal is the 40 mpg threshold, not sure the Merc/Dak combo could achieve that but apparently the D50 diesels are close. Any thoughts?

[JimmieD]

Hope you find one! It's my understanding that the Ram-50 trucks used the Volkswagen 1.7L diesel, same engine found in diesel Rabbits. They were very reliable and decent power. Parts are still available for the engine last I heard, simply because it was used in Rabbit and a couple of other VW's etc.

A vehicle like that would be worth a full resto far as I'm concerned, and stockpiling some parts to boot. I know where there's a gasser Ram-50 but am waiting to see the price. May be free, but it's 450 miles away, so that 900 mile round trip would cost me about $150 in the Town Wagon with Cummins 4BT. Next step would be finding the VW diesel engine that fits.

I just got an '85 Dodge Omni gasser, some of them were 1.7L V-dub diesel. May look into a diesel swap on that if the other doesn't work out?

.

[getawheel]

I beleive D50 was Mitsubishi.

Or at least the few I welded up heads for were.............So were the earlier 6 cyl D series.

[JimmieD]

Welcome to the forum, Wheel!

Yes, some were Mitsubishi, but some diesels were VW, and some gassers were Mitsu, VW, or Chrysler powered. Complicated financial times for Chrysler Corporation back then.

[sret43]

1982 D50

I sure miss my D50 4X4. I put 221,000 miles on it before losing it in a divorce. That thing ran like a champ the entire time. Replaced the brakes and clutch once. Never a mechanical issue.
When I first saw that pickup, it was on a car carrier heading for Swift Dodge in Sacramento. I took the next exit on the freeway to catch up with the carrier and followed it right to the dealership and bought it on the spot.
The loads I carriered with that pickup completely embarrassed my '68 Chevy 1/2 ton. And it towed my horse trailer with two horses in it with no problem at all.
If memory serves me right it was the Mitsubishi engine 2.6L 105hp.

Steve

[MoparDave]

Thanks for the input fellers, I'll be patient and wait for a nice one. Worse case scenario I'll build a Mercedes powered Dakota.

[sret43]

Ih-mbz

Near my home is a large field of old trucks. This old International has a Mercedes-Benz 4 cylinder diesel in it.
Steve

[Gordon Maney]

I must say, I like the International. My first truck, before my first Power Wagon, was a 1949 KB-3.

[Joe Flo]

I had a 1985 D-50 (bought it new) with the 2.6 liter gas engine and the manual trans. I can't remember if it was a 4 or 5 speed. The head cracked at 97,000. I replaced it with a new one. The power steering box went shortly after that. When the gas tank cracked at 112,000 I sold it. Durability was a problem with that truck and I had trouble keeping scratches from wildly rusting the metal. I used to wax it 3 times a year (yes, I was single back then and no kids) and I would still get rust at stone chips. Attached is a picture of it hauling logs. In my avitar you can see it near a 1962 International TD-250 track loader (another one known for cracked heads). If I remember correctly it got about 22 mpg on the highway. I thought about getting the diesel but I was afraid it would be slow. I think the diesel had a turbo charger too. I recently found the old brochure for it and threw it out. You can't keep everything.

Joe

[Joe Flo]

The International's radiator was as big as the bed of the truck

[W_A_Watson_II]

My brother had a D-50 Sport, and what a truck. Yes he replaced the Head, and 5 speed shifter would come out of the tranny in his hand from time to time, but the 2.6L Hemi Hed Mit's would haul.

[sret43]

Speaking of the 2.6L hauling dodo, my previous wife had a 1980 D50 Sport. It had to have been slightly modified, I just couldn't believe how fast it was and still get 24 mpg. That thing could out run many V8's.

[W_A_Watson_II]

I sure could/would. My brother put a lot of V-8's in their place in the 1/8 mile. He could even pull the front end off the ground!

[Keith in CO]

diesel ram

It's my understanding that the Ram-50 trucks used the Volkswagen 1.7L diesel, same engine found in diesel Rabbits. They were very reliable and decent power. .

Just saw a diesel D50 last week at a traffic light - hadn't seen one of those for years.

I don't know anything about the diesels used in that Dodge, but I once owned a diesel 1980 VW Rabbit pickup. Was in cherry condition. Drove it back and forth across the US a few times. It was non-turbo, and 55mph was about max - I would turn off the A/C when going up hills on the interstate, just to keep up road speed. Got around 50 mpg.

[Rich Szklany]

Dodge D 50

Mopar Dave,
My father bought a diesel D 50 new. It was 2wd, as I recall he got very good mileage with it, I can not recall what it was. The only thing on the engine that was replaced was the oil cooler, stress cracks on the fittings.
The truck went through wheel bearings in the front frequently. The oil was like tar after 3000 miles between oil changes. He traded it in with almost 200,000 miles onit. On the passenger side door the hinges rotted off the door pillar. Itdrove well it was pretty quick It drove like a c

Rich Szklany