1975 Dodge

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97C1500TJ

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Thanks for all the help and the photos! Do you happen to know how to tear into the steering column to replace the ignition switch? I’m not following it well and there are two extra wires that I have to plug into the leftover holes according to my existing male plug.
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Moparmat2000

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Glad to get you up to speed on your 1 ton. Not sure on those locking ignition switches. My dad restored the column on his 79 lil red express when I was out of town. Otherwise i would have been more familiar with it. My mopar stuff all has ignition switches in the dashboard. Check out www.fortrucksonly.com somebody there may be able to help.
 
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97C1500TJ

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Glad to get you up to speed on your 1 ton. Not sure on those locking ignition switches. My dad restored the column on his 79 lil red express when I was out of town. Otherwise i would have been more familiar with it. My mopar stuff all has ignition switches in the dashboard. Check out www.fortrucksonly.com somebody there may be able to help.
Thanks!
 

Erik the Awful

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Personally, I'm a fan of big blocks, and I don't think you'd go wrong with a 440. That said, don't give up on the 318. I had a co-worker named Mac who had a similar year long bed 4WD. He rebuilt the 318 with a better cam, did some cleanup porting on the heads, put flat-tops in it, etc. He leaned the carburetor out until it misfired and then went back two jet sizes - an old Highway Patrol trick. I think he also recurved the distributor. He swore up and down the truck got 20 mpg and we all swore he was crazy. Then he sold it to John, another guy in the shop. John verified it got 20 mpg.

You'd think the truck was a dog on the road, but it wasn't. And torque? There's a good story there as well. One weekend John headed out to his deer lease to go hunting. There was an ornery old bull that stayed in a field he had to pass through, and on his way to the lease, the bull was standing in the middle of the narrow dirt road, refusing to budge.

He honked.

The bull snorted.

He pulled up and bumped the bull with his reinforced bumper.

The bull dropped its head and butted the bumper back.

John put the truck down in 4-low and bumped the bull again.

The bull locked its legs and refused to move.

John put the throttle down and pushed the 2,000 lb bull back ten feet.

The bull relented and walked to the side of the road.
 

thegawd

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that's a cool story! I could see it happening. So Eric, there is a 1978 440 in a motorhome parked here in my laneway. maybe 50 000 miles on it. sooooo should I keep it? I hate the damn motorhome. I hear that this motor is sought after? what might it be worth? I dont care about the motorhome and Iv been trying to get rid of it.
 

97C1500TJ

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that's a cool story! I could see it happening. So Eric, there is a 1978 440 in a motorhome parked here in my laneway. maybe 50 000 miles on it. sooooo should I keep it? I hate the damn motorhome. I hear that this motor is sought after? what might it be worth? I dont care about the motorhome and Iv been trying to get rid of it.
You could send the 440 my way and I can properly dispose of it.
 

97C1500TJ

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So here’s an update on the truck. It’s an electrical nightmare. I replaced the ignition switch because I had to jumper a wire from the positive on that junction over to the coil. Then a few days later, I couldn’t get it to start at all without jumping it and pulling the light switch would kill the lights. Tonight I changed out the ignition switch only to find that wasn’t it and I think it may be the wrong one anyway as I can’t start my truck with the key now. I had to hotwire with a screwdriver. I’m kind of lost. Electrical is not my favorite and this is why. I’m getting power to the fuse box but as soon as I turn the light switch on, the voltage drops to 0 V and the lights still don’t work.
 

Erik the Awful

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So Eric, there is a 1978 440 in a motorhome parked here in my laneway. maybe 50 000 miles on it. sooooo should I keep it?
I have already expressed my love for big blocks, so why are you even asking? I think 440s are the last of the non-rat big blocks that are still readily available. Parts aren't crazy expensive, and as Engine Masters just showed (if you have access) a 440 is a far better street engine than a 426 Hemi could ever be.

Junking a mobile home is an arduous task, but set all the metal bits aside as you go and you can recoup some money. That chassis will probably pay your gas to the metal recycling center.
 
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