A tow rig

Payton

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I’m in the process of purchasing this 92 D-250 automatic 5.9 Cummins. It’s a one owner truck has 225k miles . It has very little to no rust on the body or frame . It will be used to tow my camper and car trailer pulling my demolition derby cars. What’s y’all a opinions and concerns? Any idea on the fuel mileage?? What would y’all suggest to do performance wise to the engine or trans .

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The Cummins, if it has been taken car of is just broke in, important to keep clean fuel and fresh fuel filters for the injector system. Injector system usually will need to be rebuilt at about 250-300k, engine should run 500k or more without major issues. The fuel cut off solenoids were a POS. The weak point of the truck is the transmission. Check the fluid for discoloration, drive it check for slippage and smooth shifts. Check the frame rails just aft of the cab for cracks. Also important that the coolant has been maintained to factory specs. These trucks were good reliable vehicles overall. You can get a boost in performance by installing a low restriction exhaust system. Injectors can also be tweaked but be careful as too fat a fuel curve greatly reduces engine life. These trucks with the automatic were about 12mpg combined. This one looks like a farmer truck and the field miles can be tough.
Dave
 
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Build the transmission...it has known and easily remedied weak points. Check to make sure the KDP has been taken care of.Cummins workshop manuals are available free in pdf form.Check rearend (Dana 60 ?) for chipped teeth and condition of suregrip. Check transfer case...if it's not a 205 then get one.Send me a PM I have a pdf of the FSM I'll send to your email..too big to do it here. Nice trucks...my direct experience with these trucks is 13 in town and 17/18 highway. Good luck!
 
2 wheel drive frames are known to break at the dog leg at the front of the cab if the truck was in rough terrain/worked hard. Front crossmember by the rad support will break at the steering box and the box itself flexes the frame enough that the bolts that hold it on will back out.

Inspect those areas carefully and have someone turn the steering wheel left to right while you observe the frame where the steering box is bolted.

You didn't say if it was an OD or 3 speed. Fuel mileage will be a little better with the OD.

Neither trans has much trouble if it has been serviced properly and nobody has been messing with the fuel pump.

My transmission guy has a mid 2000's model with 500k miles on it with the original trans in it. Changes the fluid, filter and adjusts the bands once a year whether it needs it or not.

Kevin
 
As I recall, the front-frame-flex/break was an issue even on the D150 gas rigs. Perhaps an additional trans cooler can help trans longevity a bit?

From what the guys at our sponsoring Mopar club dealership told me, when the diesels were being devoloped, they got the biggest-capacity rear axle at the time (Dana 70, I believe, which GM later used too), but they still had the option of "Break Axles or Break U-joints". They chose u-joints to be the weakest link.

Then, too, I had some confirmed sightings (by one club member) of an older square-body Cummins Dodge, pulling a 60' loaded cow trailer, starting from a red light on a slight uphill grade, and it pulling the fornt wheels off the ground to get it moving. Never saw a Ford or GM truck do that. Must have been the Dodge Race Heritage at work? Or a frustrated drag racer driving it?

If it doesn't have a Racor (or similar) water separator/filter in the fuel system, it probably needs one.

Enjoy the truck!
CBODY67
 
Neither trans has much trouble if it has been serviced properly and nobody has been messing with the fuel pump.
friend of mine had a '89 cummins/AT. plowed snow with commercially for years. worstest most rotten truck in the world. absolutely beat to death. transmission: 100%. never a problem. best part of the truck.
 
the father of a buddy of mine had a 90 or 91. he pulled fully loaded hay and silage wagons with it. never missed a beat.
 
I forgot about the frame/steering box problem.As stated, the OD section of the 47RH transmission has a snap ring and oiling problem...well know with easy fixes.Another spot is cracking in the cowl area.This was a factory repair...NLA.

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