Howdy, i am buying a 78 ram pickup with slant six 2 bbl. does that have a good version of the slant six engine, which is it aluminum or cast iron block? what can i do to make it run its best, be most reliable and get best gas mileage? i have heard teh holley carb is better than the stock carter, that aftermarket exhaust manifolds are teh way to go, llike the ones doug makes, but i need some guideance as far as how to tackle this project. i live in a remote area and need the truck to be reliable, so i am willing to spend money and time to get things right. anyone know what kind of gas mileage i can expect on highway with this 3/4 ton ram with automatic and 2 bbl slant six engine? thanks in advance from the big island of hawaii

No doubt that it's an iron block and that's a good thing for a truck anyway.

My d-150 gets about 14 mpg on the highway. You should be able to do the same or better, but it depends on rear end gearing, tire height, and how hard you drive. I have been fighting with worn out carbs and a couple of burnt exhaust valves, so I imagine that my mileage is bottom of the heap.

Reliable is a slant sixes middle name. Make sure it holds water, oil, and gas and it will pretty much always get you home.

Just clean it up and tune it up, plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor, check for vacuum leaks.

Also, take a look at the brakes, because stopping is often more important than going.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

thanks for the info. any idea what carb you might change to eventually, holley or ? glad to hear that you get reasonable gas mileage. is the tranny in this 3/4 crew cab the common 700 series, cant remember the exact number, 727, 747. anyway, should i be concerned with exhaust manifold leaks and cracks with old age of this guy, would it make sense to put new headers on it so i wont need to worry about hasseling with exhaust leaks and etc or what do you think about that? i will be far away from everything where im moving to, out on a farm in the middle of nowhere (cant wait!) but just want to get it tight as possible before going. thanks again! , john

I would not jump in and do a bunch of changes and modifications right away. Drive it and use it the way it is for a while so you know what you have and this will also establish a baseline so if you do someday make some modifications you will know if it changed anything.

I would not jump in and do a bunch of changes and modifications right away. Drive it and use it the way it is for a while so you know what you have and this will also establish a baseline so if you do someday make some modifications you will know if it changed anything.

Yep, and if the old carb still "works" you can afford brakes first...

good advice. I was just reading so many people belly aching about exhaust manifolds and throttle shaft bushings that i got caught up in that and wanted to know what is a good replacement carb and manifolds and etc so i have some knowledge. I am excitied to get this truck, i didnt want a gas guzzliing 8 with massive 4 barrel carb. i like the low end torque on the 318 with 2 bbl carb, that is a sweet set up IMHO, and the slant 6 is legendary, and i understand the 2 bbl /6 on this truck is a workhorse, and decent on the gas. any input to help me have more knowledge is appreciated,a nd yoiur advice has been well taken and not thrown out blindly. How is the transmission on this kind of rig, whcih one is it? the truck is not at my home yet, i am buying it from montana and having it shipped in becasue they are hard to find here (crew cab, 4x4 auto pre 87) thanks again, and lets continue this dialoge so i can learn something about my new rig. john

I'm not sure about a 3/4 ton. If it is an automatic transmission, it would be a 727 I imagine, they are good transmissions. A fluid and filter change might be a good idea with an unkown transmission.

I'd be looking everything over closely for leaks: oil,water, tranny, steering, differential.

If you are very concerned about your intake/exhaust system, it is pretty simple to check out. The manifold typically crack because they are overtightened. The solution is to replace the manifold to head gasket instead of overtightening the bolts. If the manifold is already cracked, it will be visible usually showing dark soot around the leak.

Headers might be fun, but they arn't really any more reliable than a stock style exhaust 'log' when installed properly(in my opinion). I think headers are a performance item, not a reliability item. All that said, you should be able to drive home just fine with exhaust leaks.

A can of 'choke and carb cleaner' can be used to search for intake vacuum leaks and bad throttle shaft bushings. Get the motor running at an idle and spray the cleaner:
all along the head to manifold mating area,
directly on the trottle shafts,
around the base of the carb.

If the idle speeds up while spraying an area, you've found a leak.

I am currently running a Holley 2280, because I got it in trade from a friend. The Holley is working good, because it is new (not rebuilt). I would not hesistate to use a BBD if I could find another one in better condition. Sometimes 'use what you got' rules.

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1980 Aspen 225 super six

I disagree. Carter BBD 2-bbls are unbelievably superior to the similar Holley 2-bbls. I also prefer Carter 4-bbl carbs, but that's just a matter of preference because Holley 4-bbls are excellent carbs. The 2-bbls are junk, though.

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I guess holley and carter had their own different problems.
I like the carter, because I have tried a few of them, so that is what I know best...

i spoke with the owner today, and he says all is well on the manifolds and carb, so i will roll with what it has. interesting truck, it was an airforce order originally, so it has auto lockers because they needed to be able to switch from 2 to 4wd on the fly instantly in the case of a crash rescue. anyone have any opionions on auto hubs vs manual type? in 2wd with the auto hubs, is it true that the front axles do not turn at all or do they turn when in 2wd with the auto hubs? This truck became a montana forest svc truck outfitted for fire fighting with brush fires along the road. it has numbers on the roof for spotting it from the air. it is a pretty cool truck. there are no cracks or bends on the crew cab at all, which is great for a 78 crew cab. it has 86000 orig miles, no leaks, great brakes, new high profile off road tires that cost $160/each, new spare, it is a home run i think. its gunna cost me about $2k to transport from montana to hawaii, but im only paying $650 for it, yiu cannot find a truck like this here in this unrusted state, no way. i m sure it could sell for $4k, and i will have $3k in it, so im good. apprectiate any advice on auto hubs vs manual. thanks, john

Auto hubs need lots of maintenence to keep operating properly. I always replace them with the high quality Warn aluminum and brass manual hubs which are much more durable. With hubs unlocked and the transfer case in 2wd the front axles dont turn. You end up with a 2wd beam axle. It is good to lock in the hubs at least once a month to keep everything lubed and turning.

A slant is going to have a lot of trouble moving a truck this size without utilizing very low diff gears,,,so dont expect good fuel mileage on the highway. Keep it under 30mph and you will get best mileage and durability. I would definately add a trans cooler.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

i have a trans cooler that has been sitting forever itching to be used. wheere is the best place to mount it so it doesnt get ripped off by a branch or debris?

I didnt realize that the slant version was so bad over 30 mph, ive heard it will get 12-14 mpg if carb is good, in good tune, and if yoiu use a k & N air filter, which has less resistance to incoming air. hmmm. sounds like the slant is no good in real life use. i need to go 60 on hiway, figured i d get best mpg in taht scenario. oh well. thanks for the help, john

Slants are very good for everyday. Even if your truck had a V-8 it would still drink the hell out of gas. A 4X4 truck is going to be geared down low anyway. Those huge tires don't help things any either. Slants and V-8s get about the same gas mileage in a pickup, depending on how you drive it. I get 15-17 MPG out of my D-150 but it has 3.25 gears and stock 15 inch tires. Your truck will be noisy running at 60 due to the low rearend gearing which drives RPMs way up. It will probably run 80 if you stand on it.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2