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Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2536912
08/15/18 09:43 PM
08/15/18 09:43 PM
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Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Well I had to take 90 days off due to the heat, but the cool down has been awesome. Put 29 hours in on it since Sunday. What a blast. Going back with new/clean parts is the fun part of this for me. Pretty much done with the dirtiest parts.

Right now I am putting on a complete new brake system, everything. Pretty sure I have found what made the owner finally park it. UJoint in front drive shaft was about ready to explode and had to be noisy as heck. Left rear brake had parts cutting a huge grove in the drum, also had to be noisy.

Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2537814
08/17/18 07:32 PM
08/17/18 07:32 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 15,713
Central Florida
larrymopar360 Offline
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Great news that you had some time to work on it! Frame is looking great!


Facts are stubborn things.
Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: larrymopar360] #2537948
08/18/18 12:29 AM
08/18/18 12:29 AM
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Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Thank you Larry. about done with brakes, now. All lines, cables etc are one, fun times. Emergency brake has been a blast. it was all junk.

Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2762488
04/10/20 09:00 PM
04/10/20 09:00 PM
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Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Well it has been a while, had some health issue delays but the body is back on the frame and I finally fired my 318 yesterday after almost a year of having rebuilt it. It is bone stock and idles sweet.

I put a GM Hei distributor and have ordered a GM one wire alternator for this 79 power wagon as the previous owners have done some serious cobbling with the wiring. Per the advise in this thread I did buy the manuals for the truck off of ebay and they have been a big help.

Has anyone got a link to a schematic modified for those two changes or do I just need to figure it out?


Thanks again for all of the help so far, it is coming along nicely.

powerwagonframeandengine.jpg
Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2762493
04/10/20 09:15 PM
04/10/20 09:15 PM
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Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Cab is back on after welding in new floor boards, cab corners and replacing drivers door with a better one.

powerwagoncabon.jpg
Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2762506
04/10/20 09:48 PM
04/10/20 09:48 PM
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Freeport IL USA
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The ignition wire that would normally go to the + side of the coil on your Dodge now needs to go to the + terminal on your GM electronic ignition. If you have a tach, there should be a connection place on the GM dist to connect your tach lead that normally would have connected to the + coil wire on the Dodge stuff.

Can't help you on that GM 1 wire alt. They call it a 1 wire, but most I've seen have 2 wires, so I'm confused. LOL! Gene

Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2762573
04/11/20 07:23 AM
04/11/20 07:23 AM
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Greenville, PA
redraptor Offline
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Looks good so far. up

Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: poorboy] #2762579
04/11/20 07:47 AM
04/11/20 07:47 AM
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Originally Posted by poorboy
The ignition wire that would normally go to the + side of the coil on your Dodge now needs to go to the + terminal on your GM electronic ignition. If you have a tach, there should be a connection place on the GM dist to connect your tach lead that normally would have connected to the + coil wire on the Dodge stuff.

Can't help you on that GM 1 wire alt. They call it a 1 wire, but most I've seen have 2 wires, so I'm confused. LOL! Gene


Poorboy is close on the distributor. The HEI system needs full voltage not the lower coil voltage of the Mopar system. Take the power from the keyed side of the ballast resistor.

As for the alternator, iirc the second small wire is for a warning light. Not needed for the alternator to function. But you do have to bring the rpms up to activate the internal regulator. Honestly id keep the stock charging system because of the tricks you can do in case of roadside failure of the regulator or wiring.


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Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: ruderunner] #2762708
04/11/20 01:48 PM
04/11/20 01:48 PM
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Central Florida
larrymopar360 Offline
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There was a recent thread on water leaks into cabs, and welding seems around firewall to sure up rigidity and stop leaks. Good time to really tighten up your truck and keep it sealed up nicely.

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthread...85-d150-water-leak-body.html#Post2747191

Last edited by larrymopar360; 04/11/20 01:54 PM.

Facts are stubborn things.
Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: poorboy] #2762760
04/11/20 04:49 PM
04/11/20 04:49 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
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Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Originally Posted by poorboy
The ignition wire that would normally go to the + side of the coil on your Dodge now needs to go to the + terminal on your GM electronic ignition. If you have a tach, there should be a connection place on the GM dist to connect your tach lead that normally would have connected to the + coil wire on the Dodge stuff.

Can't help you on that GM 1 wire alt. They call it a 1 wire, but most I've seen have 2 wires, so I'm confused. LOL! Gene
Thank you very much, yeah I understand that. Just wanted to see if anyone has actually modified a schematic to include both mods.

There will be a lot of crap and wires eliminated. I just may do it, as I was taught to use and read schematics.

Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: redraptor] #2770249
05/01/20 08:20 PM
05/01/20 08:20 PM
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Posts: 1,615
Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Originally Posted by redraptor
Looks good so far. up


Thanks, it runs great and starts up instantly now after spending a little time on the tune today. i have a new question though. I put it up in the air running and put it in gear.

Oddly, the front wheels turn and were running but the back ones were not. I messed around a little bit with the four wheel drive lever but it will only start in the one position that it is in.

Anyone have any ideas? thanks in advance. Edit, I got my answer. the transfer case is acting like an open diff and the new back brakes a very tight.

Last edited by furious; 05/01/20 10:03 PM.
Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: ruderunner] #2770251
05/01/20 08:44 PM
05/01/20 08:44 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,615
Table Rock Lake Missouri
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furious Offline OP
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Originally Posted by ruderunner
Originally Posted by poorboy
The ignition wire that would normally go to the + side of the coil on your Dodge now needs to go to the + terminal on your GM electronic ignition. If you have a tach, there should be a connection place on the GM dist to connect your tach lead that normally would have connected to the + coil wire on the Dodge stuff.

Can't help you on that GM 1 wire alt. They call it a 1 wire, but most I've seen have 2 wires, so I'm confused. LOL! Gene


Poorboy is close on the distributor. The HEI system needs full voltage not the lower coil voltage of the Mopar system. Take the power from the keyed side of the ballast resistor.

As for the alternator, iirc the second small wire is for a warning light. Not needed for the alternator to function. But you do have to bring the rpms up to activate the internal regulator. Honestly id keep the stock charging system because of the tricks you can do in case of roadside failure of the regulator or wiring.


Thank you, I ended up spending a couple days on the wiring with the manual. It is all working perfectly now, lights etc. I found out leaving the vacuum advance disconnected is the best way to go so far on the HEI. I had already decided to go with the one wire gm alternator and it is charging well by just using the 10 ga wire that was the feed from the dual field alternator. I had to switch locations with the connection on the bulkhead connector as like many mopars, the heat generated through that wire melts away the retention on the connector so you get a bad connection which creates more heat.

I have eliminated a milk crate full of old wiring and parts.

Re: Starting on my 79 W150, could use some advice, ideas, help [Re: furious] #2770275
05/01/20 10:14 PM
05/01/20 10:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,543
chicagoland,usa
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buildanother Offline
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Making progress! Yeah, the 203 case actually has spider gears that let front and rear work like right and left wheels on a rear diff.

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