1987 Dodge Ram D150 Drivetrain

Loose ends. They make up the majority of our projects, yet rarely does any magazine article do justice to those small, albeit important, components that are necessary to get the job done.

Our Project D150 was no exception. Certainly, rebuilding the engine to produce nearly double the horsepower and torque output of the Slant Six was a reasonable task. In doing so, it was well within the power range of a small-displacement Mopar small-block. Now the goal was to take the combination off the engine stand and get it firmly between the framerails.

Follow us through the minutiae involved with getting our D150 on the road, and see if our challenges assist you in getting your project further down the road to completion. Just click on the sidebars below to get the scoop.

Fuelish Endeavors
The lifeblood of any engine is gasoline. Functionally the original system would have worked fine, however, we needed a more aesthetically pleasing arrangement that also reduced the chances of vaporlock.

The majority of the work involved reforming the fuel lines from straight stock and efficiently routing them in order to gain both function and form.

To keep the engine bay neat, we rerouted as many lines and wires as possible—including new fuel lines—in order to avoid going over the top of the valve cover.

A fuel filter was definitely a must, so we chose K&N's billet fuel filter. We snapped the filter onto its mounting bracket, located on the framerail.

After we completed our conventional fuel routing and checked for leaks, our Holley 2-bbl was ready to go.

Optima Batteries recommended a Deep cycle battery for the long hours we spend listening to CDs while working on the truck. Deep cycle batteries are more capable of constant cycling. In this photo we install one of the power leads.

Power Supply
From early on, we only considered Optima Batteries for supplying amperage. The aesthetic favorite not only looks good, but also fulfills the deep cycle needs of our D150, due to our audiophile status.

All the hoses and wires were covered with Techflex wire loom. Techflex is a nylon braided covering, available in several sizes and colors. There are even Velcro versions for the hard-to-wrap, complex wire assemblies.

Detailing Details
A host of new wires to power the electric fan, signal the MSD Ignition, and route accessory cables required the use of wire loom covering. We turned to Techflex for the braided wire loom, which would give a finished look underhood.