1984 D150 fender mounted boxes are melting

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Dead Reckon

Junior Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Posts
19
Reaction score
2
Ram Year
1984
Engine
318 LA
So these boxes are something to do with a delay circuit for the ESA (electronic spark advance?) and egr (exhaust gas recirculator). But what exactly do these boxes do?

To put it bluntly, I need to know if they're important or not, because they are melting, and I cannot find replacements. I'd like to know the function they serve, because my dad's '83 D150 does not have these boxes. Strangely, the engine is truck is blue, mine is black.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Dead-Reckon/1984 Dodge D150 Prospector/0803161324c.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g139/Dead-Reckon/1984 Dodge D150 Prospector/0803161323.jpg

You can see the goo puddling below, it was green before the rain hit it. Just got the truck, it's a great truck, but it needs a few things, as any 32 year old vehicle likely will. Don't ask about the other red wire, it's some mess the previous owner made by adding a Neon fuse / relay box and running the headlights, fog lights, and an air horn through it. :rolleyes:
 

Sniper X

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2016
Posts
114
Reaction score
13
Ram Year
1991
Engine
318
Well, first of all photo bucket is a pain to use from a link. But if the little silver box on the fender well is what you are referring to, I think that is a horn relay. If so the reason it is melting is probably the air horn is pulling too many amps. Or the Po wired it weird.
 

Rustycowl69

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2015
Posts
857
Reaction score
171
Ram Year
2001 ram 3500
Engine
V10
it's hard for my old eyes to see, but the black box looks like an electronic voltage regulator. On cars, they are usually mounted on the firewall, right side of center. Is there a vacuum advance pot on the distributor? In the distributor is there just one pickup? Is there a lean burn computer box attached to the air cleaner? behind battery? it is largish, black, plastic, roughly rectangular box with a vacuum canister and vacuum hose attached to one end of it. My 86 d250 has a computerized spark advance computer located behind battery. Don't KNOW about yours.
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
194,927
Posts
2,864,183
Members
155,296
Latest member
VLG6963
Top