It turns out to be the starter-flexplate gear, not an expensive part.
Yes, I know it is 2WD but I keep my 94 and I don't need two 4WD trucks.
It is AMAZING how much different the bricknose looks whn you are used to the 94 style.
Anyway, I took the truck out of the highway and it drives real smooth. Feels like a lot of power to me, I expected it to be a dog as an NA. It is "fast" off the line. I feel the difference with my truck only when stepping on it at highway speeds on a hill. It looks clean except for rot above both rear wheels. Tank selector switch is bad, he has been running on front tank. He modified the GP system. Tach is broken. I like the truck a lot. I am thinking of making it a daily driver, replacing my 82 Mercedes. Mistake? Endless work? My 94 is running perfectly now, so it can be the backup when this one is being worked on. The original owner is 81 and he clearly has taken good care of the truck. He showed me some of the receipts. The tranny went in recently. The engine went in as a factory rebuild in 1997 at a cost of $9700, he said becasue it was using excessive amounts of oil. The truck was purchased new for $16,400. He used it exclusively to drive to construction sites where he operated heavy machinery. We don't know the exact mileage since the engine replacement. The odometer reads 455k but he thought it was broken. What to do...