Guys, I'm tapping out and asking for help here. I've read a lot of troubleshooting writeups, a bunch of forum threads, the Haynes manual, know my way around the factory service manual, but I can't figure out what's going on and don't want to throw parts at it blindly.

Truck has a swapped-in 5.2, recently professionally adjusted Crower roller rockers, good TPS. I can't speak to the health of the internals but I suspect there might potentially be a lifter problem. Replaced O2 sensor, accessory belt, idler pulley, tensioner, msd coil, and new plug wires, fairly recently.

Symptoms (may not even be interrelated) are:
1) valvetrain-sounding clattering persisting for a while after startup despite valve adjustment
2) sounds like maybe there is an exhaust leak after the shop monkeyed around with the transmission mount
3) sometimes but not always hard to start when warm. Sometimes this shows up as the engine pops off strongly but needs to be cranked for a couple seconds. Sometimes it begins to "pup-pup-pup-pup-slowly come to life," firing rather slowly and sickly, but without the excessive cranking. This was going on well before the ragged exhaust leak sound appeared.
4) generally seems weak on the freeway and loves to upshift. Will upshift when I prefer it stay in 3rd. When it shifts into overdrive at like 45-50 the truck seems to be lugging, no power, no acceleration without getting deep into the pedal to force a downshift.

Additionally there is a weird, loud clacking sound. Just a single clack which is hard to reproduce. Sometimes this happens when I ever-so-slightly touch the brakes, even in neutral, sometimes this sharp clacking sound coincides with the tranny shifting while cruising around town. Sounds like it comes from the front half of the truck.

 

Bump for help please?

 

all i know is #4 my 90 did the same thing. think it is (dodge) normal. i once asked a tranny guy if he could adjust it and he said he could but would not do it??

 

Well when my Dak had a v6 and v6 tranny it didn't do this and the weird shifting seems worse than before )if it's not my imagination.)

What was it he said could be adjusted or repaired?

 

look at this....
https://video.search.yahoo.com/video...&hsimp=yhs-001

 

Consider this, the trans cannot perform the way it is designed to if the engine is not performing the way that it should, can not happen. Have you thought about having the exhaust system checked for restrictions, fuel pressure, timing etc. ? Just a thought. Was your v6 manual or auto, if I am understanding this the v8 is now auto? Please let us know.

 

Aha! Thanks for the link... The TV cable was one of the things I was thinking of... I probably need to make sure the engine is working right before monkeying around too much with shift points... Thanks for the reply

 

Aha, yes, thanks for this, this is an excellent point. If the engine is not running right, the trans can't do it's thing properly.

I think I have an exhaust leak, and I should probably just go ahead and replace my fuel sending unit because it doesn't send a good signal to the gas gauge anyway. I don't have a fuel pressure tester. Wonder if it's time for new injectors? I'd love to put a new timing set on there, a double roller.

The V6 was hooked up to a v6 auto, the v8 went in and so did a v8 auto trans.