Godd day to you reader,


I will try to expose the situation about this small engine of mine.


During december I left from Montréal QC to Edmunston NB for the Christmas period. During which I drove this Dakota. As I arrived at the border of NB, the engine started to sputter very badly. I managed to get to destination anyways and, The next day Investigated for this event.


Engine light went on and off, misfire and ALL of it.


I removed all spark plugs to find out that the last one (5) was not tight and, obviously, the electrode has melted ( dahhhh ).


I replaced everything with new sparkplugs and the engine recicated well.


Now here the major interrogation. Ever since. I could feel that, when I'm at a traffic light, just releasing the brake pedal, I could feel that there is one cylinder that is not contributing to the effort.
Since, I replaced, all sparkplugs again ( colored white with light gray arount the gaper electrode), I replaced all wiring and distributor with rotor, still going on. So I figured that It could be an Injector, (325,000km) so I replaced them all but it still does it.


Diring last week-end, I ran a compression test, all of them are within 10psi of 150psi ( from 135 to 155 ) even the one that melted the plug.


This next week-end, I will run a Leakdown TEST with the proper Leakdown tester. I have doubts about finding something but who knows......


When Under running condition, this baby goes at 13L/100km or 19 miles to the gallon and uses about 1L of oïl per 2000km of which I never did before, it used to be able to go through the 5000km and suck 1L only.




Any advise of anything that I could have been missing Is more that welcome.




PS: I will try to post the pictures of my major restoration that took place last summer ( about 50 pictures, )


Thanks in advance.

 

Your description of your problems as well as the oil consumption would lead me to believe the that the plenum gasket is your problem.

Common problem on these motors - take your air hat off and open the throttle and look down into the intake. If you see a bunch of oil down there I'd be willing to bet that its your plenum gasket.

 

Good day sir,


So in other words, It would be that since the compression is even, that the plugs are ''gray'' and no foullness '' of oïl on them, it would mean that the plenum gasket would be broken thus ''sucking air'' from the Inside of the engine ??
hummmm I will check this in a very short period...thanks a whole lot...


If I look at the tail pipe it's kind of ''DARK'' instead of the brownish color of standard exhaust stuff. Would that be a clue toward your diagnostic ??







If there is other ''clues'' I would apreciate to get them as well.

 

Here a TSB on how to test you plenum gasket.
http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2000/09-05-00.htm
I have never try this but should work.

 

Thanks for the link for the ',repair procedure''.


Since the engine is at about 357,000km OLD, I will get the gasket kit, pan and I will replace it without no further delay.


Thanks to all.

 

oupsssssss one more TEST on this Engine. I hooked up a Vacuum gauge to the intake and there is NO fluctuations of the needle whatsoever. Just a precision from this dossier. And more so, this BABE'' is running at 12L / 100km average on hyghway, (22mpg US a Gal) either on Premium or 87 octane.

 

how much vac was being drawn?

 

update:

Replaced plenum gaasket, intake gasket set ( couldn't have done without lolll ) and all plugs are the same pale beige colored.

Replaced injectors since still does the same.

Compression is as stated above.

Vaccum is at around 22 in of Hg at idle with no fuctuations.

Cleaned TB and Throttle idle motor still does it.

Really lost in here

 

any plugs showing oil on them? It has to be going somewhere.

So it still feels like it's dropping a cylinder at idle? What about at speed?

 

Thanks for the reply, At speed, it sound and behave great, accelleration without stumble at all. Only in the last few feets before the complete stop, you feel that there is one cylinder that is not helping the engine. As for the plugs, they are ALL pale Brown (cafe au lait ) the exhaust pipe at the end is dark though. Honnestly, I do not know where else to look.