Many people are too quick to run to their mechanic or dealership at the first sign of even the simplest trouble but there is a good chance that many of those people don’t realize how easy it would be to fix their problems on their own. At the same time, many drivers on the road today don’t realize that their engine is like anything else and it needs to be cleaned from time to time. One such easy fix that anyone with some time and a basic tool set can perform on their own is cleaning their throttle body and today’s feature piece looks at how to clean the throttle body of a 2nd generation Ram.
The throttle body is the part of the engine that takes in air for combustion that is later mixed with gasoline. A dirty throttle body can cause a variety of issues ranging from a loss in power to drivability issues but this is one of the easiest problems to address under the hood. DF member Ramman18 put together a great step by step do-it-yourself post on how to remove and clean your throttle body with just a few tools, a can of carb cleaner and a tin of Copenhagen – although the tobacco is completely optional.
While this DIY applies specifically to a 1999 Ram 1500 with a 318 cubic inch V8, the process of removing and cleaning the throttle body is fairly uniform across most vehicles and this write up shows just how easily a driver can get a few ponies back in an older engine with just a little elbow grease. Click here for more on how to remove and clean your throttle body.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
