but do you have a gps in the truck to confirm the speedos working properly? and also, i seem to recall you saying you still have the auto computer in your truck? if so, who knows, that may be whats causes what your saying the trucks doing thats not right....?

 

This sounds almost exactly what my problem is. Going down the high way you would never notice a problem at all. It runs and sounds great, lots of power when you get into it. But just at stop lights, it sounds awful. RPMS go extremely low and makes you feel like it trying to die. I noticed that the truck hasnt died once since the new IAC went in. And at my frist stop with the new IAC the engine sounded like it was trying to fight off a cold then it started doing its ultra low rpms deal again.

I am going to do a little straightening up in my garage tonight, then I am going to remove the vacuum line from the transfer case and engine and see if I can find any breaks in it.

 

I don't know what it is on my truck, cause unlike yours, my speed sensor controls the speedometer, which has never failed. The other thing I'm thinking of is the EGR has gotten too bad, cause the CEL has been on for the EGR since I got the truck. I'm about to take care of that though... I got a set of headers with no EGR tube, and I have that '98 intake manifold that came off the 360 that I'm doing the kegger mod on and then I'll install both, which will get rid of the EGR for good.

Is there really a vacuum line between the engine and transfer case on your truck? On mine there is just a breather tube that stops up near the engine.

 

Yeah there sure is. Its just a rubber hose that is pinch clamped to a port on the transfer case. I got to know it very well when I replaced this transfer case a month or so ago.

So your truck doesnt have an EGR? The EGR was actually the first thing that I thought that it could have been. But if you are having similar problems but dont have an EGR then I can scratch that off.

I called the local dodge dealership and he first suggested running some fuel cleaner through the engine. I then stated my problem and that I thought it might be vacuum related. He said yeah, we need to put on a vacuum gauage to see if its even holding vacuum. I told him I thought it was as there is strong suction at both the PCV valve and the crank case breather filter. He was stunned then and couldnt come up with any quick fixes. I told him that I tried replacing the IAC, and while that has helped prevent the truck from dying that its still an issue and there are no error codes to be had just 55 for end of codes or clear. He then said that there were no TSBs for this issue and that if I were him he would take the throttle body off and clean the carbon build up on the butterflies where it seats against the casing and cuts off the air.......I was stunned by his apparent lack of troubleshooting skills and told him it wasnt related to idling all the time, only idling in gear. In nuetral gears it idle beautifully. He said, "Yeah, clean that throttle body, thats where I would start".

I am getting so frustrated.

 

That always pisses me off when the guys who work at dealerships can't help. See mine is opposite of yours... it tries to stall when I push the clutch in and put it in neutral when I'm coming to a stop, catches itself, and then idles fine after that. My truck does have an EGR right now, I was saying that I'm getting rid of the EGR by using headers and an intake manifold that don't have it.

I know there is a hose on the transfer case, but follow it all the way up and I'm convinced it's not a vaccum hose. It's just a breather that they put way up in the engine bay to get it as high up as possible so you don't flood the transfer case with mud if you go through deep mud. I know the older 1st gen dakotas had a vacuum actuated front axle disconnect, so unless that vacuum goes through the transfer case and then to the axle, there should be nothing vacuum controlled in the transfer case.

 

Actually the more I think about it the more I am convinced that it probably is the EGR at fault. Because, Unless I am mistaken, the vacuum line that comes up from the transfer case, connects to the transducer/EGR valve.

 

I see, Well It was a thought at least. I am really starting to run out of ideas but the EGR was the first thing that I thought of and it is still on my mind as the likely suspect in all of this.

I couldnt trace exactly where that hose came up and connected to so I took a guess at the transducer after looking at some of the diagrams in an older parts manual.

 

I'm thinking it's the EGR as well. Lets go ahead and end this headache by saying its the EGR and leaving it at that :P

Do you have emissions inspection in your state? If not, you should do like I'm doing and get rid of the EGR system for good.

 

They dont in Kansas, but they do in Missouri. And in my line of work and current location, its very possible to end up working in missouri else I would.

If clean the egr betters the problem I will probably spend the 100 bucks to get a new liftetime warrantied egr valve from oreillys and end this nightmare.

 

How do you go about removing all of the emissions stuff? Is there a plate that you use to seal off the ports in the intake and such?