the distributor cap does NOT control injector timing if anything it can affect the ignition timing.

 

i have a 98 5.2 and my pcv is on tghe driver side goes to the back of the intake topper and the passenger valve cover breather goes to the intake port in your pic its kinda a shaped hard molded rubber hose

 

The cap itself does not control injection timing...But the cam sensor is in the distributer and the position of the of the distributor controls the the injector timing. So the position of the distributor BODY sets the injector timing. Which can only be set perfectly with a scan tool. The ignition timing is not adjustable no matter where the distributor is set. The might be a sticker under the hood that says the same.."ignition timing is not adjustable" The ignition timing is only set by the crank sensor which receives it's signal from the flywheel and the program in the computer. You can slot the sensor bracket or use a aftermarket programmer or computer to change timing but the distributor has NOTHING to do with the degree of ignition timing. The coil will only fire when the computer tells it to which the flywheel (crank) signal triggers not the cam sensor. Merry Christmas!

 

yes i agree timing is computer controlled on these trucks (all of them)

however the way i understood it the computer uses more than just the cam sensor to determine injector timing, sure it has some effect on it, but i dont see how reseating the distributor will affect it that much (i dont have a distributor on my truck to go look at it).

also unless the engine has been torn apart and rebuilt incorrectly the distributor should always stay indexed properly.

 

No, on the 1998-1999 the PCV valve is on the passenger side valve cover and plugs into the intake on the passenger side. The larger pre-bent hose on the drivers side you are talking about and it plugs into the back of the intake air hat is called a "breather". This is where the freash intake of filtered air enters the off side of the engine and is vacuumed out by the PCV valve on the passenger side. Now when you look at it they both have the appearance of a PCV, but only the passenger side in fact is. Now on the 2000-2003 5.9L (after the front end was re-designed they switched positions and placed the PCV on the drivers side and fresh air breather on the passenger side.

Very true.

Well actually one can manually "Index" the distributor to get it very close if not right on, however if the distributor is physically too far away from the contact there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY for the charge to hit the cylinder, so you are incorrect with that statement. So with that said, the engine needs to be on TDC and verified with actually verifying that the #1 cylinder is at the top and the crank is sitting at TDC as marked. Then you look at the distributor and ensure it is pointing to the correct position. Here are instructions: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...er-please.html

 

This is the passenger side and this port on the intake manifold should have the PCV valve on the passenger side valve cover hooked up to it.





This is on the drivers side valve cover, and it goes to the back side of the air hat when installed. Set the air hat down and feel back behind it and you will feel the nipple that that pre-bent hose goes to.

Now remember that they switched this in 2000+ to the opposite side, but yours is a 1999 5.2L and I can easily see that this is a breather by the look of it.