Ok, so let me get this straight, I am not allowed to actually KNOW what my truck is doing? Not at all? I asked for help yes, and I am grateful for the help I have received and things you guys have told me in the past have been right so when I am stumped I come to you guys. Yes, I am not 100% sure on my oil usage if there is any between oil changes, but I know that in the past 1500 miles there has been none. I checked the belt because it was squeaking, that is the first place I went.

I am not trying to start an argument, I never came on here saying I know everything and blah blah blah, I just simply said what I do know, and what I have checked. Simply so others can maybe think of something I am missing, I have been advised by fellow forum goers to check the phlenum gasket. Plan on doing that, honestly never even knew the magnums had split intake manifolds. Great piece of knowledge to have and I am sure that gasket will be blown, no one here has steered me wrong yet.

Again, I am not trying to sound like I know more than everyone here, but when it comes to MY truck, I do know what exactly it is doing and what I have noticed so far, so I am going to pass on what I know about it. Yes I may not have ALL the answers to what my truck is doing (the oil usage) but I do know what it has done since I got it...

BTW,
I still don't know what I said that answered my own question, the only answer to my question I can think of is the phlenum gasket..which was advice given to me here, by a fellow D owner. Only thing I can think you are refering to is this PCV valve trick I posted.

I found that trick on many sites including dodgeforum.com. Its not to check and see if the PCV valve is working it is a little trick to check the phlenum gasket. I only posted it to see if anybody else had heard of it. I would rather test the gasket that way then tear the motor down.

Edit:
I couldn't find the ORIGINIAL post I found that gave me the PCV test for the plenum gasket, but I did find another one. I was only simply asking if anyone had heard of this, not saying the PCV valve was the problem


https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...cked-up-3.html

 

first, i have to say dont get into an argument with hydra, you wont win. (im going to save you BOTH time and effort with this advice)

you said that it is definitely oil and NOT condensation well if you are burning enough oil to see it in the exhaust you WILL DEFINITELY HAVE A NOTICEABLE OIL DROP ON THE DIPSTICK

if the oil level in the crankcase is not going down, you are simply NOT burning oil PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Then I don't understand why I have the quick puff of blueish smoke :-( Could it be something in the exhaust like something build-up or something burning off? I haven't noticed any puffs of smoke in the past couple of days (it has been really cold too) Planning on checking the the manifold this weekend and see if there is any oil in it. Checked the oil today and it says full, I am completely stumped at this point!

I know not to get into an argument with hydra, I was actually getting on just to type, that it just needed to be dropped. I wasn't trying to tell anyone they were wrong, I was just trying to make sure I gave the correct information. I mean it could POSSIBLY be condensation, but it is only for a quick half second to a second, but idk, im stumped, of course I am looking at this "smoke" from the drivers seat inside the truck, guess this weekend I will have the wife start the truck so I can get a better look, but thinking it might be the same outcome!

My new job has a beat up Ram like a 98 with 144k miles, runs like complete crap, but trans shifts perfectly and I still think in some aspects it is better than my d :-( I just want her working like she should!

BTW shrp, if I remember correctly you were the first one to say plenum gasket, if thats what it is, another fix under your belt lol

 

I will now tell you what you are willing to learn because you don't understand, and you now are open to learn.

Again I am not trying to bust your *****, I'm trying to teach you how to describe the issues you have, and better understand how to get out the information you need.

There is 3 reasons you are getting smoke out of your exhaust during start up.

1. It is simple condensation, which is usually the correct answer.
2. Worn valve guides in the head
3. Incorrect air/fuel mixture, "Stoichiometric ratio".


See after time, which the valve guides sit right on top of the head again where the valve stems are. Oil pools up on top of these divots to lubricate their assent during normal operation. There wil always be a little pool on top of each valve guide. With worn valve guides the oil can slip down between the guide and the valve stem into the combustion chamber, and thus when you first start the engine it spits out a slight blue smoke, but only at start up because it has time to sit and seep through the guide into the cylinder. See it is actually really easy to understand if you stop telling people what the answer is when you ask a question that you don't understand?

Now under slightly "normal" worn head condition you will see just a very sight oil useage, however you will have a blue 2 second approximate startup smoke.

Now you are stating there is no normal oil or "substantial" oil usage, so I don't think your issue is a "Pentium Gasket" issue, because if it was you would be going through about a quart a week or something like that.

Most likley if it isn't your valve guides it's either your Stoichiometric mixture or your spark not burning correctly. From the sound of it I would say that your spark is not buring and you need to change your spark plugs back to the cheap Champion Cooper plugs. If you have then lets go to the next thing.

 

I changed the plugs to the Champion gapped at .40 about 1300 miles ago, give or take a couple hundred miles, did plugs, wires, cap, rotor.

I have noticed when I just let the truck idle, especially AFTER driving, the exhaust does smell a little rich, does that help at all?

and definitely not going through a quart a week,

EDIT!

Ok, took the D out today for a nice long trip, got home, checked the oil, and it is hovering at ADD..Took me all week to be able to take the air hat and all off due to weather, had a nice clear sunny day today and no work, so I did take it off when I got home, tried the pressure build up trick that i saw that i referenced earlier and it builds pressure, so I am thinking not the gasket, BUT I opened up the throttle body and looked down and there isn't any pooling but there is some film and looks like grudge (not much) from maybe usage, i don't know. I did not notice something because I started the truck with the hat off to check that pressure trick.

Is the Air Breather Cap Vent House supposed to blow smoke/ maybe condensation out of it, I think it maybe have been condensation. I have a video of the smoke from the exhaust at start up, I will post that later when I get home.

 

Ok here are the videos of the start up and the air breather cap..I am pretty sure the air breather cap "smoke" is condensation after looking at it, but would rather have you guys weigh in!

The 2nd start up in this video was our F-250..someone was driving that today lol
http://youtu.be/AFncOyKDemY

Nevermind on the 2nd video, looks like it isn't as clear as it was on my phone... its not heavy and disappears a few inches after it comes out, so I am guessing condensation.
http://youtu.be/GdAPNb7PBtM

Ok so lets recap, or try to lol, for my sake because we are at page 3 and I try to keep everything together to remember what exactly I am talking about.

Smokes on start up, I have now noticed some oil usage after I took a nice trip today while dragging a trailer. Changed the PCV valve today just for sh**s and giggles, needed to be replaced as it is...I thought I saw a little smoke today when pulling the trailer up hill today, but couldn't really see it too well due to a car on a trailer in my back window! So I took the opportunity this evening when my wife was following me home (without the trailer) When I accelerate kinda of hard, whether from a stop, or while driving already, it would smoke pretty heavily. Spark Plugs have been replaced not to long ago.

Where do we stand? You said possibly worn valve guides if the plugs have been changed back to the recommended Champion copper plugs recently? How do I check to see if that might be it? Is it easier than pulling apart the intake to check that gasket?

 

Hydra? I'm not sure how to check the Valve Guides, help me out?

 

The first start up looks normal to me, or maybe just a very-very slight oil guide wear. It can also be just the first rich shot of fuel/air that PCM gives the motor when first starting like a choke.

The second video is simple blow by. When a motor detonates it's fuel/air mixture and the piston is forced downward some of those gases are introduced into the crank case. The reason for this is when you set rings in a motor there is a section that does not touch. See the ring is opened and set around the piston then it springs back to shape, however there is the small opening where it is cut (where it separates). Now you have 3 rings, 2 combustion rings and an oil ring. THe oil ring is on the bottom of the piston, then a compression then the final compression toward the top side. Now you alternate ring openings, 1 at 12 o-clock, one at about 4, and the final about 8. This way it does the best sealing against the cylinder walls and you get the lest gasses forcing between them. Then you take the piston with all the rings on and slip a installer around them (special tool that compresses the rings to the piston) then you tap them out of the tool into the cylinder.

After a while as a motor wears the rings wear and also small scratches work on the cylinder walls and a lot more and more compression past the rings (blow by). What you are seeing out of the breather is this blow by, and it is normal.

As for the Pentium gasket, yours sounds fine. There is a little oil vaporization that gets drawn into the engine through the PCV valve and sense oil vapor is heavier then air, and the fact of cold air incoming into the intake manifold, it coagulates and deposits on the inside of the intake manifold leaving a slight glaze. This is not "Pooled" oil in the bottom of the belly pan in the intake which is a Pentium gasket leak. There is a noticeable difference. Also heavy oil useage is known which you do not have. So I don't think you have a problem, at least yet.


My 2 cents, relax because I think your truck is fine.

 

Just an FYI here for you, the only real way to check valve guides is to remove the valve spring(s) and measure the side - to side play of the valve stem with a dial indicator, or pull the valves and measure the diameter of the stem vs. the bore of the guide with outside / inside micrometers.. Typically if you're pulling enough oil through the valves to have signifcant wear you'll see smoke very often (every startup, at shift points, etc.), and you have other things that are worn also. (valve seats, valve seals, etc.)

+ 1 with Hydra, don't worry too much about it. Keep an eye on your oil consumption between changes and if you're within 1/2 to 3/4 quart you'll be fine. Heck, I've had things that ran fine at one quart / 1000 miles! Just left a little "smokescreen" behind me when driving!

Bob

 

Ok well not taking the valve springs out, Yeah I put half a quart in a few days ago (after my long trip) Yeah I notice a little smoke screen when I punch it nice and hard to accelerate quickly, but pretty sure that is normal (I kow diesels do that!) lol, ok if you guys think its fine then I am going o say it is fine, the smoke at start up has minimized now, changed the PCV valve, it was nice and oily and lookedclogged, guess it helped a little bit, but it does have a little smoke at SOME start ups.

Hydra, you are supposed to say "you need to tear your truck completely apart, buy 1000 bucks woth of parts!" That way I have a reason to spend the money, otherwise the wife won't let me!

Thanks for the assistance sir(s)!