Look at the upper part of the screen and note the menu across the top (black band with white letters). Click UserCP for the User Control Panel; on the next screen, scroll down the left side (Your Control Panel) and click Edit Your Details; scroll down the screen to Additional Information and the first box is labeled "What do you drive". Enter your vehicle's information there and it will appear in the upper right corner of all your posts.

Doing so makes it easier for people to answer your questions rather than having to repeatedly ask for specifics. You'll notice a lot of us have this information populated.


That being said, a 5.2L extended cab short bed should be able to achieve better mileage than what you're reporting. I'm wondering if the plenum has been addressed or if the truck is running the stock heads, which are notorious for cracking. I say this because I did very mild work to my 1997 5.2L coupled to an automatic and reported much better mileage figures.

 

Don't know if the plenum gasket has been fixed or not. Just paid the truck off Thursday so I have plans to start fixing whatever needs fixed. Front end suspension is the first on the list. After the plenum is next. Really don't want to pull the heads if I can keep from it. May do that once I get my 79 dodge colt up and running. Pulls head get them checked and put the top end back on it...

 

If you go to the trouble of pulling the heads, don't even bother getting them checked, just replace them. The castings were horribly thin, and very prone to cracking. chances are real good, that yours are indeed cracked. The new castings have thicker decks..... Much better.

 

If that truck has the original heads with 213K miles on them, then it's no wonder engine performance has been lackluster. If you like the truck and intend on keeping it, I'd do as HeyYou recommends and chuck the heads while yanking the engine for a bottom-up refresh. You would be surprised at what some mild upgrades and replacement of worn parts will do to a 5.2L.

 

Alright. I appreciate all the info. May just save and get a new 5.2 installed in the truck. I literally just paid the truck off Thursday. Going to price out a jasper 5.2 and start saving.

 

If you do go that route, start a build thread for the engine. Granted, a lot of guys here will chime in since it's not their wallet paying the price; however, enough of us have experience to offer advice on parts and cost effective mods. Also, don't let anyone BS you about Magnum engines. When I approached my rebuild, the first machine shop I called painted up a horror story of how I "opened a can of worms" with "that Dodge engine".

I highly recommend you get a copy of this book: .

It was written by one of the engineers who helped develop the Magnum engine and provides an excellent history of the block. A lot of myths you may read/hear are dispelled in this book, plus the step-by-step instructions are outstanding along with all proper torque values.

 

What are these horror stories with a magnum?


I've never heard any myself. Most just say magnums are "gutless"

 

He just lit into me with his "you opened a can of worms" remark and asked it I had ever rebuilt a Dodge engine before. I stated I hadn't and he proceeded to chew me out for potentially inviting a list of problems and he prattled on about how Magnum engines (and I am embellishing here) were made with fairy dust and unicorn magic. He honestly made it out like I needed super special experience and magical tools to rebuild the engine. He stated I was easily looking at $5,000+.

That pissed me off, so I checked with another shop and the owner just laughed, taking care not to disparage the other place but stated "bring it in when it's torn down and we'll go from there". All in all, even with new heads and a performance throttle body, I was out $2,100.


I later learned, through a friend of mine who worked for the State, that the owner of the first shop was eventually nailed for failure to pay taxes and cooking the books.

 

Oh boy, sounds like he got what was coming too him.


I always thought these some pretty simple engines. Except the wonky computer system Mopar had to use.

There are two kinds of people in this world, Mopar people and everyone else lol

 

I'm so very confused.

Did a post get deleted?