So, I bought a 94 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 318 and standerd tranny a couple years ago...there are a couple issues Im having with it but since it just rolled over 250K miles they dont seem like too big of a deal.

1= Exhaust was breaking but it would backfire. It only backfires between certain RPM ranges and after it is warmed up. When cruising in the 1700-2500 rpm range it backfires...id doesnt do it on acceleration or deceleration...only when it is maintaining RPMs. Wierd huh...So, I thought it was the exhaust cause eventually the exhaust broke clean through. I jimmy rigged it. i cut off a piece from the end of the exhaust, bent the tips in a little bit and was able to slide both ends of the broken exhaust into it. Now it is ver quiet, like it should be but still has a hickup in those RPMs, Is it still maybe drawing some air back through it causing it to backfire? Timing a little off?

2= I had a 97 and went through 3 transmissions on it so told myself I really like the Dodge but not with their auto tranny. This is why I got a standard and everything with it is great but the clutch is a little funky...It has to be pushed all the way in and it engages quickly on releasing it. It also makes a whinning noise. I know it is a hydro clutch but is there a way to adjust this? I have never had it slip or anything like that but it just makes it kinda difficult to start out...when you're moving it is no prob of course.

Any help would be appreciated fellas. Thanks!

 

sounds like spark plugs starting to foul its not exhaust related and ur clutch is it still stock i mean have you replaced it

 

hmm, thats a good question. I would imagine the clutch has probably been replaced but I dont know for sure since I bought the truck with like 225K miles on it. Maybe time for a new clutch and swapping out spark plugs? Thanks for the reply by the way!

 

if you decide to change the clutch and do it yourself watch out for the crank position sensor, the dumb **** who helped me broke mine off its a PITA to replace once the tranny is in to

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

From what I have read there is no way to adjust the clutch since it is hydrolic...is this true and where is the reservoir for the fluid?

 

resovior for the fluid is next to the master cylinder in the engine compartment.

The whining may be from a bad throw out bearing, mine made noise and it was the bearing that was crappy. I did a whole clutch kit in mine, that includes the clutch disk, pressure plate, and the alignment pin. If you do your clutch, remember, have the flywheel re-surfaced!

 

yeah hydro clutch's are self adjusting try checking your fluid level

 

backfire can be caused by many things
but one known to be problem on the Magnum V8s
is crossfire because of a mistake
in the original factory placement of the
ignition wires beside one another
particularly numbers 5 and 7

arrange your ignition wires like these 'weird' routes:

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1998/18-48-98/18-48-98-v8.htm

while you are at it
check each ignition wire with the ohms scale of a multi-meter,
and
check, clean, re-gap and sharpen each spark plug ...or install new

does any one sparkplug look funny or different?

bad spots in range the TPS,
the module on the driver's side of the throttle body
can cause surging or backfires at steady rpms,
especially if the TPS is old or high mileage

blown plenum gasket can also cause backfires

you probably need a new clutch
and South Bend makes good ones

good luck

 

I case anyone stumbles across this is in the future. I replaced the TPS to no avail. I followed the wire routing stuff to no avail. Replaced the plugs and wires and backfiring went away!

In doing such the distributor came loose and I had to tighten it back up. I think it is still a little off cause now I can feel a pretty big power loss. Easily 10-20 horse difference. I will get it situated by rotating the distributor ever so slightly to try and find the sweet spot again since that's what I think the problem is there.