I am not sure if this is something that has just crept up over the last year or two or if I only recently noticed it. I have a 98 1500. The battery is about two years old, the plugs and wires only six months.

When starting, it cranks over fine (fast and strong) but the engine seems to have trouble catching. By trouble I mean that it normally takes about five revs to catch, and every few weeks I end up releasing the key too early (something I never have a problem with in any other vehicle). The trick of this is that it does this regardless of whether it is -30 or +80 out, but if the truck has been running recently it will catch immediately.

I am thinking that rules out the starter and the battery, so what should I be looking at?

 

Maybe fuel pump is keeping proper pressure, dirty fuel filter, dirty injectors. Run some injector cleaner through it.

 

mine does the same thing.........ive heard that the map sensor has a part in starting

 

mine started doing the same thing after i took my bosch platinum +4s out. i never had a problem with them (more power/quicker starts) but a bunch of guys on here said that they're terrible for the magnum engines.

 

Does it happen after the truck sets for a while? I had a sticking evap pruge valve that would let gas vapor flood the manifold after the truck sat for a while. Usually ok at cool morning(less gas expansion) but would have long cranking time and run rough for a few seconds after starting in the afternoon(higher temp more gas expansion). Quick check, just pull of the evap solenoid purge valve and blow in tube connection, if you can blow thru it its leaking.

 

where is this evap solenoid purge valve you speak of?

 

on my 1997 360 its on the drivers side toward the back, if i remember right, its about even with the end of the valve cover and but spaced above it and 1/2 way between valve cover and distributer. Hangs on a little bracket, has two wire connector on side at top and two lines connected to it at bottom. The vaccum line runs to the front of the TB and the other to the vapor cannister. Its in the area of the breather

 

i'm pretty sure this is the problem for most vehicles. the purge solenoid goes bad after a while, people fill their tank up too much or it just plain goes bad. i have the same problem, just haven't had the time nor the money to fix it yet. i bet if you get a new purge solenoid, it might fix your problem.

 

I have done searches at napa and o'reilly and can't find it...

 

try other stores then. advanced might have them, carquest, autozone...who knows