I'm having quite a few issues with my 98 1500. The first issue: After it sits or rains, the truck wont start. I know fuel is goin in becuase i can smell it. the only way it starts sometimes is to have my foot to the floor and cranking it for 20min. the second issue: Sometimes when i start the truck it just dies. i have to keep my foot on the pedal and keep the rpms up so it stays running.
Any ideas? workng with a limited budget, im thinking it might be the coil or a sensor. there is no check engine light on.

 

sounds like it needs a tuneup.... rain will effect the spark plug wires and distributor if they are bad....thats where I would start and change thye plugs while your at it...Look at your old ones if they are black your running very rich or burning oil and may have worn rings or blown plenum gasket (blown gasket is very common for our trucks) either way if your fouling out the plugs it wont run right....if it runs ok when it starts but runs crappy when warmed up it could be something else like a bad 02 sensor or maybe a plugged cat.

 

i actually just replaced the plenum gasket about 2months ago becuase it was bad. i was thinking tune up was due.The truck runs fine once warmed up. the truck is down on power and has very pour gas mileage.

 

Could be the EGR valve its $90 at autozone with a 3 year warranty. its not very hard to replace either. mine had the same problems. Its towards the back of the engine by the distributor cap. it bolts to the block right behind the intake. see if that is bad or not.

 

i would check the o2 sensors too, mine would run rough at the start up and never threw a code, I replaced the sensors and everything was cool.

 

98 does not have an EGR !

 

Did you do anything with the cat(like tested, gutted or replaced) after the plenum replacement? It won't have anything to do with starting wet, but it might have a lot to do with low power along with the tune up mentioned aboved.

 

my dads 96 Ram 318 did this as well, but it was throwing a code. I got it checked and it was the oxygen sensor, changed that and everything was fine...(it only did it afer it rained as well)

 

I would try the O2 sensor again. you didn't mention you replaced it when you did the plenum. They kinda go hand in hand. Kinda pointless to fix the oil leaking plenum,but not to change the most likely oil baked O2 sensor. Without it your losing the improvement of fixing the plenum.

 

even though you are smelling fuel, check your pressure. if you are not getting a CEL chances are it's fuel related.