No Low End Power
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From: Military
No Low End Power
Hello,
This is actually my first time posting in a forum...ever, so if I sound dumb or post something in the wrong area I apologize. I have been searching through this site for a few days looking for a problem similar to mine and although I have found some, the fixes described did not work for me. First off the specs are -2001 Ram 1500 4x4 w/ 318 and 5 speed manual tranny. I haven't modified much on this truck yet other than putting a proflo air filter/intake on which helped with this problem but not significantly. The problem I am having is that I have plenty of power from first through 3rd gear, but it is sluggish until after about 2000 rpms. Fourth and 5th gear are very sluggish, and fourth acts like what 5th gear should. Hoping that mades sense. In the higher rpms the truck takes off effortlessly. I have read a lot about the plenum gasket, so I did a vacuum check and a visual check I don't remember the procedure exactly but it was straight from either the haynes book or the dodge service manual. Vacuum was actually great and no pooling oil seen thru throttle body. I thought maybe fuel filter, this being my first truck I didn't realize that it was part of the pump but anyways a pressure check appeared to be fine instant pressure on key turn maxed out when I heard the pump stop and did not continue to rise as if it was blocked. I am running 285 75s on the rims and I know that will make for a decrease in performance w/o a gear change etc but this is like 10-20 mph drops in 5th going up a hill for less than a half mile. On flat ground I still accellerate but its very slow. I have replaced plugs, and that made no difference even though I think the ones in there were the originals from 100,000 miles earlier. My thoughts are either coil or cat and the last time I had a clogged cat it was the high rpms that lost power not the low so I'm leaning towards the coil but I am going to pull the o2 sensor for a hour or so to see if the extra breathing helps but the exhaust seems to flow out the back freely enough. I'm very lost on this one right now I know 5th gear won't have much power with 285's on but I should be able to maintain speed up a hill. Thank you in advance for any help ya'll provide me with because I need to drive from Cali to North Carolina here in a couple months and I already made the trip the opposite direction with all these problems and averaged 13 mpg driving speed limit etc the whole way. That is the other reason I am going towards coil, because its not throwing an ecu code so if it is just a weak spark, but still so/so it won't throw a code since the fuel is still burning-also for a while until I changed plugs I was getting rich readings off the o2 sensors so if the problem is related to that. One last symptom, when going up a steep enough hill sometimes I will get slowed down so much that the engine begins to knock but I think it is just because I have the pedal to the floor and trying to put more gas in a cylinder that doesn't need it is probably just gonna do things like knock. Anyways sorry about the long post it's just that I see all these people get asked a million questions and I want to try to give as much info off the bat as possible. Thank you again for any help!!!!
This is actually my first time posting in a forum...ever, so if I sound dumb or post something in the wrong area I apologize. I have been searching through this site for a few days looking for a problem similar to mine and although I have found some, the fixes described did not work for me. First off the specs are -2001 Ram 1500 4x4 w/ 318 and 5 speed manual tranny. I haven't modified much on this truck yet other than putting a proflo air filter/intake on which helped with this problem but not significantly. The problem I am having is that I have plenty of power from first through 3rd gear, but it is sluggish until after about 2000 rpms. Fourth and 5th gear are very sluggish, and fourth acts like what 5th gear should. Hoping that mades sense. In the higher rpms the truck takes off effortlessly. I have read a lot about the plenum gasket, so I did a vacuum check and a visual check I don't remember the procedure exactly but it was straight from either the haynes book or the dodge service manual. Vacuum was actually great and no pooling oil seen thru throttle body. I thought maybe fuel filter, this being my first truck I didn't realize that it was part of the pump but anyways a pressure check appeared to be fine instant pressure on key turn maxed out when I heard the pump stop and did not continue to rise as if it was blocked. I am running 285 75s on the rims and I know that will make for a decrease in performance w/o a gear change etc but this is like 10-20 mph drops in 5th going up a hill for less than a half mile. On flat ground I still accellerate but its very slow. I have replaced plugs, and that made no difference even though I think the ones in there were the originals from 100,000 miles earlier. My thoughts are either coil or cat and the last time I had a clogged cat it was the high rpms that lost power not the low so I'm leaning towards the coil but I am going to pull the o2 sensor for a hour or so to see if the extra breathing helps but the exhaust seems to flow out the back freely enough. I'm very lost on this one right now I know 5th gear won't have much power with 285's on but I should be able to maintain speed up a hill. Thank you in advance for any help ya'll provide me with because I need to drive from Cali to North Carolina here in a couple months and I already made the trip the opposite direction with all these problems and averaged 13 mpg driving speed limit etc the whole way. That is the other reason I am going towards coil, because its not throwing an ecu code so if it is just a weak spark, but still so/so it won't throw a code since the fuel is still burning-also for a while until I changed plugs I was getting rich readings off the o2 sensors so if the problem is related to that. One last symptom, when going up a steep enough hill sometimes I will get slowed down so much that the engine begins to knock but I think it is just because I have the pedal to the floor and trying to put more gas in a cylinder that doesn't need it is probably just gonna do things like knock. Anyways sorry about the long post it's just that I see all these people get asked a million questions and I want to try to give as much info off the bat as possible. Thank you again for any help!!!!
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 357
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From: newfoundland
Hello,
This is actually my first time posting in a forum...ever, so if I sound dumb or post something in the wrong area I apologize. I have been searching through this site for a few days looking for a problem similar to mine and although I have found some, the fixes described did not work for me. First off the specs are -2001 Ram 1500 4x4 w/ 318 and 5 speed manual tranny. I haven't modified much on this truck yet other than putting a proflo air filter/intake on which helped with this problem but not significantly. The problem I am having is that I have plenty of power from first through 3rd gear, but it is sluggish until after about 2000 rpms. Fourth and 5th gear are very sluggish, and fourth acts like what 5th gear should. Hoping that mades sense. In the higher rpms the truck takes off effortlessly. I have read a lot about the plenum gasket, so I did a vacuum check and a visual check I don't remember the procedure exactly but it was straight from either the haynes book or the dodge service manual. Vacuum was actually great and no pooling oil seen thru throttle body. I thought maybe fuel filter, this being my first truck I didn't realize that it was part of the pump but anyways a pressure check appeared to be fine instant pressure on key turn maxed out when I heard the pump stop and did not continue to rise as if it was blocked. I am running 285 75s on the rims and I know that will make for a decrease in performance w/o a gear change etc but this is like 10-20 mph drops in 5th going up a hill for less than a half mile. On flat ground I still accellerate but its very slow. I have replaced plugs, and that made no difference even though I think the ones in there were the originals from 100,000 miles earlier. My thoughts are either coil or cat and the last time I had a clogged cat it was the high rpms that lost power not the low so I'm leaning towards the coil but I am going to pull the o2 sensor for a hour or so to see if the extra breathing helps but the exhaust seems to flow out the back freely enough. I'm very lost on this one right now I know 5th gear won't have much power with 285's on but I should be able to maintain speed up a hill. Thank you in advance for any help ya'll provide me with because I need to drive from Cali to North Carolina here in a couple months and I already made the trip the opposite direction with all these problems and averaged 13 mpg driving speed limit etc the whole way. That is the other reason I am going towards coil, because its not throwing an ecu code so if it is just a weak spark, but still so/so it won't throw a code since the fuel is still burning-also for a while until I changed plugs I was getting rich readings off the o2 sensors so if the problem is related to that. One last symptom, when going up a steep enough hill sometimes I will get slowed down so much that the engine begins to knock but I think it is just because I have the pedal to the floor and trying to put more gas in a cylinder that doesn't need it is probably just gonna do things like knock. Anyways sorry about the long post it's just that I see all these people get asked a million questions and I want to try to give as much info off the bat as possible. Thank you again for any help!!!!
This is actually my first time posting in a forum...ever, so if I sound dumb or post something in the wrong area I apologize. I have been searching through this site for a few days looking for a problem similar to mine and although I have found some, the fixes described did not work for me. First off the specs are -2001 Ram 1500 4x4 w/ 318 and 5 speed manual tranny. I haven't modified much on this truck yet other than putting a proflo air filter/intake on which helped with this problem but not significantly. The problem I am having is that I have plenty of power from first through 3rd gear, but it is sluggish until after about 2000 rpms. Fourth and 5th gear are very sluggish, and fourth acts like what 5th gear should. Hoping that mades sense. In the higher rpms the truck takes off effortlessly. I have read a lot about the plenum gasket, so I did a vacuum check and a visual check I don't remember the procedure exactly but it was straight from either the haynes book or the dodge service manual. Vacuum was actually great and no pooling oil seen thru throttle body. I thought maybe fuel filter, this being my first truck I didn't realize that it was part of the pump but anyways a pressure check appeared to be fine instant pressure on key turn maxed out when I heard the pump stop and did not continue to rise as if it was blocked. I am running 285 75s on the rims and I know that will make for a decrease in performance w/o a gear change etc but this is like 10-20 mph drops in 5th going up a hill for less than a half mile. On flat ground I still accellerate but its very slow. I have replaced plugs, and that made no difference even though I think the ones in there were the originals from 100,000 miles earlier. My thoughts are either coil or cat and the last time I had a clogged cat it was the high rpms that lost power not the low so I'm leaning towards the coil but I am going to pull the o2 sensor for a hour or so to see if the extra breathing helps but the exhaust seems to flow out the back freely enough. I'm very lost on this one right now I know 5th gear won't have much power with 285's on but I should be able to maintain speed up a hill. Thank you in advance for any help ya'll provide me with because I need to drive from Cali to North Carolina here in a couple months and I already made the trip the opposite direction with all these problems and averaged 13 mpg driving speed limit etc the whole way. That is the other reason I am going towards coil, because its not throwing an ecu code so if it is just a weak spark, but still so/so it won't throw a code since the fuel is still burning-also for a while until I changed plugs I was getting rich readings off the o2 sensors so if the problem is related to that. One last symptom, when going up a steep enough hill sometimes I will get slowed down so much that the engine begins to knock but I think it is just because I have the pedal to the floor and trying to put more gas in a cylinder that doesn't need it is probably just gonna do things like knock. Anyways sorry about the long post it's just that I see all these people get asked a million questions and I want to try to give as much info off the bat as possible. Thank you again for any help!!!!
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From: Military
no low end power
Yes and for a couple other of the questions I just did cap and rotor, cleaned the injectors as in pulled them and cleaned them not that pour in your gas stuff. Most was pretty clean but I also run seafoam through about every 5k-6k and pour some in the oil every time I change it. I pulled the throttle body just a few minutes ago though and although there is a film of oil in there, it has black chunks allover the inside of the manifold, so now I'm just gonna pull the thing and do the fix anyways to see if it helps, only problem is I forgot I don't have any sockets with me right now and I don't see me gettin the manifold off with wrenches lol.
Retired Moderator - RIP
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 18,729
Likes: 17
From: NH
The black chunks are pieces of the blown gasket most likely. Bad enough that its just sucking any oil right out, that's why you don't see any pooling. And use the Hughes or APS kit or don't bother,it will just blow again.
Grand Champion
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,971
Likes: 45
From: MAINE
theres only like 4 sockets needed, buy a cheap $12 stanley 3/8 set at wal-mart...
Those mpg's are actually pretty good....most get 9-10.....after my plenum fix and such, im now getting 14 city, and about 17-18 highway...
Those mpg's are actually pretty good....most get 9-10.....after my plenum fix and such, im now getting 14 city, and about 17-18 highway...
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From: Military
No low end power
Well, for an update I have been working on this intake manifold and block for 3 days which is ridiculous. Plenum gasket appeared good but seemed lose so....Nyways there was a lot of crud in that engine that I have had to clean out, It appeared almost as if the manifold gaskets may have been a leak, I think that the carbon buildup in the motor may have been an issue as well. Right now I can't start it because I managed to lose an injector o-ring so hopefully tonight my truck will live again
Grand Champion
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: MAINE
your plenum is blown out....theres no way around it, your not goingto get lucky and not have the problem....put a hughes or APS plenum kit on while its out....if you dont use one of those two, dont waste your money on another gasket....
The plenum bolts are a bit to long and are unable to torque to spec, and the plenum plate is steel while the manifold is aluminum, and metals expand differently at different temps, with these two, it causes the leaks.....if theres ANY black in the manifold, the plenum is gone, put it that way.
The plenum bolts are a bit to long and are unable to torque to spec, and the plenum plate is steel while the manifold is aluminum, and metals expand differently at different temps, with these two, it causes the leaks.....if theres ANY black in the manifold, the plenum is gone, put it that way.
