I have access to AllData, and I have a pdf of the 95 service manual, I cant find much about bad gas mileage in there.

I pulled my throttle body off, it is dark on one side and cleaner on the other, does anyone know if this could be a plenum problem?

 

If it hasn't been fixed yet, chances are good its blown. Fairly standard on these trucks.

 

That does look like the plenum is blown. I forgot to add that a blown plenum won't cause all of a sudden problems. It is more of a slow loss of power and economy. But if the truck is new to you then it will be very noticeable.

 

Does anyone think it might possibly be the PCV valve?

Ok it looks like im going to be changing the plenum here, is there any recommendations to what i should change?

Do I need to just replace the gasket? or do I have to get a whole kit and replace the pan itself.

Do I need to get any new bolts? or can I reuse the ones I have?

Is there already a thread on replacing the plenum on this forum?

 

Plenum Repair. (no pics.)

You CAN replace just the gasket, if you enjoy doing it, and want to do it again at some point. (depending on how long you keep the truck.)

Replacing the bolts for the pan, that are a tad bit shorter will increase the amount of time between repairs. (stock ones are too long.)

Getting the plate kit from hughes is: Do it once, and be done with it. (provided you don't goof on the install.)

According to hughes, you don't actually have to replace the intake bolts. (intake to head.) Nothing mentioned in the factory service manual about it either. However, those ARE Torque To Yield bolts..... It is cheap insurance to simply replace them.

There are a boatload of threads about plenum repair.

Doing plugs/wires/cap/rotor while the intake is out of the way makes that exercise MUCH easier.

 

Uh, do yourself a huge favor:

BUY NEW TTY BOLTS... You may 'think' they're good, but they won't hold adequate torque if you reuse them.

 

Alright thanks, I think I'm going to buy that hughes kit, and I will get new intake to head bolts as well.

Ill prolly do cap, rotor, plugs and wires as well.

Any word on whether it could be the PCV valve? I was reading this thread:

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...-it-but-2.html

Just started wondering since I havnt changed that yet.

 

that was me I'm sorry to report..

Truth is I don't know for certain that it is solely the PCV, though I know it is responsible for at least some of the oil in the intake.. I won't know for certain if it was solely responsible before I strip it down, which is going to happen tomorrow...

If you have just the factory 'steel' pan, either it's leaking now or it's going to be leaking.. You dang near gotta pick up the factories slack by addressing a problem they didn't want to.. That requires using an aluminum pan with shorter bolts (or as it is the thicker plate compensates for the depth).. There is another problem too with that factory rig- the bolts are too far apart in some areas.. Couple that with the steel pan/aluminum intake expanding and contracting at differing rates and there will be a gap at some point large enough to suck in some oil..

If you're putting an aluminum pan/plate on that thing, and torquing the bolts properly- you're way ahead of the game.. It's going to have to happen at some point- and you're in there anyway..

HERE is something to keep you from using TTY bolts again..

 

How about do just one thing at a time, like the plenum.
Then drive it and check the mileage.
If still not, fixed go onto the next thing.
If you do all of this at once, you/we won't know what the fix was.

 

Hmmmm, black in the intake. Black Smoke. Seems like you are burning A LOT of oil. Plenum leak is there. Could also be PCV, because that would bring soot into your intake.

try 2 cans of seafoam, first can slowly at idle, then the second can while you pull the throttle a bit as you do it so you can get more to flow through the intake.

where is cmckenna when you need him.