White smoke is indicative of burning coolant. Does the exhaust smell like coolant? If not its likely just water vapor. As for the blueish smoke, that's oil burning either from a blown plenum gasket or bad rings/valve seals.

To determine what the blue smoke is from, pull the throttle body and check for pooled oil. It will normally be pooled in the very back and is tough to see without a mirror and flashlight. If there's no oil check compression and do a leakdown test on the engine to see if its rings or seals.

 

Wow... (the thread does need to be cleaned, lol) 88 pages later...
I'm in the process of replacing my pan, timing chain, ignition items, etc. I seem to be having many problems with corrosion. First I couldn't get the fan clutch off, so I had to remove the water pump, fan, and shroud all at once. Then I went to take the thermostat out and a bolt snapped flush in the IM, ez out broke in that. (DON'T use ez outs if the bolt doesn't move at all with left handed bits!!!!) So now I have to replace the intake manifold. 2 bolts in the front broke off on me from a leaking intake gasket which allowed coolant to saturate the bolts and rust them hardcore. I have been spraying them down every few hrs with pen.oil and still can't get em off. I am doing the kegger mod, so that will be cool once I figure out how to get those *&^#$#$%# bolts out. Keep up the great posts and VERY helpful info everyone!

 

I have a question, would it be easy to just check for vacuum in the crankcase to tell if the plenum is leaking? Or am I being silly?

 

With all the complications that can happen when attempting a pan gasket repair, it makes sense to be sure the gasket has failed before starting. Of course oil will normally be present at the base of the plenum as a result of normal PCV valve function, so just looking down there is not a perfect test. Chrysler published TSB 09-05-00 that describes how to test the pan gasket by looking for engine vacuum in the crankcase, and in that document they say not to bother with the repair if the test is normal. Last week I posted a short video on Youtube showing how to do that test on a Dodge Ram. Does anybody have experience with definite pan gasket failure when the test is normal?

 

Nice vid but a little incorrect information with your drawing. The blue arrow on the right should be pointing the other direction as the intake manifold vacuum is pulling IN the blow by gases instead of the other way around.

 

+1... And the dealer test only works if the gasket is massively blown. I know, because both my trucks checked out fine. Intake was removed and sure enough the gasket was leaking.

 

20 psi of vacuum is normal not 18 his plenum has a small leak

 

Nope. He has flow direction correct. Air goes from air filter box, to valve cover, thru motor, OUT PCV valve, into intake manifold. In the plenum is where highest vacuum is.

 

Then how do you expect the air to all of a sudden reverse direction at the nipple on the side of the air box when the air box is sitting on top of the plenum? Think about it.

 

Plenum has higher vacuum than air box. It's simply physics. Don't believe me? Pull the hose off your air box with the engine running, stick your hand close to the end of the hose, now, do you feel a breeze, or is it trying to suck your hand in?