Truck is eating oil pretty good, about 2 quarts every 4000 miles. IT is also making a clacking noise on the passenger side valve cover second cylinder in it sounds like. Pretty sure dodge lifters are not adjustable so I think something is broken? I changed the oil and put a bottle of lucas in it for now. Still clacking [could be a pully or something and i m totally off] but using a magic stick, i isolated it to the above indicated spot.

Could also have a bad plenum. But it idles great, performs great [little sucky on the low end] its just noisy and burning oil.

No leaks. Everything is tight,

What does this mean? new lifter? =[ Broken Rocker? I am not to happy about pulling a valve cover off to see whats wrong, ad not experienced enough with a dodge to see it off hand if I did crack it. Fun..Fun..

It does blow air out the defrost when I get on the pedal like I have a huge vacuum leak. But that could be due to the fact my vacuum chamber [canister] is missing..

Using the GPS I consistently get about 14-15 mpg too.

 

Oil consumption, and poor bottom end performance are indicators of a blown plenum. You should pull the throttle body, and have a look around. (and clean the throttle body while you have it off. )

Pull the valve cover, and wiggle parts. See if anything is loose. Might be a broken spring, collapsed lifter, bent pushrod, or low oil pressure. How does your pressure look on the gauge? (not that it is incredibly accurate....)

 

Sound like you have two problems a blown plenum and whatever is ticking

 

Pretty sure the plenum is bad. Throttle body was dirty as hell but looking in here ws no oil puddling but a lot of oil residue stuck to the walls. So I think its leaking but not really bad yet.

Removing the valve cover looks like less work... I am going to tackle it Tuesday. If nothing looks amiss, I will take pictures and see if you guys can catch something I miss.

When I open up the intake plenum pan, anything else bedsides the gasket that should be looked at/replaced? Same with the valve cover. Just a new gasket for the cover right or do these get RTV?

By Gage you mean oil gauge right? lol, it moves? unlike some... It actually sits slightly lower than half way when idling and under load it goes up a tad above half way, but defiantly not to the nest tick mark.

If I remember right. It should be going up to almost 2/3 of the gauge under heavy RPMS. ??

One more Question. Looks like my Vacuum canister is totally missing? Isn't there supposed to be a can looking thing ion there somewhere that all my air hoses go to? could that be why I loose so much vacuum accelerating?


Thanks

 

Valve covers are just the gasket. No RTV required. (at least, it shouldn't be....)

Yeah, your plenum is most likely blown, oil likes to pool at the back corners though, not sure if you can see that with the tb in place.

Check the plenum thread sticked at the top of the forum for ideas on what else to look at. A fair few folks also do water pump, and timing set while they are at it.

So long as your gauge does something..... its good. Depending on mileage, and even age of the oil, and what actual oil you have in there.... oil pressure can vary quite a bit. the gauge moving with engine RPM is expected.

Putting a mechanical gauge on there to monitor what it's doing would give you a better picture though. I REALLY dislike the stock gauge. It runs thru the PCM, and the PCM really doesn't have a clue about it..... at least, not on mine.

 

Where are you looking for the canister? And like you've already been told, opening up the butterflies and looking down at the plenum, is NOT the way to check it. You need to remove the TB, and with a lite and a mirror look all around inside. The oil gets sucked into the cylinder(s), so pooling might not be a factor.

 

Yea I know I have to take it off. I just havent got around to it yet. This trucl has jsut been one thing after another and to top it off I bent a tie rod somehow? So i have a tape measure allignment [1 week after having it done] and a tierod end bent almost u shaped. its at the ends of the threads. Parts on the way. figured I would do all 4 and the balljoints and u- while im at it so the yat least can be knocked off the list....

Valve cover and plenum tomorrow maybe...