well I had a big, long, detailed thing written up but when I went to post it the site loged me out.

it was probably too much anyway:

yes I've read about the Plenum, no I don't want to start with that as it's too costly / time consuming for my situation.

the truck is cranking and will turn over, but unless I step on the gas and keep the RPMs above 1.5 it shuts down when it comes to the part where it's supposed to idle.

*note: it shuts down, not stalls out. the engine simply cuts off as if I had turn it of normally, no sputtering or knocking.

it did this once before a few months ago but the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong with it as the truck fired up just fine when he got to if after it sitting for a day or two, since then it has had no issues running. he thought it was an oil pressure issue as the oil was low when he looked at it, but that is not the case now (it's above full now, thanks to me misreading the dipstick and adding in a few quarts).

I pluged in a cheap OBD2 reader and it isn't giveing me any codes, however it was saying that the O2 sensor and Catalyst monotor weren't responding right.

where do I go from here? I'm thinking I should probably pull the O2 sensor and see if it's just clogged (and replace it if nessacary), but I'm not exactly sure if the sensor I'm looking at is the correct one (there seems to be two of 'em).

time is kinda of the essence for me as we are moving from anchorage to denver on the 10th, I would rather not take it to a shop and end up paying $500 for a $50 part and 20 minutes of labor ... but if it's not a simple sensor replacement I need to know that now, not after 3 days of fiddeling.

 

Welcome to DF

Could be a plugged cat, remove the front o2 sensor from the pipe and see if that helps, Note: By installing a new cat and a o2 sensor without fixing the plenum gasket is wasting your money.

 

I replaced both O2 sensors and it will now fire up fine, a little weak on the start (on ignition it revs up, then drops down to almost stalling out but catches and goes to idle) but when driving it's got plenty of power/idles well when stopping at stop signs.

It's probably still in need of a good tune up (the truck is at 210k miles and the O2 sensors probably hadn't been changed so who knows what else needs replacing ...) but I just gonna start with a fuel cleaner treatment.

 

Glad to read its up and running As for the tune-up in a bottle, lots here will suggest Seafoam, Personally I like the chevron techron cleaner and Mopar combustion cleaner.