I've been doing a ton of research on here regarding a few different problems I have been experiencing with my 01 Ram 1500 3.9 2WD. Thanks to this site I have been able to pinpoint or repair most anything that has either quit or stop functioning properly...for that I thank you guys.

That being said, I am going to ask a "loaded question." I know what the responses will automatically be so please give me opinions based on the following scenario not on what the cookie cutter answer would be. This truck is driven literally less that 30 miles per week (keep that in mind) Here goes...

I have been dealing with a sluggish, hesitant truck since I purchased it ~2 years ago... it is well below par, even for a weak 6 cyl. I decided to take a gander into the throttle body and what I saw surprised me a bit. The top side of the butterflies is completely covered in 'carbony' junk. The underside of the butterflies is wet (oily). What I could see of the inner throttle body wall was pretty sludged up too. Given the placement of the motor I could not get a good look down and into the intake but what I saw was proof enough.

I plan to tear it all down and replace the water pump, timing set and associated gaskets while fixing the plenum and cleaning the throttle body. After my wallet catched up I plan to replace the cat, O2's and exhaust. Here's where I need opinions....

If it were your truck, given the fact that it is a V6 with 155K and only driven once or twice on the weekends, would you replace the plenum gasket or go full bore with the Hughes or APS plate/kit? I'm weighing the $25 gasket against the $120 kit and have been struggling a bit. What would be the expected life span of the new gasket using the stock plate?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

If you just replace the gasket it will eventually fail again... So it's kinda up to you, is just replacing the gasket worth the possibility of having to tear into it AGAIN at some point in time?

A member on DF sells the plate and gasket (i think) on ebay for around $50, but I can't remember who it is.

As far as life expectancy of the new gasket, all depends on how it's driven I guess and the condition of the plenum plate.

My 2 cents, replace gasket and plate.

 

My 2 cents is the same as Stewie's. Fix it right, fix it once.

 

Yeah, after I thought about it I realized that I wasn't making a $500 decision...its only ~$100 more to do it right. I have all of the parts in hand or on order and started the tear down process tonight. I'll be replacing the water pump, installing a double roller TC set and Hughes plenum plate.

I'm going to take some pics of the inside of the TB and intake...I suspect it is going to be FUGLY judging by what I can see through the TB. If I find a ton of carbon buildup and/or sludge should I run some Seafoam through it once it is all buttoned up? I've heard mixed reviews on using Seafoam on higher mileage engines.

 

I've got the intake, TB and everything removed and it's a mess. I need to thoroughly clean this intake and assume I need to remove the two sensors in the intake first...? Any harm in removing them?

 

Just don't break 'em when you pull em out.

 

You're talking about the IAT and coolant temp sensors so YES remove them first to avoid breaking them while cleaning the intake.

Also remove the IAC, MAP and TPS sensors when cleaning the TB. Be sure to get the IAC port on the back of the TB clean as possible and also clean the tip of the IAC sensor being careful not to push or pull on the tip as you could cause internal damage. The MAP and TPS sensors need no cleaning.

 

ok, thanks guys. I've got the TB mostly cleaned...you can at least see metal now. I'm thinking about dunking it in a vat of mineral spirits for a while and then rinsing it in warm soapy water...does that sound like a plan or do you guys have any other suggestions?

 

That will work fine. I used to let mine soak in a gallon bucket of carb cleaner for couple of hours and then clean off the gunk with a small wood glue brush. Made them factory clean again. Be sure to spray a little WD40 on the side where the throttle shaft goes thru the sides for a little extra lube. The shaft bearing are sealed but a little WD40 never hurts anything.

 

What about cleaning the lifter valley out? Is there any concern when wiping things clean and having junk run in around the push rods? To clean it out it seems unaviodable but I dont want to cause more problems.