spent $25 for a leak down tester from harbor freight and look for the directions on you tube.... that will usually tell you whether is a cracked head or burned valve and if so which one as well as if its bad rings depending on where the oil leaks from...it also can tell you if you have a blown head gasket... if you have no white smoke and the other cylinder next to it is find I would guess that not the issue but it could be a minor leak... in which case stop leak can work especially if your not going to spend the money to tear into it...

 

I found the kit and it runs about $40 bucks. I am going to see if any local car parts dealer maybe has one on a loaner program. I'm not trying to be cheap but I don't do a lot of motor work so I would have tools laying around that I may never use again. I don't have the cash to trade in and its been a good truck that we haven't had any problems with till now. Its just weird to me to have all the cylinders run exact but one. With it being on the rear and not in the middle makes me think that's where the gasket may have given out and since its in the back near the firewall. you cant see anything. Like I was told, these motors were good for 250,000 so I am thinking the millage is low and it should be worth fixing. I don't mean to repeat but its more right now finding what needs to be done. Heads on Ebay run around $600 dollars. I have looked into that to have a idea of what I am in for if that's the case. We suppose to have rain today bit I will do the wet test and get back with you guys on here and get some ideas. Thanks for your patience and help with a newbie. lol


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Yeah they might have been on sale when I bought mine. You should be able to rent one from the local auto parts store. You can acually get odessa heads for like $400 I believe. There better than oem heavy casting ones are like $600...

 

try some head gasket sealer 1st before you tear it down

 

Ok I'm a noob to dodge's but isn't that cylinder the one that is prone to the head cracking because of a clogged cat? Just wanted to throw that out there so that if he does replace the head the new one doesn't crack as well....

 

Thats scary to hear about. I have never heard anything about that on the web or hear so I will research it up as well. from the drawing. Its the number 8 cylinder.

 

Well I have never had a cat on this truck since day one back in 96, and when I rebuilt the motor 1.5 years ago 1,7,2,8 cyld had cracked valve seats. So in my op cat or no cat these heads crack at the valve seats, just junk heads.

 

Hopefully the weather will be good today. I feel a little better and want to do the wet test on the #8 cylinder. I tried Goggling about the Cat issue with no luck but That doesn't mean anything but I also tried to see about compression as well. Its a 99 and has 133,000 miles on it. The other run 120 and I wasn't sure if that was low for them at that millage? Trying to get everything in order and go from there. I dont have the cash to buy or get into payments so its more finding whats going to be fixable or making it last long enough till I can replace but with it being more of smell and loss of water with no smoking, over heating or anything major like that. I would believe it should be more of a simple fix with time to do it right.

 

According to dodge, anything over 100 is "okay"...... of course, the higher the better. the real story is told by the difference between the wet, and dry test.

 

Whats up Hey You? As you can see. I had to do a new thread but you know whats been the deal with my water problem. I have a hard time finding my old threads. I am going to do a wet test today on the cylinder. I hope its ok to do it while its cold. Otherwise I would have to put the plugs and let it warm up and then do the test. Thanks