I had just replaced 2 cracked cylinder heads on my Ram 5.2l and got it started up today. It ran for about 5 minutes (the temp gauge didn't even move yet) before it started smoking real bad. I shut it off and looked for the problem and found a lot of oil sitting in the bottom of the intake. I had replaced the intake and plenum gaskets and even put rtv around the plenum after it was installed on the intake. It is the steel plenum because I can't afford the aluminum one right now but I figured it would last at least a few years. I did use a torque wrench on the bolts so I don't see why it would be leaking so bad. Is there any other causes for large quantities of oil in the intake? Thanks for the help.

 

Could be a bad PCV valve. Also, did you re-use the plenum bolts? The primary reason for failure of that gasket is because the bolts are too long......

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I just checked the pcv valve and there was no trace of it sucking up oil. I did reuse the bolts, they didn't seem too long when I put them on and I torqued them to 84 inch pounds in the 3 steps the haynes book said to. I guess I'll have to take the intake off again this weekend. How long are the bolts supposed to be. Could I just put some washers on them if that is the problem?

 

Just putting some washers on them would probably work just fine. Be sure to use some blue lok-tite on 'em. You do NOT want them fellers coming loose, and dropping into the engine..... No fun at all. And makes some really rude noises......

 

You can also grind the nipples off the end of the bolts(that's what I would do). Or just buy new shorter ones. Just me I'm sure, but I'd rather not use washers. Just something else to go in the motor if a bolt should come out. And get a felpro gasket and do NOT use RTV on it. Only place for rtv is in the four corners where the rubber gaskets meet the head, and a very , very thin layer around the water ports.