Since my original post of AC problems on my wife's 98 5.9, V8, the plenum shot craps and the transmission said screw it. It was trailered home from her work and when the guy loaded it it took him three tries to get it on the trailer. Each more grueling than the last I imagine. I fixed the plenum while committing a sin..... I did just the gaskets reusing the steel plate because time was important and I didn't know they burnt the transmission up until I was finished with the plenum. Had I known the tranny was trash, a kit would have been ordered. Now the truck is on it's way to a transmission shop where I will have to fork over $1300 for a rebuild w/2yr, 24k warranty(which is pretty good). I was going to pull it myself and save the labor but this guy doesn't do that, he's been bit in the as$ one too many times by someone else's crappy labor. Which it doesn't matter to me. I'm tired of playing mechanic anyway. He's still cheaper than anyone else and has a better warranty. Oh, the AC. ChillMan had a clutch($99). I pulled the old one off in pieces, the bearing was shot leaving the inner race on the compressor to be pulled by itself. Got it back together and put to many shims behind the pressure plate not allowing it to engage fully. So when it gets back from the trans man that's all I'll need to do. And thanks again for the info. No offense to anyone here, but I hope I don't need yall for a while.

 

Pay the $10 for a new PCV every 10k miles and that new gasket will last just fine. I still have the original plenum gasket and no oil in the valley at 160k, because the previous owner and I have kept new PCV's in it. After talking with a 30 year Mopar mechanic, the gasket will last, like mine, as long as the vacuum isn't allowed to build up from a clogged PCV. Since my Ram hasn't had the plenum problem, I believe him. He did say the problem was far worse on the 360, though and recommended replacing the plenum plate on those no matter what, so you might have an issue sooner than a 318.

 

That's a pretty good idea. And alot easier too. I don't think someone was thinking when they designed the plenum for these engines. It looked as if mine had been blown for a little while(black ports around the injectors). I guess that's the problem when I don't drive it occasionally. I don't think the cat or anything else was damaged though. I think I'm gonna feed it some SeaFoam through the brake vacuum line when I get it back.