just picked up the '98 ram 1500 5.2 liter. has 170,000 km's on it (not sure what that converts to for miles but i think about half. anyway there is a leak from the transmission and after talking to a few guys the general opinion is the pan is leaking, no big thing.

i am gonna send it in to get it fixed for that cuz with my job i don't have much time to do anything. gonna get an oil/air filter change as well as new plugs/wires. suggestions for plugs/wires if you have any, i never thought it made a difference but depending who you talk to i guess it does.

there is no rust on this truck, it's like brand new. cab corners are fine, nothing underneath. other than a small dent in the back corner of the box it's mint. so i am gonna get it painted and possibly a rhino lining after winter.

what i am thinking about doing it replacing the trans and putting in something bigger and either ripping out the 5.2 and putting in something bigger or just pulling the fuel injection off and putting pair of 4 barrels on it. was wondering what you guys would suggest for that.

this is my daily driver, not 4x4 either.

 

that's her the day i got her. dumped 1200$ into exhaust and tires just to get it on the road and only paid 1200$ total for the truck.

 

Use standard copper core plugs (Champion, NGK, etc). No platinum or iridium or anything. As far as wires, just get a good set. Dont need $100 wires.

Route the wires per this TSB:
http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1998/18-48-98/18-48-98-v8.htm

 

Tranny pan leaking? Go underneath, loosed pan bolts slightly, then tighten in a crossing pattern to 13 pounds - use torque wrench. Most common cause it people overtightening them.

 

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/dodge.htm

Psychotherapy and an automotive technology course. Your 5.2l spooled up to 8,000RPM, which the PCM won't let it do and where it would fly dramatically apart, would be sucking only 736CFM.

Stay with the injection system and put your money into more sensible things.

Which quite often dimples the pan, so it's got to be motivated back into shape with a hammer.

 

Replace the trans because of a pan gasket leak?

 

I can change the pan and plugs easy i just don't have time. My job takes me away from home 3 weeks in a stretch and home for a day then gone again. I would rather spend my home time with my kids. I was gonna replace the trans and put something stronger if i was gonna change the engine or make it stronger.

 

Kinda sound like a truck driver.

Well these engines, when properly maintained, are pretty solid. If more power is what you want there are things you can do without spending too much coin.

Upgrading the transmission is a good idea even on a stock motor. Some get lucky and they last the life of the truck, some, probably most, fail miserably though.

 

My 168k miles and 19 mpg last full tank says avoiding platinum plugs is pointless and counterproductive. I don't know where this comes from, but I've also read it in the 2nd gen Neon, K car and Caliber threads. I guess Chrysler sucks *** SOOOOOO bad they are the only company you can't trust to put platinum spark plugs in their vehicles. That is a load of kinsha.

 

Yeah, I'm a long haul driver.