Never had more issues then I have had with this dodge. Anyways i gutted the cat and ran straight pipe stright back. Ran beautiful for 2 days but on way to work it started to backfire pop amd stutter. I could pmly gove it half throttle. At idle i can rev it and its fine but as soon as it underload it runs like crap at full throttle. I had good fuel pressure, no misses (we have a computer at my job and it wasnt missing.), checked fpr vac leaks to and nothing. Where do i go from here. Hughes plenum fix, plugs 3 weeks old, plugs, wires, cap, rotor 4 months old. Did seafoam last weekend.

98 dodge ram 5.2 auto 4x4

 

Pull the cap off and have a look at it. Check all your plug wires while your at it. Check for vacuum leaks. Rule out the easy things first.

 

There fine

 

Check fuel pressure under load, and did you replace the o2's after you gutted the cat?

 

Fuel pressure is good under load. Runs fine sometime but then comes back sometimes. Seems to happen more up a hill. And no orginal 02 sensors. Couldnt even get old ones out tho but can just an 02 sensor cause these issues

 

I suggest you try replacing the o2's. You gutted your cat without removing them, so chances are that you damaged them or one of them anyway. Plus the fact they were no good because of the plenum anyway. And disconnect the negative battery cable before replacing them.

 

Can gutting our cats cause backpressure issues? Not sure how i am going to get 02 sensors off anyways without snapping them : /.

 

No big deal with back pressure gutting a cat. Fact remains, you need to replace the o2's no matter what it takes to do so. They are junk and need to be replaced whether it's the problem or not.

 

Mine won't rev past 2,500 in gear. Maybe its the o2. when i get the money ill replace it, but it puzzles me why it can rev up to 5,000 in neutral and not in gear.

 

Then yours is drivetrain related...