Alright guys I'm in need of yalls endless knowledge!! So I have a 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9 sport 4x4 that's running like complete s$&t! Let's start from the beginning ... about 10-12 months ago I realized that my plenum plate/ gasket failed and needed to be replaced with the Hughes engine aluminum plenum and gasket set, so I replaced all of that myself as well as the fuel injector o-rings,thermostat (and housing), spark plugs,wires, rotor button, distributor cap, intake gaskets,throttle body gasket. Apparently when I was doing all this I cleaned the throttle body and fyucked the IAC and TPS so I ended up replacing those sensors AS WELL as the MAP sensor. After that it ran like a dream never had as much power and mpg and then... suddenly probably 7-8 months later I started seeing black smoke coming out on hard acceleration again so I looked into my intake and saw that there was some oil in it😓 So I decided to take it to a shop to replace the plenum gasket AGAIN assuming I didn't do it correctly sooooo I take it to the shop they charge me $350 to do it (after I supplied all parts) when they finish I go pick it up but when I get there the "mechanic" said to me " hey Bubba you said you replaced this not too long ago right?" I said "Yeah maybe 7 months ago why?" "Aw man you did it perfectly! Literally nothin wrong with it!... I replaced it anyways assuming you wanted us to since ya brought it in." Needless to say i was PISSED. Not only because they basically wasted my money BUT after they "fixed it" my truck ran worse than it ever has, now it hesitates on acceleration, makes a loud chattering/high pitched static kinda noise when I accelerated even remotely hard, it misfires like a mf'r and shifts in between gears it feels like, plus it's prolonging shifting into and out of gears. SOOOO I replaced the plenum again because I just new it wasn't done right (thankfully I did there was almost no gasket left) it still ran like crap so I took it to another shop and they said the cat was clogged so they replaced it for $200... Still runs the same!!! I'm completely lost fellas and I've replaced the tps again cause other than that or the timing chain I have NO CLUE what it could be! Sorry for the long post but felt like y'all would need/should hear the whole story. Please help me figure this out!!! Also could it possibly be something to do with fuel injectors?

Thanks
Joe

 

Trouble is, he couldn't know there wasn't a problem, until he had it all apart........

Black smoke is running rich. Are you getting any engine codes? Check the connection at the engine coolant temp sensor. Should be right next to the thermostat housing.... (where it really fun to get to.)

 

could the engine coolant temp sensor be the issue? I thought it as a possibility🤔 How should I go about checking it? And no codes

 

Best way would be to plug in with a scanner that can read live data, and see what PCM thinks temp is. Another, less accurate... method is simply to look at the dash gauge. (only one temp sensor on your truck) If the gauge looks like it is doing the 'right thing'..... problem is likely elsewhere.

 

i don't have a scanner sadly. Would this sensor be the cause of the chattering,missing, shifting, and almost feels I guess you could say like bucking?

 

It's possible. Local parts store scanner *might* be able to read data..... worth checking anyway.

 

will do! Could it be fuel injectors possibly?

 

Anything is possible at this point, but, just throwing parts at is NOT the way to go.

 

Maybe they loosened the distributor and screwed up the fuel sync?