Thx I'll take a look at it, I recently bought a small portable rachet with torx bits set to have room to replace IAC if the low idle problem didn't resolve, but it did on its own, so now I should be able to fit it in there, such an odd angle its at in there by the fan shroud and stuff. I remember the steering on my previous 01 3.9 v6 ram was very good, although the man said he replaced all 4 balljoints a month or so before I got the truck which I'm sure helped. My ball joints looked good, I could use some new tie rods though, I was able to wiggle them a little the other month after I changed my oil...I noticed I was down maybe ~0.75 of a quart I'd estimate(after calculating some residual left inside the engine and some inside the oil filter after ~1k miles...online many swear even dealerships claim 1q burned per 1k is normal and won't even attempt to fix it if people bring it in so I suppose that's not too bad for a 24 year old truck with 225k miles on it. I'd assume a blown plenum would be alot more oil consumed. The oil was very very dark though, 10w-30 valvoline max life, could just be working cleaning the engine....supposedly this oil can help stop or at least reduce oil burning I've read. Refilled with the same 10w-30 max life oil as well as the top rated synthetic fram oil filter I got for a good price, 99.9% efficient vs the other el cheap 2-3 dollar supertech walmart filter I put on before lol, that's supposedly in the 80% filtration range or so compared to even the cheap "crap orange can" fram filter people rag on online all the time, which is maybe ~95% efficient iirc offhand...

 

Any oil consupconsu is bad. I won't use Frame filters they are junk in my opinion

 

Wow where to start. Fram filters are fine. I've used them over the years when wix wasn't available. The more important thing is to change oil on time. And all engines use some oil. They have to or the rings are so tight it won't turn over. It's a good thing to use some oil. Ask any old mechanic. Mine has used 2 quarts every oil change it's entire life. I'm at 240k plus I just drove a 4k road trip never missed a beat while netting 15-17 mpg with a lift and 33s and 3.5 gears. And I use maxlife 10-40 always. Being thicker it helps with useage a bit. Maxlife does not help use oil inherently it actually uses more as it likes to seep out seals and find leaks.

There are several tutorials on doing the tchain that I used 2 years ago. It is not an easy job and you really need a lot of tools and know how but they're out there. I found one on this site and the instructions were very clear. I didn't roatate the engine at all. Just lined up the new chain with the old. Done. Didn't help that I could tell but I think I'll get another 100k out of it (40k in already).

For mpg, I seafoam once or twice a year and run several bottles or techron and Lucas during the year. My truck has always been steady at 15-17 hwy and 12-14 city. Only dipped to 10 when towing. Again, I'm at 17 years of ownership being only vehicle and daily driver putting 200k on it myself.

Everything but the drivetrain has been replaced once, twice, or three times already but the magnum is awesome. She's basically my wife.

 

WhiteSnake91, RockAuto does sell the PCV valve but you have to search for it up by part number. (not through their normal interface) The part number is: 5175352AA
Currently it is $6.22. They have parts that aren't in the list. I like to find the part number and search sites like Rock Auto for that brand and part number.

I have looking into tightening the adjustment on the steering gear. Mine is pretty easy to get to since I have electric fans. (conversion) I think one of the pictures in this thread actually shows the steering gear pretty well. (you can just climb on in the engine bay) Actually if you did an electric fan conversion, the water pump is pretty easy. (the timing chain is part way there as well) You can get to that steering gear adjustment. Lol, not trying to sell you a fan kit, I'm just saying. I did it to make the AC work even better than it does and to gain access to the engine. It is supposed to give you more horsepower, torque and better fuel economy. I really didn't check the fuel economy before I installed it though. I looks cool too.

The easiest thing to do to tighten up the steering a little, if you haven't done it already, is to change the steering dampener. (the shock in the steering assembly) That is what I did and it made a big difference. Ball joints and tie rods make a huge difference. The steering dampener can hide a little of that slop.

I am tempted to switch to the 3rd gen Ram steering. It is a better design. I will seek out a tutorial or a part number list for that conversion. (presumably just order all of the 3rd gen parts) I have someone start the truck and turn the wheel a bunch. (do this on concrete, it can actually eat asphalt if you do it enough in the heat) I look at the tie rod ends and stuff to see the slop with someone else turning the wheel just til it engages at times. Have them keep it moving and look at the tie rod ends and the joint where they come together. With the miles you have I would bet they are a major factor in the steering slop unless they have been changed. I see those steering box stabilizers but when I do the test with someone moving the wheel I see zero movement in the gear in relation to the frame. (at a standstill it should do something if it isn't stable, that is the toughest job power steering ever has to do is move wheels that aren't in motion) A master mechanic told me to observe and remember the slop then tighten it 1/4 turn and check it again. You can over tighten it and cause damage to the gears. (that is what he said at least) I had another Ram and replacing the entire front end was perfect. (some slop, very little, but just perfect for a truck) I don't think I will tighten mine unless I change the entire front end first.

At one point, years ago, I was into finding ways to make my old Ram better without spending any money. I found this steering gear adjustment and another thing. The kickdown cable can get slack and the adjustment is pretty easy. You don't even need a tool. It is the cable that is connected to the throttle body but goes back towards the firewall. Some people have told me that adjusting this made their truck 'come to life'. Basically, if you kick down the throttle enough, it is supposed to tell the transmission to downshift. Mine doesn't like to downshift at least without some coercion. (more pedal that is) Some describe it as 'throttle response' but it is actually a response from the transmission downshifting. (without exerting a ton of force on the pedal) Anyone adjusted this? I'm going to mark the stock position and start tweaking mine soon.

This guy I saw at a car show has a 2 wheel drive Ram that is painted orange and green (metal flake) and he drives it like a car. (5.2L same as ours) He told me that the kickdown cable was the best thing he ever did. He said there is a downside though. You can either have it shift hard (like it would with a stretched out cable) and save the transmission when you tow or have it shift easy which might make it wear out quicker. (that is what this guy said at least) I'm not sure if that is true but there shouldn't be slack in that cable when it is in the resting position. (that much I know)

I was referring to the camshaft position sensor I guess in the distributor. I remember changing that on my old truck and some other older vehicles and it made a big difference. I hate to just throw sensors at it but it does seem to help. It is a bit risky since there is no guarantee that it will make any difference. (or it might even make it worst)

I may buy that Standard Motor Products MAP sensor as well. It is almost $50 though on rock auto and it may or may not help anything. Did it help yours at all? Has anyone had good luck replacing the MAP sensor without a CEL? Is there a less expensive sensor that is decent? (I like Standard Motor stuff) I that point I might as well change the throttle position sensor. Then the entire throttle body would have all new sensors.

 

The new map sensor along with the o2 seemed to smooth my truck out in general as well as have a bit better response and start better/smoother too, I didn't have any check engine light either but with already having done a complete tuneup, there wasn't a whole lotta other parts that could majorly be affecting MPG so I figured why not after seeing others say it helped their MPG out. There's apparently a way to test the voltage to see if it's in acceptable range but I didn't, I don't think that would be able to tell if the vapors over time hardened/gummed up the sensor too. https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forum...pics/1487934/1 <- Link where a guy changed his old one out for a junkyard one from a 5.9 and it helped alone, he then bought a new one and it improved the truck even more. I was running so rich before you could smell it, I thought my evap cannisters were busted or screwed but I checked the hoses and they were ok....after changing o2 and map no such smells anymore. I'm not sure how old the previous map and o2 were, they could have been original, but the combo of both of them greatly improved my truck.

I heard efans are nice indeed, I've long pondered installing some, would get that big old shroud outta the way wouldn't it? haha.

I knew a guy who delivered pizzas in a v8 01 ram I drove around one night in and it must have had a totally destroyed plenum, he went through a whole 5 quart jug of cheap penzoil platinum(I think? Or might have been the regular penzoil) per month, he didn't even give it a second thought it just seemed normal to him, I was like dang... in fact the night we were hanging out the low oil pressure light in the dash started beeping at a gas station and he told me to leave the truck running while he poured more oil in lol.

I wish I could give you a concrete answer on what could fix your truck as well I really do like these vehicles despite their nuances, they've been the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned, I still kick myself for trading in my relatively low mileage 01 v6 ram for an old 92 firebird that ended up being more trouble than it was worth to even bother fixing. I've never had the check engine light come on so I figured it couldn't be anything majorly wrong with my truck either, maybe just old tired worn out maintenance items like tune up stuff and throttle body sensors.

edit: yeah, the more I think about it I'm sorta at a crossroads on doing that steering wheel dampener, tightening the steering box itself, or doing new tierods....I don't think it'd be very hard doing the tierods, I've just never messed with front end stuff on a vehicle before and it seems a bit overwhelming, I did watch a vid though, undoing the bolt at the back of the wheel then twisting the other end of the tierod out, remembering to count the number of spins so your alignment isn't totally screwed, then putting the new one in with correct spins and bolting it back to the wheel. On the 4x4 versions of these trucks I remember hearing the track bar is a weak point iirc, but not on the 2wd versions. I've done alot of reading over time and it may not be the track bar but I definitely remember the 4x4 version having a weak point people said wasn't even on the 2wd versions

 

I'm just giving my advice. After all everyone has one Ramman knows a good bit. My truck once went 8,000 miles between oil changes and didn't use a drop, if it did it wasn't noticeable (the old oil filled up 6 qts just what I put in). I have a gas smell and another smell but I got used to it. I once and a while get an evap coffee but I clear it an it stays off for 6 months. I read somewhere that moving your air temp sensor will help to.

 

Just weighing in, my old 5.9L Ram didn't use much if any oil. It was withing the acceptable range at oil change time at least. I don't believe this 5.2L uses much after replacing the plenum. I agree that all cars will use some though. The oil rings line the cylinder walls with oil and some of that will be burned.

The new one did use a lot before the hughes plenum kit. (lots) Now it is just leaking from the valve covers. (another project for another day) It must not leak much though. I have 1000 miles since the plenum was replaced and it is at the top of full. (where it was 1000 miles ago) I keep checking it just to be safe. I will know more once we have more miles on it. I do believe it has a very small leak on the rear main seal.

Recently certain model GM SUVs were burning lots of oil. (saw this on Scotty Kilmer) They were saying it was normal but it did sound excessive to me.

I have used Fram oil filters without issue. (never gave much thought to filters really) I just know that you make sure the old gasket isn't stuck on the block and wet the new gasket with oil using your finger. I guess that will stop the gasket from sticking when you tighten it by hand.

I honestly haven't changed oil in years, it is just as cheap to get a coupon and pay $20 to the local shop. I live near lots of shops and they are all very reasonable on oil changes. Walmart has good oil prices if you buy the big jug. Online might be good for filters. Buying the stuff at the auto parts store doesn't save me enough to want to lay on the ground. At least doing it yourself you know you won't get double gasketted. (if that is a word) I've had that twice in my years of driving and it makes me want to change my own oil.

I smell gas a little under the hood but I have a bad injector o-ring. The fuel rail is wet near one injector when I drive for a while. (that could be hurting my MPG) It didn't leak before doing the plenum and the o-rings. The o-rings I used were BWD and seemed too big. (they were super hard to get on the fuel rail) I like Borg Warner or BWD for sensors. They are a good brand in my opinion but these o-rings just didn't fit right and I must have pinched one. My fuel rail is rusty. I have looked for junkyard replacements and they are all rusty too. I might take it off and soak it in evaporust for a day or so and paint it. (or use that rust stuff from Permatex)

The small evaporation leak might be gas cap or a rusty fuel filler neck. I had to change the gas cap on my old Ram and I might have done it on this one as well. They are hand carved by Tibetan monks so I think you pay $30 for a gas cap.

One thing about these trucks is they don't seem to give codes for minor things. (other than leaky gas caps that is) They seem to have to run pretty poorly before giving any codes. (at least it seems that way to me) When I bought my old Ram for $200.00 it ran on 7 cylinders and was very rough. The mechanic the previous owner took it to said 'the plug was stripped'. It was the heat shield. I cut it off with a Dremel and replaced the plug. It was a huge improvement but there were no codes from running on 7 cylinders. Do we need those heat shields? I cut some off of this Ram as well.

They may not run as smooth as a Honda but they keep on running and have a much higher towing capacity than a Honda. Plus they are simple to work on and sound great when they are running right.

 

As for steering, here's some old info from my years of ownership and research:

The tie rods rarely wear out unless heavily abused off-road. I replaced mine at 200k with T steering and they were fine.

The track bar can wear out (my stocker was loose at 65k) but hardly affects steering wander unless it is moving more than a 1/8". When I installed the Thuren in 2009 it made zero difference in steering. Where it helped was over bumps. The front was very solid feeling compared to the stock bar ball joint.

The ball joints can and last over 200k if greased. Mine are still stock at 240k with a lift and 33s since 2009 (over 100k). Dana/Spicer knew what they were doing.

Steering shock (stabilizer) is a gimmick. It was installed on some rigs as an "upgrade" back in the day for a more rugged or off-road experience. The 2nd gens all had them mainly because there was so much geometry and parts in the brand new coil over four link front suspension. True crossover steering doesn't require it. It's a bandaid from the factory. Many have removed them and reported no difference. I ran my T steering without one for several months and it made zero change.

T steering (98-99 HD trucks) is more solid over bumps and seams but doesn't help a lick on effort or wander. Nice upgrade if you make sure to get either AC Delco parts or modify the new Moog parts. Couple years ago, the Moogs were shiznit. Not so much now as I had to custom make bushings to eliminate roll over. But having a solid feel in the front is definitely helpful, like the Thuren t-bar did.

Tires can make a truck wander. Thousands of threads ten years ago about HDs using BFGs that wandered. Too much weight with the Cummins on the triple ply tires or something. Anyway, new KO2 are much better (love mine) and new Ram HDs have significantly stronger front ends, mainly due to copying ferds parts in 2013. But in 1500s, most tires will work fine, even P rated stockers. Keep the proper inflation and rotation schedule.

Biggest culprit to wander or looseness is the steering gear. Stock Saginaw boxes were 50k lifespan at best. Mine had some play around 60k and really got bad once I replaced the track bar. The whole front end works together which means it wears out together. Replacing one or two parts is not going to cure the problem. Best bet is to rebuild the entire steering and suspension at once. I finally got a Redhead in 2016 after fighting a big deadspot for over ten years. First box was a dud but Redhead replaced it no questions asked. Just sucked doing the job twice. ALL WANDER, PLAY, and LOOSENESS was completely gone.

Second biggest culprit for wander is ALIGNMENT. These are solid axle trucks with no camber adjustment capability. This means all you have to do is set toe to zero. That's it. 2wd trucks are different but not difficult. Caster should be positive but not so much that there's no return. Line up the tires using tape measures or just eye ball and crank down the adjustment sleeve. Viola. Straight, true, and wander free. Now if I could just get a pump that doesn't suck. . . .

 

That's true, with my miles and unknown history I'm sure it's multiple things, even that little steering wheel dampener the "rock solid ram fix" is for can contribute alot. Although very oddly in some of the youtube comments on the rock solid ram fix some claimed installing it didn't help and only made the steering wheel itself hard as hell to turn, so I've been very wary. Although it would probably be the easiest thing I could do to hopefully improve stuff, they said many people over the years replaced front end parts to no avail when the dampener ended up fixing stuff.
Oh, I remembered something that got forgotten in my original post that got lost when I had to log back in, I fixed a cracked KN Cold Air Intake filter box with some gorilla duct tape, I'll have to really listen close but that alone might have fixed this whistling noise I was having when giving the truck gas, it didn't make any sound unless I was pushing the pedal. It started right after replacing the old nasty pcv, I figured the old hose was screwed too so I got a new one too. I heard some can whistle even from the factory....it worried me though thinking my pcv wasn't factory, it was from a good dodge dealer online though. Truth be told I don't know if cold air intake and dual exhaust was as worth it for these trucks as people online make it out to be, so many over the years claimed throwing on a CAI and dual exhaust would instantly give auto trans v8 90s trucks 20+ MPG, I have to call BS on that. I surely wouldn't have paid 300+ bucks for this KN CAI, it was already on the truck when I bought it cheap last year. I wouldn't mind even going back to a stock air box but even busted up rusty ones on ebay cost more than brand new CAI.

"CHRYSLER OEM-Pcv Valve 5175352AA" is what my order said.

 

My thought on sensors is that they are 20 years old and probably aren't reading correctly/ accurately anymore. I think I'm going to replace all of mine eventually. Have a look at the 95 Oxidizer Special in the non tech section. There are pics of doing the plenum, timing chain and E-fans.