I am not one to believe in snake oil, but hear me out. Had a buddy with a 02 Ram 4.7L V8 with now head gaskets (both were so bad he could only drive 20 miles before the rad was empty). It was his work truck and he didn't want to pull the heads (my fee was 2 cases of beer as I would probably waste one case throwing the cans from frustration as we live in the rust belt) and he already got his money out of it (truck was in really nice shape inside and out although it kept ruining the passenger CV axle) so we tried a head gasket sealer. The only one we tried was in a tube that looked like gun powder and it worked. Didn't clog anything and that was 3 years ago and he's still driving the truck. You could try that or Blue Devil (Blue Devil is guaranteed) until summer hits. Just a suggestion

 

The truck still doesn't start. But it did after replacing the camshaft position sensor. Antifreeze must've fouled out the oil and shut her down!

 

I can't get the truck started to run it long enough to pour any block sealer in. I finally cleaned up the shop and the ground thawed out enough to get it inside! See n how I can't stand the SF forty Niners or the KC chiefs! Looks like I will be stripping a V10 down tomorrow to see what failed? Hopefully it's not catastrophic? Getting parts to this island is not easy!

Truck is inside shop finally

 

Pulling this V10 apart today. Just pulled the passenger side spark plugs and #4,6,8 and #10 were wet. #2 was dry. Just pulled the plenum manifold and it looks like I didn't get the gasket lines back up when I cleaned the fuel injectors? This picture is the firewall side of the manifold. Looks like some white oily, watery residue?

Firewall side of the manifold

 

Here's the thermostat side of the manifold. I can see 7 wet ports and three dry ones! Explains why there was three dry plugs!?

Here's my question, HeyYou? Is it plausible that not get n the plenum gasket lined up properly. Filled the cylinders with water and not necessarily a blown head gasket? Would certainly be an easier fix!?

Here's the front of the engine, manifold ports.

 

So far as I know, there isn't any coolant ports around that gasket surface, so, unless it was raining REALLY hard while the engine was running...... Not sure how it would suck water. Check the intake duct work for evidence of water as well. I know that snorkel runs in some odd places, and ends up just behind the radiator support..... it could *possibly* suck water if it were raining hard enough.

Does the 'wet' feel like coolant?? It may just be a bad intake gasket, but, I wouldn't hold my breath on that. Have you tried testing the coolant for combustion products? Most parts store will rent you a kit, (and sell you the chemicals...) to do it. Don't know if the engine actually has to be running for the test to work though.

I might be tempted to pull all the plugs, pressurize the cooling system, and see if you see coolant coming out of any of them. (parts store will rent you the cooling system pressure tester as well. I actually own one.....)

 

Roger! After I sent the message it dawned on me, FUEL is all that goes thru that plenum!

The radiator has had a hole in it for years. Black pepper has been work n until now? There's no way to pressurize it?

Look at this spark plug? Looks like plastic residue on it when I pulled it?

Plastic particles on one of the plugs?

 

HeyYou, how about a bad oil cooler? These trucks even have one?I see three radiators on this truck. Engine, trans and ????

Is that an oil cooler?

 

Is the stuff on the plug anti-seize? Or maybe teflon tape? (no idea why anyone would put teflon tape on a plug though.... that's counter productive.....)

May be an oil cooler..... follow the lines, see where they go.

Gas doesn't even run thru the intake. The injectors are way down at the ports in the heads. Only thing flowing thru the runners should be air, and maybe some oil vapor from the PCV system.

 

The 96 V10 doesn't have pcv valve? There's a breather on the valve cover that connects to the bottom of the plenum. Actually there three or four hoses that hook to the plenum manifold. All vacuum lines aren't they?