I finally decided to remove the intake and find out what the hell is going on inside of my engine. Steve's instructions are good, except for my lack of attention and breaking a solid plastic pipe and a couple of connectors. The fan shroud doesn't have to come of nor does the fan. I am assuming he left those steps in there for people who are really digging into things. Here's what I found:
#1) There was oil pooled in the rear of the intake. The first thing I did was remove the throttle body and peer inside
#2) The bolt on the rear driver's side of the intake was broken. The bolt on the rear passenger side was very loose. I'm betting the pan was already changed as there was a thick aluminum pan in there.
#3) None of the intake bolts felt as if they were torqued to the proper specifications
#4) The injector nozzles looked like crap. I am removing them and sending them to a place in Arizone for sonic cleaning
#5) There is a light layer of sludge in the lifter gallery of my engine

Here's where I am seeking opinions. Since I know I had a misfire on #6, should I take both heads in for magna-fluxing/rebuilding? My cylinders all compression check over 120lbs. If I'm taking one in I might as well take both. Or, should I yank the engine and build it from the ground up? I've changed the oil pan gasket and the underside looks great. Now, the bad news is that as much as I tried to clean the top of the engine (I don't have an air compressor), some infamouse Oklahoma dirt spilled into the lifter gallery. If I should just do a rebuild of the heads, what method of cleaning the lifter gallery is recommended?

I will try to post some pics in another day or two. The battery in my digital camera died last week.

Thanks,

Gary

 

I was thinking a vacuum but the gallery area is probably gummed up with some sludge & grease. Degreasers wouldn't be a good idea in that area. A good rag might do the job. I've not worked under the hood of my truck enough yet to offer more advice. I got my intake/plenum to do real soon. Thanks for the extra input.

 

maybe not a degreaser but maybe (and i say this with caution) using a few bottles of that motorflush stuff... that crap you can buy and stuff in the motor right before and oil change... normally bad to use b/c it cleans so well it actually cleanes out the little grooves in the cylinder walls and in the long run you could possibly start burning oil ... anyway... maybe some of that stuff just dumping it down the gally and letting it drain through... then id run a few qts of fresh oil through it... pretty much just dumping it right on to the gally then letting it all run down and drain out...

or just yank out the motor and do a rebuild..thats always a fun time!

 

which bolts were busted.. the ones mounting the intake to the head or the ones mounting the plenum to the intake?

if it's on the plenum, where's the bolt head? are you able to get out the rest of it?

How many miles on the block?

my 1st suggestion would be to clean the sludge out with rags & a shop vac, then fix the intake so everything will bolt back together again the way it sould be. the intake to head bolts are only torqued to 12 ft lbs if I remember correctly (yup, just checked the manual) so they may feel loose when removed with a socket & ratchet. if the aluminum pan was loose, it could be the cause of your problems.

I say fix the intake, get a fel-pro gasket for the plenum and put it back together. get fresh plugs, cap & rotor and maybe wires if it needs it and see how it runs like that. if you've torn it down once, the 2nd time will be a piece of cake and take no time at all if you need to. Be aware though that the stock heads suck and they tend to crack between the valve seats. Hughs has a set of good replacements for around $850/pair if I recall correctly...

anyway, hope this helps...

 

magna flux is definitely worth it,
especially since everything is apart.

If the heads are cracked,
consider these Austrailan cast replacements:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DODGE...36154452QQrdZ1

you don't have to buy them from that vendor
several people sell them
including Hughes Engines.

http://www.hughesengines.com/heads/hd_magnum_heads.asp

 

OK, here are some pics of my lifter gallery and the underside of the intake.








This last image is of the tool I used to remove the clip that holds the fuel line to the injector rail. Save yourself $15 for the tool that Steeve mentions in his DIY instructions.

 

That tool works really good for lots of stuff . That lifter gallery is quite dirty. Hope the cleaning goes well.

Question : Is that the water pump I see? You can leave it in?

 

Yes, you can leave the water pump in. My advantage is that I am 5'10" at 170lbs. I can jump right in the engine bay and move around. It's tricky, but I was always the 'runt of the litter' used for jobs like that when I was a kid. Like I stated, I think Steve removed the water pump so his helper could stand in there to pull the cam and do other work. Since the whole ball of wax is open, I am going to get a strap wrench and pull the water pump anyway and replace it. At 114K miles, I think it's cheap insurance.

Now, I have a friend from the VW forum who works for a NASCAR team. His dad works with a Dodge expert mechanic, and the mechanic stated that with the varnishlike appearance inside of the intake, plus the misfire, that's a dead ringer that the intake was loose. The driver's side rear-most intake bolt is barely visible on the back of the head. That intake was very loose in the back, and over time the seal failed. At least someone spent the $$ to buy an aluminum pan!

I was also told to go to Wal- Mart and purchase one of their sonic cleaners used for jewelry. I am waiting for word on what solvent to use for the injectors. What I plan on doing is making a connector for the injectors and hook them up for the fuel rail when they are cleaned. Then I can check the spray pattern to ensure they are cleaned. He stated that injectors don't go bad, they just get clogged.

I will also detail the removal of the fuel pump and float assy. My fuel gauge moves around far too much for my comfort. I bet the float is loose or out of whack.

 

How many miles does that motor have on it?

You said the bottom of the motor looked good. IMO, Either the person who did the original plenum work spilled something in there to clog the oil flow, or its been sucking in dirt through the manifold to block seal because that looks pretty bad. If it were me, I would at least pull the heads to get a look see.

"This last image is of the tool I used to remove the clip that holds the fuel line to the injector rail" LMAO

I could be wrong, but I think that, from what I have read, Steve had the water pump off because he did the plenum, chain, and heads at the same time.

 

Yeah I figured it was for his helper but I wasn't sure, thanks for clearing that up. As for cleaning injectors, I've heard of people using gasoline to clean the gunk off, or a mixture of mostly gasoline and xylene.