well it was last summer when I replaced my tranny and engine. Now the truck never ran right from the start it was weak in power and just got worse over time.I at first just thought it was b\c of my tires and I'd never really drove a dodge before so thought they were just weak in power until it started gettin worse. I kept putting it off because i had another truck to use but then i sold it so now i decieded i need this one to run right. I took it to a dealership and they said my distributor was turned around and wires were mixed up to compensate and make the truck run. And since they put it in "proper" it drives stronger but im having idle problems and detonation and misfires every once in a while. So it did run before allright. I put 17000km on it since the work was originally done. but it was setup wrong to make it run.

 

The detonation is most likely being caused by a combination of the 2. The 360 needs more fuel and air than the 318 does so you were originaly running lean without the new cam. Now with the cam in there to you are probubly running much leaner. How hot does your truck run when you are driving it. If it is running lean it could cause the truck to run 10-40 degrees hotter than normal. Dan the fastman offers pcm programming. If you can afford it I Would just get the pcm reflashed by him and it will make a night and day difference. I also beleive the reason your truck runs better with the iac unpluged is because that will richen the fuel dramaticaly. When you unplug you iac the computer goes to default which is -40 degrees F. Try unplugging your o2 sensors that should also richen the fuel up some more and see if it runs any better if so then you deffenitly have a lean problem.


Another problem could be a weak fuel pump. When they start to go out they will still pump but not as strong as they should.

What brand spark plugs are you using and what are they gapped at?

 

well my cam has been in there since I put the new engine in last year. I know it was pumping out black smoke indicating that it ran rich before the last visit to the dealership and my last adjustments. Now it could very well be running lean.

My pump had high pressure about 3 weeks ago when we checked that out. (around 50 psi at idle).

I have nkg spark plugs, and i was told that champions are the ones to get for dodges,(actually tested and mopar admits they run stronger then their own). Im thinking of changing those soon even though they are less then a yr old but they are pretty black from my running rich problem. I do have a noticable miss (like a slight stall) while i back off the gas but dont fully take my foot off of it. Not good. all and all I just have a butt load of problems and they all add up to the question "how the heck do\can you drive this thing?"

wouldnt the computer recognise that the engine(thinking it is a 318 but it is actually a 360) needs more fuel\air and ajust itelf accordingly? or is it just too much and is always trying to adjust itself back to where the 318 should be for mixture.

 

The computer has a fairly set parameters it can only go so rich or so lean. That is why after so many mods and certain types of mods you have to get your computer reprogramed to handle all the changes.

You said your truck was puffing black smoke from running to rich, did the symptoms you are having now start before or after you had it in the shop for it running to rich? If it was before than I would say they screwed something up and now have you running way to lean.


If you could and I know it is alot to ask but would help alot type me up a list of the problems and fixes you have done since you put the motor in starting with the original problems you were had when you first put it in. and hopefully we can get to the bottom of your problems.

 

well r u sure you want them all? hahahaha ok well here we go.

1) oil filter plate leaking... went through 3 to finally fix the problem.
2) pleneum gasket leak... Replaced.
3) took off cat and just put in pipe to replace it.

drove it around like that for about 5 months seemed weak in power but still drove allright. then she started to stall and bog out when i steped on it. needed to step on gas to get it started and keep foot on it for a while to keep it running. in this time not really related to the engine but front wheel bearing went on driver side, broke off and had to replace my nuckle. Brakes and rotors all around.

4) replaced cap, rotor, spark plug wires, front O2 sensor. ( have a simulator for the back one but not installed yet). didnt help with my stalling problem and hard starts. over a little bit of time it got worse.
5)brought truck to dealership they had to change some wires around on my distributor, and turn it around a full 180 degrees. (wrong firing order and placement from the shop that put my engine in.) Said my problem was deeper cam timing off. I phoned up the shop that instaled the engine and brought it there so I wouldnt have to pay for the fix.....
6) Took it apart and the marks lined up. so it was put back together. changed MAP sensor and IAC, checked the other sensor in the TB. had low vaccum. He couldnt figure it out so back to the dealership......
7) they went to work on the cam timing. saw the marks lined up BUT my woodruff key sliped out of its spot and had jamed over to the side so my degrees were out. put all new timing set in and put back together. Still ran like shiz so they loosened off my rockers a bit to try and help the surge. still surges and dies at idle. Told me that my cam was to severe and screwing up everything. I would have to put the stock one back in so they could figure out if\what that is the problem. told me it ran though good down the road.

IT now has a misfire I notice when i let off of the gas a little but not all the way. at least thats when it seems the worse. And of course my detonation problem and it still surges and will die on me at idle. in gear or park. for some reason it seems worse in reverse. this weekend If I leave the IAC unplugged it will run better and idle but it will still die every once in a while.

With it pluged in if it doesnt die from the rpms droping too much it seems to just all of a sudden quit. Like it was shut off. Thought that was interesting.

well there ya go. sorry it is so long and i believe i got it all. Oh just before the engine replacment I put a tranny in it too. it ran fine with the old engine in there though. the engine just used a LOT of oil. you know the check the gas and fill the oil thing haha.

 

I'm no expert but I would think driving around for 5 months with your timing being that much off could do some serious internal damage. I would think it could possibly damage the cam, the crank, the heads, valves, lifters, and god knows what else. From a legal stand point the shop that installed everything should legaly be responsible if the distributor cap that was put on backwards was the culprit. My next step would be to change the cap rotor plugs and wires myself so you know that it is done correctly. Your symptoms now remind me of the time I did a tune up on my ram and I had every wire off by 1 pin on the cap which isn't hard to do on these trucks because of where the cap is located. I still mess up and do it every now and then and I have been changing plugs and wires 3 times a year on my truck for 5 years.

Sometimes the smallest mistakes give us the biggest problems.

 

i cant even begin to imagine how much money you have invested already...cripes!

im with magic... if you timing is off .. and driving it for that long... who the hell knows what could be bent in there.. along with that i seriously think that having a PCM thats programmed for a 5.2 would effect the 5.9 thats being run off of it.. id ask the dealershipto be sure but i bet it is a major point for the malfuntions your having!!!

 

I was the one that did change them. the cap rotor and wires. I just took one off at a time as to make sure i didnt screw up. I plan to call everyone I know tomorrow and ask about the computer. Including compcams again. As far as internal damage... My compression is top notch still and no one really seems all that concerned about it. Believe me I am though and will persue it fully.

Thank you guys for all the help and I will for sure keep you posted on whats happening so keep on reading hahahaha. And you are right shott you dont want to imagine how much money I have spent... I sure the heck hate thinking about it.

 

You said you took them off and redid them one at a time. I have seen the dealership themselves make the mistake of screwing up the wires. A few other things come to mind though. There could be a small crack in the rotor or the cap, the rotor could also of been put on wrong. There was a post a few months back where a guy did a tune up and forced the rotor on incorectly and it gave him a similar problem that you are having if I remember correctly. If the dealership just took the cap off and turned it around they would have never seen that the rotor was incorectly put on.

I know you have sunk alot of money into your truck, but the first thing I would is chang ethe cap rotor and plugs atleast make sure you gap the plugs correctly because that could also cause your problem and instead of redoing the wires exactly link they had them yank them all off the cap and do them yourself making sure the cap is on correctly and just start with the number 1 plug and then work your way around the cap not going 1, 2, 3, 4 but in the firing order on the cap. That I feel would be the best place for you to start.

 

allright Magicdssman I will check that all out. I did the replacement of the cap and rotor myself and I made sure I put the rotor on the same way it came off. I remeber making myself take a mental not of the way it came off and the way I put it on. The plug wires I have checked myself twice allready but will do it again. They were replaced before I started having a lot of the big problems I am having now. I really think it is computer related Just havent located a ecm for a 360 yet or found somone to flash my old one. too busy. I appreciate all the help you and others have given me and will try and get it resolved. My company is in our citys home and garden show this week and weekend so I may be slow with results but will check out as much as i can when i can and keep you all posted. thanks.