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My 96 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 is sick


keogge
07-27-2004, 11:41 PM
Hey all. Thought this would be a good place to post this question. I have a 1996 Dodge Ram 1500. It has a problem these days with dieseling. For some reason the truck seems to be leaned right out. There does not seem to be a lack of gas to the engine, it seems like it has no advance. I am not familiar with newer trucks, but on the old ones that used a standard distributor and a vacuum advance it would seem that my pick-up is not advancing. When I go to take off it lacks power, when it climbs a hill it lacks power and diesels. I had a new fuel sending unit and filter installed about 7 months ago. What could it be? Oxygen sensor? manifold leak? I do not know. Anyone out there have a simular problem?

BleedDodge
07-28-2004, 12:55 AM
Sounds like a plugged or plugging catalytic converter...

keogge
07-28-2004, 01:25 AM
That would cause all my symptoms? Can they be emptied by drilling a hole into it to find out?

BleedDodge
07-28-2004, 01:56 AM
That's what I had to do because I needed my truck to get to work and my cat was on order. I just replaced mine with a smaller reproduction cat, and I had it clamped on instead of welded so if it plugs again, I'll just remove it and take a chisel to the insides and knock it all out. I drove around for nearly 2 weeks with about 2 dozen 5/16 drill holes in my cat just so the truck would run. It sounded horrible. In the end I used the time on the hoist to put the big pipes on, I needed an excuse to do that. I couldn't justify it any other way. I had the truck diagnosed on the OBDII system and it said that there was a vacuum leak I guess, so they replaced a vacuum hose and cleaned the throttle body, and that caused the check engine light to go off. I thought it was fixed, but about a week later the light was back on. I don't care anymore, I say let it blow up. I just have a six cylinder anyway.

By rights, if the cat did plug, there must be something wrong like a misfire or detonation that is causing unburned gasoline to enter the exhaust and wreck the cat insides like that. What the motor is doing to the cat is like throwing gas on hot embers, that's the kind of affect it has. It's not good anyway. You should have the truck diagnosed to see what's wrong with it. Is the check engine light on by any chance?

If you don't need your truck that badly right now, I would say just cut the cat off with something like a plasma cutter or a hacksaw, and gut it. If you happen to be good with a plasma cutter AND a mig welder, you could cut the side of the cat off and gut it while it's still in the exhaust path, and then mig weld the side back on. You gotta be good at that, or know someone who is, because if you fuck up, you gotta replace everything. And I mean take that old wrecked cat out and put a new one in. They're not cheap.

Best of luck. Let us know what you find.

keogge
07-28-2004, 02:03 AM
no check engine light. I will give it a try and see. Maybe I will pull the O2 sensor to see if there is any improvment first before I hack in to it.

keogge
07-28-2004, 02:04 AM
by the way, where can I get scoops for my truck?

BleedDodge
07-28-2004, 02:17 AM
That's another thing you could try. I was going to try that, but I needed to be at work in like 20 minutes and all I had was a drill, so I just went nuts and filled it with holes. I knew the cat had to probably be replaced anyway, and I wanted one I could easily remove, so I decided to just destroy that one. I didn't have time to be fancy. You do have a good idea, you should try it. It's like a honeycomb, like a screen. I'd stick a small chisel or something in there, and beat on it with a hammer or something. Then start the truck and the force of the exhaust should kick all that garbage out the tailpipes. Whatever does the trick.

The hood scoops? They're made by Lund. I just went to the dealer where I got my truck, and asked them to order me some, because they deal Lund accessories. I wasn't sure what size to get, and I was lucky enough that they had a truck in the shop that day with the large scoops on, and to me they looked too large, they were pretty long, 26 inches I think. The mediums are 18 inches, and I think it looks perfect on my truck. I set them 4 inches from the back of the hood, and I think it looks sweet. On the old Dodge cars, the scoops are set towards the back of the hood, and that was the look I was going for, so that's what I did. I painted them myself because I love painting and I know how to do it properly. Everything that is red on my truck and shouldn't be, was painted by me. Front bumper, grille inserts, hood scoops and taillights.

keogge
07-30-2004, 01:05 AM
OK, here is the new news. I decided to try a few things and found out I do not have first gear. Hence the reason I had the pinging and the lack of power. For a brief moment this morning all seemed to be fine. I was able to go about 2 blocks before it acted up again. I pulled the shifter down to first and it never dropped. I came to a complete stop and then took off and it was guttless, but once it got going it changed into 3 and then OD. I turned of the OD and I felt it drop to 3rd, then I pulled the shifter down and it dropped to 2nd and that was it. I think it is a dirty valve in the tranny so I am going to take it in and have it flushed including the torque converter and replace the fluid with ATF+4. If anyone has experienced this before please let me know what you did to resolve it.

BleedDodge
07-30-2004, 02:41 PM
That's pretty strange. I've never heard of that happening before. Interesting...

keogge
08-01-2004, 12:46 AM
Ya, I have asked around at a few shops now and they all said teh same thing. I am hoping for something simple rather than expensive.

BleedDodge
08-02-2004, 02:13 PM
Did you try anything yet? Let us know how it goes...

keogge
08-02-2004, 11:44 PM
I gave up. It is going in on Wednesday for a checkup. That is if she makes it through the door. It is not moving as smooth as she used to. I am beginning to think the Torque Converter is gone. I will let you know when I find out more.

keogge
08-02-2004, 11:48 PM
One more thing. I can get it into 1st if I go to Nuetral then drop it to first. She pops right in. Now she is cranking 4000 RPM before she moves, but gets up and goes. Reverse is still strong so I just don't know. I still think it is the TC. Let you know Wednesday.

keogge
08-12-2004, 02:22 AM
OK, here is the scoop. It was a pressure Governor and a pressure sensor that went in the tranny. The tranny pressure went from 7lbs to 90lbs. The computer had no idea what was going on in the tranny. It got so bad that the RPM 5000 and it felt like one person was pushing.

BleedDodge
08-12-2004, 08:57 PM
At least they solved the problem, or did they? When you had it fixed was it normal again?

I was reading in your profile that you're from Creston. Is that Creston B.C.?

keogge
08-12-2004, 11:34 PM
Cost me a whopping $1069.00 to have done, but it is fixed. Yes I live in Creston, B.C. You know someone here? and I didn't do it.

BleedDodge
08-13-2004, 12:46 AM
That's a pile of money.

I was gonna ask if you had ever toured the Kokanee factory, and what was it like?

keogge
08-13-2004, 01:53 AM
Oh ya man! . . . it has put a hold on those scoops.

I have been there a few times. I toured it and I used to attend meetings there. It is a fine Brewery but very hard to get a job in. You need to be a relative or have knee pads.

BleedDodge
08-14-2004, 01:00 AM
Yeah, that would rule to work there, it would be so good.

Koke is my favorite beer. Love it!

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