On Thu, Sep 11, 2003 at 05:50:27PM +0000, A. S. wrote:
}
} I removed my throttle body a week or so ago for a good cleaning. When I
} removed it I found that it had a coat of oil (fairly clean oil) on the
} bottom. It had what I would consider a pretty good amount on it. If I
} turned it on it's side it would collect at the bottom and almost drip off.
} I don't remember it having any oil at all on it the last time I removed it,
} but that has been a long time ago....maybe 40,000 miles or more.
} My question is, is this a sign of a bad belly pan gasket? I have no idea
} what this gasket is, but I've seen it mentioned on here a lot. I looked
} down through the hole once I had the t-body off to see if I could find any
} oil puddle, but I didn't really notice any "puddles". It just looked dirty.
} Another symptom I would think may be pointing towards a bad belly pan
} gasket is that the truck has a bad "ping" to it most of the time. It gets
} worse in hot weather and under slight to heavy load. The "ping" is pretty
} bad. Sometimes it sounds like it's going to rattle itself into a big pile
} of pieces.
} If this sounds like a bad belly pan gasket, how hard is it to change? Is
} this easy for a person who's never done it, or should I leave it to a
} mechanic? Any advice would be great.
} Thanks.
} --Aaron--
} 95 DSRC 4x4 V6
It sounds like the intake manifold plenum (belly pan) gasket.
How's your oil consumption?
I have a '95 Dakota with the 5.2 Liter engine. It seems to have the
plenum gasket manifold leak. It has been using 1 quart of oil per 1000
miles for quite some time now. I took off the throttle body and there
isn't a puddle of oil at the bottom of the manifold, but it is wet
around the gasket edges and there is a lot of dust on the bottom where
it stuck to the damp surface. My throttle body wasn't as wet as yours.
I'm planning on changing my plenum pan gasket this weekend.
The complete set of gaskets from the dealer was $100.
I found these web pages with good info:
http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2000/09-05-00.htm
http://members.aol.com/gnkim3/bellypan1.html
http://www.steigerperformance.com/docs/MPIIntakeManifoldInstallationGuide.pdf
I know several of you have done this fix yourselves, so I have some
questions about removing/replacing the manifold:
1) The tube for the EGR from the intake manifold to the exhaust
manifold. How do I remove it? The factory manual doesn't say.
2) There appears to be very little clearance between the AC compressor
and the manifold. The factory manual didn't say anything about it.
Webpage #3 above says to unbolt it and move it out of the way.
There is a hole in the mounting bracket for the AC compressor to clear
one of the manifold mounting bolts, so it appears they intend for the
manifold to be removed without removing the AC compressor (which looks
like a huge deal to get the compressor mounting bracket out of the way).
Is there really enough room to get the manifold off/on without
disturbing the AC? I'm thinking I need to get the compressor out of the
way. Apparently it can be done without ripping the whole front end of
the truck apart.
3) I figured out I don't have to break the fuel line to the fuel rails
(special tool required), I can just pivot them over and hang them on the
brake master cylinder.
4) Anything else I should be aware of? I've never taken a V8 intake
manifold off, but I've had the heads off a few straight 4s and a
straight /6 before.
I have the new Mopar metal plenum gasket. Should I coat it with copper
Permatex stuff made to go on gaskets or maybe use the form-a-gasket
type? I'm thinking the form-a-gasket stuff.
I've done the plug wire TSB and put in a 180 degree thermostat and
Autolite AP3923 plugs (one heat range colder than stock). These changes
helped reduce pinging a bunch, but not eliminate it.
Thanks for the help,
E Frank Ball efball@efball.com
work: (707) 794-4168 home: (707) 538-3693
--E Frank Ball frankb@efball.com
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