2001 Dodge Ram 1500 - Intake Manifold and Plenum Gasket Repair - Part 3

[@milindasue1]

Matt, I just wanted to say Thanks! My lazy husband didn't have to get off the couch or turn the PS3 off and now my truck is fixed. He almost choked when he saw little ole me tearing my truck apart.... Well, he wasn't ever going to do it and I was sick of having a sick truck. Thank you for the very informative and detailed video.

[@mattpayne4087]

+milinda martin Haha, Milinda - that is awesome! Congratulations on having the courage to tackle this on your own. I am super impressed by that. You should be proud of yourself....and your husband should be extra proud! Way to go, and enjoy having a "healthy" truck now! Thanks for sharing your success story. I'm always glad to hear that my videos have been helpful!

[@butterbean4195]

hey Milinda! where you at? I need this done to my truck. ill pay ya. lol great going girl

[@zeppelin67637]

milinda martin time for a divorce.

[@wilborth5th]

Milinda come to California I need a wife just like you, only this time we both work in our cars, I’m impressed by your cojones, Mr Matt bye bye, keep playing your video games

[@gamerguyuknow541]

Madam u have a wife I think

[@andrewb2487]

Matt you’re a lad, you spent twice the time explaining this to people like me who couldn’t have done it without you 🙏🏼

[@Hardcorediver44]

I fixed mine using a Hughes upgrade kit. No more high idle and plenty of power. No more pinging going up a hill under a load. Night and day difference which tells me this has been a ongoing problem that was getting worse gradually . I'm happy now that my 96 Dodge ram is working like a new truck.

[@mattpayne4087]

Good work! Enjoy having a great-running truck!

[@douglasdailey5998]

Also the torque specs that given in the automotive manuals are for engine's that have been totally cleaned and hot tanked. For all bolt holes that have been totally cleaned out. Use a little oil on every bolt that is reused and i do mean every bolt no matter what size they are. Especially head bolts and intake bolts. Exhaust bolts anti seize. You will get the correct torque with oil on the bolts sometimes, sometimes you have to add to torque specs 2-4 foot pounds on smaller bolts when foot pounds are called for. On head bolts 5-10 foot pounds. Anyway i could go all day on this. Remember use 3-1 oil on all fastener bolts or motor oil to get a good torque. Just rub some oil on the bolt with a rag or your finger it doesn't need to be dripping.

[@Blaydrnnnr]

Once you have the lifter valley exposed, if you have a ticking lifter, this is the time to replace them. I did all my lifters while I had the valley open. Its easy, and no better time.

[@Blaydrnnnr]

For those watching, the sensor at 2:30 is actually your Air Temp sensor, and is the reason why a cold air intake doesnt really work on these trucks with a stock intake, as the air is constantly warmed before the sensor reads the temp. Moving the sensor to a position BEFORE the throttle body, ( like IN the air intake tunnel of the cold air intake system your installing ) will do more for getting a colder air temp reading, and would make that expensive cold air intake system you bought, work properly. Otherwise, you can shove all the air through a CAI system you want on these trucks.. the manifold is going to heat the air before it reaches the sensor and wont do much to improve your performance unless you relocate the sensor.

[@elvinebovine1297]

So what you’re saying is the stock location is wrong. I should move it to my air filter housing then?

[@Blaydrnnnr]

@@elvinebovine1297 On a stock intake, its where they want it, and works fine. If you want to move it to the filter box, you can. It wont hurt anything. If your keeping the stock manifold, you will have to plug the hole from the sensor when you move it. I dont use the stock intake so I didnt have to worry about it. But if your going to install a Cold Air Intake, your wasting money unless you move the sensor so it actually reads colder air. Thats the whole point of adding a Cold Air Intake. Trying to get the coldest air you can, down the throat of the throttle body, and the sensor making use of it. Installing a Cold Air Intake with the air temp sensor at the stock location doesnt do much. Its REALLY easy to just drill a hole in the intake tube, and screw the air temp sensor into the tube. It will now read air thats much cooler then it is inside the intake.

[@ramdodgetruck1177]

Be careful unbolting the manifold. the two bolts on the front corners and the two on the rear corners are thru threaded. they get very rusty and you may snap the heads of the bolts off like mine did. If you do don't panic. remove the rest of the bolts and lift the manifold off. you will be able to get at whats left of the bolts. use a torch and heat them cherry red a couple of times. use a 5/16 stud remover or vise grips and work them loose. Be patient and take your time. soaking in PB Blaster cant hurt either.

[@mattpayne4087]

+ram dodgetruck This is great advice! That's exactly what happened to me, too. The bolt closest to the thermostat had gotten corroded from a coolant leak at the thermostat housing. That bolt snapped off while trying to remove it. Thankfully, it broke off with some length still protruding from the engine block as you said. I was able to heat it and tap/wiggle it with some vice grips and finally got it removed. It was a little hairy for a bit, but it worked. I'm glad yours came out the same way.

[@dirtmcgirt01]

You call that a leak, mine looks like someone changed the oil and dumped it down the throttle body. this is going to be fun

[@mattpayne4087]

dirtmcgirt01 Haha, wow...that does sound like quite a leak. Your truck should feel like a brand new vehicle after you get it all squared away!

[@garagedays4677]

2:30 That's the Intake temperature sensor. I replaced mine a week ago. Runs better and ECM picks up the signal faster.

[@natalievaughan2299]

2:30 is intake air temp sensor , the map sensor is in the front of the throttle body

[@joeydelmarsjr.646]

Thank you and God Bless for your video very detail, glad you took the time to make the video it has helped me get more familiar with my 97 dodge ram, its a beater, previous owner didnt take care of it, so its my time to take care of it to keep it running, transmission has been rebuilt since it went out. So i have too much invested to get rid of it.

[@mattpayne4087]

I'm so glad that you found this helpful! It's always great to hear that someone found some useful information in one of my videos. I hope that you can get your "new to you" Ram running well. I'm always happy to hear that someone feels it's worth the effort to fix up one of these trucks rather than discard it. I am biased, but I really love my second gen. I'm not sure I can ever bring myself to part with it. Good luck with your projects, and thanks for watching!

[@dirtmcgirt01]

Excellent series of videos, this will help tremendously. Thanks Matt Payne. I'm doing the dorman kit, if it fails down the road I'll make a video of the wrecker hauling to the junk yard video.

[@mattpayne4087]

dirtmcgirt01 Thanks! Haha...I hope for your sake that the plenum kit works out well for you. After all of the work it sounds like you've done, you deserve some good fortune. As much as I love my truck, I wouldn't blame you one bit if you punted yours to the curb at this point. Good luck! Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions along the way. I'm far from an expert, but I'm happy to help in any way that I can.

[@dirtmcgirt01]

I just read as much from the internet I can on the subject and watch video's like yours. Spelunked has a channel that demonstrates the procedure pretty well. I bought a tool that is nothing more than a lever to reach from the torque wrench to the torx socket and help get into the bolt that needs turned, the tool is made for the band adjustment. Use brake clean to clean up around the area and free it of dirt and grime if you need to before making the adjustment. As the band wears it'll need tightened but if you're still shifting fine you may not. I don't remember what the torque spec was or the part number for the tool. i didn't have a 1/4 drive torque wrench and bought a cheap harbor freight one for it since if probably never use it again. You'll do fine, just like you did on the video's of yours I watched.

[@mattpayne4087]

dirtmcgirt01 Cool, thanks for the input. That sounds like the same procedure I've read about. I just get pretty skiddish when I start messing around with the transmission. I really should go ahead and do a band adjustment though.

[@wilborth5th]

My man I’m in the third video I just wanted to let you know my appreciation I didn’t have the courage to do this job on my van, but since is the same engine system I’m gonna do it, I removed the throttle body to look inside the plenum and there’s oil there and some black debris I guess my intake gasket is out, my van engine is sucking air in, anyways thanks again.

[@mattpayne4087]

Thanks so much for your comment! I'm so glad you found this video series helpful. Were you able to make the repair? Kudos for having the courage to try it on your own! Thanks for watching!

[@floridaboy34601]

A friend of mine is the service manager of a chrysler dealer and what he did was replaced the intake manifold with a low rise manifold and did away with the EGR valve. He said that will fixes it permanently. Going to the dealer now to check.

[@A_Stereotypical_Heretic]

How'd that go?

[@kevinbreaux6769]

Be careful from just seeing oil in intake. I just pulled mine out for nothing. No gasket failures.

[@dirtmcgirt01]

Matt you don't want too much advise from me anyhow. I'm the guy who didn't pay attention and put calipers on the wrong wheel and couldn't figure out why the air wasn't bleeding out. After scratching my head for an hour, I realized the bleeders were towards the bottom with no possibility of the trapped air coming out. I reversed them, putting the bleeders at the top where they belong and voila. I find being in a big hurry never works out, lol

[@mattpayne4087]

dirtmcgirt01 Haha...I would almost guarantee that every single mechanic, amateur or professional, has learned more than a few lessons the hard way. Experience is the best teaching tool. So just chalk that up as a lesson learned, and know that you'll never make that mistake again. I've made plenty of boneheaded mistakes, and I'm sure I'll make more in the future.

[@CaliforniaBushman]

Just watched a junkyard engine rebuild video. He's like "Is it stuck"?. There was a family of weasles living in the engine block.

[@justinc8147]

Anyone that may need this video..the gasket sealer on the plenum plate needs to be high heat and oil resistant. It looks as if he is using high heat red gasket maker. When he should be using high tack gasket maker. It is heat and oil resistant. It is usually dark red or dark blue....overall nice video.

[@PastorOverall]

I will be doing this myself next week Mar 30th, 2022 thanx

[@damonwayne3307]

Wondering if this would give a PO108 code/ map sensor?

[@HOLLESjr]

mine is glued on , all of the bolts are out and it will not come off. Any ideals . I have used gasket remover spray for a week letting it set. Tried using some wood chissels to get into the gasket. used a dry wall blade on a cutter where i could get into some of the Gasket and still no luck.

[@zombeast2011]

I know this is an old video but I'm at a stuck place. The manifold is stuck HARD. Tips on getting it unstuck? Can I put a ratchet strap through the intake holes and soak the gaskets in pb blaster to keep constant pressure while im at work to hopefully free this thing up?

[@dirtmcgirt01]

The band anchor that tightens the intermediate band when you turn the screw from outside the transmission case was completely missing. I removed the pan and valve body looking for it and it was nowhere to be found. The pan was rtv'd on and I soon found out why, some fool stripped the alluminum threads out of the case and required helicoils to use a gasket again. I believe someone changed the fluid and filter, found the anchor, didn't know it's rather important and tossed it.

[@mattpayne4087]

dirtmcgirt01 Holy crap, that sounds like a nightmare. That's impressive that you diagnosed it and fixed it. Any advice on doing a band adjustment? I've had my transmission pan off twice, but have been too chicken to adjust the bands because I don't trust my cheap torque wrench. I need to go ahead and purchase a quality one.

[@beardedscrapper538]

If I just do the intake gasket. Do I need to disconnect the fuel line?

[@recoveryprofessional]

It may have failed because the material below and above are different and expand at different temperatures which tares the gasket. The best fix I hear is to get a aluminium gasket. That or you just didn't do it right :) But I've read some forums where a lot of people were having this problem so they went w the aluminium one.

[@MrJaydeep777]

Did you ever figure out why it leaked again after only 9 months since you replaced the gaskets?

[@RandyB509]

Freaking out right now I'm working in mine as well I'm down to the intake but she's been on the motor a real long time and I am having troubles getting it out also I only seen 1 comment on the front 2 bolts they snap real easy so be careful and have an easy out tool ready

[@Monster404ftp]

Or a torch and vice grips. Had a bolt snap off, and I heated the area around the bolt so as to break up the rust and corrosion, got my vice grips around there once I got the manifold off, and it was out.

[@_Dave_S]

So I think I am screwed. I got all the way to the part where I removed the intake bolts, and BOTH of the front bolts (closest to the radiator) snapped off. Looks like it had been leaking coolant for some time at the thermostat gasket and froze up the bolts. Now what? Am I going to have to drill them out and use helicoils? No mechanic is going to touch it now! Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

[@douglasdailey5998]

The plenum gasket bolts are to long they bottom out inside the manifold before it can tighten down good on the gasket. You can cut the bolts just a little bit off the bottom of the bolts. They also have new plenum plates that are a little thicker with shorter bolts. If it was me i would just cut the original bolts off about two threads so the bolts will have a little more clamping power. They also have a new intake manifold that does not have the plenum built into it.

[@kevinbreaux6769]

Mine had the same puddles no misfire but smokes in the morning for a few miles , is that common symptom?

[@razrmaxx73]

I recently sold my 1999 Ram to a friend, and he discovered it had a bad Plenum gasket. As even when I was still driving it earlier this year, it lost nearly all of its oil. The problem is that the two engine pieces that this gasket separates are made of two different metals. one is steel, the other is aluminum. And as anyone knows, these two metals heat at different rates, thus causing the gasket to warp causing leaks. The solution is to buy a aluminum pan kit to replace the steel pan that it comes with. And you shouldn't have this plenum gasket problem anymore.

[@mattpayne4087]

David, thanks for watching! I had the same understanding when I filmed this video. Since then, I have read a differing opinion that the issue is actually with the OEM plenum bolts, in that they were too long for the bolt holes in the intake manifold, so that they actually bottomed out in the holes before they were able to reach the full "clamping force" against the plenum plate, thus allowing it to fail over time. I'm not sure which opinion is correct...heck, maybe both are true...but I do believe that by using the 1/4" aluminum Hughes kit, you can be assured that the problem is solved. It addresses the concern about dis-similar materials, as well as eliminating the problem with the bolts being too long for the holes, since the Hughes plenum plate is ~3/16" thicker than the OEM steel plate.

[@razrmaxx73]

Matt Payne I believe you're right on that. I think my friend who now owns my old truck did mention something about the bolts, so yeah, sounds like a combination of both things caused the problem.

[@gknettel22]

Why did you disconnect the injectors and fuel rails from the intake? Also do I have to remove the throttle body from the intake? 03 Dak R/T

[@sunshineperez2408]

Hey there, do you know how to unfreeze a frozen head on the driver side of a 2002 Dodge Ram? We removed the 8 head bolts, removed power steering pump, and we can’t get it to unfreeze... #help

[@stanthology]

A good thing to do while you have all that junk off the top of the motor is unscrew the oil pressure sending unit which is the 3 or 4 inch high 21 mm or so (ordinary deep socket) thing just to the left of the distributor in these photos, It's just another of the many famous places on these motors which leak oil and are hard to detect once you put all the stuff back onto the motor. So while it's easier to reach take it out and put some Permatex Number 3 or similar reliable thread sealer on the threads and screw it back in. If your motor turns out to be full of trash, you can even shove a little magnet down that hole. It comes directly from your oil pump. If you are really gung ho and have the front of your motor apart, behind the cam retaining plate there is a pound in type of plug. It's the oil gallery which oils the lifters and eventually the timing chain. It is connected to the oil pressure sending unit drilling.You can yank out the plug and again, shove a suitable tool then your wet dry vac with a small tube attached, then your skinny magnet to fish out any metallic debris. There was some hard stuff in my 1994 318 motor. It took some gouging to get it out. Just make sure you have the replacement plug handy. They're hard to find. While you're at it, inspect your cam lobes. You can see them under that sheet metal plate at the bottom of the valley. If your motor has had a sludge problem, another thing these engines have a talent for, your lifters may get stuck partially up! Then the cam comes around and whacks into the lifters and takes a chunk out of the lobes! You will cry if you see this. Matt is correct about the vacuum cleaner. Keep the trash out of the motor! I had the new 1996 Jeep almost done and some halfwit crashed into it. Now I have the new one 1998 and looked into the throttle body and saw the dreaded oil slick! That's why I'm here. I'm gonna put a vacuum gauge onto the PCV valve hose and if there's a vacuum rather than pressure in the crankcase, I will know I have to do what Matt has kindly videoed. Great video. Clear advice. Thanks Matt..

[@mattpayne4087]

+stanthology Wow, great information and advice! Thanks so much for sharing all of that....it makes me wish I had replaced the oil pressure sending unit while I had everything apart. I also wish I had replaced the timing chain at the same time, but as with most projects, there is always the question of where to stop replacing parts. I'm always thinking, "while I'm here I should do....", but that can turn into a never-ending process. Thanks again for this awesome information. Best of luck with your plenum repair - you sound very knowledgeable, so it should be a piece of cake for you!

[@MrJaydeep777]

I think you mean breather hose not PCV hose right?

[@stanthology]

@@MrJaydeep777 To be honest I can't remember! It has been quite a while. But what you say sounds right.

[@MrJaydeep777]

@@stanthology Okay thanks! I’m pretty sure that my 2001 Dodge ram has this problem but I’m trying to learn all I can before I do it. It looks like a pretty big job and a lot of guys are having to do it over again so I’m also trying to figure out the best gaskets or gasket kit to get.

[@stanthology]

@@MrJaydeep777 I think if you put your hand over the hole on the driver's side rocker cover (with the fitting removed) you will feel puffs of blowby which indicates pressure leaking through that gasket. Sorry, I can't remember the actual procedure.

[@dirtmcgirt01]

FYI, I bought a cheap fixer upper with more fixer upping than I realized. I should have made a cracked transfer case r&r video. A how to get 2nd gear back transmission fix video, a ball joint replacement video, a brake line replacement video, a u-joint replacement video, and a 4x4 fix video. Maybe a trust your gut video when considering a fixer upper video too.

[@mattpayne4087]

dirtmcgirt01 Wow...that IS a lot of fixing. What did you end up doing to repair the transmission? Also, how was the ball joint replacement? That's something I haven't done. If you get the plenum fixed, I hope you'll have nothing but smooth sailing ahead of you for a good while. I love my Ram...in all of its high mileage, repair-needing glory. I should probably be looking to sell it, but instead I'm trying to find the time to replace the front shocks, replace the steering stabilizer and steering box, repair some rust spots along the bottoms of the doors, get the front pinion bearing replaced in the rear differential, do a transmission band adjustment..the list goes on and on. Stupid sentimental attachment...

[@Ashroyer86]

More info needed. Did you already replace the lower plenum with an aftermarket aluminum one before it did this?

[@mattpayne4087]

I actually had to make the repair twice. The first time I did it, the original plenum plate was still in the truck. I ordered a new aluminum plate from Hughes Engines and installed it, with all new torque-to-yield bolts. The bolts in the kit came with threadlocker already applied, so I did not use additional threadlocker. Unfortunately, after about a year, the bolts loosened up and the plenum gasket failed, so I had to do the repair again - which is when I filmed this video series. That time I made sure to use thread locker. As far as I can tell, the plenum gasket is still holding 4 years later.

[@Ashroyer86]

@@mattpayne4087 cool. Yeah Hughes says their kit fixes the issue. I wonder why it loosened back up. That would be a big disappointment.

[@MrJaydeep777]

@@mattpayne4087 What did you do different the second time? Thanks!

[@williamtaylor2681]

What do you have wrapped around your air intake system

[@davec7581]

Help me tremendously thank you for your help

[@szydelko6gaming852]

Matt, I subscribed as this is very detailed. I have a 98 Durango with the 5.9 and I believe I have to replace my plenum gasket. about how long would you say this process takes? could this be the reason my oil gauge stays just under 40? thanks!

[@mattpayne4087]

Thanks Chris! I'm sorry for my delayed response - I try to keep up with viewer comments as best I can but the past month has been nuts. Had a tree fall and damage my house and knocked out our internet for 10 days, and I've been swamped at work. So sorry for taking so long to reply. As for your questions - I would say you should allow yourself a 3-day weekend to replace the plenum gasket, particularly if the truck is your only means of transportation to get to work. I'm guessing I had between 15-20 hours involved, but it's hard to quantify how much of that was due to the filming process slowing things down. As for the oil pressure, unfortunately I don't think the plenum leak is related to oil pressure if the correct volume of oil is in the engine. I suppose if you didn't check your oil level, it could run low due to being sucked out of the crankcase through the plenum gasket leak and eventually you could get low oil pressure. Does your oil pressure increase with RPM increase? I hope this helps - thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@szydelko6gaming852]

Got it done! Ever done muffler patching before? I guess I waited too long to change the plenum so my oil filter leaked as well sending hot oil onto the exhaust right where it bolts together (By passenger wheel well) And rusted a hole all the way around. Any ideas for quick fix? Hard to reach a bit

[@Gkruze]

I have Oil on the planum plate does that mean it’s still leaking?

[@rcassidywork]

Where did you get the plenum plate I have a 3.9?

[@mattpayne4087]

www.hughesengines.com/Index/products.php?partid=27091

[@anthonyflannery222]

Hi Matt. Great videos. I'm just curious, how much more work would it have been to replace the timing chain with all this apart? I read somewhere that it would only require taking off 6-8 more bolts (on a timing chain cover?). I am not a mechanic and I have no clue, but I've read I should replace the timing chain at the same time as this repair is done. Thanks.

[@mattpayne4087]

+anthonyflannery222 I really wanted to replace my timing chain while I had the engine apart, but it actually seemed like a fair amount of extra work, despite already having so many things removed. I've never done a timing chain replacement myself, but based on what the service manual says, you would need to: -Remove the water pump -Remove the power steering pump -Removing the vibration damper from the crankshaft (which requires a 3-jaw puller tool, similar to this: www.harborfreight.com/three-jaw-puller-set-4-pc-69104.html) -Loosen the oil pan bolts and remove the front bolts on either side Then you still have to remove the timing chain cover and timing chain, clean the gasket mating surfaces, and re-install everything. Not to mention that setting the timing correctly can be tricky and catastrophic to your engine if done incorrectly. I was in a hurry to get my truck back on the road, and also a bit gunshy about doing this on my own for the first time, so I didn't dig that deep. I wish I had, but time just didn't allow. If you think you want to tackle this in addition to the plenum repair, more power to you! It's definitely easier with so many things out of the way. You can download the factory service manual for your truck from the "About" tab on my channel page. The timing chain section for the 5.9L engine starts on page 9-169. Good luck, and thanks for watching!

[@anthonyflannery222]

+Matt Payne Thank you Matt for the detailed reply. I appreciate your time. I am trying to get a mechanic friend of mine to tackle this repair. I don't have a heated garage or I would possibly attempt this myself (possibly). Your videos are very thorough. I mentioned the idea of replacing the timing chain to him, but he seemed to think it was a significant amount of more work...and I had no idea. Time will tell how this works out. The DodgeForum has a thread that highly recommends changing the timing chain. I'll discuss it with him and see what he thinks about doing all that. Thanks for the manual, I downloaded it. I have the Hughes kit sitting on our washer...now it is just a matter of getting it in the truck, and figuring out what to do about the timing chain and water pump.

[@mattpayne4087]

+anthonyflannery222 You're welcome! I'm right there with you...I don't have a garage of any kind, so doing anything involved this time of year is really tough. I filmed this video series in the garage of a family member's house. I would be in heaven with any garage...even without permanent heat! The plenum repair really is not that difficult; just a bit tedious. But I covered basically every minute step in my video, so there really shouldn't be any surprises. Just be careful to not break off any bolts when removing the manifold - that would be a frustrating setback. With regard to the timing chain replacement, I'm sure you can handle it, especially if your mechanic friend is helping out. It will probably add at least 4-5 extra hours to the work, but is worth doing if you have the time. Just follow the steps in the service manual to the very last detail and you should be fine. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out.

[@mattpayne4087]

+Brad Streets Thanks Brad! I actually just had the same coolant link from around the timing cover. Since the truck was already in the shop because of a no-start condition that I couldn't figure out (ended up being a bad PCM), I had the shop take care of the coolant leak for me. They replaced the water pump and timing chain at the same time, so I should be good to go for a while. I would have preferred to do this on my own and save some money, but I just don't have time at the moment and wanted to get the truck back on the road, so I bit the bullet and paid the shop to do it. If there is a "next time", I'll definitely try to do it on my own. Thanks for the information!

[@LegendMuscle]

Hey Matt, you wouldn't happen to know the thread pitxh of the manifold bolts would ya?

[@Paulwe4]

5/16-18

[@greygoosemafia]

I couldn't get the fuel line off so I just moved the rail to the side. and DONT break a bolt lol

[@MrJaydeep777]

What is the best silicone to use?

[@quintind7638]

What size are the 12 bolts holding the manifold down?

[@greygoosemafia]

I finished y gasket repair. no more leaks but I have the fear that I have a intake leak now. I can feel hot hair by the front of the intake on the drivers side of the av compressor. Could you shed any light on this? It still coughs like an asthma attack in the hot weather. Do you have any knowledge about this?

[@mattpayne4087]

Richard Cowtails Richard, when you say you feel hot air, do you mean blowing out of the intake manifold into the engine compartment? To me, that does not sound like an intake manifold leak, as the manifold should be under vacuum and a leak should be sucking air from the engine compartment into the manifold, not blowing air out. Are you sure you're not just feeling air blowing from the radiator fan? To rule out a leak, I would (carefully) spray some carb cleaner around the area you are concerned about while the engine is running. If there truly is a leak, the carb cleaner should get sucked into the intake and you should hear the engine idle audibly change. Have you checked the engine vacuum with a vacuum gauge?

[@greygoosemafia]

That's probably what it is. Sprayed brake cleaner all over the intake area, didn't find anything. Had that choking again today idling in the parking lot. i took off the funnle hose thing that connects to the breather box and put a book over it and that "asthma attack" symptom went away. is any of this making sense? madness to me lol. I'll be cigar smoking the intake tonight. see what i can find. might buy a fog machine and mityvac kit. What are your thoughts in this? man... that intake sucked...... lol

[@mattpayne4087]

Richard Cowtails Hey Richard, any luck figuring out what's going on? Did you find a leak anywhere when you did your smoke test? I'm starting to wonder about your Idle Air Control valve. If I understand correctly, you said that you disconnected the tube going to the air filter housing and closed off that opening, effectively plugging off the air intake to the engine....is that correct? But doing that made the engine run better? If that is true, then it sounds like you do have a leak somewhere....either from the intake manifold/plenum, or perhaps your Idle Air Control valve is going bad. If the IAC is open too far, I suppose it's possible you could be getting too much (unmeasured) intake air. If the computer doesn't know there is extra intake air, it's not going to adjust the fuel trims properly, so you could potentially get the choking symptom. I don't know if I'm on the right track or not...but let me know if you found your problem.

[@greygoosemafia]

I located a bad pre cat o2 sensor. wasnt going into closed loop. as soon as I start the truck... it dies that weird sucking thing. its always in "open loop" not entirely understand what that means... but its bad lol. says Haynes Manuel lol. Ordering a new one from amazon. the stores want almost 60 bucks for it........ I got it on amazon for $21. from my understandings, If the pre cat o2 is misreading or lieing to the pcm that'll control the iac. and the o2 is telling the computer that the truck isn't getting enough air and it opens the iac all the way....... That would cause that. I read a forum last night telling me all that. I'll try and find that page for everyone.

[@greygoosemafia]

did a smoke test no leaks. seeing I'm having that sucking intake thing... that would indicate bad plenum, in my opinion. but no oil once so ever. So the plenum cant be bad.

[@Mindfield2200]

Did you have high rpms upon start. Before plenum rebuild

[@sethhartley1246]

if it idles really high could be that your gasket isn't seated right and its has a leak , which creates a vacuum sucking in more air than the engine needs causing the high idle

[@RBTURBINA1]

Did u have a misfire due to the plenum leak or what simptoms did it have.

[@mattpayne4087]

RBTURBINA1 I wouldn't say I had a "misfire", but the truck was definitely "pinging" under load, and seemed sluggish. On top of that, it was exhibiting a super loud whining noise at idle (from the air being sucked past the plenum gasket), and there was a lot of oil on the bottom of the intake manifold. I hope that information helps. Thanks for watching!

[@TheNeighborhoodcomplaint]

Hey Matt, where did you get the flashlight that you used in the video? Thanks

[@mattpayne4087]

+Mark Hightower I actually purchased that handy little thing at Lowes - it was made by Kobalt. Unfortunately, it stopped working recently after several years of use, and I wasn't able to find it at my local store. They said they had stopped carrying it. I searched online, and it looked like it was still possible to order it online, but for much more than I had originally paid for it. Bummer.

[@Jcadipper]

if the razor blade still bugs you just drop you're oil pan on your next oil change. clean all the gunk out and get your razor.

[@mattpayne4087]

+GunNut11 It definitely still bugs me, but it looks like dropping the oil pan would be a fair amount of work. I contemplated doing that as soon as the razor blade fell down in there, but I can't see how I can remove the oil pan without removing the exhaust crossover pipe. I'll probably just live with it.

[@jakeallen8309]

+Matt Payne I know if it was mine i probably couldn't sleep at night. I've kinda got a question how much smoke was yours putting out when this went out mine is like a smoke grenade when cold but when it's warm I don't even notice. I burned 3 quarts in under 400 miles what else could it be and how do I check it I checked the plenum last night and I didn't see any oil but I didn't have a mirror.

[@stunnasam21]

@@jakeallen8309 old comment but for anybody else reading, do a compression test. Then put a little oil in the cylinder and compression test again. If the numbers are different then you have bad piston rings

[@hansalan1955]

can someone tell me if the blown plenium gasket can have something to do with the coolant, by some reason the level always drops in the overflow tank and the exhaust smog is moisty, but there is no water in the oil means the head gaskets are fine...(and I know the plenum gasket is blown)...?

[@genejackson4261]

Hans Alan possible. yes. have a bad gasket between the intake water jacket and exhaust chamber. would suck it right thru the exhaust and not touch any oil

[@mattpayne4087]

Hans, as Gary pointed out already, it is possible that your intake manifold gasket could cause such a problem. The intake manifold on this truck is a "wet" (water-cooled) manifold, so if your intake manifold gasket fails near a coolant passage, it's possible to suck coolant into the intake. With that said, I would still want to verify the head gaskets are OK with a compression check. Good luck - I hope you can sort out your problem!

[@danandress1332]

Heads warped or cracked? After it cools down to outside temp start it up and squeeze the upper coolant hose it should not have pressure in it. My 5.9 warped and 3 of the 4 fire rings were sucked in to the combustion chamber witch pressurised every thing.

[@Thundarr995]

If I dropped a razor blade down into the pan and I decided to leave it there instead of pulling the pan off and removing it. I'd go buy some of those really strong magnets and put them on the bottom of the pan,just to make sure it stayed there.

[@Paulwe4]

I have fuel in my oil and blowing white smoke could the plenum gasket do this

[@nncoco]

head gasket symptoms.

[@Hardcorediver44]

Where you getting a high idle because of this gasket failure?

[@mattpayne4087]

+Hardcorediver44 Not really...my idle condition seemed pretty normal. Do you have a high idle? That could possibly be caused by a bad/dirty idle air control valve, which is pretty easy to clean/check/replace. Do you also suspect a plenum gasket problem with your truck?

[@Hardcorediver44]

Yes, I changed out the IAC and still will idle high and I smell oil being cooked in the engine compartment. I'm pretty sure its the plenum. I plan to up grade to a hughes 1/4 plenum plate so I don't have to do it again. The truck has 110k its a 96. Its a known problem.

[@hogz2014]

Just curious is that a 520?

[@jacklaughlin5782]

how does the 318 like it?!?!

[@greygoosemafia]

I'm having to do mine again. any idea why this happens?

[@mattpayne4087]

Richard Cowtails Richard, I'm really sorry to hear that! That stinks, and I can totally identify. In my case, I know for a fact that my second plenum gasket failure was caused by the plenum bolts backing out. I used thread locker the second time I did the repair (last June) and have not had any issues with the plenum since. If you tear yours down again, check to see if the plenum bolts are loose. If so, use some thread locker this time. If you really want to eliminate this issue once and for all, I believe Hughes makes a one-piece performance intake that eliminates the plenum plate altogether. But, I think it's pretty pricey. Good luck!

[@greygoosemafia]

I did use thread locker... the blue. but that locker was old and I only used a thibnk line on the side of the bolt. My worry was I didnt use enough. I'm having the same issues just not as server. when its hot outside around 80 degrees and up. It kinda start choking almost. indicative with a a vacuum leak lol. It's always right at the top in the intake lol. So It's a pretty clear sign haha, no gauge needed for that lol. I kinda put the top back on sorta sloppy I's my worry. that i didn't get a good fit. (great idea with using old bolts for guide pins) GENUS! I'm looking over the Haynes Manuel again. To see if I missed anything. I should post the instructions for out of the manuel for everybody huh?

[@recoveryprofessional]

Richard Cowtails I hear the materials above and below the gasket are different so they heat and cool (swell and shrink) at different times thus tearing the gasket

[@greygoosemafia]

Joshua Sulwer Yes, That is true. I bought the kit from hughes with the aluminum plate. but the gasket failed. I didnt use any rtv on the gasket. Do you think that would cause it?

[@recoveryprofessional]

Really the aluminum plate failed? ya I would try the high temperature RTV gasket in a tube, but not too much, just enough so it has a even coat like a real gasket and let it partially dry(cure) before putting it back together. FYI your not using 5w 30 oil are you? if your in a cold climate thats proper (below 32 degrees F) but in the rest of the world 10w 30 is the way to go. it could be getting extra warm because of the oil. Or there is some gouge in between the gasket, or your over or under tightening it. Use a torque wrench. Here is a good tutorial list for most problems w these motors. http stuff with no www then dodgeram(actual dot not the word)info/Engine-Gas/

[@tunasub4167]

Mytruck has no power and is making a poping noise from the engine oil is in the same spot.

[@samweems5310]

Where can i get that special tool at

[@mattpayne4087]

Hey Sam, which tool are you referring to?

[@samweems5310]

@@mattpayne4087 6:30

[@AA-hu4cl]

Why not just eliminate this stupid issue all together by swapping out the junk style intake with an air gap Edelbrock intake and adapter plate for the throttle body? This is the dumbest design flaw I've seen yet on an engine and that plenum plate is just needless. Or why not get the aluminum Hughes kit bolt it on with out gasket and the weld it solid inside and out, thus also eliminating the issue permanently?

[@billyboats1853]

Clean with acetone 2 to 3 times before putting on the gaskets and use black or grey rtv

[@greygoosemafia]

my fuel pressure was 60psi

[@mattpayne4087]

Wow, good to know. I want to do a fuel pressure test to see what I'm getting. Thanks for the info!

[@greygoosemafia]

Nice that seems to be the onlything in good condition lol

[@LarryReynolds591]

Doesn't have much on the plenum!

[@Blaydrnnnr]

The best way to ensure this cant happen again, is to replace the intake with a better model. ( M1 or Hughes Airgap ) I replaced the plenum once, it blew again, replaced the intake with a Hughes Airgap...best investment I made on this truck. The worst part of this job is always getting the old intake off without breaking the bolts. They are TTY ( Torque To Yield ) and will break easly if they are original. TTY bolts CANNOT be reused. They must be replaced when doing this job.

[@MrJaydeep777]

Are the original bolts TTY?

[@Blaydrnnnr]

@@MrJaydeep777 Yes. The original, ( and I think ALL replacement bolts made for the manifold ) are TTY. They need to be able to change as the motor heats up and cools down. I've changed the cam on my Magnum motor twice so far, and will be again in about a month, and I always buy original MOPAR manifold bolts.

[@MrJaydeep777]

@@Blaydrnnnr that’s really interesting because the service manual doesn’t say anything about replacing the bolts. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@MrJaydeep777]

@@Blaydrnnnr also, the service manual lists torque specifications but it does not say anything about TTY bolts

[@Blaydrnnnr]

@@MrJaydeep777 Its a given. If you re-use the old bolts, you'll pay for it later, when water starts seeping out around the bolts, and thats IF you even get them tightened without breaking since they've already been stretched. They're cheap, and worth making sure the torque is proper when you tighten everything down.

[@Rockers1121]

Lol that sucks .. dropping a razor blade in the engine .. stressful.

[@robertjuker2681]

shoulda bought a 12 valve cummins

[@jessehelling8123]

Super tacky go to advance auto never leak again