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Any Ram owners with this problem?
mudge
Member Posts: 4,225 ✭✭
About 2 months ago, the "land yacht" ('99 Ram 1500) started burning oil. I took it to my most trusted repair shop and the owner says: "Intake manifold gasket is leaking. This is not inexpensive." I was at the local Dodge dealer the next day and told the guy there what was happening. The first thing out of his mouth was: "You've got a blown intake mainfold gasket." So I take the truck back to my trusty repair shop and get it fixed. $576 worth of fixed. But it did stop burning oil.
OK...so...about a week later, after driving around for half the day...
all of a sudden, the "check guages" light on the dash comes on. I look and, to my horror, I HAVE NO OIL PRESSURE! OK so I'm going to pull off the street and stop when I notice that when the engine rpm's
are over 900, I have about 30 lbs. of oil pressure. Luckiy, I'm not far from my trusty garage, so I take it there. They replace the oil pressure switch. Still no oil pressure. The diagnosis: OIL PUMP!!!
AAARRRGGGHHH. They don't do that at the shop so I'm gonna take it to the dealer. But this is 5PM on Friday. Can't do anything til Monday. So the truck sits in my garage for 2 days. I fire it up Monday morning to go to the dealer and suddenly I've got 80 lbs. of pressure.
Well...I ain't gonna trust this guage til I drive the thing for a while. After about 50 miles, I've still got 80 lbs. of pressure.
Wierd!!!
Any wrenchers out there got any ideas as to what went on?
Mudge the puzzled
ps. I used to do my own wrenching but when they got beyond the flatheads and 2 barrel carbs, I let someone else do it.
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
OK...so...about a week later, after driving around for half the day...
all of a sudden, the "check guages" light on the dash comes on. I look and, to my horror, I HAVE NO OIL PRESSURE! OK so I'm going to pull off the street and stop when I notice that when the engine rpm's
are over 900, I have about 30 lbs. of oil pressure. Luckiy, I'm not far from my trusty garage, so I take it there. They replace the oil pressure switch. Still no oil pressure. The diagnosis: OIL PUMP!!!
AAARRRGGGHHH. They don't do that at the shop so I'm gonna take it to the dealer. But this is 5PM on Friday. Can't do anything til Monday. So the truck sits in my garage for 2 days. I fire it up Monday morning to go to the dealer and suddenly I've got 80 lbs. of pressure.
Well...I ain't gonna trust this guage til I drive the thing for a while. After about 50 miles, I've still got 80 lbs. of pressure.
Wierd!!!
Any wrenchers out there got any ideas as to what went on?
Mudge the puzzled
ps. I used to do my own wrenching but when they got beyond the flatheads and 2 barrel carbs, I let someone else do it.
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
Comments
redcedars
How you doin'!
In my experiance as a mechaninc I have seen this before and seen the aftermath of what one blocked passage can do!
I've seen what missing oil will do to an engine - okay, it was a 16 cyl V-type ships engine, developing 4200Hp - but it threw two counterweights of about 80 lbs each from their place about 1? foot off center of the shaft when doing about 800 rps - crushed two cylinder-liners, two pistons, parted the 9 tonn engine-chassis entirely, two pistonrods were entirely missing.
That was also some nitwit who didn't clean some oillines thouroughly and the reason it happened, was because it was after the oilpump in the pressure line. Got stuck almost immediately.
Flush out the debris - oil and filter doesn't cost all that much - compared to a new engine.
Don't do anything that I've allready done - That'd be just plain STOOOOOOPID.
You failed to mention how many miles
are on the Ram,what engine,etc.All the
above posts have good information in them,
however,the "wandering debris" theory sounds
very possible.7mm's advise is good.DO NOT DRIVE!!
How much oil is it burning?
What kind of oil/filter do you use?
My last three trucks have been Ram 1500
w/5.9 liter V8.All started using a little oil at
about 65,000.When I say a little,I mean a qt.
about every 3,000 miles.I'm in tight w/the Dodge
dealer here and have lots of freinds in the service
dept.W/a little more info,I'll pick their brains
tomorrow.Good luck.
BW
IT'S WHAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT MAKES THEM AFRAID.
3/36,000 or 7/70,000 warranty? That IS powertrain and it should be covered.
Now then... You don't unbolt an intake and play with engine internals without an oil and filter change. You just paid over $500.00 for a $10.00 gasket. $20.00 more isn't a big issue.
A guess: All three engines above are known to be reliable and pretty much trouble free. If your dipstick showed the proper oil level, then there are two options to consider. Three if the oil was low.
Your motor was running clatter-free with no appreciable drag - Plugged
oil passage to the sensor unit. Buy a new one in case it's an internal problem..
Motor making more than the usual noises, pressure low - Plugged screen or filter bypass has failed. Both are bad news as the engine really was starving for oil. You'll at least want to drop the pan and have things checked.
Last, of course, is that the problem wasn't the gasket and that you really were running on no oil. Lot's of possible reasons, but I'd check compression. One cylinder will be low. Rings or a holed piston. One way to check is massive blow-by at the crankcase breather.
My gut tells me that you had a plugged sensor and no more. To plug an oil screen would have required a massive amount of contaminents. You should have seen it when you checked the dipstick.
And the worst news... If you still have the same filter aboard, and there was massive contamination, and now pressure has returned, then the bypass is now working and all the crud that was supposed to be stopped is now distributed pretty evenly throughout the engine.
I think you'll find the oil black, but clean. Further, when you cut the filter open, you'll find sealant and gasket flakes... And nothing else other than used oil.
If you find any evidence of metal filings there or on the oil drain plug, then you've got a serious problem.
You won't, though. Quit with the worry!
Nord
When I drove it to the shop after losing oil pressure, it was totally quiet and not the least bit sluggish. It has 55,000 miles. I changed the oil after the pressure came back. I use the Fram Tough guard and Pennzoil 5W30. I've put about 1,000 miles since the pressure came back and it hasn't used a drop of oil.
Mudge the worried
I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!
God Bless America and...
NEVER Forget WACO
NEVER, EVER Forget 911
Lotsa luck!
[8D][8D]barto
Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.-JFK
Im glad that they dont use those anymore.
Bolt
PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER