'96 Ram, starving of fuel or clogged cat?

[JeepSound 10+ year member]

Last night after about 20 minutes of driving I felt a noticeable power loss and couldn't get past 3/4 throttle without it bogging down. It sounds like it's being starved for fuel or somethings blocking the intake/exhaust. I've already checked the intake though, and it's fine.

It's an automatic with the 5.2 and 275Km's (170xxx miles).

Possible fuel pump? Or could the Cat. be clogged? I'm tempted to just run it off the headers for a few minutes to see if it's the Cat. but from reading up a bit it seems that the fuel pump is a little more common.

Any other ideas?

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[audioatg 10+ year member]

Do you have any tools laying around. If not go buy some to do tests with. Simple test would be start the truck up. Go around to the exhaust tip. Get a towel or somthin and plug the exhaust tip up. See how much back pressure you are getting there. If there really isnt any flow at all. Cat could be your problem. Next test is to check fuel pressure. Key on Enigne off pressure should be around 60psi. Key on Engine Running psi should be over 50 psi. If you have low fuel pressure. Your fuel filter could be clogged or pump is going bad.

Also, When this is going on. Is your enigne missfiring.

Note Fuel pressures might be off. But I will check monday at work to see correct specs. But that should get you started.

 

[lowriderram_95 10+ year member]

mine started doing that about a month before I sold it, never found out what the problem was unfotunately. doesn't really matter now bc the chick I sold it to wrapped the **** thing around a tree

 

[JeepSound 10+ year member]

Do you have any tools laying around. If not go buy some to do tests with. Simple test would be start the truck up. Go around to the exhaust tip. Get a towel or somthin and plug the exhaust tip up. See how much back pressure you are getting there. If there really isnt any flow at all. Cat could be your problem. Next test is to check fuel pressure. Key on Enigne off pressure should be around 60psi. Key on Engine Running psi should be over 50 psi. If you have low fuel pressure. Your fuel filter could be clogged or pump is going bad.
Also, When this is going on. Is your enigne missfiring.

Note Fuel pressures might be off. But I will check monday at work to see correct specs. But that should get you started.

Lots of tools, but the backpressure seems okay. Your pressure readings are about right, anything under 50psi is too low for these trucks from what I've heard. I haven't checked them yet but I will tomorrow when I have access to a pressure tester. After some more research it seems it could be as simple as a crank sensor as well so hopefully I won't have to drop the tank. I'll find out more tomorrow.

Thanks.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

MAF sensor?

 

[audioatg 10+ year member]

MAF sensor?

If it was a ford vechile of any kind. Id say yeah check that. But very uncommen for that to even go bad on this type of system. MAF sensor is located in the throttle body itself.

To the OP. Have you scanned it for any codes. Just for the heck of it. I dont think it would be a crank senor problem. If that was even to go bad or half go bad. The vehicle would more likely stall out rather then bog down.

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

try cleaning this.

http://www.dodgetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114679

And theres alot of other similar threads on that problem there.

 

[grooverider 10+ year member]

sounds to me like your timing may have jumped a tooth

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

Try an injector/fuel system cleaner as well. Lucas works well.

 

[grooverider 10+ year member]

come on people. If you dont know anything about cars, dont give suggestions.

a ****ing fuel system cleaner isnt going to do jack shit. How long has it been since you changed your fuel filter?

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

sounds to me like your timing may have jumped a tooth

stfu noob.

 

[grooverider 10+ year member]

NOOB? im 2 classes away from being ASE certified. .

if you knew anything about how a motor works, you would know if the mechanical timing jumped a tooth, he would experience power loss, and also @ 3/4 throttle there would be bogging due to the timing being out of wack. So before you tell me to stfu, how about you sit your ignorant *** down and read a book.kthxbye

 

[edzy 10+ year member]

so you suggest a complete tear down on the front of the engine to check for a something that may or may not be ****ed up.?

Where as my suggestion is a $5 aditve to see if it makes a diffrenance?

Loss of power sounds like a fuel issue. And with 250k miles, im sure theres a lot of build up thru out.

And with the limited info posted here, its all quess work anyway.

What shop do you plan on working at? Sears? Let me know so I dont get ***** when i go in for an oil change and you suggest a new engine. And why dont you go back to reading your books, instead of real world first hand experiance.

BTW, 2 classes away from.... So your still a noob. STFU.

 

[grooverider 10+ year member]

and you have no formal education. so stfu. im not going to argue over the internet because I know im right.

anyway, tear down the motor? you're retarded. you just jack up the front end, take off the tire, rotate the crank with a 17mm socket after you remove teh spark plugs, check the pointers to make sure its aligned with the head, and you should be golden. If they arent inline, then you jumped a tooth.

but you knew that...right? ***. also, he has 170,000 miles. not 250. reading pwns you. I dont have first hand experience? you dont even know who the **** I am. I've been swapping motors into hondas and acuras, nissans and toyotas. Ive done ecu tuning and more dyno runs then your fake *** has watched on the internet.

dont try to discredit me. you have no idea who the **** you are talking to. you ever hear of fischer motorsports here in chicago? I work there ***.

 

[tyler_fitz 10+ year member]

if you can't get any help from these yahoos try a dodge forum.

http://www.dakota-durango.com is one i used go to a lot, tons of info and knowledgeable people. i know your truck isn't a dakota or a durango, but its got the same engine.

p.s. - if it is you're fuel pump, i hope its not like my dakota and located inside the tank... that's just annoying.