Truck question

[TheAngryDrunkenRussian]

Okay I own a 94 Dodge Ram 1500. had to replace the entire exhaust system on it to pass emissions. Put a 2.5 inch daul pipe on it and It past with flying colors. but now running into a problem. What I think is happening to it is that we had to drop the manafold's on it to take off the old pipe on it. I got new gasket's (funny there wasn't any on there when we took them off) for it and bolted everything back on and the manafold bolt/nuts are loose. For a week it ran like a champ but now after running for a while it want's to die when idling or stopping for a stop sign, and the check engine light comes on once in a while. I ran it all summer with practicly no exhaust all summer with no problem. A friend that works at autozone told me that they really can't hook it up to any computer because of age. But he told me just to use lock tight on the bolts and nuts on it if it was that but I don't want to jump into lock tighting them down and have a sheared bolt/stud or not fix the problem.

I mean I could go out and get a new truck and not deal with this issue but its a good runner it got me back from cali with a Ducatti in the back with no problems

Semper Fi
US Marines

[Lohman446]

Yes it can be hooked up to diagnostics, its just not OBDII. Oxygen sensor would be the first thought, considering its placement in the exhaust pipe but that *normally* does not cause a stalling issue.

[BigEvil]

Vaccume leak? Will it keep running when the manifold nuts are still on tight? I believe there is a torque spec. and tightening order for those. Lock tight will probably not work due to the heat.

It also wouldnt hurt to give the rest of the rubber vaccum lines a once-over to see if maybe one is broken or rotted. If the truck has an EGR valve, check that out too. THey have a diaphram inside that tends to go bad over time. Since you changed the exhaust, I imagine you put new O2 sensors in. Check the wiring. Also, it may help to disconnect the battery for abotu 10 minutes to let the computer reset. I have seen older cars and trucks where when you put new sensors on, acted wierd or the same way as with the old one until you reset the computer.

It could just be a coinsidence that this happened no too long after you changed the exhaust, but usually its not. Im pretty sure your issue is with the manifolds coming loose if I understood the problem correctly.

[Lohman446]

Hehe... out of one of the workorders I just went through, 92 Dodge

Check for poor run condition after customer installed exhaust. Check computer, controls, and sensors, check spark and fuel flow. Mutliple error codes present in system indicate fault in oxygen sensor. Inspect vehicle, custom bent exhaust has no provision for oxygen sensors and sensors not installed, wired up out of way of vehicle. Computer referencing to base air/fuel mixture causing vehicle to load up after running, will need to make some consideration for oxygen sensors - return to customer as is.

Ok, did you put oxygen sensor(s) back in the exhaust? As Big Evil has eluded to there are a lot of things that can cause a stalling problem, but I normally find if a customer just did something its a good place to start.

[TheAngryDrunkenRussian]

its the old O2 sensor but when I bought it (about a year) from a friend he had just put a new one in a year ago. I talked to my brother who is a mechanic after work to day he told me that lock tight (to hold it in place) is alright but told me to use anti-seize (to stop it from rusting in) to and adventually over time the anti seize would take over. but by that time the truck would be long past dead.

I did this while I was at work and left in the shop and came back a few hours later and seems to be running fine now.

But now I have another problem steering issue. This should be fun just like the drum brakes " stupid part truck this wheres the hammer."

But seriously thanks if the manafold aren't the issue then I'll check the vaccum lines and what not