Tech Tip: Servicing 1993-2003 3.9/5.2/5.9L Dodge Magnum Engines – UnderhoodService

Tech Tip: Servicing 1993-2003 3.9/5.2/5.9L Dodge Magnum Engines

Engine pinging under acceleration? Using an excessive amount of oil? Notice that your mileage is dropping? Don't want to weld the cover to the intake? Worried about turning up the boost on your supercharger? These are some common complaints relating to Dodge Magnum engines.

Engine pinging under acceleration? Using an excessive amount of oil? Notice that your mileage is dropping? Don’t want to weld the cover to the intake? Worried about turning up the boost on your supercharger? These are some common complaints relating to Dodge Magnum engines.

These problems can be directly attributed to the plenum gasket failing on the bottom of the intake manifold. What most people don’t know is that only replacing the gasket will not fix the problem. Many people replace the gasket just to have it blow out again. Nothing is more frustrating than having to do a job twice!

The reason this gaskets fails is that the factory is combining two dissimilar metals. The steel and the aluminum do not contract and expand at the same rate. That along with a couple of bolts being spaced too far apart, cause the gasket to fail. If you are tired of the gasket blowing out on your plenum cover or just want to do it right the first time.

This kit is the answer! The kit will replace the plenum plate with a one piece, high strength, 1/4" thick aluminum plate. It is supplied with all new, Grade 8 fasteners, new plenum gasket and detailed instructions. No factory fasteners are reused. We recommend replacing the intake bolts when you reinstall your intake. The bolts are TTY (torque-to-yield) and should not be reused. When purchasing the kit # 7714 we suggest buying kit # 3205B, which includes all of the bolts and gaskets you will need to complete your project.

Also keep in mind that when the plenum cover gasket leaks it causes oil to be drawn into the intake manifold. This causes increased oil usage, smoking, pinging and power loss. The additional oil usage will cause excessive carbon to build up on the oxygen sensor. The carbon acts as an insulator effecting the operation of the sensor which controls the power, mileage and emissions. We suggest you install a new pre-catalytic (front) O2 sensor when replacing the plenum cover and gasket.

Visit www.Hughesengines.com for more information or call 309-745-9558.

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