modify parameters...help...suggestions

[crhemiram03]

I have a 2003 dodge ram 1500 QC 2wd, just installed a CAI, and i have no muffler, so its a 3" straight pipe. i had the 93oct tune but i seemed to have more power in 91oct. My question is what to set fuel and/or spark at? any suggestions. anyone with an 03 relatively same upgrades who found a good setting? im pretty much lost when it comes to those parts. Anything would help.

before i had the intake i had it set to 91oct. and a 4% richer fuel thru full rpm range and it seemed pretty good.

now with the intake i still have it at 91 the fuel is at 5%(1-3.8k) 3.5%(4-4.8k) 4%(5-7k) all richer. but it kinda feels alil sluggish on the low end before its 4k.

i do still have about 500pnds in the bed for the winter, considering im in southeast michigan im never sure when to take it out cuz you cant guess the wether here. is that 500 pnds making that much of a difference?

but still any help or suggestion would greatly appretiated.

[johan]

Do you have a catch can on that thing, if not go get one asap.
If you are running the 91 and it feels better than the 93 you most likely have some knock issues, alot of times this is due to oil in the intake which is common on the hemi's.
I would check that before doing anything else.

[crhemiram03]

umm this my sound stupid, but whats a catch can? and how much is it, where can i get one, where does it go, is it difficult to instal?

[crhemiram03]

umm reply to my last post, i looked it up, and i can see that it probly helps alot, but is it really tha necesary? and plus im not really liken the price 150$ i saw, unless theres cheaper ones out there. just spent 450$ on the predator, for some better performace, and a plus the truck ran better, better mpg. but in all honesty is it really that important to have one. i mean vehicles have servived without them.

[Quick]

No. You don't *have* to have a catch can. Our engines are prone to passing more atomized/vaporized oil though the pcv valve that most. This oil ends up condensing in the manifold. So you're burning some oil vapor/mist and eventually you're burning a tiny bit of liquid oil. Dodge goes for about a 100,000 mile duty cycle. Burning this oil will not effect this. It's factored in there.

When you tune for perfornance (more than the factory tune) you are tightening up the tolerances a bit and moving more towards the thresholds. They have a comfortable margin and burning the excess oil falls within that. With a performance tune the extra oil is likely to cause knock (handled by the PCM by pulling timing). So not having a catch can significantly decreases the advantage gained by using a tuner like the predator. The tune increases timing and burning the excess oil and resultant knock causes the PCM to pull timing...

You would still get all the the other benefits like shifting, rev limiter, etc. but you may be nullifying a good bit of the performance gains.

Use the predator to log for knock retard. If you're getting some or more than expected then it's likely to be bad gas or you need a catch can. If you pull the manifold and see oil in the bottom then you need a catch can. You don't *have* to have a catch can. It won't effect the duty cycle Dodge has for the engine.

[Quick]

No. You don't *have* to have a catch can. Our engines are prone to passing more atomized/vaporized oil though the pcv valve that most. This oil ends up condensing in the manifold. So you're burning some oil vapor/mist and eventually you're burning a tiny bit of liquid oil. Dodge goes for about a 100,000 mile duty cycle. Burning this oil will not effect this. It's factored in there.

When you tune for perfornance (more than the factory tune) you are tightening up the tolerances a bit and moving more towards the thresholds. They have a comfortable margin and burning the excess oil falls within that. With a performance tune the extra oil is likely to cause knock (handled by the PCM by pulling timing). So not having a catch can significantly decrease the advantage gained by using an aftermarket tune. The tune increases timing and burning the excess oil and resultant knock causes the PCM to pull timing...

You would still get all the the other benefits like shifting, rev limiter, etc. but you may be nullifying a good bit of the performance gains.

Use the predator to log for knock retard. If you're getting some or more than expected then it's likely to be bad gas or you need a catch can. If you pull the manifold and see oil in the bottom then you need a catch can. You don't *have* to have a catch can. It won't effect the duty cycle Dodge has for the engine. But if you want to tune for performance then you might want to consider a catch can.

[johan]

Well said Quick.
You can get the catch cans from Billet Technologies for around a 100 bucks.

[crhemiram03]

alright thanx for the info, i actually found a catch can for like 70$ but i dont think its specified for my truck, whether or not that matters. but im sure id need one, i really dont feel like taking apart my manifold, when i installed my intake i open the throttle and took a peak inside and it was black/ had build up. but just a few more questions, are our ram's electronic or cable throttle? does the catch can really make that much of a difference/ worth buying? is it easy to instal? because even tho my truck is very midly modified i want its performance to best as possible and to run as efficient as possible.

[Quick]

A catch can doesn't have to be made for your car. You only need some way to mount it and it should have the same inside diamater tubing/inlets/outlets as your PCV hose.

Here's a good diagram of features that a quality catch can will incorportate.
http://www.mckinneyraceworks.com/catalo ... ucts_id=80

[crhemiram03]

thanx quick, that link was great, showed everything needed for instal and info purposes. 133$ just might be a little expensive but we'll see, i guess if its to better the vehicle then its probly worth it huh?!

[Quick]

I think so. Especially if you're going to be tuning for performance. There are a handful of other quality catch cans for a bit less. Like Johan said, Billet Technologies makes a good one (with more bling too) as well as a couple of other companies. I think the McKinney is the best but all the quality ones will work just fine. Expect to pay around $100. (and don't use heater hose).

[crhemiram03]

i noticed on the mckinney it has steel wool and a filter, is that something that would needed to be changed? and does mckinney provide you with the hoses? if not where and what kind of hosees should i get? is this and easy instal? do i have to make any holes anywhere or is it just a simple plug in put together mount type of instal?

[TooCoolHemi]

Just do it like the vararam.Disconnect the tube leave the elbow that comes off the oil fill cap neck.Rotate the hose 45-90* and put a chrome breather on it.(look's good too)

[Quick]

Definitely don't have to replace or service the stainless steel wool. That's just there to provide surface area for condensation. There is a layered "sponge/foam" filter material above that. McKinney figures it's very unlikey that would ever need to be replaced or serviced for the life of the car. McKinney does not provide you with hoses. You need something that will hold up to oil. Heater hose won't. Either something specifically for PCV or I'm using 1/2" ID fuel line hose from Napa.

Yes. It's a simple install. Hardest part is finding a place in the engine bay where you want to mount it. Somewhere reasonably close and where you can get your hand in to remove the bottom part when you drain it. I made my own bracket 'cause the ones with it wouldn't work where I wanted to put it. Decide where you're going to mount it. Then you need hose and clamps to go from the PCV valve to the Inlet on the catch can and hose and clamps to go from the Outlet on the catch can to the manifold. Right now you have a hose that runs from the PCV valve straight to the manifold. Basically you're just putting the catch can "inline" on that hose. It's better if you keep the total hose length within reason but it's not critical (you wouldn't want to mount the catch can on your rear bumper).

[crhemiram03]

alright well ive found a few sites where people have made there own catch can. i kno it doesnt look as good, or as good of quality but wouldn't serve the same perpose, and do whats its supposed to? one more thing, i cant seem to find my pcv valve, anyone kno where its located on a 2003 dodge ram 1500 5.7 Hemi? ive looked quite a few times and still no luck, and the picture under the hood points towards the front of the engine, but still no luck.