94' cam plate slide forward

[Gray 5.9]

Hello! For this being my second post, I'd like to say this is the best diesel website I've seen with info about the Dodge Ram CTD YET. My question is : I have a stock 94' 4x4 CTD thats rated for 160hp with an automatic, 3. 54 gears, except for a K&N filter, and no muffler and cat. From what I understand the highest recomended cam plate for my application is a 230hp. Would a 250hp plate be pushing it with the 160 injectors. Also, how much more HP does a stock 160 plate slide all the way forward make. I was told 20 hp, mine seems to be working good except for 3-5 second 1200-1300 egt's. Thanks for any info

 

[Joe G.]

My '95 is about the same as yours. Pushing the stock plate forward will give you up to 30HP or so, but you will have EGT problems.



The 230 HP #6 plate is the highest recommended because your stock transmission can't take any more. I have the #5 plate in mine, but I also have a DTT VB and TC. I've been hopeing my 160 HP injectors would start giving me some trouble so I can justify replaceing them with the 215 HP injectors. So far, they are working fine (curses!). My truck has 172K+ miles on it.

 

[Jim Fulmer]

TST Plates

I just installed a #8 for my truck and if you do put the #6(for your application) in you will throw rocks at that stock one.



Hard(fuel shut off) acceleration nets me 1200 EGT adverage!. (Boost 28lbs) and eats the road up!





Jim

 

[Gray 5.9]

Thanks Joe.G and JFulmer

The biggest thing next for me to worrie about is my transmission, from what I've read I haven't been putting all the power too the ground like most have posted. The TC needs to be a lower stall, and I need a better valve body. Could I just survive with a lower stall TC and 250hp TST plate with out going through the whole transmission, or would I be better off just sticking with the 230 plate and then later upgrading the transmission?

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Stepping up!

I'll tell you that the transmission needs the updates and also the converter needs the lower stall, In mine you can stall it slightly from a stop and nail it and it drives through the converter and sits at 2500 and accelerate till it locks up the converter then it will pull like I can tell you that I'm in the process of seeing what it will cost me for the DTT mods and getting them installed right now.



Jim

 

[Joe G.]

TMcFarland,



If you upgrade to a cheaper low stall TC you won't get nearly what a DTT would give you. The cheaper ones get low stall by milling the stator (ie. remove metal) so in order to get low stall you have to give up performance in other RPM ranges. In fact, you may not be able to climb a curb with one of them in your truck.



A DTT TC is not a one size fits all. Bill K. will want to know about your truck and how you intend to use it before recommending the TC for your rig.

Same thing for the VB plus the best customer service on the planet.



With the stock trans increasing engine power really results in more noise since you won't be getting the power to the ground like you should.



If you want more details about how my truck is set up e-mail me.

 

[Gray 5.9]

Thanks Joe

Ive changed my username from Tmcfar to Emerald5. 9, still the same guy. Do I have take the whole transmission out and put new clutch bands and so forth, or can I just put a DTT TC and valve body in it. My transmission shifts good and firm, when I hit WOT, but I do have a pause between gears,then when I give it half throttle it will shift faster through the gears( around 1800-2100). I haven't had any problems with it. I change the fluid every 20,000 and haven't seen any abnormal wear in the filter or in the pan. I don't do alot of towing with the truck just mainly a daily driver. but just for now I'd like to try the #6 plate.

 

[Joe G.]

You can put a VB in it with the trans still in the truck. Anything else requires pulling it. The TC is pretty simple to replace once the trans is pulled. You don't have to take the trans apart for that. If you don't have a service manual you REALLY should get one!!



I see in your signature that you have a mystery switch. How is yours wired? There are two ways: with a single throw single pole switch (on and off) or with a double throw single pole switch (on, off in middle, and on). The first way allows you to force a lock or use normal operation. The second allows a forced lock, forced unlock, and normal operation.



The second way is better because the TCC may be destroyed by hard pulling or hard excelleration with the TC locked. Actually, this can occur with the normal stock operation if the TCC doesn't kick down (unlock) in these conditions.



Mine is wired the second way with a push button mounted on the floor to interrupt the ground wire easily for stopping or down shifting.



You should be aware that our transmissions are different than later models. From '96 on these trucks have a 47RE transmission. The '94 and '95 have a 47RH. Basically our governor pressure is controlled with a fly weight governor while theirs is controlled by the CPM with a solenoid.

 

[Gray 5.9]

I have the first setup as mentioned, with the single on/off ground out wire. I've used it a couple of times in 3rd gear when I towed a pintle hitch trailor weighing in at 8-9000lbs,worked great in slowing the truck and load down instead of riding the brakes.

 

[Joe G.]

It works great that way. The problem may occur when you accelerate or pull a load with the TCC locked with the switch. If you increase the power output from what Dodge considers stock, then it may even wreck the stock TCC when its locked by normal operation. That's the reason for haveing the option to force an unlock condition. It's easy to wire. Cut the wire from the CPM to the trans that you have tapped. Attach the wire portion going to the trans to the switch center pole. The portion going to the CPM to one outside pole and the ground wire to the other. I have mine mounted so that with the lever up the manual lock is on. So up is force lock, center is force unlock, and down is normal operation. Actually, this is the way Russel Ward wired it when he first figured out the "mystery" switch.