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Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) caTCHER ecm (Marco's aka MAD)

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Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) So how much blowby is normal?

2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Hurricane Rita

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"Gary, reading ( not actually, too much stuff, I remember what you said ) what you said in this thread, you were wanting a CaTCHER but wanted to know dyno numbers first. Bob provided us those numbers. Still not enough, you want now dyno #'s for CaTCHER combined with different boxes. Then it's that your box is better, adjustabel, more Hp... . blah blah blah...



Marco, that's an outright LIE - apparently your "memory" is faulty! I have NEVER made ANY claim as to my intention as "wanting a CaTCHER but wanted to know dyno numbers first. " IF you can provide ANY post of mine where I made such a claim, DO SO NOW!



Sure, I HAVE asked - as many others have - for dyno documented info on the actual performance of your CATCHER, both on it's own, and in combination with other power mods - but NEVER gave the slightest claim or intention that such information was all I needed to put my money on the line for one - can you show where I EVER said otherwise?



And I for one, do NOT appreciate folks deliberately, maliciously distorting my comments, or assigning statements or intentions to me falsely, as you have done above! :rolleyes:



I have CONSISTENTLY treated your product with respect, and you with respect mixed with complimentary comments:



"As far as Marco and his ECM, I consider him a genius, and have the GREATEST respect for his ability and integrity!"



another?



"I applaud Marco for his candor and what appears to be an excellent upgrade for our ECMS - Thanks for all your effort and help Marco"



and:



"I have consistently expressed faith im Marco's ability - he's undoubtedly FORGOTTEN more about ECM function than the collective membership here ever KNEW!"



In response to personal attacks on ME, and my motivation for participation in this thread, I early on responded with:



"I in NO WAY, now or earlier, have "opposed" anything concerning the MAD setup - only asked various questions as the various aspects of it's performance - both on it's own, and as compared to other readily available products in the same power and price class - why is that seen by you as unusual or unreasonable - why does it bother you?"



I have gone back over my personal posts in this thread *3* times to verify what I claim above, and HERE are my posts over the first third of this thread - I challenge ANYONE to show where ANY of my posts here have been abusive, excessively critical, or where I have in ANY way abused Marco or his work!

==========



I, for one, will be following this VERY closely - if anyone has a projected price for these, would appreciate a PM...



Sure would be interesting to see some before/after dyno info with this mod...



How is the reflash accomplished - I'm sure Marco isn't about to send out a CD or similar - do ya hafta send the ECM to Itally to be done, or what?



Bob, haven't been looking in a dedicated manner, but sure haven't run across any leads in response to a few vague comments like the above - typical salvage yard prices in this part of the country run about 50% of list price for most components - dunno about electronic stuff, since they usually won't guarantee electronic stuff, maybe the pricing structure is different... I sure wouldn't wanna spend 50% of list for a no-guarantee ECM!



There's a rather obvious need for SOME sort of plan - not many guys want to spend the extra $$$$ for a "spare" ECM, OR face the downtime sending their units off to Italy involves...



A question for Marco - you have indicated that a programming chip inside the ECM is swapped out - is that the ONLY change, or are there others? If the chip is the only change, is the original returned in case an owner wants/needs to return the ECM to original operation?



I'll also be VERY inrerested in seeing what effect adding something like an EZ does to Marco's mod - and also wonder what the difficulty is in eliminating the rev limiter INSIDE the ECM, when the Drag Comp is fully capable of doing it EXTERNALLY... .



Which is EXACTLY why, as much as I respect Marco's expertise - *I* will gladly sit back and watch for a while to see how these mods work out over the longer haul - and for the early testers, seems a good idea to have a ready souuce of backup ECM available "just in case"...



Glad we are getting some of the minor issues out of the way - fewer unresolved issues = LESS unhappy or disgruntled costomers!



Now I better understand the CC issue as it applies to '02 trucks - and I'm like the guy further above who stated his serious need for CC - I have had 2 back surgeries, but earlier back problems have left me with some nerve damage to my feet and lower legs - CC is an absolute MUST for me on longer trips - and my truck is used for RV towing in exactly those types of scenarios!



Some consider me a nit-picker on a few issues - but while some mistatement of fact is understandable from a casual user, I feel it is important to be a bit more precise when dealing with the actual MAKER of a product (bypass oil filters comes to mind... ) in order to not create confusion or misunderstanding - I applaud Marco for his candor and what appears to be an excellent upgrade for our ECMS - Thanks for all your effort and help Marco!



Marco, I've seem similar new products hit the scene before, and this sort of hash and rehash, along with well intended but erroneous statements and assumptions. It's just part of the baptism for the developer, applied by the curious and concerned who want to know as EXACTLY as possible what they might be getting themselves into - bad enough with a developer and product inside our own borders - more complicated and requiring even greater trust when it's from "way over yonder"! Buck up, take a few deep breaths, make LOTS of allowances for us less knowledgeable fumblers, and keep pressing on - most of us deeply appreciate it.



I'll be very surprised if the HP/tq curve on a dyno changes radically with the new ECM programming, because on a dyno, you are in full accelleration mode with EITHER ECM - the difference most are reporting here is throttle response in lighter accellerator applications in normal driving situations - THOSE conditions, as compared with a wide open run MIGHT be quite different, and not be as noticeable on a dyno, all else being equal...



Keep in mind, I am talking about the power CURVE, not the actual power readings.



This new approach will inevitably be compared to other types like the Comp or EZ - even Marco made such a comparison - so getting it all documented with that in mind would be perfect - and then there are those who already have something like the EZ or Comp installed, and will want to know if those can still be used and to what benefit - or danger...



To put it more exactly, here is what Marco said:

Anyway I doubt that the M. A. D. ECM will show anything special on the dyno. Probably the top numbers shown on a dyno would be in the range of what an EZ does. The CaTCHER is all about driveability and FUN to drive.




In other words, and to reinforce my comments as to expected changes in power curves - probably NONE in dyno scenarios, and actual power increase about the same as an EZ...



So now, a lingering question is, is there a significant improvement over what is already obtainable with a Comp - that gives BETTER power gains than an EZ, and at least on mine, greatly improves low end power, throttle response and driveability. The downside for some with the Comp is the potential for VP-44 problems and warranty issues due to wire piercing...





I saw a VERY similar performance product incubate over on a Camaro board - fella name Dave Inall in Australia came on offering to develop and market a twin-turbo setup for the Camaros - he had developed a similar setup for Corvettes for outfits like Lingenfelter - so what he wanted was a minimum of 100 guys to pay something like $5000 *each* up front for a system he would THEN develop - prices for later buyers would be more like $7000.



We got into discussions on that issue VERY similar to THIS one - but 100 guys stepped up - yeah, THEY were big, bold and mouthy too - and than felt compelled to loudly and verbally attack any who DARED question or criticise what was going on, or ask specific questions as to what this proposed system would deliver...



Months dragged by - about 3 system I know of finally were delivered amid LOTS of hoopla and squeals of delight among the faithful - then NOTHING! Investors got nervous - more months - and finally, news that Inall had declared bankruptcy, and could not be reached. The cheers of joy, the squeals of delight were all gone...



Yeah, THIS is a much different product and situation - but the basic premise is still the same - a new product, regardless of WHO makes it, comes subject to questions and caution by most - there will always be the few who will plunge in, and it is THEIR willingness and aggressive character that may eventually benefit the rest of us as the product proves out and further develops...



But NONE of us who are of a more cautious nature, NEED or APPRECIATE your apparent compulsion to begin direct and personal attacks on our rather benign questioning or comments aimed purely at a PRODUCT! What I drive and tow, and what I have installed on my truck or have "plastered" on it or my trailer are NOT the issue - only a "tool" you have selected for personal ridicule - KNOCK IT OFF!
 
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PRyker said:
Marco,



What I would like to see is a detailed explanation of how the CaTCHER effects timing? DOes it retard timing to produce the quicker reaction times? How does that compare to what the Comp does?



Phil, about a year ago I was in the same boat, wanting information about various boxes & the timing they did. I got next to nothing from Banks & one of the techs at Edge told me that "it's sort of a trade secret" I'm not sure how many more details Marco will want to share out here "in public" It gets to be a rather hot seat.



The adjustable fueling that you can get from TST & Blue Chip will do pretty much the same thing as the Comp. That is what's accomplished through the pump tap wire. You can really do the almost same thing with bigger sticks except you have to use your right foot for the adjustability factor.
 
wait a minute... I have been reading through all the talk on the TDR about the TST and the Blue chip FMS (redline as well) and I see many people refer to the "timing" advance that the TST gives. I thought it was fueling only? The blue chip stuff is clearly only fueling.



Thanks



Phil
 
I just went to TST's web site. They don't say anything about timing one way or the other. I thought I knew but I'd better shut up on the issue.
 
Geeez guys!



We know what it does now, of course the guys with the catcher already knew what it did... :D Oo. :D



Maybe we should move this to the "Political Forum"... :-{}





It's plain and simple... TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!
 
Ok, I have posted in this thread quite a few times before. I probably have one of the original, if not the original CARB CaTCHERS for a 2001. 5 ETC automatic here in the States. Obviously, I have software vers. 1. I have run it for some time now. I have posted before that the original vers. DID NOT detract from my trucks performance. Let me remind you once again (I have posted the various towing and racing results a number of pages back in this thread) that I turned my best ever 1/4 mile numbers with version 1 of the CaTCHER in front of a lot of NWBombers at diesel thunder in Spokane in 2004 and also have the time slips to prove it. Also, turned good numbers at Woodburn Drag Strip (best ever ET and over a 101mph. And yes, I will brag, lower 13's at 104. 15 mph ain't to shabby with only running EDM Mach 2. 4's.



Does the CaTCHER with my drag comp advance timing to much on the top end that I am in danger of blowing a piston? I don't know, my engine is still running strong and their is no oil in the coolant either.



I still think that the heavily fueled (which advances timing also, right?) and twin turbos especially on an ETH engine may cause some high end performance issues and that's why Marco made a special version for Opie. In my case with my little itsy bitsy injectors and little itsy bitsy single DodgeZilla, version 1 of the CaTHCHER works just fine for me and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.



Dyno numbers? I don't care. Some might say, show me the dyno numbers for your truck Roger and I say to you, just to go to smokemup.com and plug in My trap speed and My 7300# truck and see what comes up for my HP. Driveability, response, being able to drive with the drag comp totally off 99% of the time, great mileage and being able to tow heavy works for me.



To each his own, I've made my choice, I am happy with it so... ..... you all make your own choices. That's why resturants have different entrees on menus so people can make individual choices.



With all due respect and regards,



Roger
 
I don't have a CATCHER, but my brother-in-law does is his truck. He has a very similar setup to mine, but has the drag comp and a few other different things. I took his truck for a short drive the other day, and all I can say is that it is amazing! It will make a truck with just an EZ feel sick, and with the comp on, forget about it! I guess you could say he has a pretty stout setup with 120hp injectors, big turbo, and the drag comp, and to say that a CATCHER is not worth it in a setup like that is just plain wrong. I know if I had the funds right now I would have one on my truck too!
 
input for another user.

all I can supply is comments too





The Catcher is just what the Dr ordered. It puts power right where I drive my truck. Since day one my engine has always bucked as it is coming off of 1000-1500 RPM when I lightly roll into the throttle. That is all gone now. It'll also accelerate now in the ranges where it used to lag forever. Overall HP gain wasn't that important to me, but the driveability is 100% what I was looking for. I'm happy!



I'll give you a call tomorrow morning and get my core to you.
 
comments

First off, I should say that I still have a 800 some lb granite table in the bed of my truck that I'm still figuring out how to unload The first time I hit it hard I did notice that it was stronger than the EZ. I can say that between 1700-2300 RPM it has one heck of a pull!! The EZ never had that. My EZ may have had it highger in the RPM's but rarely does my truck ever go above 2500 RPM so my SOP meter wouldn't know about it.



Call me crazy, but I was mostly after a driveability change with the new ECU. I'm plenty happy under 400 HP, but I'm always between 1200-2300 RPM. Yea, 1200 is probably hard on my truck, but I learned on the big trucks and it just won't go away. I dont hammer the accelerator down, but usually slowly roll into it up until the next gear. Now, with that said, my truck has always had a bucking at that point since new. That is now all gone, and I get some spoolup right as I start to roll into it. This is exactly what I was after . 3. 55 gears, 35" tires, and a 5spd also made it rather difficult to drive up and down hills at 40mph. I always wanted it to be somewhere between 3rd & 4th gear. That is now gone. I can roll along in 4th gear at 1500 rpm and it'll keep right up with what I want it to do. As for smoke, well I did darken a couple of street lights last night. It'll still lay out a cloud, but it is only for a few seconds. It'll spool my stock turbo up much faster than before, so the smoke cloud goes away sooner. But I have to make it smoke, normal driving it stays pretty clean.



As for HP gains and dyno #'s, they don't really matter to me. I knew how I wanted my truck to drive and the Catcher fixed it



But figure this one out: My older MU-0900 clutch has been real chattery when I start in 2nd gear. With the Catcher that is gone
 
David, you just wait and see yours :eek: can you say clean ;) brand new





and the cores are off the marco by the first part of next week at the latest :cool:
 
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We have now seen Bob's dyno #'s (well, some of them) We have RCone's time slip, 200 + happy customers & a couple of sceptics that haven't tried the CaTCHER. Does it take a rocket scientist to determine whether this thing works? :rolleyes:
 
We have now seen Bob's dyno #'s (well, some of them) We have RCone's time slip, 200 + happy customers & a couple of sceptics that haven't tried the CaTCHER. Does it take a rocket scientist to determine whether this thing works?



Sorry if this question has been asked before. I don't want to use the forum search!



What is a CaTCHER?

How does it do it's thing??

WHAT does it???

How does it it's thing????

How come that is does anything?????



I've heard that there's no or little power gain... I've even heard about almost all customers complaining about extreme power losses... You musta be crazy and/or stupid to spend your money on that thing! Unproven performance gains / loss!!!!! :-laf



Thanks in advance for any help you can provide me in clearing up my doubts!



Marco
 
Marco said:
Severe illness?!?

Maybe even adicting????



How stupid some people are!

MAAAAN, I can't believe it!



Marco



There's no doubt about it, Marco. It's a troublesome devise. Just ask the folks who haven't tried it. :-{} :rolleyes: :-laf
 
Marco you the man,i wouldn't take a farm in Texas with 2 oil wells on it for mine,Great Work... Runs Great,pulls great,does every thing it is suppose to... .
 
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Marco you the man,i wouldn't take a farm in Texas with 2 oil wells on it for mine,Great Work... Runs Great,pull great,does every thing it is suppose to... .
There's no doubt about it, Marco. It's a troublesome devise. Just ask the folks who haven't tried it.



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Just my opinion! :-laf



Marco
 
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