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

[Marco]

Before I leave.

The boxes are all @ UPS now. All the owners have been contacted via E-Mail and the Tracking numbers have been send.



All is well?



Four guys had problems. Two got the 01. 5 software instead of the 01. That's fixed now. One got an Federal SW instead of Californian, that's fixed too.



But there is Amillstream.

His ECM had the correct software the first time, the wait to start light tests have been successfull the first time and when it came back. Yet he had no wait to start light and the rough idle.



I've checked everything I could in that ECM. Found nothing wrong...

So I swapped out as many chips and transistors as I could. Wrote another time the CaTCHER and controlled closely everything. I HOPE it works now but I'm still not 100% positive.



Think, hope, should, might, could, could not, are all words that have zero value in the digital world. Works or works not, that's it.



I still hope the problems are solved! We'll see...



During my vacation I sail to the most remote islands in the Adriatic sea. Then less people arround me then better... This time I'll have to visit some major city and find an internet bar or coffee shop in order to KNOW if I've been able to solve the problems. I'll try...



Just as an reminder, CaTCHER stands for Clutch and Traction Challenger... No wonder that the clutches start to slip! LOL

( I'm reading the last MSG's. )



OK, what else can I say? Have a nice time, most of all have FUN!



Marco

 

[Marco]

My personal thought.

OK, the previous MSG was the last one written as the CaTCHER ECM guy.



This one is a MSG from a simple TDR member which handle happens to be Marco.



Reading through the last pages of this thread, there are several members that say " Oh what a great thread, lookie what Marco has done, lookie there's no transmission or oil war going on"



Well guys, it's not Marco that made this one a really GREAT thread, it's the TDR members!



YOU have ALLOWED me to get my point through.

YOU have been patient enough to follow me

YOU have kept it civil!



All I can say is THANKS guys!!!



Think about the transmission/oil wars that have been running on this board... .



This thread 32900 + Views, 490+ Replies, wars = 0!



Maybe I'm wrong, probably I am, but I can't seem to remember another thread with those numbers.



Dl5treez, sez that Robin will bake us some cookies.

Well, I guess he's going to have a busy time... LMAO

All those cookies for ALL of us!!!

Hmmm, I like the ones with some fruits in them. Where do they take the order????



I've come into contact with people whom it's difficult to think about as customers. Friends would be the better word to describe them. They got outta their way to help me!

Thanks to ALL!!!



You're a great bunch of people!



OK, I've finished to bother you.

Bye, I'm out for vacation.



Marco

 

[Murle]

There's a tear in my beer... . Ditto on what Marco said...

 

[jtisdale]

Clutches hate Marco, but clutch makers love him.



Maybe one of these days I'll dig up a used one and send it over for some re-vamping, but right now I have other issues to deal with.

 

[MACHINEST]

Does the 500th poster win an award?

 

[Chrisw]

Well I installed my yesterday. First impressions are great.



Like Amianthus my main reason was to fix my cold weather miss. So far this is some of the things I have noticed.



First Smoke is killer... I am going to move on with saying I LOVE IT.

Next thing to get my attention was my clutch, NO it was not slipping it's quieter. I have been running a dual disk set up for quit a while and mine rattles a lot. I just took it for the nature of the beast. My clutch at 45-50 mph in 6th gear would rattle so loud in the cab that I would drive in 5 just to get the rpm up to quite it down. Also surging is down truck feels smoother at light load to no load "ie. 5th or 6th gear level ground just enough fuel to keep truck at in town speeds. " Keep in mind My truck miss so bad when temps fall below 40 that I usually try and not drive my truck. I DEFINITELY have or had something wrong with my truck. So this may or may not have any effect to your ride. I cann't wait till cold weather hits to see how the truck runs. Hopefully smoother



I yesterday I had to drive up a good old Missouri gravel driveway to a friends house that went up a very steep hill after a good rain, well needless to say it was very rough to say the least. Early when the guys were talking about the fuel pedal being touchy. They was not joking, its very sensitive to my size 14 bouncing up and down on the pedal. I end up putting the truck in 1st gear and letting it idle up the hill. If a person does much off roading good luck. also I am running the 0. 93 injector tubes from Scheid diesel and it gives my truck a nice unsteady idle. It really sounds cool NOW Truck idles great with no load but put it in 2nd and point it up a slight hill or parking lot at an idle and watch the heads turn. It just keep hunting for an idle up and down about 150 rpm. I personal think it sounds really cool to each his own. I may have to try the . 120 over tubes.



Cruse works great just like it did before ecm change. If rpm is raised above 1100, when fuel pedal is returned to idle rmp falls to 950 for about 1/2 a sec then drop to normal 750 or 800 no big deal just something that I noticed.



I have always had trouble with fuel pressure, it's been just enough to keep me from trying to get more but thats about it. Even running the carter 4601 hp 7psi pusher pump I have had enough fuel to to keep my pressure above the 10psi while the pryo is begging for mercy. I have always been able to pull it down further but try to keep from it, And if I did it was slow to drop down to or blow the 7 mark. With the ecm change and the rpm screaming all the way to red line I find my self way below 7 psi before I realizes it that far down. My fuel system is going to need more work



I hesitate with the next thing I noticed because it's going to be impossible to explain clearly and I don't feel like typing a book. And of course it's got to do with boost. With every body's truck being different, Let me start with what i have on my truck. Edge comp drag, stacked with a very hot JVD box and feeding the beast are BD 200 hp injectors. With all thing being a little different I am just going to end this by saying I would buy it again if for some reason I had too. Like if my truck burned to the ground. I hope it dosen't but just an IE. But I will tell you that with just the ecm and no box on It will make more boost then with the edge or the JVD by their self will make. Turn on 1 or both and I am going to leave that for you imagination





Chris

sorry for spelling errors

 

[darkhorse]

Bon Voyage, Marco! I hope you get some nice fresh breezes.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I suspect most of us in this group really appreciate the added throttle response this setup is providing - and sorta wonder why DC didn't do something like this themselves - they certainly COULD have as easily as anyone else...



2 possible reasons come to mind:



1. Possible emissions problems that would create EPA problems.



2. The serious desire to purposely AVOID the loss of traction and vehicle control this might create for drivers in colder climates, or who do the off-roading bit mentioned above.



Liability issues are a MAJOR concern of large manufacturers - and a string of lawsuits over accidents, deaths and injuries always weigh heavily on their minds.



As it stands, while many diesel enthusiasts might be critical of the slower ramp-up speed/power provided by a stock Cummins, there are no surprises or unpredictable jumps in application of power - and of course, the drivetrain stands to survive a bit better as well!



Just an observation and vague surmising - and of course, users here are NOT like the general cross-section of more casual owners...

 

[thejeepdude]

This throttle sensitivity observation makes me want to bring up something I was going to mention before but didn't. Marco, would it be possible to change the programming so that the same performace improvements are recognized, but not until after the first 1/4 or so of pedal travel? For example, the first 1/4 of pedal movement would act roughly like stock, but once you get to 5/16 pedal postion, the new programming kicks in? I would think the compression of the full spectrum into the last 3/4 of travel would make the higher throttle positions even more sensitive, but for those of us who like to use 4-lo a lot and don't want the sudden power surging of the sensitive throttle while bouncing off-road it might be a nice option. That's one of the reasons I was leary about installing a box on my '99 when I had it, but the nice thing was the box could be turned off, unlike the ECM. I haven't driven a CaTCher equipped truck yet, as I'll probably wait until you have the programming for the 3rd gens figured out. Maybe by then this could be an option? Either way, I think your innovations are amazing and I highly respect your candidness to the group, even in spite of some people's short fuse. Kudos! And thanks for all the hard work to make these trucks what they should ahve been in the first place!!

 

[PRyker]

ok guys,



The M-D-TDR is having a dyno day on Aug 14th. I am considering going and I will have my catcher then. so...



I am considering dyno'ing my truck before and after. I know that everyone has said it will probably not make a difference in tq and hp but will change the curve. Well, I guess I will find out.



The only problem is the transmission... stock 47RE. I know it will slip. I am almost ready to get a new once (I will be for this event) but will not have it installed then. If I damage it during the dyno it would suck only because I would not be able to get home.



What do ya guys think?



Thanks



Phil

 

[offshoreracr]

Originally posted by PRyker

ok guys,



The M-D-TDR is having a dyno day on Aug 14th. I am considering going and I will have my catcher then. so...



I am considering dyno'ing my truck before and after. I know that everyone has said it will probably not make a difference in tq and hp but will change the curve. Well, I guess I will find out.



The only problem is the transmission... stock 47RE. I know it will slip. I am almost ready to get a new once (I will be for this event) but will not have it installed then. If I damage it during the dyno it would suck only because I would not be able to get home.



What do ya guys think?



Thanks



Phil

Looking at your signature it seems your pretty much stock, no HP injectors or turbo. You will have no problem on the dyno, it is easier on your truck than a hard street romp. It's over in seconds. The MDTDR Dyno events are always a great time. See ya there.



Fred

 

[tcourse]

It's in and working great

Well I just installed my CaTCHER and so far so good.

Very smoky on initial take off with box turn off(with heavy foot)

This is with Don's Hot 3's, so I expected the smoke.



Turned the comp on 1/1 and almost all smoke went away and power still there, and early in RPM range.



I'm at work so it was a quick spin down the street and back, so I'll drive it in various Comp modes and report back.



Real test for me will be when I hook up the toy hauler at the end of the month.



TC

 

[KatDiesel]

Mines here, gonna check it out after diner, crossing my fingers its gonna work, but most likely have a software problem... ... ... .....

 

[Bob Wagner]

way to go Dan

 

[KatDiesel]

Originally posted by KatDiesel

Mines here, gonna check it out after diner, crossing my fingers its gonna work, but most likely have a software problem... ... ... .....

Software issue got me. I have "early build" 01, but got the 01. 5 software. Didn't even try to run the truck ... ... ..... Wait to Start light didn't work right.

 

[darkhorse]

That sounds like what happened to me I didn't think much about the light at first & went ahead & fired it up. It idled like hell but the harder I pushed it the smoother it got. It sure was fun but I knew I couldn't drive it like that. The good thing is that the problem has apparently been tracked down & the fix is on the way but it's not so good if you have to wait for Marco the sailor man to return from the Adriatic.

 

[jtisdale]

I drove Aron's catcher equiped truck last night, and all I can say is OMG. When you step on the go pedal, you go. I still cant beleive how responsive it is. Aron said smoke was a problem, and it sure can be on his truck (but he is heavily modified with some really big injectors 8x11's). I really suspect that with normal injectors (like III's or a smaller Mach series) the smoke wouldnt be much of an issue. But, with a big set smoke will (if your not careful) bellow out of the pipe like your pouring it out of a bucket. And that is just off idle.

Somebody pm me with the exchange details and prices please? I am gonna sell my drag comp and buy one of these. The problem is, I cant have my truck down. When I get a catcher, I would gladly change, and send mine back to the pool, but that is the only way I can do it.



Thanks, Jim



Did I mention this thing is awesome?

 

[pro99]

ECM or PCM?

Witch one is being reprogrammed the one on the motor or the one on the fire-wall? You all may jump on me about asking this but will i benefit from having this done to my truck with all my mods?



Where do i send it to or what is the address?

How much is it now?

How long does it take?

Any ECM or PCM will do yr make?

 

[KatDiesel]

Originally posted by pro68dodgedart

Witch one is being reprogrammed the one on the motor or the one on the fire-wall? You all may jump on me about asking this but will i benefit from having this done to my truck with all my mods?

The one on the motor. It is the ECM



The one on the firewall is the PCM.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

There are two colums on the tag.

Like this:

Epa Carb

Nox 4. 0

PM 0. 10



Numbers under Epa = EPA

Numbers under Carb = Carb



Outta curiosity. I checked my california truck labeling, and there's a silver tag reading "This truck conforms to all California BLAH BLAH... "



THEN on the usual Cummins tag, there are *3* rows of boxes - one is FEL, then EPA, and last row is CARB - on mine, only the FEL row has any info in the boxes - the others are blank - so what does that make my truck?