General confusion

[Randomrunner12]

Hey family,

Some confusion here so please help me out. Truck is a 2004 ram 2500 but the valve cover shows that it is the HO 325 engine so 04.5 engine and transmission. Lift pump is also in-take as it was updated by the dealer with the previous owner and no longer on the filter housing at the engine block.

When ordering powertrain related performance parts/tuning devices and the such, I should be ordering for 04.5 trucks correct?

suspension and body stuff should be 04?

or should I just treat this truck as an 04.5 or 05?

Thanks for all the help yall, just at a little bit of a loss.

 

[AH64ID]

The truck is a 2004.5, so all your ordering can be based on that.

Nice thing is that suspension and body stuff doesn’t care if it’s 04 or 04.5.

 

[Randomrunner12]

Thanks AH64ID

 

[p-Bar]

When I had my 04.5 I would just say it was an 05 easier on everyone. Funny when smogging here in Cali the smog guy told me its either an 04or 05 so he did as an 04 which said no catalytic . They fixed that a couple years later.

 

[Randomrunner12]

See that’s what’s weird to me. Power train is an 04.5 but the exhaust didn’t have a cat on it. So I ordered and 03-04 5” and it didn’t work with the downpipe because it was an 05-07 elbow lol. So it’s a 4”-5” straight pipe now lol

 

[AH64ID]

See that’s what’s weird to me. Power train is an 04.5 but the exhaust didn’t have a cat on it. So I ordered and 03-04 5” and it didn’t work with the downpipe because it was an 05-07 elbow lol. So it’s a 4”-5” straight pipe now lol

The cat was probably removed by a previous owner, all 325 HO trucks were factory equipped with a cat.

 

[Yo Hoot]

My truck is an 04 ISB 305. No catalytic convertor from the factory. If I recall correctly the 325 HO was an emissions design that added a cat. Dodge touted it as a performance improvement and didn't say much about the added emissions.

 

[bcbender]

So I ordered and 03-04 5” and it didn’t work with the downpipe because it was an 05-07 elbow lol. So it’s a 4”-5” straight pipe now lol

It did not fit because the 03-04 trucks had a smaller outlet on the turbine elbow. (3"?). When my exhaust fell off (rotted at the muffler) I ordered my PRXB for a 05-07 so that I had the larger 4" flange, then ordered the Silverline turbo back exhaust for the 05-07.. Had I ordered the 03-04 PRXB.. the down pipe would be smaller hence the mis/match.

I have found transition years to be challenging over the years as many parts get carried over to run out production or are done as MP running changes... My 70 Camaro Z-28 was the worst as it has many parts that were carried over from 69 same with the Chevelle. Order the 70 part nope... order the 69 part ding ding ding... The 95 Bronco has the same issue as some parts are 94, some 95 only... makes finding correct parts sometimes an exercise in patience but the more you do the more you learn.

 

[p-Bar]

The HO pre 04.5 was not allowed in Cali. Guess CARB didn't like it.

 

[Yo Hoot]

The HO pre 04.5 was not allowed in Cali. Guess CARB didn't like it.

Cause no cat

 

[p-Bar]

AH64 stated they had a cat.

 

[Ozymandias]

04.5 was 50 state legal. No HO or SO versions from it.
And there was only one version oft it 325/600, and they all had a Cat.

 

[Yo Hoot]

AH64 stated they had a cat.

04 has no cat. I have an 04. It did not ever have one. Only emissions it had was the cam profile allowed some egr. I can't find that cam.

 

[bcbender]

Yes 03-04 Common Rails did not have cats. But California did not allow the 305/555 HO engine to be sold there, hence the SO engine in those model years as Ozzy pointed out.

 

[AH64ID]

AH64 stated they had a cat.

I said the 325 HO’s (04.5-07) had a cat, the 305 HO’s (03-04) did not.