New Member, First Post!

[Robert415]

Just like to say hello to everyone, I have been reading the forums for a while and since I just bought an '04 DRW 4X4 I thought it was time to ask some questions. So here it goes, the truck I just bought was a "Salt water" discount truck. It had parts replaced between the factory in Mexico and the dealership and the dealer told me it could not be sold as new. Good for me, it saved quite a bit of money. Got the truck home and was playing under the hood and noticed the sticker with all the specs on the side of the engine block. Then I noticed that it says advertised hp 235 @ 2700 rpm. 235???, I thought it was supposed to be 305. I looked at the spec sheet for the truck and there it was California emissions. What the heck is this truck doing in Illinois? What is the difference in the motors other than obvious hp, and what can I do about it?



Thanks for your help,

Robert

 

[SRadke]

Welcome to the club, time to change your sig



The fact that a Cali 235 wound up in Illinois may accout for part of your screaming deal. Dealers aren't know to be totally forthcoming with what they know. The good news is there are only a couple real diffrences. First and most obvious is the ECM programming. Second is the lack of oil squirters on the underside of the pistons, and third is the addition of a cataletic converter. Don't worry about it it's still a great engine, and a cousin to my 250 hp version that will easily make over 300 with safe temps and a TST box. In fact Tomeygun recently dynoed his 250 at over 400 hp on the stock charger but it was getting a little warm. Best of luck with the new ride.



-Scott

 

[EEngel]

new truck

Robert415 ,



Congrats on the new truck & welcome to the group.



Quickly hide your credit card and abandon all hope of getting out of here without spending some $.

:-laf



Some people have reported gains when there catalitic has been "stolen" or "fallen off". You may want do search the posts for more info.

 

[CoastyAV8R]

So do you want the truck still? If you don't, look in the sales contract and if they indicated on the contract that the truck is High Output, you have grounds to void the contract and return the truck. If it's not in there, it would be your word against the dealership on that debate. If you keep the truck, I'm sure you can get the truck up to 305 hp pretty easily and safely...

 

[bpenrod]

I'm not sure about the oil squirters, I was told starting in 03 the block and psitons are all the same so you should have them. If you want to keep the truck I would drop the cat and factory muffler and open up the air box to start. You could then add a box and be right up with the high output.

 

[barbwire]

First off, "welcome" . Second, I cannot imagine that a truck exposed to "salt water" could be any worse than all the ***** they spread all over the roads here in the north. I swear that the DOT is in cahoots with the big 3. Third, where did you find that salt water deal? I would like to check into it in the future. Fourth, what made you think you were supposed to have a 305? As far as I know, I had a choice of getting a SO, or HO, when I ordered mine. I could be wrong on this though.

BTW, how much of a savings did you get by buying a salt water exposed truck, verses any off the lot?

 

[driverno8]

Don't worry about the SO. I have one. Throw a TST on there for $700. Straight pipe kit from Genos for about $120. And hold on. You'll never even know what was in there. As for the difference it's in the ECM and some pieces inside.

 

[Robert415]

barbwire, being a "newbie" I thought the SO for an '04 model was 305. I got the truck at Cassens and Sons in Edwardsville, IL. They had a red one still there the last time I was at the dealership. For some reason the red one had less options and cost 2k more. The truck I got has shift on the fly and leather, the red one didn't but it was a 4X4 DRW. I wasn't able to dicker much on the price but I talked the dealership into putting on mopar running boards and the moulded mud flaps. I wasn't shopping for a new truck but at 34,999 I couldn't pass that up. The dealer said if they were to get one with those options new it would be a 45k truck.



As far as the saltwater goes, the dealer showed me an invoice that included $3,200 in replacements and repairs because the truck was "sprayed with saltwater at port. " The only disadvantage was I could not qualify for new car insentives and for $150 I had to buy the 7/70,000 warranty as a second owner.

 

[Tomeygun]

barbwire, being a "newbie" I thought the SO for an '04 model was 305. I got the truck at Cassens and Sons in Edwardsville, IL. They had a red one still ... ... ... ... ... ... truck was "sprayed with saltwater at port. " The only disadvantage was I could not qualify for new car insentives and for $150 I had to buy the 7/70,000 warranty as a second owner.

That is a darn shame that they did not go over the details good enough to let you know that you were buying a CA. truck...



I could have possibly saved you a few bucks and got you into a non-salt truck... but that neither here nor there, You should call them and complain... How could you possibly know that the CA truck would show up in IL ?!?!?! I CERTAINLY is not your fault



Heck, is it even legal? -- When I order and sell a CA truck, I have to have a form signed that it will ultimatly be registered in CA !



Call me if you want chat 314-966-0630



PS - Not that it is not a bad truck, but they should have disclosed that

 

[Robert415]

Thanks TomeyGun, I didn't know there was all the "red tape" involved with a CA truck.

 

[RedRam401]

Bombs Away!!!!!!

Thanks TomeyGun, I didn't know there was all the "red tape" involved with a CA truck.

Anything involving CA is wrapped in red tape

I got my 04. 5 325/600 4X4 for $36K (sticker 42,800) and thought it was a great deal until I checked around. It was a respectable deal

At least you have a good reason to spend money on bombsOo.

I just got my muffler bypass pipe today and plan to install it and the BHAF tomorrow

 

[Robert415]

If I make modifications to get the hp above 300, should I get gauges or assume that the truck is already set up for those mods?

 

[DPKetchum]

Gauges ALWAYS first!

 

[Robert415]

My main concern is mpg. Is there any evidence that a CA truck does any better or worse than a SO?

 

[driverno8]

A CA truck is an SO.

 

[bpenrod]

I'm not sure that is 100% correct about a CA being an SO. The outputs might be the same but my SO does not meet CA emissions so something must be different!

 

[nickleinonen]

I'm not sure that is 100% correct about a CA being an SO. The outputs might be the same but my SO does not meet CA emissions so something must be different!

the cali trucks [as well as the other cali emissions following states] only ever had SO's avalable until the new 04. 5 325/600's came out. they were limited to 235hp

 

[Tomeygun]

the cali trucks [as well as the other cali emissions following states] only ever had SO's avalable until the new 04. 5 325/600's came out. they were limited to 235hp

Actually even worse than an "federal" SO motor - that one is 250hp

as well as i bet they fuel later to make less smoke/haze



but more importantly - room to bomb

 

[Robert415]

So just to clarify, my truck was built in Dec of '03, being a CA CTD it is a 235/460 and if I were to get a truck that was built the same time for any other state it would be a 305/555?

 

[Tomeygun]

So just to clarify, my truck was built in Dec of '03, being a CA CTD it is a 235/460 and if I were to get a truck that was built the same time for any other state it would be a 305/555?

That is correct, I believe the Federal (non-CA) SO motors were only in the 2003 model year (like mine) So for 2004, it was CA 235hp - OR the 305hp federal motor, or of course the 2004. 5 325hp motor