upgrade from 94 to 2003?

[Prairie Dog]

I must have been out that day too. I've never read anything that leads me to believe they only last 100K. To the contrary, stock trucks that work for a living have a great history of going many hundreds of K's w/o problems. This is why I chose the TST PowerMax and keep it set to lower settings like 3/2. No increase in pressure (beyond max stock specs) and a modest increase in power.

 

[jjdiesel]

I must have been out that day too. I've never read anything that leads me to believe they only last 100K. To the contrary, stock trucks that work for a living have a great history of going many hundreds of K's w/o problems. This is why I chose the TST PowerMax and keep it set to lower settings like 3/2. No increase in pressure (beyond max stock specs) and a modest increase in power.

Exactly... smart use of power is the key... I have the same setup and use it the same way... no rail pressure!

 

[Fiver]

SDrake, FWIW, I bought my 03 HO/48re new in May of 03, not a daily driver but fair amount of towing, now have only 70k miles but absolutely no issues or problems. Not quite stock but the Smarty I use (40hp setting) does not increase rail pressure. Once I hand-calculated 24mpg. Usually around 18-19. 5. Winter a bit lower.

Cheers and enjoy.

 

[rscurtis]

I'll also confirm that the 24 MPG figure is very doable.

 

[bigblock_doc]

Do you need to sell the 94. Would be interested in it. Probably a lot of members also.

I have an 03 and did wheel bearings because they were frozen to spindle.

U-joints on rear driveshaft, joints on front axle shafts, shocks, poly bushings on

track bar, warranty fuel pump, two sets of pads front and rear, one rear caliper,

it happened on the road had to do in an Oreillys lot. Oh yea, ball joints at time of front

axle jpint time. All this has been done within 150,000 miles. To me that is just

maintenence stuff. Good luck on the new one. Just get it to where you can trust it.

Doc

 

[SDrake]

Picked up the truck, a few surprises.

Just made the trip from Shelbyville Ky to Madison Al in my new to me 2003 quadcab cummins SO Slt 4x4. Excellent shape body wise and mechanically. The previous owner was a smoker though and the smell is getting to me. Every time I open the door to get in I have to buckle down and just accept it. I will be researching ways to get rid of that nasty smell.



Actually the truck filled all my ideas of a dream deal, as it kept getting better and better when I checked into what it had. The 48RE, the Ho engine, the low milage, the quad cab. Then I noticed it did not have a sliding rear window. gonna have to fix that somehow. I have gotten used to having that window opening to the topper for all kinds of things.



The only real bummer is that I totally neglected to inquire about gear ratios. The previous owner only pulled a small fishing boat so I never dreamed it would be a 4. 10. After driving my 94 with 3. 54s to Ky it was a real downer to listen to the engine turning 2200RPM doing 70MPH and a steady droaning effect all the way back to Alabama in what I hoped would be a quieter truck. I haven't done the research yet but I am hoping i can get somewhere close to what this truck would have been with the 3. 73 and 17" tires. I don't know if there are any practical solutions in highway tires suitable for trailer towing that will be a good fit for this truck.



Gotta share this with you. The truck is tight, starts good, responds to the throttle smoothly, idles good so I was expecting the 305 horses to impress me. My 94 had the 160HP pump and original injectors with 278,000 miles. I had put in a #10 plate and 3K govenor springs and advanced the timing to 15. 7 degs. My son bought the truck from me during this trade and he wanted to do some 60 mph side by side rollons just to see what he needed to do to his new truck to keep up with me. To my surprise it left the 2003 HO in the dust. We tried it several times. No question about it by the time I was doing 80MPH I could not read his liscence plate and he was steadily pulling away. We tried it at fifty where the 94 would almost be lugging and still it pulled away. My 2003 has no gauges so I do not know what is going on boost wise.



One last bit. On the way home I stopped at a carwash to get the salt off the truck and went through a carwash that sprays the undercarriage. Now I have no speedometer. It sporadically would jump as though it was trying to work but then would fall limp. Finally it became completely dead. It comes off the peg to zero when I turn the key on, but that is it. Today it is still completely dead and the weather has been warm. I hesitate the blame the carwash because just before I went to the carwash I noticed the guage moving up and down while i was stopped at a stop light. So no speedo, no cruise control, no way to check fuel milage and no clue what to do. I am ordering a shop manual as soon as I can. The owners manual has an address to order a $110 manual from. I will call the 800 number tomorrow.



Once I get the speedo fixed I am researching tires and wheels and if no suitable solution to the roaring droan I may just sell the truck and find something else. Without the droan I might be able to get used to it.



That is it for now. You guys provided a ton of information that was very helpful. I will post any solutions i find and welcome any recommendations.

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Geno's has the manuals available, book or CD.

What muffler is on the truck? My '04. 5 had the stock muffler on it when I bought it and had no drone, even at 400,000 miles. I had the muffler removed because I thought it was sooted up and was causing EGT's to be higher than they should, which was the case. But it was ungodly loud and the drone was double ungodly! Installed a Silverline muffler and it is quieter but the drone is still way too much considering I drive it 11 hours a day. And yes, this truck does have a 4:10 rear. I have found a different muffler to try, just haven't done it yet.

For a $1000 bill you can have the 3:74 ring and pinion put in with all new bearings.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[SDrake]

Geno's has the manuals available, book or CD.



What muffler is on the truck? My '04. 5 had the stock muffler on it when I bought it and had no drone, even at 400,000 miles. I had the muffler removed because I thought it was sooted up and was causing EGT's to be higher than they should, which was the case. But it was ungodly loud and the drone was double ungodly! Installed a Silverline muffler and it is quieter but the drone is still way too much considering I drive it 11 hours a day. And yes, this truck does have a 4:10 rear. I have found a different muffler to try, just haven't done it yet.



For a $1000 bill you can have the 3:74 ring and pinion put in with all new bearings.



Godspeed,

Trent

My truck has the stock muffler. I am not sure about what I am describing as a drone. It sounds like when two airplane engines are running at slightly different speeds where the drone actually cycles between smooth and harsh. I wondered if it was drive line. going down a slight grade where I have light throttle it is less and when back on level it cycles the drone. My 94 had a drone at one speed somewhere above 70 but if you speed up to 80 it smooths out again. Always thought that i could put a weight on something and stop it or retune it but never figured out what was the souce of the drone. This truck drones at from 55 on up. I believe it smoothed out above 80. I wonder what the drone will be like when I pull the TT. I am sure I will like the 4. 10s then but then the 3. 54s did fine on my 94 so I think I would still be much happier with the 3. 73s and 17 inch tires than with the 4. 10s. I only tow for about a week every two months



BTW is the $1000 for a ratio change a parts DIY thing or is that a going rate with a good shop?



What sooted the mufler? Are you running more fuel? Or is this just something that would accumulate over 400,000 miles stock running. Good to hear of your 400,mile experience.

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

SDrake,

I just thought of something. It seems to me I have read somewhere that the '03 and early '04 trucks have a smaller exhaust system on them, like 3 or 3. 5 inch instead of the 4 inch on '04. 5 and up. If so then the smaller pipe is likely causing it, I remember very well how the drone went away when I installed a 4 inch exhaust on my '01. Better check to make sure I remember correctly before you take action. If you go with a new muffler make sure it will not have drone before you buy it. Search the TDR for the Donaldson Muffler M090544 which several guys have and like.

As for the 4. 10, they are really unnecessary for towing. The engine makes plenty of power for a 3. 73.

My truck has 100 hp injectors and a Smarty and even with the Smarty turned down to 60% it can still blow smoke easily. I deliver campers with it so it pulls a load at least half the time.

Last fall the $1000 was parts and labor with a good shop.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[SDrake]

Thanks Blacksheep diesel and everyone else. Mine is the HO engine and I am pretty sure it has 4" exhaust through out but I will be checking. I am going to be taking one thing at a time, new pads, figure out why ABS light is on, related to speedometer not working I just learned from a post i did on speeometer that it gets its speed signal from the ABS sensors. I will be more motivated to get on with it all being encouraged that I will be able to solve the drone. I am going to give the 4:10s a chance at towing in a few weeks. Maybe by then i will have settled in to the higher rpms. It doesn't seem to be doing anything terrible to fuel milage. Can't tell without odometer but a tank seems to last well.

 

[JJPage]

03 has a 3. 5" downpipe, starting at the exit of the cast elbow on the turbo, and ending at the inlet of the muffler.



There are 4" downpipes available to fit the 3. 5" cast elbow, most people including myself changed out the cast elbow to an 05 elbow, they are 4" both ends.



I did not change the cast elbow until after I installed a Silver 62 from II, trying to get that laggy charger to light quicker and cool better while towing, the larger cast elbow from the newer truck actually affected spool up in a negative way, was even slower to light... less heat. Live and learn.

 

[SDrake]

03 has a 3. 5" downpipe, starting at the exit of the cast elbow on the turbo, and ending at the inlet of the muffler.



There are 4" downpipes available to fit the 3. 5" cast elbow, most people including myself changed out the cast elbow to an 05 elbow, they are 4" both ends.



I did not change the cast elbow until after I installed a Silver 62 from II, trying to get that laggy charger to light quicker and cool better while towing, the larger cast elbow from the newer truck actually affected spool up in a negative way, was even slower to light... less heat. Live and learn.

Yep 3. 5' from turbo. While I was looking at that I noticed my truck has no catalytic converter between the muffler and turbo. That surprised me. It all looks like original stuff. Can that be?

 

[TCDiesel]

03 has a 3. 5" downpipe, starting at the exit of the cast elbow on the turbo, and ending at the inlet of the muffler.



There are 4" downpipes available to fit the 3. 5" cast elbow, most people including myself changed out the cast elbow to an 05 elbow, they are 4" both ends.



I did not change the cast elbow until after I installed a Silver 62 from II, trying to get that laggy charger to light quicker and cool better while towing, the larger cast elbow from the newer truck actually affected spool up in a negative way, was even slower to light... less heat. Live and learn.

Yep. . I put My 3. 5 T. O. P back on ,I ordered My PRXB with 3. 5. . Form T. O. P to Muffler 3. 5. . 4inch mufflers $ tail Pipe.

 

[JJPage]

Yep 3. 5' from turbo. While I was looking at that I noticed my truck has no catalytic converter between the muffler and turbo. That surprised me. It all looks like original stuff. Can that be?

Correct, no cat on 03/04's 555's.