Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) what best mods for money on 95 3500

[kdellinger]

hi i just bought a used 1995 3500 dodge diesel with 266000 miles with a 5 speed . what best mods i can do, with out spending a fortune and get more power and better fuel mileage . it already has big airfilter in it . what best exhaust system for a good price . iwont a exhaust system with no mufflers with a straight shot system i like big truck sound . thanks kevin dellinger

 

[arthr31]

hi there, welcome to tdr.

here's what i did, with my 98 2500-- gauges; 4" exhaust (i used mbrp and like it); 4GSK; stock plate forward, afc forward; advance timing to 16*. I think timing alone will make a big difference and you'll like a lot. .

 

[SSage]

Rip 4" exhaust, guages, a ground fuel plate or tst #5 or #6... then you'll need a good clutch... new turbo... not a cheap habit once it gets rolling.

 

[KevinH]

there are a couple places that sale a 4in straight pip system for around $300, grind your fuel plate do a search for the #100 plate on here. a 3 or 4k rpm kit is $100-150, but if you want to have any real fun with these trucks save your money and buy a good clutch or tq converter it doesn't take much before they are shot

 

[Mhannink]

grind the plate flat and slide it forward advanced the timing and clamp off the waste gate line then add a 3k gov spring kit and put a new clutch in it that should give you about 350 hp and a clutch that will hold up. be careful though once the bug bites its an expensive road. oh also adjust your afc this will give you some smoke but bring the power on sooner.

 

[Fatboy]

arthr31,

Whats the deal in MA on exhaust changes? My origianl tail pipe fell off last week, everyhting else looks good (if you like 3") but I don't know what to do about the Cat. Do I need to keep on there?

 

[CToney]

Guages first. Don't need 4" until over 300hp I just have a resonator off of an '01 on my truck. Kind of quiet though. Get a new torque plate along with a boost elbow. Your truck won't give you fuel until it has enough air. Set the timing to 14. 5-15. 5 degrees and keep the boost to 30-35psi and egts below 1200. Other modifications need to be done if you exceed these levels.

 

[kdellinger]

ok thanks for info how do igrind plate flat plus what does governor spring kit do plus how do advance timing on a diesel motor iknow how on other cars but not a diesel motor . where best placeto get these exhaust and other parts with out getting ripped off plus get good technical support. what does boost elbow do ,

also sorry for so many ?. thanks kevin dellinger :--)

 

[Morse]

If you want a great sound, just cut the muffler off, and throw a straight pipe in it's place. You'll love the sound, and it's as cheap as it gets. I loved it on my 12 valve. Where are you located?

 

[Mhannink]

well the plate is inside the afc housing and you simply take the plate out and grind it all the way down to where it has a flat surgace. im sorry i cant help more on that since it really needs a pic to make it clear and i dont have one. the gov springs will allow the motor to spin up a little higher which lets you use your new found power. price wise and what you wanna do i would think the 3k kit would be fine since its only 125 from piers the 4k kit requires new valve springs so its a bit more labor intensive and more expensive. advancing the timing im lost on i have never done it myself so i cant help ya there. all ive done to my truck was a full 4inch exhaust straight pipe the intake i went w/ the 3k gov kit for now i pinched off the waste gate line to the turbo(has 40lbs of boost) and ground my fuel plate flat and put it full forward. also i adjusted my afc spring so that it fuel harder on the low end. my timing was already advanced and so i didnt need to bother w/ that. my truck now has about 350 to 400hp and about 800 torgue. thats not dynoed just going off what others have said its about.

 

[cluckmaster]

The timing is described in pretty good detail on this site- I think it's on the FAQ page -there's a couple of methods. There's also a template on this site for a 100 plate and a 0 plate- just do a search for "plate template" or something like that. If you buy a fuel plate from TST or another company (there are some on ebay) you'll normally get a boost elbow with the kit. I think the TST kit comes with a video? A 3k GSK will allow you to rev up to around 3200 rpm before defueling. I got my 3k GSK from Rip at Source Automotive and they provide good tech support. Check ebay for 4" exhaust- you shouldn't need tech support for that- pretty straight forward. Got my 4" MBRP w/ muffler and 5" SS tip for $320 shipped. You could go with a sweet single stack! Try to find someone close by who's done the timing before in case you need some help. Good luck! -Josh

 

[Ahopper]

i would go with guages for sure first of all. (gotta watch those temps at least) and then do a plate, 3k gov kit , cut off watgate, do timing and just gut the cat and get rid of the muffler. (dont know what the emmition standards are ther but in phoenix you have to have a cat stupid i know) my stock 3 inch just strait piped and it lowered my egt's conciderably. i was told by fred swanson that a 4inch exaust with the stock turbo isnt going to be that big of a difference because of the turbo outlet. correct me if im wrong but thats what i thought he said ? Oo. also i like the sound of the strait pipe personaly everyone thinks its aftermarket exaust anyways because of the sound. i did all of this and after about a year i blew out my auto but i know you will need to upgrade you clutch atleast,just like everyone else is saying



also if you want to here your turbo a bit more ther is a silencer ring in the intake to the turbo. just take of the intake tube and take the retaining ring out with a small screwdriver. just my 2 cents

 

[arthr31]

arthr31,

Whats the deal in MA on exhaust changes? My origianl tail pipe fell off last week, everyhting else looks good (if you like 3") but I don't know what to do about the Cat. Do I need to keep on there?

You don't need it in MA. My tail pipe became disconnected from the muffler/resonator and from dodge the muffler, tail pipe peice, and connectors was way over 350. 00. I then decided to upgrade to a 4" and get rid of the 3" piping and cat... in MA, only the bigger trucks, 10000lbs GVWR get tested. . and if they test our smaller trucks, it's only for a 2 stage soot test



I was told that the 4" does allow for better flow, but that a 5" pipe on these trucks won't do much unless the engine is turned way up. . I'm shooting for about 450hp so I think a 4" is fine...



So, kdellinger, have you decided on what to do first? And, as others warned, becareful, this is a very slippery slope your about to step on (you'll want to continue upgrading... )

 

[kdellinger]

ok thanks for advice guys. anybody else have any ideas. how can i tell if my truck has a fuel plate or torque plate what ever u call i thinkit may have one on it already . im not sure.

thanks kevin dellinger im located near charlotte n. c Oo.

 

[Mhannink]

they only way to tell if it has a plate is to pull it and look. a good hint though that it has been played w/ is if the front right screw is missing or replaced. this is normally a tamper proof screw that is difficult to get off. if however someone has played w/ it its a good chance that its a regular bolt of not even put back in and its just an open slot either one would be a good indication thats someone has been in the pump. what was done though can only be told by taking it apart and looking at it.

 

[arthr31]

agreed. if someone took the time to take off the tamper proof (ha) screw, it has something under the covers you don't know about. If not, get rid of the tamper screw and and start playing so yo0u can join us in the asylum. . LOL just kiddin. . kinda . . LOL

 

[MLee]

You guys have got him on the "go" idea But none of you have suggested that he check into the KDP [killer dowel pin] project. With 266000 on the clock, if it were mine, I would be getting information, and get it done.

Kevin, if this pin lets go you will have a massive oil leak and a BIG repair bill. So check it out, I recommend tabbing it. To be sure its contained. So far you have been bypassed.

just my penny's worth.

Marv.



Look in the FAQ section at the top of this section, [12 valve engine and transmission] all the info is there.

 

[Mhannink]

You guys have got him on the "go" idea But none of you have suggested that he check into the KDP [killer dowel pin] project. With 266000 on the clock, if it were mine, I would be getting information, and get it done.

Kevin, if this pin lets go you will have a massive oil leak and a BIG repair bill. So check it out, I recommend tabbing it. To be sure its contained. So far you have been bypassed.

just my penny's worth.

Marv.



Look in the FAQ section at the top of this section, [12 valve engine and transmission] all the info is there.

well u see he asked about best mods for the money. all he talked about was go and thats what we gave him. it was however good of you to mention that. cause it is something that needs to be done pronto.

 

[JDHenning]

Good ideas so far but don't forget about the good ole 5th gear nut. It falls in the oh s@#$ category with the KDP. My 96 really came alive with the #11, AFC kit, 15. 5 timing etc. The dual stacks really let the motor breath, dropped the WOT egts about 100 degrees. Just my . 02. Adding power etc is a slippery slope, you never have enough..... :-laf Just search and read all can be found here, good luck.

 

[McLaughlin]

If you combine the KDP fix with the timing advance you can usually save a little money/time since they are both under the same cover. You don't have to take off the cover to do the timing advance but it is easier to get it clean and dry after the adjustement so the timing doesn't slip.