# Squash New Truck Fever



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

OK guys, I have so far been able to avoid the new truck fever going around, and as of today ordered my last Mod part for the Burb. Here is what I have done:

K&N air filter
Thorley long tube headers (ceramic coated, nice!)
Magnaflow cat-back exhaust
Hypertech III power programer (in the mail now)
Eaton 4:10 positraction rear

Not for guts but also installed the Rancho 9000X adjustable shocks.

So there ya go. That's about all I can give my lowly 1/2 ton Burb. I haven't yet towed the Outback with the "goods" installed, but will be doing so in 2 weeks. I'll post back here with how much better (I sure hope!) it pulls when I get back.

So I'm now commited to the old Burb for another 1-2 years. After that.....New Truck Fever - Round 2 !


----------



## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

California Jim,
I was thinking about the same set of mods for my Expedition (I hadn't actually decided on the headers because the 2003 are only available for a few - that I've found so far) for next year. Got to give the wallet time to cool off after the purchase of the camper.

What kind of HP boost do you expect to get from the Thorleys coupled with the Magnaflow?


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

The dyno results for both suggest somewhere around 30-40 HP and torgue for the combination. Then another 15-25 for the Hypertech. My goal was to put another 50 HP/torque to the wheels. I think it will be close.

I'll know more about real world performance after I pull an 8 mile 7% grade in 2 weeks when we go camping.


----------



## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I have the K&N filter on my diesel. It seemed to help things out quite a bit, so I put one on my Explorer. I didn't notice any difference on it. But I do like the one on my F-250.


----------



## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Jim sounds like you've done good! I'm not planning on anything like that to the new rig, though I may go to K&N just because the standard F350 air filters run about $75 itself.


----------



## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Jim, did you just change the filter, or did you use the K&N FIPK kit, with the complete new filter box. Also, you referenced dyno results. Did you dyno the 'burb, or is that from manufacturers claims.

I too am considering some performance mods to the Avalanche to help quell the fever. First was going to be the FIPK from K&N, and a cat back exhaust.

Tim


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Y-Guy said:


> Jim sounds like you've done good!Â I'm not planning on anything like that to the new rig, though I may go to K&N just because the standard F350 air filters run about $75 itself.
> [snapback]15645[/snapback]​


Um..YEAH. I guess you wont need any mods! LOL. F350 1 ton diesel (droooooll)











hatcityhosehauler said:


> Jim, did you just change the filter, or did you use the K&N FIPK kit, with the complete new filter box.Â Also, you referenced dyno results.Â Did you dyno theÂ 'burb, or is that from manufacturers claims.
> 
> I too am considering some performance mods to the Avalanche to help quell the fever.Â First was going to be the FIPK from K&N, and a cat back exhaust.
> 
> ...


Just a stock filter replacement. My current airbox does a pretty good job of pulling cooler air from outside the engine compartment. And I don't think there is much bang for the buck anyway with the FIPK. I mainly put in the K&N to balance the equation: more air out = more air in. Just covering the bases.

Oh yeah, the dyno results come from the manufacturers websites.









PS: I LOVE the new board software. Just clicked on the "quote" button for both your names and bam, there ya were. Sweet!


----------



## j1mfrog (Jun 6, 2004)

Uhm... more power is always a good thing. But who would want to squash new truck fever?


----------



## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

I put a K&N (just the filter, not the FITK) in the Expy, and now I've moved it to the Gator. Seemed like a bit better low end throttle response, but noticed no additional power through the 2500-3000 range. It did make the motor a bit more "throaty" sound during WOT. My wife didn't like the extra roar, but the hot rodder in me kinda liked it.

The plus to me is that it is washable and re-usable. I hate buying that expensive Fram every three months and throwing it in the garbage. Now I can wash it out the day before my trip, and I have all the air flow I need.


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Although I haven't towed with this set-up yet, the truck is noticibly "snappy" already. Really sharp low end throttle response, and it sets you back in the seat pretty hard when you accelerate. And I haven't even installed the Hypertech program yet







I truly am now driving a "Sport Truck".


----------



## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

Oooohhhhh, keep talking. More power is always good. Makes me think harder about the mods (I was going to get a pair of generators and I guess I could forgo those for one more season...).

Would really be nice to have the extra torque at startups.

Keep us posted.


----------



## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

You know after reading about some issues with the K&N and the turbo diesels I think I'll stick with my stock setup, dang well better be more than enough power for me and the idea of dirt in the turbo makes me very uneasy.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

No new truck in my future, at least for quite some time. Looks like we will run the minivan into the ground, then the next new vehicle is my wifes! So the Tundra will be my truck for a long time to come. That's fine by me. It may not be the best T.V out there, but for my family of four, it does quite well. So, my list of future "power" mods is on the short side, but here it is:

JBA headers (ordered)
Unichip (after the JBA's are installed)

I found a shop here is Sac. that will dyno my truck for $80. This covers the setup and two runs. I would ideally like to dyno my existing setup, then after the headers are installed and again after the Unichip is installed. From info I have read so far, this should give me about 35-40 extra HP and torque (total with both mods) at the rear wheels.

Additionally, I was running a K&N air filter, but found out from other Tundra members on TundraSolutions (verified with dyno runs) that I was actually loosing HP with the K&N. The stock air filter gives about 5 HP over the K&N. So I have 'retired' my K&N for now. I may toss it back in when I do 4x4 trips, since it is washable.

I should get the JBA's next week, not sure when I'll get them installed.


----------



## jallen58 (Oct 27, 2003)

I have the Borla 3" cat back exhaust (no headers yet), Araid cold air intake and the Hyper Tech programmer on my 99 Burb. Great power increase with the cat back and Hyper Tech. I just installed the air aid before my trip last weekend and noticed more power and increase in fuel mileage. I had read that you wont get the full benefit of the exhaust without the air and they were right. Also with the Hyper Tech you can change the shift firmness and the shift points of the transmission witch was also a big plus.

Jim


----------



## luv2rv (Jun 21, 2004)

You must give in to the powers of new truck fever ...... resistance is futile. no really it is futile..... forget about the paid for truck that works perfectly fine ... succumb to the pull of a $600+ (CDN$) monthly payment ...

Didn't work? Oh well, enjoy your rigs and do the sensible thing????

Wayne


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

OK, the Hypertech came in on Saturday but I have to vist the dealer again and have some trouble codes checked/cleared. I have been having the classic fuel injector missfire situation that Chevy extended the warranty to 300,000 miles on. They replaced one injector free already. Since this is my third time back, and I think yet another injector missfiring, I'll ask them to replace the whole set. Wish me luck







Once the engine is clear I can run the Hypertech.


----------



## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

OK, I confess to being a total dolt when it comes to DIY truck mods. Do most of you truck mod folks do your own work? I don't have the right tools even if I wanted to anyway. I'll have to pay the piper to get the mods. Any advice on how to find a good place to get them done would be helpful!

Brian


----------



## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

BBB, I do some myself, and some I just don't have time to do. The first place to check would be your favorite reliable mechanic. I had my mechanic go ahead and mount the tranny cooler, and sending unit for the tranmission temp gauge in the spring, as I had it in my garage for 2 months, and couldn't find the time to do it. I also had him flush the transmission at that time and put in Mobil 1 ATF. I mounted the gauge one night at work. (One of the side benefits of being a firefighter is that our nights are pretty much nothing but down time, so we get a chance to do some personal stuff.)

Tim


----------



## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

One consideration I'll need to factor in is the warrantee on my Expedition. Can't really begin the mods until after the warrantee is up or I lose the protection it provides.

Hmmm... I wonder what kind of deal they'd make me on a new F350?








Evil Truck Demon!


----------



## jbglenn (Mar 23, 2004)

Jim, with the new engine programmer do you have to run premium fuel? I was looking at the one for mine and they require the use of premium. What kind of difference did you notice with it installed?


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

For my particular year, yes, premium fuel is needed if I load the performance program. Many other and newer trucks can take advantage of Hypertech's new dual fuel feature that lets you program for 87 or 91 octane.

As mentioned above I haven't loaded the program yet until I get some trouble codes checked out by my dealer. After that I can go ahead with it. The dyno results for the 5.7 chevy show somewhere in the neighborhood of +25HP and torque, with better fuel economy as well. Hopefully the better mileage will be enough to offset the cost of premium fuel.

Another option I have is to simply only load the performance program when towing. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes while sitting in your truck.

I'll post more here shortly.


----------



## Balki14 (Oct 13, 2004)

California Jim said:


> OK guys, I have so far been able to avoid the new truck fever going around, and as of today ordered my last Mod part for the Burb. Here is what I have done:
> 
> K&N air filter
> Thorley long tube headers (ceramic coated, nice!)
> ...


----------



## Balki14 (Oct 13, 2004)

Does the new chip also work for gas engines. I have the new Hemi in my 05 Dodge ram 2500, but with moving up from the 21RS to the new Sydney 5th wheel, extra power would be helpful. does anyone kno wwhat type of HP increase and torque increase I can expect?

Thanks,


----------



## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

Balki,

Most of the newer Gm, Ford, Dodge trucks don't get new chips. You just buy a programmer to change the on-board chip. Around $300-400, unless Ebay. And yes, they work on gas, probably better than diesel. And yes, most tow programs require premium. I checked into these while contemplating the purchase of my Navigator. I wanted to get my Expy to pull more. But my problem wasn't in the motor, it was the gears. I just thought that the dollars/hp gain wasn't that good on the programmer, especially since I had high gearing. You have plenty of gears in your Ram. And probably plenty of HP & torque for the 21RS. I'd think first about an electric fan, free flow cold air intake, bigger cat back exhaust.


----------



## jbglenn (Mar 23, 2004)

[quote name='Balki14' date='Oct 12 2004, 07:49 PM']
Does the new chip also work for gas engines. I have the new Hemi in my 05 Dodge ram 2500, but with moving up from the 21RS to the new Sydney 5th wheel, extra power would be helpful. does anyone kno wwhat type of HP increase and torque increase I can expect?

Balki,
Superchips is the only one out there right now for the dodge ram hemi. They only have them for the 2003 models as of now. I would not buy this one because it doesn't alllow you to change the transmission shift points, and it requires you to run premium fuel. I would wait untill hypertech comes out with there lineup and see what they offer. You mught have to wait for a while for the 2005 technology to catch up.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

I now have my JBA headers! Man, these are sweet! My Toyota mechanic buddy showed me what a stock Tundra has hidden under the heat shields and they look like a piece of old plumbing! I'm still horrified







! The JBA's are soooo much better! We are going to install them on Oct. 30th. I'm going to have my truck dyno'd on the 29th to get a base-line. Then install the headers on Saturday, then go back and dyno it again on Monday, Nov. 1st to see the change.

I have a picture of the JBA's that I will upload to the misc. section in the gallery.


----------



## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Herbicidal said:


> I'm going to have my truck dyno'd on the 29th to get a base-line.Â Then install the headers on Saturday, then go back and dyno it again on Monday, Nov. 1st to see the change.
> 
> I have a picture of the JBA's that I will upload to the misc. section in the gallery.
> [snapback]16994[/snapback]​


Now that's the way to do it- dueling dyno charts! A lot of speed parts provide more hp, some provide more torque, but the key is get more torque low on the rpm range- more hp and torque at redline is not very useful for towing. I'm looking forward to the results.
Kevin P.

Edit: Herb- mind if I ask how much a set of them thar tubes'll run ya? And do they bolt up to the stock downpipes or cats, or are you committed to an aftermarket exhaust from the start?


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

kjp1969 said:


> Herbicidal said:
> 
> 
> > I'm going to have my truck dyno'd on the 29th to get a base-line.Â Then install the headers on Saturday, then go back and dyno it again on Monday, Nov. 1st to see the change.
> ...


Hi Kevin, they ran me right about $750 total. This includes the optional titanium coating for about $169. The coating helps keep the heat out of the engine compartment. These are direct bolt-on's. They are considered to be "cat-forward" headers and are C.A.R.B cerified. I have the Toyota TRD cat-back duals as well. Another member on TundraSolutions did a ton of research on mufflers and exhaust systems and found that Gibson has a very good reputation among the folks that tow regulary. So he bought one and has been very happy with the results.

I should be able to grab a picture of what the stock manifolds look like for a comparison. I'm still in shock







! I'm not sure they could be much more restrictive.


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Wish I had done a baseline dyno as well. Would have been interesting to see the cumulative results of all the mods I have done.

OK, so I just got back from towing the first time with all the "stuff". And although I am tempted to absolutely rave about the difference because of the investment, I will not and remain objective. I will say that when just daily driving the truck it feels like a hot rod. Really quick off the line. And I'm sure if I were to race various lighter passenger cars I could "take" them. It's really very sporty.

However, hook-up 6000# of Outback and it's a different story. I really didn't notice that much of a difference when pulling the hills, and this is where I really wanted more. On one particular steep grade I had it floored in 2nd gear and the truck just leveled off at 50mph. That was just all it had. Now you could look at the bright side and say "hey you went 50 up that tall hill" and you would be correct. I also had two extra adults riding with me that were not there last time.

On the flats while towing there was a more dramatic difference. I could easily accelerate and overtake slower traffic. Not so before the mods. I had to keep my foot out of the throttle because I kept climbing up to 70mph+ if I wasn't paying attention.

So in all honesty there were some good improvements in power and performance. Just not as great in the situation where I most wanted it.


----------



## kjp1969 (Apr 25, 2004)

Jim,
If I had to guess, I'd say you probably gained more performance on the upper end of the rev range- like 3500 and above? This is where most people expect performance (unladen, non-towing) so this is where most manufacturers gear their equipment with ignition timing, etc. Good news about your work- looks like you have a lot of improvement, though perhaps not all you were hoping for. Keep an eye on your temperatures, both water and transmission. More power, by definition, equals more heat!
Kevin P.


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

I hear ya Kevin. I still need to install a tranny guage.

In regards to performance, I selected items to help me out as much as possible in the lower RPM band. The Thorley long tube headers were made with RV's in mind and are advertised as giving the best torque improvement at "lower" RPM's. A quick check over at the "other" website seemed to confirm this with the class A motorhome crowd.

Also, the actual dyno chart for the Hypertech programer shows a good torque improvement right at about 1800 RPM.

I really didn't check into the cat-back system or K&N filter as they are not all that significant.

I think my gut feeling is that the Chevy 5.7 Vortec only has so much raw material to start with, and that the improvements are not going to dramatically change that. Short of installing a supercharger







No, not gonna do it!

I did buy myself some time though as the truck really does do an acceptable job pulling the Outback. It's just not to my complete satisfaction in the larger hills. I'll be watching the diesel pick-up's for the next 2 years with great interest


----------



## jbglenn (Mar 23, 2004)

Jim,
If you had to do it over again, would you still spend the money for the improvements mods you did? I too am looking to get more torque but I dont wanna be 1,000$ in to something and wonder was it really worth it. I want to buy a chip programmer but I want to let the technology catch up. Do you think the hypertech programmer was worth it? Thanks!


----------



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Ya know, in all honesty, If I had it to do all over again...no. I wouldn't. My end result is not as dramatic as I had hoped. If I was not interested in towing power, but rather street performance, then yes I would do it again as the truck is really very quick now. But it still doesn't have that strong low end torque I had hoped for.

The only things that I would definately do again are the Eaton 4.10 gear change and the Rancho 9000X shocks.

For my particular engine there was not much of a noticible performance difference after installing the Hypertech program. However, I WAS able to change my shift firmness and points on the transmission. That was a good thing, and will likely prolong the tranny lifespan to some degree.


----------



## jbglenn (Mar 23, 2004)

Thanks Jim,
I think I will wait and see what comes out on the market.


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

Well long story short, I was not able to get the base-line dyno run this past Friday. We tried for two hours and could not get a consistent reading. Oh well, what'cha gonna do.









Installed the headers as planned on Saturday. We had 4 people total helping out. The right tools made the job easier. My good buddy is a Toyota Master Mechanic so he knew the various tips and tricks for the job. Penetrating lube on all the nuts and bolts the night before is a must! After the install, he pulled out his Toyota scan tool and used it to totally reset the ECU. It will take approximately 500 miles for it to "relearn" everything. At this point, the throttle response feels crisper and she pulls quite strong from 2,600 rpm and above. The exhaust note is a bit throatier (is this a word?







) as well. I'm not sure when I'll be able to hook it up to the trailer for a real-world test.

I am supposed to give the dyno shop a call later this week to see if they have worked out the issues they were having. I am still curious as to what my actual rear wheel hp and torque ratings are. I may end up looking for another shop.

Next mod will be the UniChip! Then that's it as far as engine mod's. Hmmm, well there is a cold-air induction kit I've been looking at...


----------



## WillTy3 (Jul 20, 2004)

H

Glad you got your headers on. You did say it got throatier, so does that mean louder in the cabin?


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

WillTy3 said:


> H
> 
> Glad you got your headers on. You did say it got throatier, so does that mean louder in the cabin?
> [snapback]18064[/snapback]​


Hello WillTy3, actually no. I was little surprised as well as pleased. I already have enough cabin noise from my kids!







The actual exhaust note seems throatier. At idle, if I am standing near the exhaust I can hear the individual pulses from the 8 cylinders, kinda cool! Even if I really get on it, the noise in the cabin is not discernibly louder.


----------



## WillTy3 (Jul 20, 2004)

Herbicidal

Thanks for the info. I now just have to save some $$$. Also looking to get the Hellwig bar. I saw the pictures of your headers on Tundrasolutions.com. I'll keep you informed.

Later


----------



## Herbicidal (Aug 29, 2003)

You're welcome! Dollar for dollar on the Tundra, the Hellwig anti-sway bar for the rear is the most bang for the buck. I would definately get that first!


----------

