Hey all new to the forum. I thought I would start with my truck build thread as I cannot post in the DIY tech thread yet.. possibly have to get to have a certain number of posts before I can? I looked and didn't find the answer so I will post where I can.

I have had an S10 for about 11yrs and did a lot of modification to that truck, figured out a lot of things, rebuilt 2 transmissions for it (upgraded from 4pinion gears to 5 pinion and so on..) electrical fan install using a pretty slick method I plan on doing to the Ram... and just a bunch of stuff I would like to share when I do it to my Ram.

Backstory:

Picked up my 2002 SLT 5.9L CrewCab 1500 last Wednesday night. I got a steal on it for what it is. Leather interior (all seats in really nice condition).. the whole cab was aside from the dash (cracked to shizz) bezels for electrical buttons (which are damaged and will not stay in place) and some Misc. electrical gremlins w/ the windows/locks.. but all in all it is really mild on the damage.

It is fully loaded man, heated mirrors, heated seats, overhead display, tilt, cruise, locks & windows, and remote start.. and the 5.9L engine sounds and feels DAMN GOOD. Absolutely LOVE having a crewcab!

I know next to nothing about Mopar as this is my first. Honestly when I have thought of Dodge it was from my past dealings with working at Jiffy Lube back in high school and seeing the old Rams and Neons and the like coming into there with paint peeling/clear coat failures and just knowing that there were issues.. Never did I know that Dodge seems to be a super solid company from what I have found out so far.. that puts out some seriously decent vehicles.

Anywho I started at an S10 forum with a build thread that chronicled my experience and failures with that truck and saw it fitting to do the same here. I like to do write-ups with pics and FACTS to help others and myself out when I come across a problem and must redo something, replace something.. my guides are helpful to myself and sometimes others

That said I want to list out the "to do's" and progress in this thread and hopefully I will be able to add my DIY tech threads in that section as I go.

TO DO LIST:

Interior projects:

Interior Needs:

1. Both front button bezels (girlfriend is getting me these for Christmas :P )
2. Front passenger's side window needs either a new switch, or a new window regulator. Haven't had a chance to break it down and see exactly what is damaged or non working yet. Window will not roll up or down from any switch, that door included.
3. Left rear passenger door lock is not working properly. Likely need a new actuator for that door. I did see that someone said their harness was damaged. I plan on running down all the electrical gremlins so I can get them sorted out and new items purchased so everything runs 100%
4. There is something up with the actual Key. I put it in, and when key is in the off but electronics on position the radio will not always show up. I can push on the key and it comes on. As if the key is too worn, or the actual key tumbler is.. not sure, but I don't like that at all.

Interior Wants:

1. Double Din radio/dvd player/screen
2. Backup Camera installed! YEAH BUDDY!
3. Upgrade to speakers
4. Autometer Guages to keep up with what I have installed (factory and boost when time comes.. trans temp and the like also)

Exterior Projects:

Exterior Needs:

1. Roll Pan (Ordered and will be in early next week. As soon as it is in I will be removing the factory bumper bar & factory bumper)
2. Hitch/receiver (went to go get it today, need roll pan installed for them to install the hitch.. fokk. So late next week this will be checked off the list)
3. Fix bad rust repair on wheel wells
4. General Upkeep/wax

Exterior Wants:

1. New rims, thinking the SRT 22" rims in gloss black with the milled edges would look cool.
2. Lowering kit possibly a 3"/5" (have to figure out the best way to do this as I tow with my truck or will once I get the hitch installed)
3. New Shocks (Bilsteins)
4. Figure out what I want to do with the grill
5. Billet inserts when I figure out what I want to do with my grill
6. Paint front chrome bumper black.
7. Black "smoked" lights: Halos, LED Back Lights, 3rd Lights, and Fog Lights
8. HID lights added
9. Need to figure out what I will do about future rust, to Rhino Line the underside of truck/bed/wheel wells or what to do to protect the truck..
10. Brake upgrade (Baer, Willwood, ???) not sure on what fits the truck, what others have used and what they have the best success with yet.

Engine/Transmission Projects:

Needs:

1. Whole Tune up (wires, plugs, rotor and cap)
2. New Cold Air Intake
3. Electric fan install/pulley fan delete
4. B&M Stacked transmission cooler w/ fan and built in thermistat.
5. Underdrive/overdrive pullies (UD crank/OD alternator)
6. Aftermarket Coil
7. Oil Catch Can

Wants:

1. New Throttle Body.. not sure what to do exactly yet.
2. Ultimately a rebuild on a stand waiting to go in with Forged internals that will be ready for a power adder of some type.
3. Rebuilt transmission waiting to go in with newly rebuilt engine. Specially built for forced induction.

Exhaust Projects:

Wants:

1. Headers (preferably Long Tube) and do NOT want Pacesetter as I have had BAD experience with that company in the not so distant past.. it nearly killed me.
2. Custom "X-pipe" with Bassani CompCats for the Catylitic Converters. Probably 2.5" tubing.. maybe 3".. not sure yet.
3. True Dual exhaust. Want to see about Borla from cat back.. possibly Bassani.. not sure. Must have polished tips.

Completed List:

1. Hood Struts (Removed and Replaced w/ Mopar Parts OEM Pieces) Have mini write up for this.. as little as it may be

Current Projects:

1. Ordered Roll Pan, will be installing mid-next week.
2. Will be purchasing and installing hitch/receiver end of next week.
3. Switch Bezels for up front doors. Will be troubleshooting electrical to see where the issue is and fixing those issues.

So yep. That is my story so far and sticking to it. I figured on about $1k to get all the interior issues resolved. I haven't put together an estimate on engine stuff, nor the exterior stuff yet. I plan on doing smoked black lights soon (exterior lighting) and will upgrade to HID in the near future.

Glad to be here

Black02CrCb

 

Roll pan gets in on Thursday, this weekend I will be installing it. Was $147.xx shipped. It is already painted and will be coming with license light and fold down bracket for the license plate.

Ordered a few lil odds and ends for the interior (reflector on door, one window switch).

Slowly but surely the ole girl is coming together.

 

This is the ole girl. Pic from this past week.

 

Picked up a K&N panel filter for the stock air filter box tonight. Picked up some oil, a filter, and Chevron Techron fuel injection cleaner. Ordering the Summit "tune up" wire/plug/cap & rotor package. Any suggestions on a Coil? Accel or MSD?

This is all to hopefully help on the MPG cause as of now this thing is a fuggin PIG on gas.

Rollin came in today. I plan on getting that installed this weekend. Going to get the Hitch/Receiver installed next week (end of week). I have a rear LED light bar I may put on. I got it for the dime but never used it so I can install it on the Ram if I would like, may do that not sure yet.

LMC Truck is local to me. They have a sale going till the 18th. Our dashes (2002-2005?) are $239.xx and the upper portion over the vents is $89.xx. I am picking these up this weekend. $359.xx w/ tax for the full dash Saved over $100 on their price, which is WAY cheaper than any other outfit I have seen. I will get to save on shipping but will pay tax :/ lol I plan on waiting for the double din and front bezel, some components also for the dash before I do it so it can all be done at once.

 

Ordered the honed and massaged TB from the guy who sells them on eBay. I also ordered an Oil Catch Can from UPR off the fleaBay also. I figure that with the K&N panel and a way to keep the new TB clean will do me good.

I haven't ordered the "tune up kit" as of yet, the wires, plugs, distributor cap and rotor yet. I am not sure what wires are good or not. Spiral, Spiro-wound? Sounds the same. bigger wires or are the jackets just bigger?

How many coils do we have? LOL such a stupid question but all applications for the vehicles I have owned have been different. Anyone knows let me know please. Kinda winging it on my own and what time I have to search for things. going to put getting the dash till next week (late) as I need to finish what I got started first (engine tune up).

Received the window switch, reflector today. Pulled the rollpan out of the box and have a boogered up end. Will have to get my dolly and dent hammer out and flatten it out. Should have expected it from UPS. Dicks.

Any who that is what I have for tonight, not much. Noticed Gas ticked up a small bit.

 

I ended up going to LMC Truck today. I couldn't help it and decided to get the dash.

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/de/full.aspx?Page=37

They reformulated their dash plastic so it has more "bend" to it. The paint/dye they use is also UV treated so we won't get the cracking that is common.

All said and done I walked out the door for $359.xx for a new front and back dash (full dash) in dark grey.

I plan on doing an install video/write up on it.

 

Picked up a PCV valve and will install it tomorrow. I got the rollpan out and noticed 1. it was damaged just a bit, have to rework a corner, and 2.. there is only a connection point at top. ?? WTFover? Anyone with a Gen3 have a rollpan? Does it SERIOUSLY just hang? I haven't checked it out install wise.

The bad bodywork on the rear wheel wells has caused "bubbles" to occur and I popped them. I bought some Chassis Saver paint and will be applying that tomorrow after it warms up to protect the metal till I can do the proper body work on her.

Bout all I got.

 

Received the UPR Oil Catch Can in. Nice piece! I will likely get one for the other side now that there is 2 freaking different things going on on these engines. I want to keep oil out of the intake portions of this engine. I think I am going to add some seafoam to the upper intake via the vacuum port on the upper engine intake. Will likely do that this coming weekend.

I want to get all the tune up stuff done before going off and doing anything else. Looks like the Victor Jr Airgap is in my future. I remember reading about these intakes for the old 5.0 mustangs back in the day. Was a REAL nice gain from them. I kept hearing everyone calling them "airgaps" and when on summit last night it hit me.

I want to start to collect what I am going to do for my exhaust. I need a few things prior to me attempting to put it all together. There is a company I used to talk to about doing some custom header work. I would be willing to get a set of PaceSetters to JUST get them to replicate the bends in it (mandrel) and make it all out of stainless for me.

I had a header from pacesetter go bad on me. It went bad on me 2 times, damn near killed me the second time (gas fumes) and I will NEVER buy a piece of **** PaceSetter for use again. To get the the template for a new set of REAL longtube headers I have no problem doing that..

Anyone ever make a mid length for the Magnum?

Anywho.. getting late. long 3days ahead of me.

 

I bought the stuff for my ignition portion of the tune up. Posted a thread here about it: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...tion-coil.html

The portion of my tuneup around the PCV & Breather Valve is in this thread here: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...r-on-5-9l.html

I have a single UPR oil catch can for the PCV side of the engine (driver's side). I plan on purchasing another for the breather valve side (passenger side) Thread here: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...ml#post3275187

I have noticed that I am getting better gas mileage after a fuel system cleaner, and decided to buy a bottle of Lucas Gas Treatment (medium bottle) and give it a go and see if at the end of the bottle it ends up being a benefit. I have tried on my other truck, I was having other issues so I am not sure how much it actually did help or not. I did add in the K&N air filter (standard filter that was in the truck when I bought it was pretty dirty and had debris caught on the entrance side).

Received my modified/honed throttle body and will be doing a writeup and video for it. I plan on doing something a lil different for it than was directed in the instructions for the mounting screw. Thread is here: https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...ml#post3275188

 

Since I bought my truck used... There were a few things I needed to do to get it up to snuff. New dash (both pieces) and the front passenger door window regulator/motor and back drivers side door lock actuator.

Here is the thread on the front passenger side window regulator:

I will update this thread with the door lock actuator once I receive it in the mail.