Ideally I would just upgrade the gearing from 3.55 to 4.56. But thats more $ than I want to spend on the truck. Its a manual trans so I can leave it in 3rd or 4th gear unlike automatics which heat up. Plus gears effect the truck even when I am not towing.


Allready free flowing cat, free flowing muffler, new Bosch sparkplugs and wires. New IAC,TBS, MAP, and soon to have 180 thermostat.


So for a budget minded build up.
Could I get some general advice for the below possible mods.

Throttle body from fastman. Seams like the best bang for the buck and easy to install. $235.00

For the valvetrain would you recommend roller rockers or a camshaft? and at what specs.

I am leaning towards Harland Sharp 1.7 roller rocker arms for the overall improvement in lift and lower drivetrain friction reduction. What I read was about a 10-15hp across the rpm range which would be perfect for me. Do I need stud or pedistal mount.


"i actually invented the magnum series rockers and contracted HS to build them these have been out since 1998 with excellent results and service. primarily, i developed the " non adjust" model everyone loves. no lash adjustments needed , its all built into the rocker. put them on and forget them.

they fit under factory covers
no beating baffles
no guideplates needed
no hardened pushrods needed
no lash adjustments requires


this style rocker jobber costs $309 + $12 ship

takes maybe 2 hrs install time going slowly.
John at South East R/T (www.southeastrt.com). "

 

Pull the heads and spend a week porting and polishing the intake and exhaust ports.

 

head work is about more work than I want to do for as little as I will use the truck. Pulling intake, pulling exhaust manifold, etc etc

update on the viper rockers- I will pass on them. read alot of negatives about them.

 

well it see that you have a 5.3 which i think you mean 5.2 these was the best bang for the buck Throttle body wise
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...or-man-tb.html

 

Throttlebody was top on my list. That along with the 1.7 roller rockers will fit my budget and effort limits. Price is right and time/effort to install is worth it.

 

-well harland sharp people choose those because there lightweight and cause less friction and bring more power to the table than the other ones.

i would also reccomend superchips or the bg flash , these truck come very detuned from the factory and if you have death flash then your really missing out on the power!! if you have the 01 most likley you have it, it was a day and night diffrence in performance when i put on the superchips got rid of the death flash and extra power.

also cai or the 14x3 would help out too , would be a double combo with the fastman which was my 1st mod and a noticible throttle responce.

i would check down in your plenum for a oil leak , which our truck our prone too, and that will steal power, take off throttle body and look down for oil. also i heard the edlebrock airgap was a good hit for low end power havent got that far , but it is on my list to get done hope that helps

 

If you use the truck that little, then spending a lot of coin on 1.7 rockers isn't going to give you much in the way of return on investment. I'd just do the Fastman and leave it at that.

 

What exactly are you towing?

 

Hey, why in the heck do you want to go to 4.56 gears???? Come on lets use our heads....you are pretty much running a stock truck....why not go to your local junk yard, yank a set of 4.10's and throw them in. Cheap, you will still be able to run at highway speeds, and it will give you all the low end torque you will want. Just to add some clarification.....i run a stock 01 with a 5.9 and 4.10 gears. No mods, I can tap the brake and lay a rubber down with a 2nd gear screach. Pulled a 20ft stock trailer with steers in the back and never even took it outta OD. Get rid of your highway gears and put some pulling gears in if thats what you are going to do with the truck. And then spend your money on gas......

 

As far as towing goes, regearing is the best performance upgrade you could do. All those engine mods will mean next to nothing if you can't get the RPMs to where the engine makes the most power and torque and on ly the right gears can do that. The stock 3.55s were designed for highway economy, not towing, and if you have tires even a little taller than stock those gears are crap.