Hey guys, I'm kinda getting the urge to do some work to the truck. I'm looking to gain a little more power out of the engine. Not so much towing but off the line power (merging into traffic can be a little tough sometimes!) But here's some things I've gathered from looking around the forums so far. Just looking for some input as to a ball park estimate of how much HP I could expect to gain (not looking for exact dyno results) as well as if there is anything else on the cheaper end I could add??

-1.7 HS Roller rockers
-Magnaflow high flow cat
-Summit shorty headers
-Fastman throttle body (50 or 52mm? Not sure which?)
-Spectre cold air intake
-Access brand cap rotor wires and plugs performance kit

Any input would be great. Not sure if I should go with the 50 or 52mm throttle body?

Thanks guys!

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For the 5.2 you would want to do the 50mm TB. That gives the best performance for the smaller motor.

The stock cats flow pretty well actually, but get clogged up by carbon when the pleanum goes. If your going to do headers and cats, just do a all hi-flow system. High flow cats and mufflers, and headers. (it will also help with the sound too which is a bonus )

Have you fixed the pleanum yet? If you haven't, you could take the intake and cut down the runners and such, known as the kegger mod, it will give you a little more umph when you hit it, and then put the Hughes aluminum pleanum plate and kit on. Then that will fix the pleanum forever. There is also no point putting new cats on if your still burning oil from the plenum.

The stock air intake is actually pretty good. It pulls air From the inner fender where it's nice and cool. You could try just putting in a better hi-flow air filter, like a k&n or spectre. That would save you some money

This next one is a little more expensive, but hear me out. Other than those and what you have listed I would say a cam, only if you have to do your pleanum. By the time you have the intake off, your already halfway to the cam, so why not.

I can't give you any info on HP, but I know you would feel the difference when you hit it.

 

The year of your truck is going to make a big difference in what mods you can easily get away with. Should put that information in your sig, and profile.

 

I've seen some stuff about the kegger mod, ill definitely look more into it!

But I completely forgot to list the vehicle
2001 Ram 1500 Sport Off-Road edition (not sure if it matters but 5" Rough country suspension lift, 3" PA body lift, 35x12.50r17 Chaparral M/T's)

 

What gears do you have in your axles? Still have the 4.10 gears in the axles? Might wanna consider 4.56.....

The 1.7 ratio rockers will pick up about 10hp/tq.
Kegger mod will move your power band up by about 200 RPM. (depending on how much you take off.)

Shorty headers, high-flow cat/y-pipe, will improve bottom end by a few points, but, nothing really spectacular. Mufflers simply don't make any difference at all. Pick the one that gives the sound you want.

50mm throttle body. Going bigger on the 5.2 will actually hurt you.

Just go with a high-flow air filter. As said above, the stock system is perfectly fine, unless you want to run the engine in the upper RPM range a lot. But, the kegger intake REALLY kills that idea.... Power drops off like a stone above 4K RPM or so.

Accel ignition stuff isn't a bad idea. But, any good cap/rotor/wires/plugs will certainly help. Don't think aftermarket coil makes any difference at all, and I have heard bad things about their reliability. (failures in under a year of use.....)

 

I do have the 4.10 unfortunately, any idea about how much it would cost to regear? As for the 1.7 RR's that's a definite. The kegger mod seems a little steep to do. Are there prefab'd ones out there? Not sure I'd trust myself enough to get in there with a Dremel lol. I do have an aftermarket muffler just for sound but stock manifolds and cat. The throttle body will also get replaced with the 50mm not 52 cause I don't need any more damage! As for the cap, rotor, wires and plugs is kinda just icing on the cake to hopefully get a little more reliability. I have noticed over time my truck oil level drops and yet there's no leak on the ground. Could this be indicative of a plenum gasket leak? If that's the case and it needs to be changed, that's when I'll do the kegger mod I guess

 

Regearing would run in the neighborhood of 1500 bucks. Yeah, not cheap.....

Kegger mod really isn't that bad. Time consuming though. I picked up a newer intake, modded that one, then just swapped 'em when the time came. The pre-fabbed ones simply aren't worth the cost.

 

Yeah definitely not a cheap one lol but I may try the kegger. If I do in fact have a plenum leak I'm definitely going to do it. Whenever I do the throttle body I'm going to check for signs of oil and make the decision then basically. I'd love to get a new cam but it just seems like too much work I'm not willing to put in right now lol

 

Do the timing gears and chain as well when you do the intake. It's just a few more bolts, and I bet your old chain has more slop in it than a 90 year old hooker.

 

LOL ill have to take a look! Any thoughts on the Mopar performance PCM or a B&G tune? Not sure exactly how B&G works honestly. Do i send in my PCM and they tune it and send it back? Do I just order a new one already tuned? etc