So far I love it. I put new sensors and cleaned my drop in k&n and the truck runs great. There is a significant difference from my stock tb. I need to run it a few more miles to burn it in. Being that I tend to do 90% of my driving with the o/d off, I really feel it when I let off the pedal when I am at 45 + mph. I think it's just do to the shifting as the plate closes. I doesn't do that w/ overdrive on. Nice acceleration and smooth performance. Plus I run 93 octane. I wll try lower octane now that I have all new stuff in the intake once this half tank goes, and that won't take long now with the new tb. Dan "the fastman" recommended a change in plugs to a lower temp kind by autolite (i think), new plug wires (mine are pretty new, but oem), and maybe a lower thermostat to take care of the slight knock w/lower octane.

Right now, it accelerates fast and quiet. 0-60 in .4 seconds. jk.

at least that's what it feels like....take that viper owners.

later

 

Cool, nice huh? did you take a peak down the intake?

yes definately go to a 180 deg t-stat, it'll make a difference.

 

Awsome man! I know I appreciate mine a ton!!

LOL!! "take that vipers"!!

 

Another satisfied customer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

I chickened out on looking inside the intake. I didn't want to ruin the moment if I found out anything was wrong. I am not the big time mechanic, as you can tell from my posts. Hell, I had to borrow the tools just to put on the fastman. Like a moron I gave away all of my metric tools thinking that my Ram was sae when I bought it. Now every fricken thing is metric, sadly. So I'd have to pay big bucks to get it fixed if it was. So for now, as long as it is running like it is, I am content to think that all is ok w/the gasket. My oil stays full between changes. I have never had to add any oil in 8 + years of owning it since new. Big time denial, huh?

I still get the check engine light when I turn on the a/c, and this time I noticed it wasn't really working or blowing cold air. I had it recharged last year, wonder if the dude who did it "f'd" it up. I don't use the a/c all that often. I'll have to take it to mopar I guess to fix it.

Thanks to everyone for all of advice and feedback, I do appreciate it. I will look into a different thermostat one day. I have to get back to working on my Charger now. Ironically, Dan "thefastman" and I both have 73 Chargers and have owned them for just about the same amount of time and we have the same motor too 400 cid. I bought mine back in 79 it's got 119k on it.

later

 

what code does the a/c throw? lets figure it out!

 

I cannot get it to throw a code, by doing the on-off-on-off-on thing with the key. I had the system recharged last march, but I don't use the a/c all that much so it didn't show up earlier. I don't think it is blowing cold air either, so maybe they hosed something when recharging it. Beats moi. I had this happen as a result of an accient with the truck, (don't want to go into that one) and the tech at mopar found or said that it was a loose wire by the pcm. I think this will be covered by my insurance as they have a lifetime warranty on the work. If it's a result of something the tech did last march, then the dealership will eat the cost.

I do have a feeling that the TB's will need to be retightened down periodically as there is not a lot of bite with the 3/16" allen wrench. The manual says 200 ft lbs per bolt but the fastman requires bolts requiring allen wrenches, so like how is one to do that with the dinky 3/16 wrench? I pulled until the wrench felt like it would bend. I didn't excert too much pressure as I didn't want to mess up the aluminum intake.

I do appreciate your willingness to give advice. I don't have your mechanical saavy so I should problably leave that one to the mopar place. It was fun to replace the tb by myself. I had to borrow all the tools from my neighbor though, how's that? Like a moron, I gave away all of my metric sockets and stuff to a friend who owns a Nissan, thinking that my Ram was s.a.e. Like my older American cars.

thanks again steve

 

200 foot pounds or 200 inch pounds? 200 foot pounds would stripp the intake and probably break the bolt.