I really have a hard time agreeing with most of your post. As I lived in rural Ga. for 14 years, ALL my friends up there have trucks. I have driven them all, I have worked on or helped work on a good many of them. I'm talking like upwards of 15 or 16 trucks by all the manufacturers dating from the early '90's through '06's.
When introduced in '03 this engine KICKED THE SH_T out of anything comparable on the market. Naturally, some of the huge offerings out-muscled it, but I'm talking like the 454, V10's, etc. Anything in it's class wouldn't touch it. Let's not forget that it had approx. 100 more HP and got 20% better fuel economy than the very good selling 360 CI engine it replaced.
Now, 4-5 years is an eternity for technology, and offerings areappearing on the market that rival or even beat it, but it was the 5.7 Hemi that triggered ALL other manufacturers to scramble to build a comparable engine to compete with it. Granted, the Hemi is getting long in the tooth already, so we will have to see how Chrysler will deal with this new offerings from GM, Toyota, Nissan, etc. when the re-designed '09's hit the market.

Also, I have no idea what you mean by unaffordable, this engine can make an additional 100 HP from stock or about 450 HP (upwards of 390 RWHP) with just $2000-$3000 in relatively simple bolt-on mods before even talking about head work. As this investment constitutes only about 10% of the purchase price of the vehicle, I cannot view it as unaffordable or "out of reach" of most people.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. I am exercising my right to not agree with it...

 

My MegaCab Averages 9-10.5 MPG... That's with no MDS, since Crystler decided the MegaCab owners didn't deserve it I guess.

As I stated above with out MDS HEMI only gets about 9-12 MPG, The Toyota Tundra gets about 12-14 (I know 3 people with them), The Nissan Titan 5.7L gets 12-14 (I know 2 people with them). Both Toyota and Nissan's engines are rated higher HP and torque than the HEMI.

When I bought my MegaCab, I was told by the Dealer that it had MDS, and I expected to get 12-14MPG. Instead I get 9-10.5, EMPTY. Which is why My $42k truck sits in the drive way, and only has 4500 miles on it.


Which Bolt on mods are you speaking of? Because it's been proven that intakes, and exhaust which are the two most common bolt ons, have little to no noticable effect on a stock truck,with out increasing flow threw the engine with cams/head work. I've read many times that most that have tried to supercharge the HEMI have just blown it up, and supercharging is probably the most HP gains from a bolt-on.

Being out of reach is because any majior mods to the engine would require changing/replacing/modifying the computer systems, which is beyond most weekend mechanics. The Computer systems and smog stuff is really what makes it out of reach for most people to add any real HP to the modern engines. The closest the average person will get is a superchip type product, which is great, but has many limits.


-TheChad

 

lol nobody is making you keep your 42k dollar truck that just sits there. hell if you hate it so much and love toyota why not go trade the mega in and get a toyota?? I mean hell why torture urself that makes no sense at all.

 

I'm right at 345 RWHP which is I'm guessing in the 390 HP range at the engine, and I have not even done a cam yet. 375-380 RWHP is VERY attainable with just a mild Comp 260 cam, which requires nothing more than a new set of exhaust springs and can be tamed with just the Superchips Tuner. Do your homework!

Also, I suggest you do a review of your driving habits. I have a pre-MDS lifted & loaded 4x4 that weighs near 7000 lbs. and am getting between 13.5 and 14 mpg around town and upper 15's to low 16's on the interstates...

BTW - One of my best friends has a Toyota Tundra 4x4. He's getting about 10.5 mpg and is on his 2nd rear axle with 14,000 miles on his truck. As I stated earlier, Toyota & Nissan introduced their V8's well after the Hemi, what gave that kind of performance in '03?

Meanwhile, you go ahead and let your truck just sit in your driveway, I'm going to enjoy mine....

 

My driving habits? I drive like a grandmother. I don't goose the throttle, I accelerate smoothly, and I stop slowly. the Mega Cab weighs almost 9000 lbs, that's with out anything in the bed or on the hitch. My friends with Toyota Tundra 4x4's aregetting 11.5-13MPG. Neither have had problems yet.

I'm not bashing the truck, Heck I LOVE driving the truck, I WISH I could afford to drive it as my daily driver. But at ~$90 a fill up, and 10mpg, I'd have to have a second Job just to buy gas, and I make decent money. My only point was that the HEMI is not all the advertising brings it up to be.

I do agree though, At the time, it may have been the best thing available. But almost 5 years later its just not that great anymore, but crystler still advertises it like it is. I mean 16 Spark plugs is a little crazy, and is a patch job to make the HEMI EPA Compliant.

I am not unreasonable though, I give the engine alot of credit for what it does do, Moving a 9000lb truck and with out hesitation is no small task. I don't need a lift, since the megacab sits on a 2500 frame/drivetrain, it sits pretty high already compared to 1500's, but I'd love to put 35" tires and 4.56 gears, but I don't even want to THINK about what kind of MPG's I'd get then!

Back to the ORIGIONAL topic... Forget the flash to remove MDS,I want the flash to ADD MDS!!

-TheChad

 

ThaChad,
Sounds to me like you'd have been a better candidate for a CTD. You still would have the heft & size of the Megacab but would have gotten the MPG's you are looking for. Not to mention the sheer torque of that engine would make you forget all about gas offerings from Toyota or Nissan.

 

I think your right. Only at the time, I didn't know anything about CTD. I knew of it, but i've never even thought of it because I didn't think CTD was for the average Jo.

Only after talking to people and finding out that CTD's get the same MPG loaded or empty, and its like 18mpg, did i relyize that it would have been a better choice. Also Had the dealer told me that the MegaCab did not have MDS, and that it would have only gotten 10mpg, I would have stopped right there and reconsidered.

But I had done some research on the HEMI and found most people claiming 14-16MPG with MDS, Thus I asked the dealer to make sure the MegaCab had MDS, and was told YES, all new HEMI's have MDS. Well Obviously he was wrong, and that costs me the ability to enjoy my truck, since I can't afford to drive it.

-TheChad

 

As for the dealer saying what he did, remember, he makes money by selling you something, so he will tell you what you want to hear. Your exaggerating about the trucks weight,lol. As for a cai or exhaust not having any real efferct? I dont know where you get your information, but by the truck breathing and exhaling easier it will produce more power. Thousands of dyno trips nation wide can prove that. By a far better air input allows a better air fuel mixture allowing more to enter the cylinder, there by providing more power. I drive my truck, 90% of the time without mds) and i beat the numbers you say the MDS trucks get. Its all driving habit. Its unfortunate that the mega cab didnt get it, but by doing some research first would have saved you the headache of not getting what you want. As for the tundra. Its junk. its a car with wheels. I have friends too, that work in the oil fields, that say they are falling apart. One is a master ase rated mechanic of 20 yrs, says they are junk. Plenty on the net to prove it. The HEMI is a great engine, and you can get alot of power out of it. And these mods arent that badly priced. Its perception there. I agree with hammer, get a CTD, you will be happier.

 

exaggerating the trucks weight? really?





"Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) - Standard [lb]

8510"

Thats right off Dodges website. I said Almost 9000 lbs, so I was off 490 lbs, but since I weigh 275, and a full tank of fuel weighs a couple hundred pounds, I guess that's "Almost 9000 lbs".

Where Do i get my information from? well all over the forum, all over the internet. It's been proven time and time again CAI's and Exhaust Don't do much to a STOCK setup. Because the engine is only going to flow as much as the weakest component in the system. Well Unless you increase flow threw the entire engine, You could have a filter the size of Kansas on there, and it isn't going to flow any more. It's been said 100 time over that the OE filter box flows pretty well already. Sure you will gain a little, but 10hp you can't even feel. The whole "I got a new CAI and MAN I can lay tred for a mile so I KNOW for a FACT that its got more power" is a fat chunck of BS. The "Seat-of-my-pants HP meter" is nothing more than your mind telling you "hey you just spent $350 on that CAI, so your going to see a HUGE improvement"

I've heard alot of people say there are problems with the Tundras, Just none of the people I know have had problems with them yet. But I love my Dodge, It's just soo unpractical. I mean why would any company even produce a car/truck that only gets 10MPG!?!? That's insaine to me! They should have said, Alright, the MegaCab is just going to be available in 2500/3500 Models, With a 5.9L CTD, or a 6.7L CTD, no HEMI.

-TheChad

 

There is a past post out there somewhere
where a Magnum 5.7 MDS owner with an aftermarket
"ScanGauge" studied what engine conditions were necessary for MDS to engage, and if memory serves me right
he posted that the PCM computer needed a minimum oil pressure (maybe 40 psi?) and that by 'hacking' the oil pressure sensor with a resistor similar to the old IAT hack it was possible to keep the MDS from engaging.

Don't take this as a recommendation that MDS should be removed, or that it is somehow bad, or that skilled re-programmers can't make MDS and high performance modifications work together....all of that is false.

What MDS does is give the typical owner about half the MPG improvement he would get if his transmission, diff and tires all had the optimum ratio for part-throttle highway cruise.

If MDS gives you a 2 MPG boost at 70 mph....you could get a 4 MPG boost if the drivetrain ratios were optimum...but with the optimum ratios you have to downshift to pass vehicles or climb steep hills.

It is worth noting that CVT gives optimum MPG, and Chrysler admits this by purchasing CVTs from the Jatco division of Nissan....but the CVT can't give instant power as quickly as MDS can.

The double drive shaft DirectShift manual transmission developed by the USA company Borg Warner for Volkswagon gives nearly instant power shifts...but they always have a jerk.

Chrysler announced last year they were developing a trans similar to the DirectShift.

The multi-mode transmission jointly developed by Chrysler/GM/BMW has other tricks to give nearly instant power boosts to engines that were cruising at part-throttle