Anybody know the long term effects of using a programmer to enhance your performance? I'd love to get some more power, but I'd rather not do anything that will hurt in the end more than it was worth.

 

One threat to engines when in search of more power is running too lean. This is dangerous and can lead to too high combustion temps which can melt pistons. In the past, vehicle manufacturers were very conservative on stock fuel mix to be safe under any conditions the average driver might encounter, so leaning things out was fairly common practice and safe... mostly. I'm guessing todays concerns with maximizing fuel mileage and emissions allows less wiggle-room.

Another potential problem is too much spark advance for the available fuel or running conditions leading to detonation and broken pistons, wrist-pins, etc.

One would hope that the programs in commercially available tuning devices would still tend toward the safe side and that knock sensors and so forth would still be able to control risky situations within comfortable limits. This is the case for other applications, but my impression is that the Mopar 'puters have been more of a challenge for after-market tuners than other systems. Even Kenne Bell seems to have had some problems with tuning for his hemi, twin-screw blower, which has been made to work well on other apps ages ago.

Pesonally, I'd want to wait a bit and see how things go with the early-adopters. But, I don't have to wringe the last ounce of power out of my Ram, I've toys to do that with that if I goof don't risk leaving me beside the road with a basket of parts that I cannot live without for a while.

All the best.

 

What do you think about using alchohol injection to cool down the temps? Any bonus to installing that on a ram?

 

WV:

Alcohol and water-injection are a mixed bag. I don't see any practical need unless you get serious about mods.

Aftermarket pumps and injectors are better than they used to be, and can be pretty well regulated, but for a regular use vehicle they still don't seem particularly practical. Those I know who have used them on other than competition engines tend to forget to fill the tank after a while, which negates the entire purpose. And, though they cool the incoming charge, they also hurt combustion, the characteristics of which are very carefully developed, implimented, and controlled today.

Actually, I don't know of any bigtime tuners still using either alky or water on modern engines, now that I think about it--though someone may chime in to the contrary. The electronics are simply too well refined.

Happy Holidays!

 

not sure what his first name is but there is a guy named "Snow" doing a lot of stuff on the ford mod motor with water injection especially with FI

 

http://snowperformance.net/

thought that I remembered that right... one of the Guys I was rolling through Iraq with a year or so ago had a S/C 4.6 stang, and he mentioned these guys as being real straight up and genuinely nice people... apparently he is a friend of a friend. Course my boy wasn't rolling a snowperformance system so....

 

Has anyone looked into increasing the size of the injectors on the Hemi? Basically, I'm looking to find what would be the best way to increase my Ram's HP to just below 400 (i.e. the supposed limit on the tranny). I don't want to blow a ton of money (i.e. S/C) but I was thinking maybe headers and an exhaust. Some of the other questions I've been asking are just "gee-whiz" questions I have had in the past since I don't have a "toy" to go play on...yet.

So what do you think is the best way to get up to 400 hp?

Frog, where is your home base and what do you do? I'm down at Laughlin.

 

Should have realised the laughlin from the Texan in your profile. I am just north of you at dyess.

To get to 400 HP do the following: H and C swap (there is a place in austin that will do that for you... they are a compcams regional distributor, P&P their own heads and will dyno tune you). Add to this a set of headers/cats and CAI (you will need both to get enough air to move through your motor to support the higher output from the cam and heads).

You might also want to get an underdrive pully.

I would recomend sapping out to 4.1 or 4.56 gearing for two reasons...

1) it is easier on the transmission... with those gears if you punch it too hard you break your tires free, not some vital internal trnny component.

2) most CAMS make their HP up high... with those gears you are running higher in your RPM range.

This will probably get youto about 420...

 

420 to the crank?

I got the new Mopar Muscle Magazine...they took a stock Hemi, dynoed at 249hp 263tq (rear wheels)...they put the Comp XFI 260 cam with Comp valve springs (same as GM's LS-1), TCI Torque Converter, CNC Ported Heads, ASP Underdrive Pulleys and Dynatech headers. They also tuned the ECU. They didn't say if they put a CAI in, but I guessing they had too. In the end when they dynoed...it came out to 318hp 333tq to the rear wheels. If your real serious, I would get the magazine and read the article. It's really cool. The only down thing is $$$...They didn't mention any prices, but like everyone says: "Speed cost money, How fast you wanna spend"

 

Interesting (but, rather sad)... that the final Mo-power was about what a healthy, stock LS-1 does--AFTER all the changes to the hemi.

With just the headers and a decent professional dyno-tune the LS-1 will do on average an additional 30 hp and a few more than 30 #ft at the rear wheels. Seems to me that Mopar must be pretty conservative in their factory camming and tune. All the more reason we need the 6.1 from big "Mo."

All the best.