Well since I made the move to process to purchase the 2006 Dodge from the bank...

 

• New injectors +50 HP
• New Valair dual disc quiet towing clutch
• New Front unit bearings
• New crank sensor
• New Intake air sensor (crush it don't ask)
• New valve cover gasket (o-ring)

 

It getting more and more reliable for driving back on forth to work. I'm looking to getting tires soon since the passenger side front is slow leaking and the rubber is getting weather checked after sitting for at least 3 years. I've got 275/70 R18 on it right now. I've got 3.73 gears I'm thinking of going up to a 285/70 R18 to bring the tach down a bit more. I'm not sure I can even trust the tach info yet being it some time shows me idling at 300 RPM and other times at 800 RPM. I'm starting to think there could be a AC noise issue with the alternator. 

 

I've got electrical to do on the bed and tail light yet its still just cobbled together for now. I need to wire in the goose neck plug and the bumper plug for 7 pin.

 

Since I bought the tool boxes I've been adding more and more weight to the truck. Just like yesterday I spent $100 on rear axle sockets for pulling nuts on the bearings. So I want to gear this truck just about like what I did with the 2002. I wanna be around 1,800 to 2,000 at 65 MPH. Doesn't take me long in a day to put on a few hundred miles. 

 

Has anyone pulled a HVAC box out of a 3rd gen before? I know I've got to look at mine being some of the stepper motors are cycling and having trouble moving doors. I know the evaporator is partial plugged up with caked dust air flow is poor.

 

As for doing the wheel joints. Way easier way is you cut the trunion out with a torch. Now the bearing arms fall out and you can drive each bearing cup inward on all of them. Moving one cup at a time vs pressing two cup back and forth is a pain in the . Took me all of about 10 minutes to cut the trunion and then drive the caps inward. Used a hone brush to clean the holes up a bit and pressed the new u-joints in. Yup the shaft on the passenger side was just needing more force to pull out. Been in a long time I guess. 

23 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Has anyone pulled a HVAC box out of a 3rd gen before?

I helped my dad do this to his 05, just a couple months ago. Other than being very time consuming and a pain pulling the dash (wires everywhere!) it seemed pretty straight forward.

Here what I mean on the tach. 65 mph.

 

Then idling at lunch time with a/c on.

 

It's a rather common and known issue with the tach's on the 06 clusters. The soldering fails and the tach is usually the first thing to fail or become erratic. I've never read about AC noise as an issue on 3rd gens, but lots of folks have bad tach's on 06's. 

 

275/70R18, a AD G56, and 3.73's would put the rpms at 2000 in 6th at 65. If you haven't adjusted the stock speedo then at 65 you're actually doing 68. The difference is 4.7%. 68 mph is 2090 rpms. 

 

285/70R18 would be doing around 1950 rpms at 65, but that's not a common size. 285/65R18 is much more common and is actually shorter than a 275/70R18, but a 285/75R18 would get you down to 1900 @ 65. 

 

 

 

18 hours ago, AH64ID said:

85/70R18 would be doing around 1950 rpms at 65, but that's not a common size. 285/65R18 is much more common and is actually shorter than a 275/70R18, but a 285/75R18 would get you down to 1900 @ 65. 

Thanks! That is what I was looking for...

 

18 hours ago, AH64ID said:

It's a rather common and known issue with the tach's on the 06 clusters. The soldering fails and the tach is usually the first thing to fail or become erratic.

Well I guess I'll be calling Module Master in Moscow, ID and have them rework my cluster.

@Mopar1973Man, I don't know exactly what the issue is with the cluster but GM had an issue for a while as well. All I had to do was take it apart and reflow some of the solder connections. Pretty easy fix and free if it's a similar problem.

Yeah if I had a soldering gun. Strange enough I bought one awhile back and was going to try soldering the high idle kits but being I'm past 50 years old and my vision sucks. I gave it to @Me78569 when his gun burned up to keep him producing high idle switches. I still need to get a heavy duty soldering gun.

I hear ya. I'm 50 years old and high milage myself. I don't solder so well, it works but isn't always pretty. 

I never thought this day would come admitting my vision sucks and cant't do like I did when I was 30 years old ans soldering like a crazy man. Just need a magnifying light and steady hands. Yeah I guess I could pull that cluster out and reflow most of the board if I order a good solder gun like the last one. It was electronic temp controlled. 

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/tach-problems-on-06-ram.213452/page-4#post-2375316

2 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

I never thought this day would come admitting my vision sucks and cant't do like I did when I was 30 years old ans soldering like a crazy man. Just need a magnifying light and steady hands. Yeah I guess I could pull that cluster out and reflow most of the board if I order a good solder gun like the last one. It was electronic temp controlled. 

Bring up a picture of Dolly Parton...... straighten out your eyes right now Boss

Here ya go, a light and a magnifier.

https://www.harborfreight.com/fluorescent-magnifying-lamp-60643.html

 

12 hours ago, Doubletrouble said:

Here ya go, a light and a magnifier.

https://www.harborfreight.com/fluorescent-magnifying-lamp-60643.html

 

 

Just showing me how old I am? Eh....  But thanks for the HF light and mag...

Believe me, there are times I could use on e as well!. Lol

Add another to this list I just remember on my second cup of coffee. I need to go get a new fan clutch. I went to Lewiston to restock on my days off and never the less Thor is overheating now. I made the climb up about half way on Whitebird Grade which is 7 miles of 7% grade for the first half about 6% on the last half up. By the time I was about 2 miles from the top I back down to about 40 to 45 MPH and in 5th direct and the temp just held steady at about 230*F. Broke over the top and the temp fell off. No fan heard. No codes for fan clutch either. Then got down to Lewiston ID (about 750 above sea level). Then made the climb back up Winchester Grade again 7% grade. This time I barely made it to the top and the CHECK GAGES came on as I pulled off. (Hit the 240*F mark). Let it cool down for about 15 minutes then packed up and headed home. Same with heading back over Whitebird grade again barely made the top and below 230*F or so. 

 

Already changed the thermostat about a month ago. 190*F NAPA. I know its not the thermostat and no you don't here the fan kick on any more. 

 

Monday morning I need to call and get a fan clutch order and installed. 

 

Keep in mind the dry weight without the tools and tool boxes is 9,200 pounds. I'm closer to 10,000 pounds now. Thor is not a light by no means with a heavy steel flat bed, Two 8 foot tool boxes, and lot of steel tools on board. 

 

You certainly should have heard the fan at those temps! Still seems abnormally hot for 10K GVW on a 5.9. My 05 wouldn’t cycle the fan with Smarty programming until 215° and is rarely get above 200-207° (207° was full open) below a GCW of 15K lbs. Once I went UDC pro I programmed the fan to come on at 210°. 

 

Be sure to get an OEM fan clutch, they are more money but the PWM on the cheaper ones is often problematic and doesn’t work as well as the factory ones. Lots of examples of that over on TDR. 
 

The fan won’t light the CEL, but it should set a soft code. And the fan should be loud, but my 05 was very quiet compared to my 18. 
 

We need to get you a UDC pro tune for that truck. Stock 06 tuning sucks in comparison, especially with the G56’s low ratios pushing you over 2K rpms easily. 

Yeah the fan is loud when it does lock up the fan clutch. Just started this about two or three days ago. I noticed it on my way to Donnelly ID and it was up quite a bit and dismissed it. Now seeing the second time and not hearing the fan locking up I knew what my problem is. When I first got it running the old thermostat was sticking a bit and would trip the fan off and on. After changing the thermostat it settled down and didn't use the fan but to climb Goose Creek grade. Typically hit the top of the grade it would unlock shortly after.

 

Hey @AH64ID is there any turbo options for this 2006 with the wastegate solenoid? I'm pretty sure you can spit out the wheel sizes to this stock turbo. It makes a good solid 30 to 35 PSI depending on what the ECM does for that wastegate solenoid. Eventually I would like to step up and get something that flows a bit better (exhaust) than this turbo gets hot for just having +50 HP injectors. It almost another 200*F hotter than my 2002 at 65 MPH. I know the stock timing is pretty retarded too which is no help for EGT's.

There are several options for keeping the command valve or you can delete it and use another turbo. 
 

For how you plan to use that truck I would look at having the turbine wheel changed out for the HE351VE version. We did that on dads and it was a huge improvement across the board. 
 

The cruise EGTs are mostly due to the retarded timing, which is part of how they met emissions that year without an external EGR. 

5 hours ago, AH64ID said:

The cruise EGTs are mostly due to the retarded timing, which is part of how they met emissions that year without an external EGR. 

 

I believe that the exhaust valve clearance has also changed for that year - from .020 inches to .026 inches for holding  back some on the exhaust gases in the cylinder (internal EGR).

 

- John

9 minutes ago, Tractorman said:

 

I believe that the exhaust valve clearance has also changed for that year - from .020 inches to .026 inches for holding  back some on the exhaust gases in the cylinder (internal EGR).

 

- John

There are a couple of theories as to why it went from 0.020” in 05 to 0.026” in 06 with no internal changes and no tuning changes. 
 

One is that the extra gasses held back keep the NOx production down further, but since there wasn’t any new emissions mandate from 05 to 06 that’s hard to justify. 
 

The theory I believe the most is that the added contact time dissipates more heat from the high EGT’s and the valves/valve seats last longer. 
 

The 6.7 also uses 0.026” with a total design charge, adding emphasis on exhaust valve longevity as the reason. Modern diesels run higher EGTs and need strong exhaust valves/seats. 

 

 

Interesting...