Greenlee

It's hard to dive in on a topic like this when you don't know or don't understand what's going on. I sold my brother on the Quad Adrenalin V2 so he's checking the links and videos I sent him. I made sure it came from this Forum. Do I need to warn him that updates are the easiest thing to deal with using the Quad? I don't want him throwing this all back at me when I'm trying to help him make a quality decision on a tuner.

Thanks Me78569, By putting it off for a few years a superior Quadzilla Super Tuner has evolved to save the day. It even figured out the mysterious Advanced Timing Special X Blue Chip VP44 and how to handle the slow spool up plus the unlimited number or programing options you have with the Big Quad. Makes me want to sell my 12 valve and go back to the 24 valve. How in the world you and Michael every figured the programing parameters to make this a great turner for 1998 1/2 on up the ladder is amazing. Now that I understand a little more about how it all works I agree completely. I guess Blue Chip used the little bit of advance to gain the extra HP but like you said, zero TPS input is going to give you idle. Nothing Special about it and would be better off if the VP44 was simply a good stock one build to last and let the Quad take it from there.

I can see how I had tunnel vision concentrating on Chip's comments and the total lack of understanding on the VP44. Not knowing about the software built into it or the ECM or the rest of everything PDD, IAT, Crankshaft trigger for fuel and so on which I am still learning about. Oh don't let me forget the lack of Boost and not being able to Spool up fast enough. Thanks for putting up with my nonsense. Now, I have been looking a videos on th I think this would be a great tuner to deal with the advanced built in timing of Chips Special X VP44. You can shut timing advance completely down until spooling has kicked in for one and there are so many other options to get the best and safest performance out of your truck including tow packages. Comparing it to the Smarty for this particular situation looks like the Q would be best. What do you think? Is it worth a try to get things back on track?

Okay, I hope this post is still active and I'm really asking all of you that commented about the bearings and hubs. If I sound like an idiot it's ok, for one it's been 25 years or longer since I messed with packing wheel bearings and now a days to my surprise they are sealed bearings. Is it too difficult to remove or press the old bearings out of the hub? Is it better to buy new hubs and bearings ready to go on? This is something I need to look at on my truck, I think one of my bearing is making noise but it's difficult to hear even with hearing aids in. I have 250K on the clock and I doubt if they have been changed looking at everything else but I'm guessing. How do you put a grease fitting on a sealed bearing or did I miss the boat on what's going on?

Something would get aborted before it is all done. Good side of the coin he's going to learn a lot and maybe turn out to be a new member, confused like the rest of us

No chips for me but thank you anyway. By the time it all starts I'm praying we will be out of here. I can't understand the thought process of today knowing it's just going to be a downhill slide that has no end. I know I'm a Idiot and I can prove it by looking in the mirror, HA HA, I hope you got it. But what keeps me going is what's in my heart, I constantly pass those thoughts on to my grown kids and grandkids because they are important to me. It doesn't matter if I can spell or do math or even write a sentence correctly. What most have lost is a conscientious and morals, the best laughs we had around are house were watching the Andy Grifith Show, Hee Haw, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and many more like them. We'd all act like idiots imitating what we just watched. As for the topic, Laughter is great Medicine I wish we could all get a boat load of it and I don't mind one bit if the jokes on me. That's why this is a great Forum, you got to admit that at some point reading replies and stuff there is a good laugh in it some where.

This just caught my attention, Timing Is So Advanced in the low RPM range, makes sense that the turbo can't spool up any faster because the timing is not being retarded but stays advanced. Once the turbo spools up the smoke clears but the RPMs come on too fast between gear changes. It isn't easy to keep the RPMs below 3,000. I am assuming the valve springs are floating just a little. What a huge difference adding 50 to 75 HP. I bet on a stock VP44 with the same injectors the smoke wouldn't be as bad. I'm kind of talking my way back through all of this and don't expect any responses. It does make it clear what's going on.

Something I wanted to ask but didn't. The Special X is advanced but it didn't increase the RPMs at idle so do you think the ECM is also programed to interface with the advanced timing of the Special X? Would the ECM programing be the main way to set the idle? Does the APP hooked up at the throttle have any adjustment for RPMs at idle? The break down of the VP44 indicated by the pictures posted are priceless, I would have torn into it just to see what makes it tick, thanks Michael.

Do you have some located in some wrecking yards? I'd be more than happy to pay you for your time and parts. Even though I found the broken out pieces there is a lot scabbing to fill in for missing pieces. I can show you what I need with pictures of what's broken out. I think it would be easier to glue in a whole piece or pieces with the structure out of the truck and then reinforce the back side where the new plastic is inserted. Let me know if you are willing to gather up some parts. Thanks

Yes, it does. I think it's grand to have the skills to make a Crew Cab out of any 2nd Gen. Now they need to learn how to convert the bed and Axle. I can't believe it was considered finished unless the axle is supporting the rear seating area LOL. You buy it and I'll get a crew of Boilermakers to make some adjustments. We might just hang another axle behind the front axle and make it a 6x6.

I'm back reading all of this again, I need to correct part of what I wrote. I contaminated one of the 75HP injectors unknowingly and it was the main reason I had to drive it with an egg between my foot and accelerator pedal. The injectors have not been installed yet because my younger brother bought the 24v from me and I gave him the injectors. His lack of Diesel Knowledge has cost him considerably. I think he is going to have the injectors installed to help give him a little more HP and Torque for towing. In the last few weeks the old 99 has been running great thanks simply to the alternator replacement, erratic voltage was the reason the lift pump pressure was varying and mileage fell off. It was the source of the harmonic sound as well. Mileage is back up to 22 mpg at 75 mph. Two nights ago I was asked by my brother if there were any tuners that would work well with the 99. He is looking at a 5th wheel to pull but I mentioned he needed to add gauges above all first. I hope by reading this info again I can see what would be a good tuner to use with the Special X that is on the 99. Thanks for all the input and information on this post.

I hope these sounds aren't contagious because I noticed a ticking sound I can't pick up on but it doesn't seem to effect the way it runs. I'm going to shoot a little oil on the tensioner as suggested, thanks for adding that. My harmonic balancer does jump around a little, it's not easy for me to get down on the ground but I think you are right, it's time to replace it based on what you said on how it should run. When you don't deal with these types of things going on it's easy to second guess. That's one reason this Forum is so valuable. I noticed a dragging sound when barely moving forward, almost like a bearing but it goes away once I speed up. It might be power steering, transmission, or maybe drive-shaft parts. I wear hearing aids but honestly, they pick up too much noise and it doesn't help pin pointing what's going on. I'll post it if I can find it but it might not be that important.

First, my brother did disconnect the belt and I don't understand why he couldn't identify the noise. He parked it for several months. Bought new alternator, water pump, power steering, and vacuum pump, you all need to understand that this is not how I would have gone about this and I expressed this to my brother. There were additional issues going on with the lift pump maintaining pressure and the computer on the firewall (can't think of the term), The harmonic sound was coming from the alternator bridge or diodes causing voltage spikes and drops. When the new alternator was installed it leveled out everything. Lift pump is holding same pressure, cruise control is maintaining speed, and mileage is back up. Great advice from O1Cummins. Junkman I agree, I videoed mine running and it looks like it jumps around a little but no side to side. I look at the rubber between the 2 halves for damage.

It would cost more for the glue than just buying the new replacement part. I did get a little break when cleaning behind the core I found several of the broken pieces for my light switch and A/C mount controls. I now have the shape and glued the larger pieces together. The only way I can make it work is to remove the entire core and reinforce it from the back side. I can see now that your on your own if the core is screwed up. No replacements. It would be hard to say if an item like a new replacement core would sell or not. I think most would patch it up and drive on or sell their truck and get another. Thanks for the comment.

I saw on YouTube where a fleece backing was used by gluing it down and fiberglass resin brushed on after it dried. I don't see where chopped fiberglass wouldn't work in place of fleece cloth. Yours might be a little heavy but the ride is better and no rattles under the dash, what ever it takes to make it work for you to keep your vehicle running is what I'm talking about. The 98 year to 2002 all use the same core piece according to what I was looking at on eBay, 1500 models through 3500 models. Could you make a mold from a complete unit? Maybe two halves that would go together, a front and back? I don't know just fishing. Bottom line, I don't see your dash falling apart anytime soon. Thanks for the picture I'm getting into an area I don't know much about. If you had a scanner for a 3D printer and a complete dash core, could you scan an area say where the head light switch goes, 5" wide and 6" down. Trim it to fit into a broken dash. Maybe coat it with a fine layer of fiberglass and resin before gluing it in. Is this something that would work if you had the tools to replicate it? It is probably too complicated to make a mold front and back looking at the pictures. This must be one part that no extras were made. One core for each build.

That's a great idea, my bezel is broke in several pieces, just touch it and a piece will break out. It's too much money to spend on a 20 year old truck unless it's in perfect shape. If I have to buy one I'm going to reinforce the back side to make it stronger, I'd like to take my broken core out and do the same making the repairs as I go. I'm not sure if the windshield would have to come out or if it would make it easier. Thanks for the heads up on what the leather does under the heat of the sun.

I saw some pictures from break-ins where the radio is hacked out and other components.It's possible mine was in a wreck the way the inner core is broke in about 6 places. I didn't think there would be much conversation over this thread, . It's unfortunate the salvage yards that have these cores won't sell pieces of a broke core to help out. When they remove them from the trucks and it breaks it's the end of the road when they could still make money selling half of it. That's good to know, appreciate it. Any ideas on materials that I could use to replace some of the pieces? I have seen where a material type board is shaped and then coated with fiberglass to reinforce it. I'm open to any suggestions or ideas. It surprises me that with all the folks that could use a inner core, at least we know what it's called, that there aren't after market parts for this like everything else on a Dodge.

Ok, I appreciate you doing that. My inner core is busted in several places. When I bought the truck they had it all glued in under the bezel so I didn't see the damage until I grabbed the headlight switch a few days later and it came loose. The pictures give me the shape of the missing pieces so I can come up with my own formed replacement parts to glue or screw in. I don't know what materials would be easy to form to the radius or cut out some rings from MDF (?) board but at least I know where the all the mounting screws are to replace on the parts next to the glove box. This is an expensive and labor intense piece to replace if you funded the replacement part from a salvage yard. Maybe this will help some anyway. Happy New Year

I don't understand your reply Me78569, help me out here and explain please

This is a topic I also posted on the Cummins Forum because I have seen a lot of Dodge folks with the same issue I have. This is what I wrote: This is just a heads up for those folks like me who have the inner dash fame core mount deck assembly broken. I have been trying for several months to locate one and found some on eBay but a complete unit may run from $550.00 to $800.00 depending on the salvage yard that is selling it. Getting pieces from one that might be broke or ruined when removing it doesn't fly either. I have offered to pay a good amount for the broke pieces I need to glue back. With all the glues out there now that work excellent on plastic to plastic or alum or to carbon fiber it would be worth the while to give it a try. It's better than looking at your head light switch hanging or the A/C protruding outward from the top support piece missing and so on. But bottom line is the item is called by the title of this thread. Hope this will help some looking or have had their trucks broken into and the dash tore up in the process. I have some pictures of the complete assembly for a 1998 Dodge Trucks attached. I haven't posted pictures before but they are listed below under Attach Files. Hope you all have a Blessed and Prosperous New Year. These photos might help if you are trying to rebuild your core and need to know what the original shape of it was.

You were right on the money, the harmonic sound stopped as soon as the belt was disengaged. I'm trying to get my brother to buy a stethoscope from Harbor Freight, it's only a few bucks and with his hearing as bad as it is I think it would help identify the noise. He said it was also making a ticking sound that was now loud enough to mask the sound. I don't know since the truck is not near me. The clutch fan seems to be working fine, the harmonic balancer has a little back and forth but it is the same on my 12v and the alternator turns freely. This is all with the belt off. I am against replacing parts when they don't need it and we have limited it down so I can't understand why it's hard to locate now. I'll let you all know when I find out some more information. Thanks again for the suggestion. I'll pass this on too, he is complaining of a ticking sound that is loud and he did have his fuel lines apart. This is also a big help, thank you. I'll get back with you as soon as he lets me know something.

No, I didn't think of that. I'll pass it on to my brother. He sent his turbo to be rebuilt, something I would not have done unless I was certain it had an issue. It came back with no issues everything was fine. A learning curve for him $$$$$$$ to remember. There is no point guessing or replacing parts unless you have some deep pockets. Thank you for your advice and have a great day. I don't know if you can hear the harmonic sound on this recording without a headset but when the truck is first started up the sound is apparent. Maybe this will help identify what's going on. New Recording.m4a

It never stops, one thing gets corrected and everybody is happy until the next mystery shows up. The 1999 Dodge Cummins 2500 was doing great once the fuel leaks were taken care of. After a few days my brother called me and mentioned a strange harmonic sound coming from under the hood at start up and then fading out once he started to drive. Well the sound has gotten worse and louder. He sent me a recording of it that I could hear with ear pods from my phone. It sounds like a tuning fork. All the belts are good, the belt tensioner is good, fluids are correct, no clamps loose or tears in the boots. I went online and put the description in on google and had some similar sounds but mostly on gassers with no explanation of where the sound was coming from. My hearing is poor and my brother's hearing is worse. We both wear hearing aids but you can hear this harmonic sound plainly. I don't know if I can get another recording to attach but I will try. He parked it at home in Columbia, S.C. because he is working out of town. Any suggestions will be appreciated, I have never heard a sound like this one but maybe some of you have. Thank you

Well, here's the latest. The new tube was taken out again, the inside of the entrance hole for #5 tube was cleaned again the dried then another cleaning. The tube was oiled from end to end and placed back in and seated then turned CW and CC. My brother repeated this several times. When we discussed it on the phone he mentioned the injector line at some tension on it that made it pull down. You could not turn it by hand more than a couple of threads. I told him to gently move the line for better alignment which he planned on doing anyway. With that done you could screw the cap nut (3/4"/19mm) all the way down by finger. After tightening and cleaning excessive oil from around the line he took it out for a test drive. No leaks. It starts up instantly. So the banjo joint at the rear of the head is new along with the Parker Tee and new grommets. No leaks anywhere. Thank you for all the advice, it was extremely helpful. That's a great way of looking at this Shainer I understand now what's going on. Could not remember how it all looked. Thank you. By the way, appreciate the link too. Hey Shainer, great looking Chauffeur you have there.

I guess I'm going to have to see it up close again. Thanks for explaining it to me and thanks for taking the time to address this post.