Cowboy Doc

I am curious to see the answer to @dripley's last question. I have to say this thread is the most informative I've ever come across on a forum. Good stuff. I've been on the edge, leaning towards an injector upgrade (now that I have reliable fuel supply) just b/c I'm intimidated by tuners (sorry, but true). Will pull the trigger on iQuad when I get back next month. Only question I have is, for the downloadable tunes on this site, are they sorted as to what sort of upgrades you may or may not have installed? LIke, if I go to search for a "DD" or "tow" tune, will it say if it was tweeked according to stock injectors vs, say, 7x010's? Or do I just have to start with one and go through a process of fine tuning for results?

Hey- I'm jumping in here b/c I've been following so many injector-choice threads that my head is spinning. Now it's sounding like I shouldn't worry about injectors (yet). @Mopar1973man said: You are better off getting a tuner before considering playing with injectors. Even RV275 are going to be smokey and laggy because of the lack of timing to fit the injectors. This was common back in the days before Quadzilla. There is no way to increase fueling without smoke when you are without a tuner. Gotta ask @Me78569- do you agree? Goals: I am just looking to get a bit more out of my truck- hopefully some increased fuel economy, and some power. I don't think I would go over 7x.009 if I went the injector route. But it sounds like I would be better off putting that $ towards the iQuad. Does that also hold if I don't plan on tapping the VP? 80% of my driving is DD on 2 lane hwys, 75 miles between stoplights, 65-75 mph. 20% is towing a 20 ft GN stock trailer, with cows or horses. So, is it unanimous?- go Quad first, get that dialed in before I worry about injectors?

@Stanley thanks, man.

Stanley- FWIW- I am no expert on clutches, but I learned a lot from a 06.12.17 post by Mopar1973Man "Ceramic Clutches" that will offer some good answers to your question. Follow the thread...... Also, how does everyone get someone's "handle" highlighted like that, when they are referencing or quoting someone on here? thanks

Hey Everybody- Just checkin' back in, I haven't been posting but have been following from time to time, and wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I have learned so much from others on this site that has helped me out. A bit of an update on my "new" 2002 6 speed that I got in late July in SLC, and the Carter bit it on the way home. Good news is the VP didn't seem to suffer. Checked in with y'all, and got some good advice/ pointers. Got back home finally mid-Oct, with a pile of parts boxes waiting for me, and dug into it. Chose to tilt the bed instead of dropping the tank, and my little JD tractor made a great bed lift device. Had to replace the fuel sending unit (what a piece of crap for a factory design) which was OK since I installed the Draw Straw 1 w dual fuel return. Mounted and plumbed a FASS Titanium 95, and added their electric heater element. I left the Carter on the block, but plumbed all 1/2 in. through the stock FF and then a Big Line kit to the VP. Man, gotta LOVE JIC and Push Locks. It all went together well. I put a fuel snubber in line half way between my stock FF and the VP, and the kit also had a test port fitting on the VP intake, so I can check the EV 2 gauge, manually. The FASS puts out a steady 18 psi at idle and WOT. Took my time over two days, it all went pretty well. Followed the YouTube T-bred Diesel video, cracked 1 & 3 injector lines, and she started up. Good stuff. Started to change out my stock manifold, and gave up, woosed out and had the shop put in the new BP Pulse manifold and 4 inch SS exhaust. She's coming along. I did the @WT alternator/ ground wiring change out in about 2 hours, as per Mopar1973Man's instructions; just to make things right. On to the Quad Adrenaline. Timing is everything, isn't it? Synchronicity- I'll be ready to buy just when the new hard wired monitor comes out. Then we'll talk injectors. Again, enjoy time with your friends and family on Thanksgiving, travel safe, and eat well.

FYI: Last week Dave at Diesel Manor said the Schrader valve and cap would be back ordered for 5 weeks on my order. They had the best price though. Some outfits want around $10 for the valve and cap.

Right. And I would presume they start with a long bed EC to end up with the CC SB, b/c who wants to go through the infinite hassles of extending your frame and drive line, etc.? Still, it looks good. I can see the Chevy lines once you pointed them out. I sold my '03 CC SB Laramie automatic in late July to buy the very clean '02 EC SB H.O., since it seemed much less expensive than buying a used '03 H.O., and an interesting project, to boot. All to tow a 24 ft stock trailer. But the first thing I missed is the extra back seat storage and room. But, I'll get over it.

Sorry for sticking my nose in to this interesting thread, but Whoa ! what is that truck in the picture. A conversion ? A true four door Gen 2? That's not Mopar1973Man's, is it? I keep checking the photo to believe what I think I am seeing.

Hope I'm not going too far off course, but I read this article about a month ago, and was really surprised at the differences (or variances) in the ball joints that are sold as OEM replacements. No only in sizing, but also in the surface design. Leads one to wonder if manufacturers take liberties with various other front end parts they advertise as "OEM replacement" http://blog.genosgarage.com/wordpress1/2017/05/improve-your-knowledge-of-dodge-ram-ball-joints/ this definitely opened my eyes as to what ball joint to buy.

Hey All- For what it is worth, Power Driven Diesel in Cedar City, Utah is making their own mechanical pump, it can be seen on their popular YouTube video about "doubling the hp on a Gen 2" contest/ give away. I talked to Tony, who can be seen in the video explaining the pump they manufacture, and he told me it will cost about $467. Powerdrivendiesel.com. I haven't gotten home yet to dive into my "new" 02 with the lift pump problems, in the week that I posted here back mid-August it seems FASS d/c the 150 gph, and went to 165 gph, so it looks like I will have to stick with the 95 gph that I bought. But, FASS says that's all I need up to 600 hp, so I should be good. Stuck on an Aleutian island for three to five weeks more (my relief is sick). Itching to get started. The bulk of advice on here was not going w sump, and so I got the Vulcan draw straw with two return ports. CD

I can do that. Eric at Vulcan says the ported elbow with the Big Line kit works well at the VP, so I will use that location for the Schrader fitting test gauge. I guess I will put in the 1/2 inch Fast Lock barbed T with 1/8 NPT for the snubber somewhere along the Big Line kit between the stock fuel filter and the VP, to supply the dash gauge.

Dripley- Yes, I was intending to put in two. A full time in dash electric EV2, and a manual gauge to be used occasionally to verify, from time to time, that the EV2 is accurate. Overkill? Just following the threads in other forums, and it seems that a common consensus is 1) don't mount your in dash gauge sensor too close to your VP, and always use a snubber, and 2) pressure readings are most useful right at the VP, and 3) a manual gauge is the thing to verify pressures while working under the hood, and keep the dash gauge honest. So, I just thought the dash gauge sensor should be T'd in further back, which means it would have to be before the stock filter (which I am keeping). For monitoring FP while driving, is that location sufficient?

Sooxies- Yes, I understand that- that is what I meant by T just after the filter housing, meaning not too close to the VP due to cavitation. Which I figure will be around 30 inches pre-VP, +/-. That will be a FP port to use a manual gauge. I was going to put the dash gauge in line somewhere along the firewall. The dash gauge can be anywhere after the FASS but preferably in the engine compartment, right? To All- Lots of prompt replies and good suggestions so far- this is a great forum to belong to. Lots of experience to be found here. To clarify, I was going to put the sensor for the in dash gauge in line along the firewall, via a fast lock barbed T, a snubber to reduce pressure shocks, and run to a dash mount. The T after the stock fuel filter, but well before the VP, will be a Schrader valve for a manual gauge. The items I didn't recognize in Mopar1973man's photo were on a bracket, mounted over by the batteries and fuse box. Those are some type of sensor for fuel pressures?

Mopar1973man- Clean set up, thanks for the pics. Yes, already ordered the BL kit from Vulcan, and that should solve my plumbing dilemma. Got block off plate for LP. BL kit comes with fuel pressure test port Tee, which I will use just after the stock filter housing to manually test pressure occasionally, and to keep the Isspro honest. That should still be maybe 30 inches pre-VP44, and so with snubber I shouldn't have to worry too much about "water hammer" during manual pressure reading, agree? Probably will put the Isspro 0-30 gauge somewhere a foot or two before stock filter housing, via a T and snubber. I have read a lot on the forums, so I feel (somewhat) well-versed in the theory, now just have to apply it all. I can't identify the custom parts on the bracket you installed (bottom photo)- you say one of those is the VP44 pressure sensor?

Thanks 015.9- I have no reason to throw out the Carter, and that's a good idea to keep it for emergencies.