04 3rd gen Dodge Ram rock crawler expedition build

Willy G

Adventurer
"there is no way a rock is going to find its way behind my front axle, and infront of the rear skid, TALL enough to hit my f$%KING oil pan" LOLOLOL

GO FIGURE!!!!!!!!!

:sombrero: you said it, not me. :sombrero: Truck looks great, and I think you might get some better highway mileage with the 42's
 

gun45boat

Adventurer
I know, right!!!! Typical.

Opinions on the Trans-Go shift kit. Had to pull the valve body and the pistons to get the new parts installed. Messy fawking job, figured since I had to put a new pan on, and new filters and fluid etc.

WOW!!!!!!!! It has completely awaken my transmission!!!!!!! WAY FIRMER LAUNCHES off the light... Firm shifts (but not teeth rattling) NO slow 2nd to 3rd shift, and INSTANT throttle response for downshifting... and NO slow OD shifting, It is a FIRM shift from 5th to Overdrive. DEF WORTH THE $49.00 for the kit!!!!!!!!!!!! Feels like it is a fresh transmission!!!!!!!

Finished everything today including the Front skid for the transmission and the oil pan. Just didnt take the "final" shots of the "bolted in" to the front crossmember. Made of 1/4" thick steel with supports and holes cut to drain both the Transmission and engine oil pan.
 

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gun45boat

Adventurer
I finally blew the engine in the ram (HELL YES) Lets just say that I held down the NOS button for WAY longer than I should have LOL.... Ordered a 5.7 block based 392cu (6.4L) Stroker engine from Hendricks motorsports. Should be in the shop in a few more weeks. Very excited to have 465hp 450tq on pump gas with all forged internals... Built for NOS.. I will keep you posted:)
 

gun45boat

Adventurer
You are correct. I hear that the power comes on Late in the 6.4l stroker, So I ordered a custom cut cam that is going to make this thing a bulldog off the line and simmer out around the 4.5k mark. I like my power like a diesel:ylsmoke::ylsmoke: Better for rock crawling/trail riding, I hate when power comes on late in the RPM's... I just hate diesels (way to heavy for crawling/trail riding) Very excited to get this done and programmed/broken-in.

Pics will roll in once the engine arrives at the shop, and the conversion begins.
 

Black Dog

Makin' Beer.
With the amount of dough you are dropping on this and the big power upgrades you are doing you might as well get a pro charger too. GO BIG OR GO HOME MOTHER ****ER!
 

swirvin21

Hard Corps
Probably would have been cheaper to go with a Viper motor from SRT-10....I love my V10s power curve, the Viper is higher like your 6.4L, but still easily managed via cam and programmer. Looking forward to seeing what this thing will do after though. Must be one hell of a lead foot you have!!!
 

gun45boat

Adventurer
LOL I hear you.... Its not as much as you would think... I want to keep it as light as possible. I LOVE the V10's, but I also want to keep it as reliable as possible, as I will be in the middle of nowhere when I wheel it. The less tinkering the better. The 6.4L stroker based off the 5.7L block with all forged internals seemed a really NEAT way to go.

**** I will give the stock 5.7L hemi its credit!!!!!!!!!!! I blasted at least 25 bottles of N20 through that stock motor,,,, each spray I held for over 30+ seconds (can you tell I wanted to upgrade LOL) then last month I held several sprays for over 1 minute on a dirt track racing a Ford Raptor..... At this point, I was shocked the stock motor was still running (at least blow a head gasket) But the ************* engine just kept it up, and would happily start up and bounce the governor for as long as I needed GO MOPAR!!!!!! The thing that finally killed it, was a dirt track race,,,,,at the end,,,,, when I flung on a turn, and had to catch a truck that was about 12 car lengths ahead of me.... I stood on that ************* N20 button for over 3 minutes around several turns in the track, and when she crossed the finish line (1/2 a car length IN FRONT of the lead car) She gave up!!!! I heard her sputter just before the finish line (all common sense would have told me to let off the button) Then she sputtered a second time (I should have prob let off) But I was too close to winning,,,,, then CRACK!!!! AS I slammed over the finish,,, SHe sputtered a 3rd time (which was more of a big, Huge, VOMIT of white smoke, with a dash of Green liquid, and a sound of losing compression ON ALL CYLINDERS LOLOLOLOL) It was a proper end to a stock Hemi engine with 190k, GOd Bless its soul!!!!! I rode that ***** HARD to see what she could handle, and she did awesome under the relentless high RPM revving and ENDLESS blasts of N20... I have NEVER been a Mopar Hemi 5.7L fan, until this engine earned its respect from me!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am VERY excited to see how this new stroker will hold up :ylsmoke::ylsmoke::ylsmoke::ylsmoke::ylsmoke::ylsmoke:
 

swirvin21

Hard Corps
Very GOOD story....wish you had video! If you're that kind of driver, I would like for you to start running an inside truck cam!!!!
 

Black Dog

Makin' Beer.
I don't know mang.....it seems to me like if you have to hold the nitrous button on for very long to win a race that means the other drivers have the upper hand on you. Hopefully the stroker will give you the advantage and you will only need to use the go button to get ahead of the guy in front of you.
 

gun45boat

Adventurer
I hear you LOL.. If I did not Fling that turn towards the end I would have won the race without N20. But I had to use the button just to catch up to him (yes for about 3 mins) LOL... I will say that a 5.7L Hemi WILL keep up with a 6.2L RAPTOR, and the 5.7L has WAY more grunt off the line than the 6.2L Ford RAPTOR BUT The Ford RAPTOR has STUPID HP/torque after the 4K rpm mark, enough to walk me till I shift to a lower RPM, and the RAPTOR is just as rev happy as the Hemi. Obviously the IFS on the Raptor is choice, BUT I will kill him on the rocks when the need arises.

I am STOKED about the stroker!!!! Cant wait to race this guy again, after I break in the new engine.

** the engine builder recommends STRONGLY to beak in the engine running regular non-synthetic, AND non detergent motor oil!!!!!!!!! IS THIS RIGHT????? He said to change it out after 250 miles/ or after 8 hours of run time. Then run regular non synthetic WITH detergent for another 250 miles.... THEN run full synthetic... I am scratching my head>>>>>
 

swirvin21

Hard Corps
It makes sense to some degree....at least in regards to the detergent. I think the non-synthetic stuff breaks down a little better and may saturate the seals better initially. DISCLAIMER= this is my usual attempt at coming up with an answer just vague enough that it can't be considered "wrong" though it fact it probably is...
 

marshal

Burrito Enthusiast
Many manufacturers ship their engines these days with straight synthetic. I guess it's more of a preference really. Some people hold onto old ideas even if they don't have to.
 

gun45boat

Adventurer
Thats interesting.. I have never heard of that. Do the Manufactures recommend an oil change at 500 miles? Or just the regular 3k interchange?
 

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