Performance Upgrade Lessons

So I am just getting started looking into performance upgrades for my 2003 dodge ram 1500 with the 5.7L Hemi I have been looking at programmers and have found that most dont really program ****. Any thoughts on what a Greddy Ultimate would do for my truck.

Welcome to the forum!

With an 03' tuners are going to be few and far that will do much of anything. They are the "forgotten" year

Never heard of the programed you listed either.

While you might be able to get the E-manage to work with your truck, you would be wasting a lot of time an money in the process, all of which I don't think would be very benifitial being that Greddy products are geared towards imports. I could see traveling down that road if you were highly modified and running F/I, but even then I think it would be a lot more work than other options out there.
Your best bet is to stick with either the Superchips or Diablosport tuner. Best bang for the buck.

Welcome. Greg is an 03 and running the same cam as me on SC with a split second tuner to help dial in the a/f. Depends on how in depth ya wanna go.

For the 03 its Superchips, hands down (it programs my ****), unless you can produce enough power to only have to shift at 5850 cause thats what you will get with a diablo. The SC to start on an 03 is good for 20 Horses. I have a PSC1-003 to add when ever but haven't had time to be real serious about it, but when I get around to playing with it and get the hang of it I will try another 3rd Cam (Change #4).

I have learned a few lessons myself and spent some dough on parts I turned around and sold at a loss along the way but now I am very happy with my current set-up.

Finally found it.

So I was thinking the GReddy Ultimate was the one but turns out that its not. I have found AEM Universal for V8 with coil over spark plugs, a little expencive but whatever its just money. Also going to use a water methane injector to help with tuning for the Compcam XFI 273h-14. But here is the issue I'm thinking with this going into the motor my transmission is not going to hold up what is best option for fixing this.

No do don't go with a 273, you need way more mods to feel a thing with it, the oowerband on that cam is way up in the rpm range. Good for a stroker motor, bad for a hemi truck.

what would you recommend for a cam upgrade then ive heard of people putting the 6.1 cam in the 5.7 but is there more bang for the buck out there.

You have the 03. So custom tuning is gonna be basically out of the question isn't it? Gonna have to be a cam which runs on a stock tune.


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There are PLENTY of better cams out there. You can tune them to a degree on an 03' but the AF needs something else to dial it in and you need to find away to bump the idle on some cams as well. You can get a custom ground cam as well on a wider lsa so it will idle fine and tune easier should you go that route.

Agree with Ryan. Eddie you can custom Tune the 03 if you like but give up the ability to rev to 6500 as I said. Even the Comp 260 is picky with which 03 Truck its put in.

The best 03 advice I can offer and strongly recommend is to start with the Superchips 3865 with either the Crazy Jay or Sidewinder Camshaft on a 114 LSA.
Unless you are prepared to do some idle-up mods or Psc1-003 Tuning yourself IMO the Crazy Spartan is a bit tempramental for a 2003.


add to the Cam all the necessary Valve-train elements and follow-up with the following.

Emmision Freindly Shortie Headers and accompanying Y-Pipe
(and cut off the choke point to 3" at the back side of the single cat set-up)
TMR Delete Mod (free)
Ported TB without Knife edge
Drop-in Air Filter (CAI waste of big cash vs 03 gain IMO)
or add optional Modular Intake Tube
E-Fan

With these mods to start your Truck will be faster

Follow-up with more tranny upgrades and gears

wanna save your tranny always let it warm-up and stay out of 2nd Gear Prime

Unless you live down south stay away from the 180 stat on an 03.

If you want **** injection it is possible and the standing expert on this if you can track him down is Darrell "Frost-King" and Greg "RedTruck-Va will soon be trying some kind of set-up as well but remember these guys are very good Mechanics unlike myself who is just good! ha, ha.

The water **** setup is really for boosted applications. On non boosted setups (NA) it will bump up the octane level of the fuel you add by a few points and should give you a "cooler" air charge which in returns adds a few more hp. That may be a little off but after looking into it for a while that's what I got out of it and why I decided against it.

The 03 becomes fully tunable after the AEM stand alone it costs $2050 but this truck is destined to be something it never should be. But what should I do for upgradeing the stock trans.

Thanks for that insight Ryan. OP ......never heard of an AEM standalone! Will have to look into that depth of 03 knowledge.

Trans upgrades. If I ever had my Trans worked on by someone else I would add to what I have in my signature. The following: Big Snap Ring from the Transgo Stage 2 and a set of those expensive $700 clutches, a deeper belly Pan w/Temp Guage sensor ability, a sharadon stage 3 Valve Body, and would try the sonnax instead of the Transgo Resistor add-on.

If you are building something Over The Top Then Just Buy a Complete Sharadon Stage 3Tranny and leave it at that!

Like I said before, I avoid 2nd gear prime, use Od/Off or downshift with the Mega Shifter but With 4.56 gears on the Highway I have never gone over 150 (KPH) anyways. I have 150 K miles now and my Tranny is just fine. These 3Rd Gen Trucks are fun on the street but are in no way Kings on the Highway, that is where the Mopar LX's Rule.

Keep us posted on your Build and remember in the end its your Truck and your Mod decisions......either way you will get great support from the RF group here. Welcome and post up your name and a pic of your 03. Danny