2006 Power Wagon Tuneup

[Athena]

Hey y’all,

I’ve got a 2006 Powerwagon I need to do a tuneup on, and I’m looking for advice on the best complete tuneup kits.
There are about a dozen or more I’ve seen, but I’m looking for personal experiences on how the performance and gas mileage was affected.

I’ve seen a marked decline in gas mileage with my beast which, I’m running 37x13.5” Toyo MTs, so gas mileage hasn’t been the *best* but I was getting 12-15MPG. I’m now only getting 8-10MPG.
So, I’m looking to increase my MPG without decreasing my performance.
I’m also considering doing a pressure test in possible preparation for a procharger.

 

[MoPowered]

Well, so far as tune-up kit’s there are a lot of option’s as you already know, and to tell you the “best ones” is subjective. As it’s trial and error and what you may have to do or change is personal choice. You can look for one with Factory wires, plugs, etc....or build your own kit. Which is what I suggest you look into. Get performance wires as they actually improve current flow, I would also look at a better plug maybe an NGK triple fire as they’ll ignite the fuel faster and improve combustion. You can even mess around with running a cooler plug with a larger gap.
You can also a index single electrode plugs to insure that the spark arc is facing towards the intake when you replace them, It’s an old Hot Rodder’s trick for better fuel burn. Switch your oil over to a full synthetic, if you haven’t already. Run some Berryman’s B-12 fuel system treatment, it works wonders to eat up the styrene and ethanol deposits from today’s gas, and it’ll clean the carbon deposits. Check your air filter, and if you don’t have one maybe purchase a CAI, check tire pressures, battery levels, and if you have a larger than stock exhaust say from a 2 1/2” to upgraded to a 3” that’ll sip a little bit more do to back pressure loss. That one is always overlooked. You do realize although these Power Wagon’s can turn and smoke 37’s easily that’s a lot of unsprung weight over the factory units and will def decrease mileage. My 12 PW with 37’s averages about what your getting normal but worse the more I’m in town driving I average about 7-8mpg.

 

[Trailmaker]

Hey y’all,

I’ve got a 2006 Powerwagon I need to do a tuneup on, and I’m looking for advice on the best complete tuneup kits.
There are about a dozen or more I’ve seen, but I’m looking for personal experiences on how the performance and gas mileage was affected.

I’ve seen a marked decline in gas mileage with my beast which, I’m running 37x13.5” Toyo MTs, so gas mileage hasn’t been the *best* but I was getting 12-15MPG. I’m now only getting 8-10MPG.
So, I’m looking to increase my MPG without decreasing my performance.
I’m also considering doing a pressure test in possible preparation for a procharger.

The 2006 run a 5.7 Hemi right? No engine light?
It takes 8 coil packs and 16 spark plugs (for sure on the 2011) you should change these out at 100k

that engine can get 65-67 hp added with new cams. (Comp cam) a little more envolved but you mention a blower.

Royal purple oil, gave it a little bump on my 2011. (This comment will probably open up a can of worms)

post a link of two of the kits you are referring too.

 

[LeesEvoX]

at 100,000 miles i did

1) Spark plugs
2) Coil packs
3) Engine oil and filter
4) Tranmission oil, and filter
5) Diff oil
6) Coolant flush and change
7) Brake flush and change

Other than that. a compression and leak down test (If that is what pressure test was referring to) would be the absolute best thing. As this will show you how healthy the engine is.

Also dont neglect suspension. joints, bushings, grease points. all should be checked!

 

[SeppW]

Stick with OEM plugs, wires, and coils. Air filter is toss up: AFE, Green filter, OE; paper, cotton, dry, oiled and I wouldn't waste money a "hi-performance" air box/intake or tuner. Once you start screwing around with stuff that allegedly modifies a stock engine in performance and promised huge HP gains only leads to bigger issues down the road I don't know if anything will improve Power Wagon MPG, especially if you have a heavy foot. Blowers are hard to justify on a stock engine. Not much gain in RWHP vs. cost and maybe a slight increase in MPG if driven easy. Make it safe and reliable to drive is your priority, and as others posted, includes drive line, suspension, brakes, oils, fluids, etc.

If you want HP, look at the TRX. It has a blown 6.2L and crazy HP. Motor Trend review here: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/1500/2021/2021-ram-1500-trx-first-look/.

 

[LeesEvoX]

Stick with OEM plugs, wires, and coils. Air filter is toss up: AFE, Green filter, OE; paper, cotton, dry, oiled and I wouldn't waste money a "hi-performance" air box/intake or tuner. Once you start screwing around with stuff that allegedly modifies a stock engine in performance and promised huge HP gains only leads to bigger issues down the road I don't know if anything will improve Power Wagon MPG, especially if you have a heavy foot. Blowers are hard to justify on a stock engine. Not much gain in RWHP vs. cost and maybe a slight increase in MPG if driven easy. Make it safe and reliable to drive is your priority, and as others posted, includes drive line, suspension, brakes, oils, fluids, etc.

If you want HP, look at the TRX. It has a blown 6.4L and crazy HP. Motor Trend review here: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ram/1500/2021/2021-ram-1500-trx-first-look/.

I thought the TRX used the hellcat motor? So 6.2l??

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[SeppW]

I thought the TRX used the hellcat motor? So 6.2l??

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I stand corrected; 6.2L. I was hunting and pecking in the dark.

 

[MoPowered]

And one other to really have you working on the details, try riding around with no more than 3/4 tank of has and never let it go below 1/8 tank, I know that’ll be hard to do being a gas guzzling, rock climbing, mud slinging, tire rippin’ beast, but the less weight the better and don’t let it get to low on gas as there be demons settled in down there and you might pick one up. And weigh your tire, one of mine mounted 37x12.50x17 on a 9” inch rim come’s in at about 110 lbs. So when you’re ready to get a new set look for what you need and then look at the lightest one in the style you want.

 

[LeesEvoX]

And one other to really have you working on the details, try riding around with no more than 3/4 tank of has and never let it go below 1/8 tank, I know that’ll be hard to do being a gas guzzling, rock climbing, mud slinging, tire rippin’ beast, but the less weight the better and don’t let it get to low on gas as there be demons settled in down there and you might pick one up. And weigh your tire, one of mine mounted 37x12.50x17 on a 9” inch rim come’s in at about 110 lbs. So when you’re ready to get a new set look for what you need and then look at the lightest one in the style you want.

Huh? There is so much contradiction in this post..

Also my last truck never had an issue running it down to empty, and filling it all the way up.

As long as you aren't mashing the has pedal with 30 miles left on the EVIC. The fuel pump will ne fine...

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[Trailmaker]

Huh? There is so much contradiction in this post..

Also my last truck never had an issue running it down to empty, and filling it all the way up.

As long as you aren't mashing the has pedal with 30 miles left on the EVIC. The fuel pump will ne fine...

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In a truck that is 14 years old, it is common not to run it down to empty so you don’t clog the fuel filter with trash or pull in water that might have accumulated over the years. For me I run my truck down 10-15 miles past zero almost once a month. Since I carry 5gals with me I’m not afraid to do this. And I change my fuel filter( if in-line) once a year. But there is a million people that don’t run below 1/8-1/4 for the sake of not “sucking up a demon”

 

[LeesEvoX]

In a truck that is 14 years old, it is common not to run it down to empty so you don’t clog the fuel filter with trash or pull in water that might have accumulated over the years. For me I run my truck down 10-15 miles past zero almost once a month. Since I carry 5gals with me I’m not afraid to do this. And I change my fuel filter( if in-line) once a year. But there is a million people that don’t run below 1/8-1/4 for the sake of not “sucking up a demon”

I have always run my vehicles down to nothing. never had an issue. given, my oldest car was like a 99 pontiac grandam.. So not SUPER old.

only time i had an issue was with my evo... but that was fully built. And it wasnt catastrophic because it was my lift pump in the stock gas tank which ran empty, and got too hot. but luckily i had a surge tank in the trunk with a big ass external pump feeding the motor. So i got lucky from that 2 gallon tank.

 

[MoPowered]

In a truck that is 14 years old, it is common not to run it down to empty so you don’t clog the fuel filter with trash or pull in water that might have accumulated over the years. For me I run my truck down 10-15 miles past zero almost once a month. Since I carry 5gals with me I’m not afraid to do this. And I change my fuel filter( if in-line) once a year. But there is a million people that don’t run below 1/8-1/4 for the sake of not “sucking up a demon”

Glad to see you all actually read the whole post and the fact that the OP’s truck is an 06, I would imagine it’s got some garbage in the tank, and I said that as someone that would run their vehicles down do just about empty the whole time. Well I learned my lesson with my 04’ GC sucked me a demon and clogged the fuel line. Being in New York, with the wild weather extremes and not really running my Power Wagon as a daily driver we get some condensation and I usually put some Stabil in it when the weather changes. The price is cheap and the piece of mind when it fires right up even after sitting for an extended period is worth it. And I was just offering up some possible’s as I think most of us do, when probably all of us have experienced **** with their trucks/cars that were troubling at first but with a little bit of prevention could have been avoided. Not too mention the pump will work harder to stay lubricated andy depending upon where it’s located in the tank you can get some starvation issues. But keep running them out you’ll be fine.

 

[Westwind1124a]

I wonder if she ever got her PW tuned up? just saying

 

[SeppW]

I wonder if she ever got her PW tuned up? just saying

Profile still says 1 post, who knows.