2014 Ram RC SWB 1500 4x4 Rebuild

[Wild one]

That was a good read. It's got me thinking about tapping and getting rid of that T-stat block as well! Finally the day has come to start the engine swap this week end!

Awright,you must be looking forward to it .

 

[MOPAR78]

Indeed!! I got 3+ hours start on her today. I hope to have it out tomorrow!

 

[MOPAR78]

Several hours later, almost ready to pull!




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[MOPAR78]

I finally got the old engine out today and before starting the new install tomorrow, I'm going to pressure wash the engine bay first. I messaged Ryan at FRP to see if the spark plugs in it would be sufficient, he recommended a step colder (5 to a 6 & gapped to .030) so I swapped them while it was easier to get to.

 

[MOPAR78]

10 hrs later and she is in! I have 4 days off next week end. I hope to be able wire, plumb, & rewrite the 1st tune. If all goes well MAYBE I'll take her on the first run, do a scan and send it back to FRP to fine tune her. Can't wait!

 

[Ghost1500]

Lookin' good! Nice build!

Best regards,

-Mike

 

[MOPAR78]

I took the day off from work to get 8+ hours on the install yesterday. I bypassed the transmission cooler at the 3 way valve, installed an extra **** for the second AFR (I want to monitor both banks), installed the headers, swapped the engine t-stat from 203* to a 180* just to name a few things. I had to swap the Hobbs switch with the boost switch because of clearances. When I put the belt on, it was super tight then it dawned on me that it was because of oversized ATI damper. I'll get a bigger belt today. I reconnected the AC compressor and will pull a vacuum today. I don't know how you can pull the engine without removing it. I had to disconnect the steering wheel shaft just to get the dip stick installed. It's moving along but I have a ways to go.

 

[MOPAR78]

Yesterday was chore day so I only got a few hours on her. I got the correct size belt (from a 93-1/16" to a 94-1/2") to make the ATI 6% over drive damper work correctly with the rest of the belt system. I also prepped up a s work, the return fuel system. The bed is raised to gain access to the pump and I made my own return line in the tank to release the fuel at the bottom of the tank.

bit for today'

 

[MOPAR78]

Yesterday was a short one due to feeling Ill. I did get the AC vacuum pulled, tested & filled with as much Freon that it would take. I'll top it off when it's running. I wired up the Whipple intercooler pump harness. Also I found a spot for the fuel pump controller and an access gusset just under driver’s seat and routed the wires thru it.

 

[MOPAR78]

Today I got up at 4:26 am and it was another short one, after all it is Labor Day. I got allot of the plumbing done on both the fuel and PVC to oil cans. I got to pick up some better hoses because the one's that came with the kits look like garden hose. Also I need a "1/4" T" to point the fuel gauge up on the pressure regulator and connect the inside gauge. I was hopeful to be further along but I'm not going to rush it. I'm trying to get it right the first time.

 

[Wild one]

Today I got up at 4:26 am and it was another short one, after all it is Labor Day. I got allot of the plumbing done on both the fuel and PVC to oil cans. I got to pick up some better hoses because the one's that came with the kits look like garden hose. Also I need a "1/4" T" to point the fuel gauge up on the pressure regulator and connect the inside gauge. I was hopeful to be further along but I'm not going to rush it. I'm trying to get it right the first time.View attachment 501602View attachment 501603View attachment 501604View attachment 501605View attachment 501606View attachment 501607

Looking good Ronald,and you're on the right track with taking it slow and easy,and doing it right the first time around.I'm looking forward to when you get it back up and running.

 

[MOPAR78]

This past weekend I got the catch cans tied in along with the fuel pump installed and lines run. I was able to raise the bed up about 16"s and removed the drive shaft along with some of the exhaust. This gave me enough room to safely access the pump. I had to slightly modify the pump to get it in and the fuel level sensor secured better. I tied the original pump circuit to the Fore controller to control pump 1 and pump 2 thru the Hobbs switch. I installed the controller behind the driver’s seat. I installed the first tune (pre tune rewrite) and had hoped it would have disabled the fuel pressure sensor. It didn't so that will need to be address so it does not shut that circuit down after 3 seconds.


I made a temporary fused jumper to test the pumps, check for leaks and flush the lines for 20+ minutes. No issues. I turned up the fuel regulator to Whipple’s suggestion, factory 58 psi. I'm surprised how quite they are. I plan on running indicator lights so that I can monitor the pump activities and make sure the Hobbs switch is doing its job.
Getting closer!

 

[Wild one]

This past weekend I got the catch cans tied in along with the fuel pump installed and lines run. I was able to raise the bed up about 16"s and removed the drive shaft along with some of the exhaust. This gave me enough room to safely access the pump. I had to slightly modify the pump to get it in and the fuel level sensor secured better. I tied the original pump circuit to the Fore controller to control pump 1 and pump 2 thru the Hobbs switch. I installed the controller behind the driver’s seat. I installed the first tune (pre tune rewrite) and had hoped it would have disabled the fuel pressure sensor. It didn't so that will need to be address so it does not shut that circuit down after 3 seconds.


I made a temporary fused jumper to test the pumps, check for leaks and flush the lines for 20+ minutes. No issues. I turned up the fuel regulator to Whipple’s suggestion, factory 58 psi. I'm surprised how quite they are. I plan on running indicator lights so that I can monitor the pump activities and make sure the Hobbs switch is doing its job.
Getting closer!


View attachment 502268View attachment 502269View attachment 502270View attachment 502271View attachment 502272

Ronald you should upgrade you're electrical connections to a solder/shrink wrap connection,Scotchlock connectors leave alot to be desired in an automotive application

 

[MOPAR78]

Ronald you should upgrade you're electrical connections to a solder/shrink wrap connection,Scotchlock connectors leave alot to be desired in an automotive application

I agree! None were used. I purchased the wire kits along with the MMX pump. Where they terminate to the controller in the cab, I soldered the ends before inserting and tightening them down. The temporary switched power at the old pump power connector was butt spliced & wrapped with electric tape. I'll redo that one if Ryan can delete the fuel pressure sensor. In the tank where the fuel level sensor had to be connected, I made sure to use shrink wrap. The crappy picture is misleading. Thanks for the comment though! I always try to solder and shrink wrap my connections. The speaker wire is the temporary jumper.

 

[MOPAR78]

It was a long weekend but she's running! Sent my first VCM scan to FRP yesterday evening (Sunday) and received a file back at 12:44 (Eastern Time). Now that's service! Ryan is living up to his reputation! Can’t wait until the fine tuning is complete and she's ready for some WOT pulls. I plan on only doing WOT for the VCM scan. Until she has 1,000+ break in miles and an oil change, I'll take it easy on her.

 

[MOPAR78]

I took her to work this morning. What a nail biter. I bet I made 10 + stops to check everything out in the 60+ mile drive. Everything went well and so far, she's purring like a kitten (Hell Kitten)! I have sent off the second scan to FRP and will load the adjusted tune as soon as I get it if there are no issues.


The gauge readings are when cruise control is set to 77mph and just cruising along.

The top gauge is Vac/Boost at -8.1. The second one down is fuel pressure 61 psi.

The third left is AFR left bank and the right one is the right bank. I'm planning on tapping into the Whipple intercooler and adding a temp gauge to keep an eye on that as well.




It was 65* outside air and these are the dashboard readings.
Coolant was at 188*, trans temp at 129, oil temp 210 (got to get a cooler & dual filter relocate set up to bring that down a bit) and oil pressure steady at 75 psi, upper 50's when at idle.

 

[MOPAR78]

It's been 4 weeks and close to 3,000 miles logged on the new engine and she's defiantly exceeded my expectations. Thanks to Ryan & Cody at FRP she's ran flawlessly since the first start. I also want to thank the experts on here for their opinions and guidance! You too Rick for helping me to spend my money lol! I'm having to relearn my driving habits to keep her from getting sideways too much. So far the peak boost has been 9.3 psi. Gas mileage average is 16+/- MPG. I'm overall pleased with the results.


After I get my funds back up I'll continue with the mods. Paint job, suspension and front/rear end upgrades just to name a few.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Wild one]

It's been 4 weeks and close to 3,000 miles logged on the new engine and she's defiantly exceeded my expectations. Thanks to Ryan & Cody at FRP she's ran flawlessly since the first start. I also want to thank the experts on here for their opinions and guidance! You too Rick for helping me to spend my money lol! I'm having to relearn my driving habits to keep her from getting sideways too much. So far the peak boost has been 9.3 psi. Gas mileage average is 16+/- MPG. I'm overall pleased with the results.


After I get my funds back up I'll continue with the mods. Paint job, suspension and front/rear end upgrades just to name a few.

Thanks again everyone!



View attachment 504659

Time for a pass down the track to see how quick she is Ronald I know i'm curious

 

[MOPAR78]

Time for a pass down the track to see how quick she is Ronald I know i'm curious

I'm curious too. She's handicapped a bit with the 4x4 added weight, 37" tires & 3.21 gears. A gear swap & proper tires would yield better results. Maybe one day!

 

[MOPAR78]

I have been tweaking her a bit. The FC3 module was chattering under WOT. I had to relocate the Hobbs switch from off the engine to the fuel regulator. With FRP's help, the check engine light is all cleared out. Also Whipple sent me some restrictor inserts for the superchargers bypass valve to smooth out the Vacuum to boost transition. Right now she’s a bit touchy and likes to surge to quick. Also I'm now seeing peak boost at 10.1 psi.