DIY/Cheaper Performance mods

[Snowmanak406]

So i have been perusing around looking for semi simple mods, and wanted to know about experiences with them.
initially i was looking at doing the "Keggar Mod" but it seems that its not really worth it to shorten the runners, i have seen lots of back and forth about it, at the moment my truck is pretty stock as far as engine goes, it does look like the previous owner installed a TB spacer, doesn't weigh enough for me to want to remove it. needing to double check on mine if it has it or not, but on that mod, he described the divider plate being a worthy of removal restriction. it makes sense to me to be the case anyway but it could be negligible, and also the injector bosses, smoothing/transitioning these, any point?
(yes i know the M1 or the hughes is going to increase performance more drastically, but the truck is parked for the moment and have time but not so much cash, i dont have 600$ for the hughes intake yet, and M1's are far and few between that i can find for sale)

also there is a mod i found on another forum:
https://www.ramforumz.com/showthread.php?t=46431

has anyone here tried this? again it seems to make sense the point behind it, and i am leaning towards trying it.

i do plan to get some headers as well but that is down the road.

Thanks for the input!

 

[KnurledNut]

I wouldn't be grinding anything off. It was designed for a reason.

 

[Snowmanak406]

That was my initial take on it, but looking at the performance throttle bodies, they were flat as similar to the ones shown on the DIY, the only down side that was determined in their findings was the vacuum sound. It makes sense to me anyway that grinding the flanges smooth would allow better airflow, if only for the air to flow between the outer bore and those tabs sticking up. Lots of either negative pressure on the outside or excess pressure caused by the air curling back into the stream coming into the butterflies.
My take on it anyway.
They also did design these engines with that terrible intake too, and they also designed smog heads on Chevys, it may have been designed that way to meet regulations/consumer friendliness over designed for use.

 

[crazykid1994]

I did the keg mod and it seemed to help a little in the top end. I only cut an inch off the inside and left the outside walls all the way so it was an angled cut. Didn’t notice any bottom end loss as I didn’t take much off like other people had done. Also swapped the belly pan with an aluminum pan to prevent oil consumption from blowing out the plenum gasket. Wanted to do shorty headers but sold the truck. High flow air filter as well. Ran a kn intake but seemed to get better fuel mileage with the stock box and drop in filter since the kn isn’t actually a CAI and the stock is

 

[Snowmanak406]

The K&N, if it is sealed properly it should be cold air right? Seems to me on the stock it gets really thin and restrictive. Am tempted to try making a filter box. Or modding one, dont know if I'd get a k&N I'd probably get a cheaper tube setup and get an AFE or K&N filter. I like the surface area of the AFE, and had one on my old truck, had to sell it shortly after. Good to know on the kegger, probably will hold out till just get a new intake.

 

[crazykid1994]

Not exactly. Most aftermarket intakes are sucking up that hot engine bay air unless they seal to the fender or away from the engine bay

 

[Snowmanak406]

The kits I've seen anyway have a box that sits where the OEM tube goes in and seals to the fender around that hole is why I ask.

 

[Snowmanak406]

also not exactly cheap (400$ on summitracing) was looking at Harland Sharp roller rockers with 1.7 ratios/ pedestal mounts. they look nice, anyone have any experience with them?

 

[dapepper9]

Don't bother with keg mods. They actually tend to lose tq and no amount of shortening the runners adds hp. That drop in tq tends to lead to a drop in hp across the board. Where people see an "improvement" is how it alters the curve. When it does make tq it's a steeper and shorter curve than the factory so they feel it come on more than the gradual way the factory is.

I myself run the 1.7 rockers from harland. Really nice quality but they're probably the last bolt-on I would do just because they don't do as much as the others. Especially not for the cost.

 

[Snowmanak406]

Ok thanks for the tip on the intake, I plan on getting long tube headers, am learning towards the pacesetters from summit, seems to be a good price. And am not finding many others. And a cold air intake. Was thinking the rockers as it seems no matter what build 1.7s are the way to go. Thanks again.

 

[dapepper9]

If you wanna save some cash, the Chinese have copied the pacesetter longtubes and sell their own now. For the same price as painted pacesetters you get the classic ebay stainless but they include the matching y pipe. Either way, don't use the hardware and gaskets that come with.

Another money saver. Stock intake is basically a cold air intake, put a k&n drop in filter in it for $50. The tube intakes you're really just getting more engine sound. Can also run a 14x3 round for that classic hotrod look. Those respond to throttle well because air travels a very short distance.

Lastly i would do a larger throttle body or a tune over the 1.7 rockers. The rockers are expensive for not a lot of gain. The throttle body will yield very similar results for less than $200. I like Hipotek. The tune would be your single greatest improvement and you can pick up 40-50wtq for not much more than the cost of the rockers. For that i like FRP Tuning

 

[Snowmanak406]

Thanks for the info on those headers, will look into those, I tend to like fel-pro gaskets for everything so I'd probably be getting those anyway. Are the stock TBs threaded for a stud to mount the round filter? Was thinking of trying that TB mod of grinding the air horns off. Have you seen that done or been able to see the results of that done?

 

[jessyj]

Ya you can fit a 14x2 max diameter air filter any thing taller won,t fit under the cowl. Also whats the name of these Chinese headers?

 

[dapepper9]

You can run a 14x3 with a drop base.

https://www.protuninglab.com/hds-dr9652l-y.html

 

[dapepper9]

Thanks for the info on those headers, will look into those, I tend to like fel-pro gaskets for everything so I'd probably be getting those anyway. Are the stock TBs threaded for a stud to mount the round filter? Was thinking of trying that TB mod of grinding the air horns off. Have you seen that done or been able to see the results of that done?

Yeah they are, dakotas used a different hold down that was really quite nice.

DodgeDude94 did the mod himself. He seems to like it well enough.

 

[Snowmanak406]

Luckily my truck has a 2 1/2" body lift so I have a bit more room in the engine bay if i do decide to go for the r don't normally like body lifts but for working on trucks they are quite nice (especially for transmission work).
Wow, that is not a bad price at all for those headers, 1 3/4" to 3" collectors should be more then plenty amount of flow.

my first truck was a 92 Dakota with the 318 in it, that i think had the round filter (it has been so long). which is the reason i started an account on this forum to begin with.
will say i still regret selling that truck but had a no-start issue and was moving.

 

[jessyj]

I did the tb mod years ago. Ground down the whole tb. There is not a performance gain. In my opinion. But my truck just runs a lot smother and better. In my opinion. Its just time with a grinder. And there millions at the junkers for cheap.

 

[dapepper9]

For less than 200 hipotek will give you a 53mm bore instead of the 48mm stock. For me personally, grinding isn't worth the effort but some guys like it.

 

[jessyj]

I live in Canada, its closer to $500 with all the duties and crap.

 

[Snowmanak406]

I dont mind grinding and Fabbing etc. What I have been reading is the stock TB necks down below the butterflies from 50mm to 47/48mm. And fastman/hipotec bore it out all the way through. I know where a late 2nd gen TB is I could score for cheap so I'm tempted to try this mod (not the boring unless I can find a good machine shop local to do it). And if I dont like it get a fastman/hipotec 52mm. Both seem to have good quality work. I like the indy intake for these off hipotec but that's a bit deeper in my pocket than I can reach right now.
I wasnt expecting much gain from the mod, but the quicker response is where it grabbed my interest.