Pentastar performance upgrades

[Burla]

Gears dude, gears. Will be way faster with early power and will be able to tow around 2k pounds more, just by going to a 3.92. I never heard of anyone regretting the performance they get from gear upgrades, but tuners can be issues from time to time.

Peace B

 

[loveracing1988]

Gears dude, gears. Will be way faster with early power and will be able to tow around 2k pounds more, just by going to a 3.92. I never heard of anyone regretting the performance they get from gear upgrades, but tuners can be issues from time to time.

Peace B

The tow rating on the pentastar is already too high for that motor, you are not going to get another 2k in towing capacity.

 

[THETANK]

I don't think anyone said "make it as fast as a HEMI", just "where are the upgrades?"

Of course it's not going to be as fast as a HEMI. But if we'd wanted HEMIs, we'd have bought them. I'm just looking for a little more zip to go with my 25mpg.

needless to say once you put on performance mods for that "little more zip" you can say bye bye to 25 mpgs. In my first 4000 miles my Hemi hog is averaging a paltry 20.1 mpg and if I take it on our 6000 mile holiday I would expect to see very very close to 25 mpg. i ride the highways and byways of America at approximately 55-60 mph

 

[RAM_Designs]

needless to say once you put on performance mods for that "little more zip" you can say bye bye to 25 mpgs. In my first 4000 miles my Hemi hog is averaging a paltry 20.1 mpg and if I take it on our 6000 mile holiday I would expect to see very very close to 25 mpg. i ride the highways and byways of America at approximately 55-60 mph

Cruising 70-75 in mine and I can average 21+ running straight highways. But I usually pay close attention and will drop the cruise 1-2mph going up a hill so it's not trying to dig in too hard to maintain speed, and then get those 2mph back going down the hill where I never have to drop it out of MDS.

 

[darthdzl]

needless to say once you put on performance mods for that "little more zip" you can say bye bye to 25 mpgs. In my first 4000 miles my Hemi hog is averaging a paltry 20.1 mpg and if I take it on our 6000 mile holiday I would expect to see very very close to 25 mpg. i ride the highways and byways of America at approximately 55-60 mph

Again, comparison to the Hemi is not the point. But for the record, if I stay at 55-60, my Pentastar has been known to get 28-30.

So, once again, could we take this thread back to performance stuff for the Pentastar instead of comparing it to the Hemi? Burla's suggestion of 3.92 gears make a lot of sense on that front, even not being engine parts.

 

[loveracing1988]

Again, comparison to the Hemi is not the point. But for the record, if I stay at 55-60, my Pentastar has been known to get 28-30.

So, once again, could we take this thread back to performance stuff for the Pentastar instead of comparing it to the Hemi? Burla's suggestion of 3.92 gears make a lot of sense on that front, even not being engine parts.

I want to see that, my wife's jeep is 1000 pounds lighter and can't even get that with the same motor.

 

[darthdzl]

I want to see that, my wife's jeep is 1000 pounds lighter and can't even get that with the same motor.

Lemme see if I can get the time and in the right place to do a suitable run.

Not many 55mph roads around here; we tend to be in a hurry, so the freeways and most of the highways are 65-75. Last thing I wanna do is wear other cars as a tail ornament, or inspire some ******* to pass me in anger and wreck us both.

 

[Zeak]

I would stick to a tuner (when 2015 tuning is available) and maybe cold air intake if/when available and call it good. Gears will more than likely cause a hit in MPG which is why the V6 is purchased anyway. Not to mention cost as much as the V8 would have in the first place and you might be close to the MPG of a V8/3.21 combo without the benifits.

Nothing wrong with wanting a little more out of your engine but if you get to crazy you will likely take away from why you purchased the 3.6 in the first place.

 

[CMil527]

people still drive 55 on highways?? geez unless you roll out in the right lane with hazards on you wont last long in NJ!

 

[sbuko213]

people still drive 55 on highways?? geez unless you roll out in the right lane with hazards on you wont last long in NJ!

75 is slow on most of our highways. Posted limits don't mean **** in the Jerz.

 

[loveracing1988]

people still drive 55 on highways?? geez unless you roll out in the right lane with hazards on you wont last long in NJ!

I drive a 7000 pound truck, good luck with that unless you are driving a dump truck or a semi.

 

[sbuko213]

I drive a 7000 pound truck, good luck with that unless you are driving a dump truck or a semi.

The dumps and semis drive like that up here too. It's a Jersey thing.

 

[darthdzl]

I want to see that, my wife's jeep is 1000 pounds lighter and can't even get that with the same motor.

That was on city freeways, cruise at 72mph most of the way. Adjusted for EVIC inaccuracy, it's more like 27.5. All the way across the Phoenix area (Mesa to Peoria).

 

[RAM_Designs]

^^^your check engine light is on.

 

[loveracing1988]

^^^your check engine light is on.

I would guess it is because the engine is off...

 

[loveracing1988]

That was on city freeways, cruise at 72mph most of the way. Adjusted for EVIC inaccuracy, it's more like 27.5. All the way across the Phoenix area (Mesa to Peoria).

Call me a skeptic but I can show you the same thing with my truck with the right manipulation. Your distance until empty looks like you just filled up meaning it was reset and then driven to achieve maximum fuel economy, meaning you could have driven 45 mph for all we know. A video showing a constant mpg like that would be much better. You don't have anything to prove though, it is your truck so it doesn't matter what I think. There is a guy on the jeep forum who claims to get 25 mpg no problem in a Hemi grand cherokee and posted a video of himself doing it. His video showed driving in 100 degree heat going 55 mph litters lay feet from the backs of semi's, so not even close to real world, so any test can be rigged to show whatever result but of the people on here with v6 trucks your mileage is way above everyone else's. Which wither means you have a unicorn truck that just gets great mileage, or there is some funny math.

 

[SlowRoller]

I am aware of at least one person who has done cat back exhaust, K + N CAI, and I believe a tuner on his Penta-Ram.

That person is pleased as punch, and like many who add all that to their trucks, seems to feel a considerable change in output.

I would most likely start with a Tuner.

Due to the 'something just doesn't seem right' 180 degree turn in the PentaRams OEM intake system, I'd consider opting for a CAI. (I am not a fan of CAI's,,, Just don't like the 180 bend in the PentaRams Plumbing)

Unclear if I'd opt for exhaust,,,

As always, YMMV

 

[darthdzl]

Call me a skeptic but I can show you the same thing with my truck with the right manipulation.

Yes, and anybody can say anything on the Internet, true or not. I understand, and agree. I am being truthful, but you have no reason to believe that.

You can either believe me or not. I don't care, but if any of you comes to Phoenix, I can duplicate it for you upon demand. All that's required is a weekday sometime other than rush hour. (And my return trip today tickled the beginnings of rush hour.)

By the way, after the return trip home, here's the round trip numbers.



Again, subtract 1-1.5mpg for the real numbers; so again likely around 27.5mpg.

Cruise set on 66 about 2/3 of the way; the last 1/3 or so was "drive what you can". Approx 5 total miles of slow traffic, about a mile of stop and go. All freeway, except the first ~2 miles and the last ~2 miles.

It's all about keeping your foot off the "loud" pedal when you don't need it, and coasting in the stop-and-go **** as much as possible. But I would have likely done better if I'd come home earlier and avoided the stop-and-go; I could have kept my cruise on 66 all the way within a couple miles of my house.

 

[darthdzl]

I would guess it is because the engine is off...

Correct. On both occasions, it was after I'd turned off the truck, then turned it back to "on" to get the reading. Why waste the fuel idling while trying to take a pic?

 

[hotpotato]

Is there anybody out there that has done a catback exhaust addition on a 3.6L? I've only seen one review – it was a guy on Amazon that had purchased a Flowmaster Force II exhaust (I think) and he rated it very poorly.

I'm also curious about any fuel mileage changes after a K&N CAI. Thanks!