It's time to turn the blue beast into a toy and have some occasional fun tearing up Bandimere. I'm going to need some help getting my truck there. First on the list need to be gauges, injectors and exhaust, because I need to pass emisions. Truck kicks out way too much black smoke as stock to pass, and the injectors are the likely culprit according to the dealer. Exhaust is cracked all the way around the muffler also.

I'm looking at a few of the modded 03's on here and wondering what differentiates mods geared toward pulling, and mods geared toward the track?

I'm looking to end up with the full monty; Smarty, TST, Flux injectors, Turbo(s) (need some serious help here), CP3 upgrade (prolly dual), Intake, Goerend Tranny....

So, first two problems to deal with:
Exhaust: At the altitude here in Denver, should I stick with my current 4" turbo back exhaust? would I loose too much in the low end wtih a 5"?

Injectors: Will going too agressive on the injectors before I get the rest of the truck in line create too much of a problem?

Transmission will be number 3 on the list as it's on it's last legs burning up fluid every 1-2k miles or so.

The last thing I'm going to need advice with Is the proper order to move on these mods once I can get the emissions under control. Any advice on shops in the area that really know how to bomb this model year?.

 

what emissions do you have to pass?

 

Colorado State emissions. I'm moving my registration up from TX. According to the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division Mobile Sources Program:

"The Diesel Opacity Inspection Program requires that eligible vehicles be inspected on an annual basis by private, state-licensed diesel inspection stations. New light-duty diesel vehicles are exempt from testing for four years. The program applies only to the Automobile Inspection and Readjustment Program area and utilizes a loaded mode dynamometer-based test."

Any loading on my truck, and it will smoke like a mad SOB. It definately won't pass an opacity test.

 

what makes it smoke, I dont see any mods on your sig? Get a Smarty and put it on 0 for smoke control...................and some fun

 

Dealer thinks it has one or two bad injectors. I had a Xillaraider XZT at one point, but I took it off long ago. At first, I thout that it was the cause, but I still smoke like mad. I'll black-out an intersection taking off at half throttle.

 

That's weird, even w/ DDP 90s my truck, it will barely smoke off the line. Are you the original owner and sure there's no programmers or injectors installed and your air filter is clean?

 

I bought the 409 exhaust thru Silverline went on easy and has held up,just remember the elbow on the turbo is 3.5" not 4" so if you are going all out you might want to change that.I would try some flux 1- 1.5 or something like that ,I don't think a stock cp-3 would hold up pressure.Definitely try the Smarty and get a better lift pump.

 

I think you need to move to somewhere else, diff state,

 

id recomend sticking with 4". keep the velocity up
switch to stock or mild tq management to controll smoke till the turbo catches up

 

THATS FUNNY MAN!!! Its not that bad here....well except for the whole loosing half a second in the 1/4 mile times....

 

Haha! Don't get smart with me... I've been to Missouri, I think I'll stay here! Only other place I'd rather be is Pacific NW or maybe Virginia Beach as a distant 3rd.

I'm not the original owner, but I've owned the truck the last 107k miles (bought it at 32k). It's been hella reliable up until now. Filter is clean. I'm guessing here, but I'm sure the injectors are fried as a result of a brand new Pilot Station f-up (in Missouri no less) where the diesel pump lines were crossed with gasoline, and I was 45 miles out of town when the truck let me know. Put another 60 to 80 miles on it running nothing but gasoline to get the heck outta nowhere to someplace where I could get my fuel tank drained.

Thanks for that advice BlueOx and gus's03. Well, I don't want to do expensive injectors twice. Think I should just bankroll the stock injectors and move up to what I want when ready?

 

What hp are you wanting to get too with your 03?

 

I had a modded 97 5sp when I lived in Arvada and I thought it ran really clean but it failed one year at the e-test location at 73rd & Sheridan - I still swear their machine was out of cal but it didn't do any good to argue with them. Anyway, the Front Range is pretty tough and you better be able to go back to the stock tune for the e-tests. It might also help if you can lower the speed limiter. Az doesn't do a dyno test but they make the driver floorboard it while they check opacity. I will definately lower the speed limiter next time! I really like my Predator/Puck/boost fooler but after trying every custom tune they have for it, I don't think I will use the Puck stack tunes cuz they have some great tunes just for the Predator. I get better E.T.s with the stack but driveability isn't as good on the craziest stack tunes but are good for racing. Craig

 

Hopper,
I just sold my 03 and it was a great runnin truck. If I were you I think I would start with getting a new head. The 03 have a real problem with there valve seals. It's well know and it's been covered here a lot. As a matter of fact Cummins stopped selling them and if you have a problem they make ya buy a new 05 style head. It has something to do with the steel that they cast the head from. It can't take the heat. When you start putting the fuel to it you will have trouble.
Good luck,
Topper

 

Honestly? As much as I could manage. Realistically, I wanted to shoot for 600-650 as my initial goal, then work up from there. I say realistically because I want to be able to keep it driveable, then turn up the tune for when I head over to the track.

C Schomer, That's one reason I'm seriously looking at the Smarty PoD and TST. As I understand, You can return them to stock tune, and even lower on the Smarty PoD when desired.

Topper, Thanks for the heads-up on the head. Actually, I haven't read that here yet, but I'll make a point to get familiar with it quickly.

I'll probably get started on modding the truck next month when I get back from my current project in Corpus Christi. I've got a decent budget to get started, and with pushing the injectors off a bit, that'll get me going on a lot of other things I want to get done. If I don't get started next month, I'll blow that stash-o-cash on a new Ducati and have to start saving all over again. Doh!

So, looking at an order of Intake, Exhaust, Built 48RE Transmission, Head & Studs, Smarty, TnT? That looking like the right order so far?