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03 4.7 ram 1500 issues

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  snrusnak 
#1 ·
Hey guys!
So I just bought a used 2003 Ram 1500 single cab short bed truck with just 50,000 miles on it.
Since I bought it, I came here and started looking at what would be some good bolt on mods for some HP gains.
I installed a K&N CAI, and put a cat back exhaust system on it.
My next move was the Superchips Flashpaq, so I ordered one and attempted to install it.
However....the Tuner was not working with my truck so I called SC and they informed me that on these trucks sometimes the Flashpaq will not talk to the onboard ECU which is the case with my truck.
We tried for about an hour to massage this thing to work with the ECU but it wasnt having it at all so I had to send the SC back yesterday.

Now I have a couple questions...
I have seen a lot of people have been replacing the stock intake with an 08+ intake manifold.
What all is needed to do this?
I have seen there is some sort of throttle body adaptor, and I would assume a gasket or two...and an 08+ intake manifold.
Is there anything else?

Also could I possibly replace the factory ECU and try the SC again? and if so are there any year models that arent plagued with this apparent voltage issue?

I have also thought about eventually replacing the engine with a 03 Hemi rebuilt motor...what all would need to be bought to accomplish this? add ons like things that bolt on to the motor.
Since my truck has such low mileage I think it would be a good investment to just work towards putting a Hemi in it and bypass all the futile attempts to get more power out of this motor.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, this is my first Dodge and I love the truck with the exception of having some minor electrical issue with it.
 
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#2 ·
Your best bet for power increase would be head work. The 08+ intake is good but your not getting a good bang/buck by the time you buy everything. An engine swap is doable but expensive and PITA. Dodge's computers are very sensitive, it's often hard to get everything wired and working correctly.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the response.
What would I need to do to the heads?
And would I have to buy a larger throttle body if head work is done?
Whats the cost for something like that?

Maddevil, I didnt get any error codes at all, SC just said it was a known problem and it just doesnt work if your truck has this issue...best bet is to try and resell it.
I know it sux, thats why I bought mine new, so I could return it if it didnt work....but then again I have bad luck.
I really wanted it to change shift points, I absolutely hate the transmission in my truck...its a mess and useless
 
#5 ·
You don't HAVE to do anything. It's all a combination, if you do the head work it will increase power. If you do the larger TB it'll add to the power increase. The more you do the more power, especially when you do things in combination that all work together. It's all about how much you want to spend.

You can buy the heads from airram, they are VERY good. You could also take your heads to a local shop and have them work them over(port, polish, larger valves, etc). You could also mill them to achieve slightly higher compression ratio. Head work is fairly expensive but gives great results.
 
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