Been a week since anyone's posted anything. Everyone that boring? lol Or is this weather really gettin' us that down. I think the ladder. I had to get my truck out for a spin after work. Ruff week, and I'm ready for some warm weather!

Sorry guys. I know I've been scarce around here. With the truck deal, a baby in my very-near future and this being a busy time RP-wise I've been the proverbial one-legged man in an ass kicking contest. I was at the shop until 5:30 am last Saturday morning and was back at 1 pm 'til 11 pm (early night) then had to come home and assemble a crib and dresser.

Contending with the time-consuming little things right now: throttle cable, fabbing a throttle bracket, fabbing an intake tube, fabbing a mount for the shaker on the 6.1 intake, location for the XFI and XIM, 9 billion feet of FAST harness, a 727 shift arm that grew legs and a tranny cooler that was crushed by a wayward SBF crankshaft - and I mean CRUSHED. It was ugly (don't ask). But with some help from Art and Summit, it's all good.

The engine is in!! As are the tranny, custom driveshaft and TCI shifter. I began the monumental process of running the FAST harness through the firewall tonight. I'm working with Hedman on some custom 1 7/8" headers (this may be an article in itself I'll pen for Mopar Action) and hopefully she'll be making some noise by the end of next week. At least I hope so. The drop-dead date for Sport Truck's 'Power' issue is April 3 and this thing is supposed to be done. I planned to go to Drag-a-palooza at HRP this Saturday (spectating), but I may have to be at the shop.

I can sleep when I die. :)

Oh yeah, the nitrous set-up? It's still on the truck. :) I also swapped out the Autolite plugs that came in the engine for a set of NGK 4306s gapped at .038". It's just for looks, though.

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2003 Ram
Arrington 426 stroker
TCI 727
FAST XFI
2006 Magnum R/T
Diablo
Flowmaster catback
Arrington heads/cam coming soon...
ARRINGTON POWER: When you're ready to get serious

Okay, figured I'd give you guys an update of what's happened in the last three weeks. The list doesn't do the labor justice, especially as it's been pretty much a one man show. I do have good pics - not as many as I would like to have, but enough to depict the interesting stuff. Lots and lots of late nights/early mornings over the last three weeks trying to work around my day job (that always seems to get in the way - what a PITA).

Engine installed (Arrington's alt. and compressor spacer bracket set-up is clean!)

Mopar flex plate installed

Power Master high torque XS starter installed

TCI 727 trans/ converter installed

Trans mount fabricated (needs paint)

TCI floor shifter installed

Linkage adjusted/set

Wiring for illuminated selector, tapped into factory wiring for functioning reverse lights and neutral safety switch

True dual 3" Flowmaster exhaust fabricated

Custom aluminum driveshaft installed

Battery relocated

Battery cables fabbed

Mopar '04 fuel pump installed (took some serious trimming)

FAST XFI and XIM mounted (brazenly on the glovebox door :))

FAST wiring routed (9 miles of f%&king wiring)

TCI trans cooler installed

Trans cooler 12" fan installed

Bumper modified to increase airflow to trans cooler

Trans dipstick installed, Lokar

Throttle linkage fabricated using a modified 36" Lokar LS1 cable

Throttle bracket fabricated/ modified FAST throttle body adapter

New Maradyne dual 15" Mach fan installed w/custom brackets

OE Shroud and washer reservoir eliminated/ brackets fabbed to retain OE expansion tank (formerly mounted to shroud)

Rear calipers ground to fit 16" wheels

Hedman 5.7 (shipped in error, no time to wait) hedder flanges modified (heavily) to fit ported 6.1 heads and 1 7/8" primaries

Bashed head into lift 17 times

Turned finger to hamburger grinding flanges

1 lb. of caliper dust inhaled (found the respirators shortly after)

Caught a falling tank strap with the bridge of my nose

11 trips to O'Reilly's

8 trips to NAPA

4 trips to Home Depot


Left to do:

finish header/ copper gasket fabrication
fab trans cooler lines
install FAST software on laptop and tune
install FAST software for the 'Silver Bullet' (TBA)
install secondary Hayden controller for Maradyne fan or wire both into FAST
wire trans cooler fan (thinking of having this run continuously)
fabricate new shaker hood brackets
fabricate new intake tube/ filter mounted in Shaker scoop
mount/balance/drill/screw Mickey Thompson slicks on Summit Al wheels
change gear oil/ inspect spider gears - stock diff may end up getting welded if I find what I'm expecting
install Snow Performance kit
install CalTracs
fabricate/install driveshaft loop
install battery

Save for the headers everything will be done by the end of next week, but the headers are looking good as well. The headers are equal length (31" primaries) and look sick! Tentatively, I'm looking to make a local show on the 30th after some track time on the 29th, so as of right now making the race on the 4th isn't an issue. The only wrench that could be thrown into this whole deal is the possibility that my son, due April 5, decides to enter the world a little early. I have a back-up shoe (local Pro Mod driver) lined up, but this could seriously handicap getting the truck done depending on when/if it happens.

We did fire up the engine briefly with open heads just to be sure we were on track with the FAST, new pump, starter alignment and new cables - compression seems lower than I expected from what I could gather in 50 to 100 revolutions, but it sounds pretty nasty.

Pics coming...

-Jared

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2003 Ram
Arrington 426 stroker
TCI 727
FAST XFI
2006 Magnum R/T
Diablo
Flowmaster catback
Arrington heads/cam coming soon...
ARRINGTON POWER: When you're ready to get serious