Golden Collection of Viper Tricks, Traps and Lessons…

[DAMN YANKEE]

GenII - Getting a wire/cable into the cockpit

Anybody about to do any serious customizing may wonder what the best way is to get a wire or small diameter cable into the cockpit interior from the engine bay. There are a number of ways of doing this, some drill holes through the fire wall, some use the proceedure I'm about to describe, some even use wireless communication (Bluetooth, mostly) to do this.

I use the method that routes the wire behind the small panel infromt of the driver's door and then make a small insertion into the grommet that carries the door wires into the main cabin. It results in a failsafe, clean, safe, waterproof way to get the job done.

Your going in through this path....right to the fuse panel...nice!

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We start by taking off the small panel infront of the door.

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Mark the location of the rear driver side hood hinge and remove it. Watch out for all the washer and bady panel locators. Make notes for reassembling them in the right order..

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Carefully remove the grommet feeding the door wires into the cockpit and "notch" the bottom (important, for waterproofing) part of the grommet just enough to get your wires through. Reseal with silicon.

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Button the panel back on and your good to go!

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Check for all clearences before your done..

 

[TS6]

Great thread!

I ran my wiring through the boot where the clutch master cylinder goes through the firewall, simple and fast!

 

[Jeff Torrey]

I tried to scan the whole thread first but here goes. BUY YOURself some new tires! Look it's not a Vette and nobody gives a rats asp if'n you gots your stock tires on dat dare Viper youze a drivin', cuz your going to loose control of your baby unless you put some new rubber to the road.

Pretty simple when your driveshaft measures about 12 inches, that the power is put directly to the pavement.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

When you put on any cat back exhaust remember that the clamps will need to be retightened after they have gotten quite hot and cooled all the way back down a couple of times.


A very common error is to mount the new exhaust system and then not allow the pipes/clamps/cats/muffs to heat cure. The fact is that most cat back systems will literally pour water out of the clamps until they have had enough heat cycles to be clamped down tightly. Now this is a bit of a trick because you can run into big trouble if you run around town and then sit still with your sills off...you can melt your doors.

What one should do is mount the system on with the intent of spending a couple of hours getting the system hot, allow them to cool (fans...big fans) do your clamping to torque. Note, folks, I was told to go 15 ft pounds higher on my Corsa clamps..by Corsa themselves to stop the water. Clamp rotation is very important as well. Follow your directions.

The myth that Roe Racing Sill wrap burns is just that, a myth...ceramics can't burn.
The myth that Roe Racing Sill wrap promotes rust is just that....99% of the water that causes that rust is pouring out of the clamps for the very reason stated above.
A good safety measure is to cut a small path in Roe Wrap right under any wrapped clamps to allow a path for water to travel out in case you blew the clamping part.
Take your sills off every now and then and check your clamp torque..


My system runs bone dry...in wrap...its cool and trouble free.

 

[TS6]

I remember one thing I wanted to add to this thread, maybe someone can incorporate it into a shifter install pictorial or something. Everything I read about swapping shifters said that it was easier to do from the bottom, which I believe. They also said getting to the bolts was a pain, and a swivel headed gear wrench made it easier. I figured out an even easier way: Have a buddy get in the car with a ratchet, extension, and universal joint, and he can loosen and install the bolts from the top while you help him locate the bolt heads. Waaay easier than trying to unscrew them from below.

 

[plumcrazy]

The myth that Roe Racing Sill wrap promotes rust is just that....99% of the water that causes that rust is pouring out of the clamps for the very reason stated above.

Sorry, but i TOTALLY disagree with this....

 

[Sweet Ride]

Here's a couple more:

Drive Your Viper: It wants it. It needs it. It loves it. If you can't drive your Viper year round because of weather, consider moving to a warmer/drier climate. Your Viper will return the favor to you by putting a giant smile on your face every time you hit the loud pedal...

Feed your Viper: Viper's dine best on Z06's, Supra's, Porche's, Nissan Z's and most other vehicles on the road. And remember, beating that '94 Civic off the line is not nearly as cool as you might think...

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Selecting Exhaust system, Cats and Headers...

Hang out long enough (5 minutes) around here and you will be asked to comment on which cat, cat back, header, muffler, etc. etc. etc. is the right one for you. You've seen 'em, they come in droves. Hey, its a bolt on and it changes something fast that everybody can hear......

Regardless of which brand, what materials, which component to start with, there is one Golden Rule that is so grossly overlooked that it deserves special mention....

If you are going to select your exhaust system or any of its components by the way it SOUNDS...judge it by WHAT IS HEARD FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT. Do not select your system by how it sounds as it drives by as....you got it...you won't be hearing and living with it from there...unless you left your rig running in San Fran and forgot to pull up the parking break......then..that would be your rig you hear just before it hits the trolley...But, it sounded SO good before the screaming started.

Sound great outside.....best bet is that it will sound grating on the inside......Sound great on the inside....best bet is that YOU WILL BE HAPPY WITH IT.....

.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

From LUC, another very helpful list of the parts required for the 998 receall on GENIIs.

"The recall is good forever, meaning no expiration date but, it's a different story for the parts needed to do it, the manufacturer do not have a obligation to stock them forever and once they are NLA ,you're screwed.
As some other have suggested, you should get all the recall parts for free (it's what I did for #999 on my 00GTS) and just keep them.
For #998 you need a bunch of parts and the recall instructions is 74 pages long
Parts needed:


CAAP9984 DIFFERENTIAL FRAME BRACKET REPAIR PACKAGE
INCLUDE:
DIFFERENTIAL FRAME REINFORCEMENT PLATE
DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING BRACKET
DIFFERENTIAL MOUNTING BRACKET GUSSET

CAAP9985 REAR TOE LINK BRACKET ASSEMBLY

CAAP9986 FUEL TANK ACCESS PANEL PACKAGE (GTS ONLY)
INCLUDE:
SERVICE PANEL
RIVETS (24)

CAAM9981 STEERING REINFORCMENT PACKAGE
INCLUDE:
STEERING GEAR CROSSMEMBER REINFORCMENT
RIGHT SIDE FRAME RAIL GUSSET
LEFT SIDE FRAME RAIL GUSSET
STRUCTURAL STEEL RIVETS (24)

CAAP9982 DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCMENT PACKAGE
INCLUDE:
DIFFERENTIAL SUPPORT BRACKET
DIFFERENTIAL "Z" BRACKET
DIFFERENTIAL SUPPORT BRACKET BOLT
DIFFERENTIAL SUPORT BRACKET NUT
STRUCTURAL STEEL RIVETS (10)

CAAM9983 STEERING GEAR CROSSMEMBER ASSEMBLY"

Thanks!

 

[Dustman]

Most likely will help. Best (not easist, but best) way to reset PCM is to access the battery and ground the POSITIVE battery cable to the frame (per Chuck Tator). I replaced my battery last week and did this before putting everything back together. Car has run flawlessly.

p.s.--You didnt install a Optima redtop did you? If so, when you access the battery to reset the PCM, go ahead and return the Optima and get a different brand. You can do this now or in 4-6 months when the battery dies and you get stranded somewhere

FANTASTIC thread - superb Infos

Question though, WHAT appears to be the problem with the Optima Red Tops ? Is the depletion problem because they are 'gel' and not acid ? Just curious (again)

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

Living in the Phoenix metro area, and having tempatures like today's 111 degrees, I have saved my self a great deal of frustration by "always" using the battery tenderr on the viper after each drive. My previous Viper (94) had the same red top optima battery in the car for 7 years! Yes, 7 years! Never a problem, and would have kept going had the car not been totaled. I now place the battery tender on all my cars after driving! This "saves" the battery. The average battery lasts less than 18 months in the Valley of the Sun, due to the excessive heat in the summer. My experience with the 94 Viper was my wakeup call to use the battery tender on all the cars. Use in on my 05 Viper now.....it's worth the little bit of time after each drive to plug it in!

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

Whoops......noticed I misspelled "temperature!!!! on the last thread......sorry, I really am "edjumicated!"

 

[transamer79]

HOCKEY PUCK TIRES – Are fun for burn outs and figure eights. They will kill you for road racing. Change your tires when they turn hard no matter how much it costs. If you can’t afford tires, you should be driving a vette.



VETTES –They are lower than a normal car so they are difficult to see, you will find them in your rear view mirror. Wave if you want, they appreciate that and makes them feel like they too have a performance car too.

U sound like an idiot down playing vettes like that. I think its great that you want to boast about the viper but you can do it without talking **** about vettes. P.S. My vette will stomp all over your viper and the tires cost more than viper tires. 305/30/zr19 in front and 355/25/zr19 out back. U just sound ignorant. I love both cars and talk only good about vipers even though i could go down a list of great viper flaws that the vette does not posses. Please stop sounding ignorant, you are making viper owners look bad.

 

[HI-NOS-Viper]

U sound like an idiot down playing vettes like that. I think its great that you want to boast about the viper but you can do it without talking **** about vettes. P.S. My vette will stomp all over your viper and the tires cost more than viper tires. 305/30/zr19 in front and 355/25/zr19 out back. U just sound ignorant. I love both cars and talk only good about vipers even though i could go down a list of great viper flaws that the vette does not posses. Please stop sounding ignorant, you are making viper owners look bad.

Last I checked this was a VIPER forum not a vette forum. You want boasting about the vette go to the vette forums please. Oh and by the way the vette is by no means perfect either. Oh im sorry wasn't it in the road and track 200mph shootout they couldnt even compete against the viper and Veyron. Thats right the vette was broke down. I am a fan of both cars but man are you in the wrong forum if you want vette love.

 

[transamer79]

Im not looking for vette love, im just saying the op sounds "real cool" putting down the vette and saying its not a real sports car. I am on this forum because i was serious about purchasing a viper for the last three months and i have nothing but great words for this forum. 99 percent of the members are great guys who helped me throughout the process of looking for my first viper and im extremely appreciative for it. When i posted on the corvette forum that i was going to purchase a viper those guys had nothing but good words and encouragement because they appreciate all great cars. I think its fine to boast about how great vipers are (if i had decided on a viper i would too) but i would never start badmouthing other cars because they were "inferior" in some eyes.

 

[chimazo]

Probably half of Viper owners own or used to own a Corvette...

 

[topsnake]

FOREIGN VIPER OWNERS – Get extra attention and support. Be generous with anyone living overseas and driving an American Viper. Offer to help them get products and clear customs on shipments. They represent us in lands where people still think that BMWs, Porches and Ferrari’s are competitive. Besides, they are far less confused than Americans driving the aforementioned vehicles over here.

That's how I learned to know you, Damn One.
I appreciate the quote and vice versa I offer my help as a German in Germany for everybody reading this.
Regarding business and non-business affairs.
btw... We pay 1.60 EUR, what is about 2,50 USD per litre of 98 octane fuel! What do you pay in the US?
As far as I know, we Germans have the highest prices in Europe (or the world?)...

Drive Viper, be happy
Dennis

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

True story...

The guy that sat to the right of me when I was a Sloan Fellow at MIT was head of engineering at GM. Nicest guy in the world. He onced asked me what I thought of the Vette and I answered him as truthfully as I could. "The biggest problem, as I see it, is that you just can't look intelligent driving in a Corvette", said I. He answered "I can't fix that".

He was that smart....and honest.

Transamer, no insult intended here, I'm sure they are still working on it...really, no seriously.

 

[01ACR/VIPER]

He answered "I can't fix that".

He was that smart....and honest.

Transamer, no insult intended here, I'm sure they are still working on it...really, no seriously.

Now thats funny I don`t care who ya are.

 

[ViperTony]

Im not looking for vette love, im just saying the op sounds "real cool" putting down the vette and saying its not a real sports car. I am on this forum because i was serious about purchasing a viper for the last three months and i have nothing but great words for this forum. 99 percent of the members are great guys who helped me throughout the process of looking for my first viper and im extremely appreciative for it. When i posted on the corvette forum that i was going to purchase a viper those guys had nothing but good words and encouragement because they appreciate all great cars. I think its fine to boast about how great vipers are (if i had decided on a viper i would too) but i would never start badmouthing other cars because they were "inferior" in some eyes.

Don't let a few overzealous Viper owners get to you...I do like the Vette but I love the Viper. Call it narrow-minded but back in '06 I was ready to order a new Z06. During the course of that week, I kept seeing Vette's driven by 70+ somethings and it completely turned me off. I attended a local Viper event and that changed me forever. For the longest time I thought a free AARP membership came with each Vette purchase. But in all seriousness, I've been hanging out a local cruise ins and it's pretty cool to see young Vette owners as passionate about their cars as we are with our Vipers. Respect.

 

[ViperTony]

True story...

The guy that sat to the right of me when I was a Sloan Fellow at MIT was head of engineering at GM. Nicest guy in the world. He onced asked me what I thought of the Vette and I answered him as truthfully as I could. "The biggest problem, as I see it, is that you just can't look intelligent driving in a Corvette", said I. He answered "I can't fix that".

He was that smart....and honest.

Transamer, no insult intended here, I'm sure they are still working on it...really, no seriously.

DY...you must have an interesting life...Observatories, Sloan Fellow at MIT, Wood Pellet king, etc. Is there anything you haven't done? I hope to read an autobiography from you some day.

 

[transamer79]

I hear what youre saying Tony, The main reason i was trying to stay away from getting back into a vette was the fact that the production numbers are so high and you see them as frequent as you see hondas. I love the exclusivity of the viper and that was the biggest turn on for me but for the amount of driving i want to do its not very practical. I eneded up getting very lucky and finding a very unique and very high preformance vette that fit all of my needs and carries that "wow factor" that you dont see with a regular vette. I will post pics and a description when the car is delivered on the 25th. (the shipping co. picks it up today in Cali and it makes its week long trip to NY)

P.S. I know i dont look smart driving a vette, nobody does. I would look stupid driving Einstein's Benz. lol

 

[georgethedog]

I hear what youre saying Tony, The main reason i was trying to stay away from getting back into a vette was the fact that the production numbers are so high and you see them as frequent as you see hondas. I love the exclusivity of the viper and that was the biggest turn on for me but for the amount of driving i want to do its not very practical. I eneded up getting very lucky and finding a very unique and very high preformance vette that fit all of my needs and carries that "wow factor" that you dont see with a regular vette. I will post pics and a description when the car is delivered on the 25th. (the shipping co. picks it up today in Cali and it makes its week long trip to NY)

P.S. I know i dont look smart driving a vette, nobody does. I would look stupid driving Einstein's Benz. lol

I am happy for you. Sounds like you found a good compromise. I will be waiting for the WOW FACTOR pictures. Did someone add a 1970 style Dodge Daytona wing to the back or something...

 

[thebigsnake]

Somebody actually took offence from the 'Vette joke??
Yeah, it'll always be a watered down mass appeal, mass production sports car no matter what the specs show. Sorry.

Here's one more for the Golden collection: Try to access the interior of your Viper through the passenger door as much as possible. You'll spend less time re-soldering the wires in the door hinge harness of the driver's door.

 

[jdeft1]

Don't try to drain your radiator by removing the drain plug...just remove the bottom hose and clean the mess. The plug my seize and you'll break it off the bottom of the radiator.... $700+ for a new radiator.

When closing a gen 1 hood be certain that both front latches are secured!! Even driving out of you garage will cause stress cracks over one of them otherwise.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

JDEFT1, check out #26 on this thread....radiator already there...you still owe us a good one! :>


Did you loosen and retighten every wheel nut on your car this year?
If not you should, every year, for inspection and proper torque.

 

[Lawrenzo]

Did you loosen and retighten every wheel nut on your car this year?
If not you should, every year, for inspection and proper torque.

And remember, our lug nuts have more torque than Honda's V-tech motor. So make sure you get it right

 

[jdeft1]

OK...another try.. 1st to 4th shifting is easily thwarted by following the directions found in the "how to" section. Just get under it and remove the connector plug from the skip shift solenoid on the side of the tranny. How did I know that without joining the club??? hummm

 

[RTTTTed]

OK...another try.. 1st to 4th shifting is easily thwarted by following the directions found in the "how to" section. Just get under it and remove the connector plug from the skip shift solenoid on the side of the tranny. How did I know that without joining the club??? hummm

And ... in areas where your car won't pass inspection with a check engine light you can buy an intermediate connector ($50) and read the instructions in Illustrated Upgrades, ... or search the thread that states what resitance factor (and resistor bacn colors) to be used in the end of the solenoid connector to removed that pesky CEL while allowing the skip-shift solenoid to be disconnected. My cost for a package or resistors was $4.00

Ted

 

[RTTTTed]

1. Roe Racings front fascia scoop is a good way to optimize the aerodynamics and engine cooling efficiency of your Gen 2 Viper. Very cheap and excellent results.

2. Gen 2 13" brakes are inferior to the Gen 3's 14" brakes. Both Gen 2 GTSs I purchased used came with aftermarket pads and lightweight slotted/drilled rotors with cooling vanes. Although these rotors do improve brakeing, installing 14" lightweight front brake kit (like the Roe Racing one on my GTS) makes a very noticeable difference in stopping. 9# per rotor are also a big improvement.

3. Although the Vipers come with an Alpine stereo and amp the stock speakers do **** in the Gen2s. Upgrading just the speakers will double the quality of the stereo sound.

4. Although there is tons of headroom in the coupe and GTS (double bubble roof design) for tall people the traffic lights are easier to see if the seat belt track is reshaped to lower the seat by an inch (see Illustrated Upgrades).

5. Bringing a US Viper into Canada requires Day Time Running Lights to be installed. The Mopar module from a Neon (junkyard) can be purchased and used or you could hard wire a "Key-on" wire to the correct terminal of the fog lamp relay (in the PCM). See Illustrated Upgrades.

6. Although the Gen 2 healights were state of the art at THAT time, HID kits work well in the Gen2s. After installing Low Beam HID I ordered and installed high beams also. HUGE difference! See Illustrated Upgrades.

7. Because speeding tickets are now considered a Tax radars are everywhere and speed cameras are becoming common in mostw states. A few states and Ontario disallow radar detectors so I recommend the Passport ****** 9500 Custom Instal with GPS. I recommend the SRX unit if price is a factor. Both are hidden built in units that come with Laser scramblers. Both Bell sti and ******'s 9500i are portable units with FREE web updateable GPS Speed Camera locations to save you money. 2 tickets equals a good radar detector price.

8. The Gen 2 engines dyno about 410rwhp while the Gen4 engines dyno 550rwhp. Adding a 5# Roe sc will increase the hp and torque to more than the Gen 4. The Roe sc makes torque and huge power increases before 2,000rpm while maintaining stock fuel mileage of 20-22mpg. Many Roe superchargers last well past 100,000 miles before rebuilding (rebuilding cost approx.$750). Some owners prefer the Paxton Centrifugal supercharger because they like the nearly stock performance at lower rpms for easier control while street driving. Both systems are about the same price except Paxton instal is more than double the time.

Ted