Need help with list of preventative maintence items and mods.....

[Invasivore]

I'm going to change every fluid in the car since I just bought it. I have a 98 GTS. I was wondering if you guys could help me with a few different items. Not sure which is the best for Vipers. Any input is appreciated. I like Amsoil for somethings, but not everything.

Rear end fluid (also which viscosity)
Coolant
Tranny fluid
Power steering fluid
Brake fluid
Where are the grease fittings for lube?
I also heard about a heater hose clamp that fails, but not sure what people are talking about.



I'm also going to change or add:

Oil/oil filter (Amsoil)
Thermostat/gasket/upper coolant hose/temp sender (OEM)
fuel filter (OEM)
Power steering bracket/pulley (billet)
Power steering vent tube
Quality wires/Champion plugs
ATI harmonic balancer/ pin bolt
New belt (OEM)
Check motor mounts
Optima battery
New front tires


Mods:

HID lights and fogs (which ones are best?)
cat delete pipes (not sure what it looks like under the sills, any words of wisdom?)
Vipair
Shifter (B&M or Hurst?)
Tune by Doug Levin



Any other words of wisdom or additional changes are appreciated.

 

[APGTS]

Subscribing. . .

 

[Viper Parts of America]

We always recommend factory fills for fluids and general maintenance items. Tested extensively before approval to be used in the Viper to begin with, there is a reason the manufacturer stands behind them. With that in mind, here is our take on at least some of your list:

Rear end fluid (also which viscosity) - Mopar Synthetic Gear & Axle Lubricant (SAE 75W-140)
Mopar Limited Slip Additive - while not on your list, it is a must-have when you change your differential fluid. Without it you will most likely experience excessive noise and clunking from the rear end even with brand-new gear lubricant. We have first-hand experience with this and it is cheap insurance.
Coolant - Traditional "green" antifreeze is the factory fill and one of the keys is to make sure that you mix it with distilled water for best protection - tap water has minerals that can increase corrosion pretty quickly.
Tranny fluid - Mopar Synthetic Manual Transmission Lubricant - SAE 75W - 85
Power steering fluid - 1998 and later models should use an ATF+4 formula
Brake fluid - This will depend on your driving style (track?), but use at least a DOT 4 fluid for a higher boiling point
Where are the grease fittings for lube? (we will get some pictures for you as we will have a '98 Viper in the garage later today)

I'm also going to change or add:

Oil/oil filter (Amsoil) - Mopar offers a Viper-specific filter that the engineers stand behind when they recommend a filter.
Thermostat/gasket/upper coolant hose/temp sender (OEM) - the factory upper hose is still available from Mopar, while the lower is not
fuel filter (OEM)
Power steering bracket/pulley (billet)
Power steering vent tube
Quality wires/Champion plugs - Factory plugs always seem to do the trick (SP0RC12LYC) and they are made by Champion.
ATI harmonic balancer/ pin bolt
New belt (OEM)
Check motor mounts
Optima battery
New front tires - be very careful when you mix old tires with new: One comparison was to wearing one old shoe with a brand new one on the other foot - they provide a different feel and level of traction and can unbalance you pretty easily. The same goes for your car, so if you can swing the extra coin, replace all four at the same time.


Mods:

HID lights and fogs (which ones are best?) - search this site for what other folks have have used with success
cat delete pipes (not sure what it looks like under the sills, any words of wisdom?)
Vipair
Shifter (B&M or Hurst?) - Mopar offers a factory performance shifter, made by Hurst. Hurst was also used in the GTS-R.
Tune by Doug Levin - One of the best upgrades you can get - period. Talk to Doug about your list and get his recommendations as well. He won't sell you anything you don't need and always works to suit your budget.

We hope this helps and look for some photos of the grease fittings on your '98 soon.

 

[Matt M PA]

Some good advice already.

Everyone has their own opinion...but I'll throw mine out on a few things.

Oil. I use the Mobil 1 oil and filter. (Or sometimes the new Viper specific Mopar filter) Amsoil may make great products, but I have a real problem with their tests and demonstrations to show how much better their oil is. The "bearing" test has been discussed on these pages.

Shifter. Again, likely in the minority...but I'm not a fan of short throw kits. I frankly think they get too short of a throw. We made our own part that takes out the factory isolater and replaces it with a solid, shorter piece. Shorter throw, better feel..in my opinion...than the short throw kits. Easier to install too. (Off topic...but if you ever heard Ronnie Sox row an Inland 4 speed on the 1/4.....you'd know it's at least equally technique...as it is the gear.)

Cat delete. If you want to know if your car has had this done...take off the sills by removing the screws underneath as well as the screws under the caps in the door jamb. If it's stock, there's a catalytic converter and muffler on each side behind the sills. (The cats are closest to the engine) I'm not a fan of removing the cats...but lots of folks are.

HIDs. Lots of guys swap out halogens for HIDs. I looked into this years ago for a different car, even spoke to a lighting expert. To begin, putting HIDs in a car not originally equipped is illegal. (I know, who cares?) HIDs will put out more light, but not necessarily "good" light. The optics (lenses) need to be designed for HID. Very good info here..http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

Congrats on the car...enjoy!

 

[Invasivore]

What is the deal with the new "Viper spec" filter? What makes it different other than saying Viper on the outside? I'm sure it is made by someone other than mopar since every vehicle manufacturer sub contracts oil filters in their name.

As far as the tires are concerned, the backs are almost brand new Michelin pilot sports less than 2 years and soft/non dry rotted. Im just going to match them on the front.

Has anyone tried Amsoil gear lube in the rear diff? I've used it on HP diesel trucks with great results and better heat dissipation, I just want to make sure no one has had a fluke problem with it.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Invasivore, the oil filter story is LONG, complex, and recently updated for YOUR model...all covered in the Grail Trail section that you can read as soon as you join the VCA TODAY !! You KNOW that you can afford it!!

Seriously, VCA membership opens several areas on this forum that are most helpful !!

If you decide not to join, drop one of us an e-mail for some answers.

 

[Invasivore]

I am going to join, I just havent decided to go with either the regular or Venom membership yet

 

[ACR_Matt]

I am going to join, I just havent decided to go with either the regular or Venom membership yet

Go with the Venom. It helps the club and you get a larger discount from certain vendors. The savings from my first purchase more than paid for my membership. It's a win-win

As for the HIDs. Alot of us have bought ours from http://ddmtuning.com The 9005 35 watt kit. There's an awesome thread about HIDs and this kit on here. Just search for: "What is a good quality hid kit?" that should answer any of your questions.

 

[Invasivore]

I just checked the service manual which says NOT to use any type of ATF, but to use Mopar power steering fluid. Can someone confirm this for me?

 

[Steve-Indy]

ATF+4 (called Power Steering+4 in pint bottles) did NOT appear in Viper power steering systems until 2004...though many of us do use it in our 2003 Vipers.

I use the factory fill in our older Vipers...Mopar Power Steering Fluid 04883077

 

[Grisoman]

Use the Advance Aut
o housebrand PS fluid.
It's the correct amber color.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Thermostat/gasket/upper coolant hose/temp sender (OEM) No need unless it is bad.
fuel filter (OEM) Pain in the butt. I've got 135,000 miles on my 98. Maybe I should change mine?
Power steering bracket/pulley (billet) Yes, and the high pressure hose.
Power steering vent tube I don't have one but it is good insurance.
Quality wires/Champion plugs Mopar and Champion every 20K.
ATI harmonic balancer/ pin bolt I haven't.
New belt (OEM) Good cheap insurance.
Check motor mounts I gotta get around to that.
Optima battery I'm not a fan. Sears DieHard for me.
New front tires Michelin.


Mods:

HID lights and fogs (which ones are best?) How much HP gain is it and does the Honda crowd do the same? In other words, please don't.
cat delete pipes (not sure what it looks like under the sills, any words of wisdom?) Matter of preference. I removed the muffler on my 98 and like the sound for the street. My 97 is the one I go to for the monster sound.
Vipair Steve produces some good stuff. Not sure about that one.
Shifter (B&M or Hurst?) Stock here. Never had a problem.
Tune by Doug Levin Doug is good.



Any other words of wisdom or additional changes are appreciated.

..............

 

[Invasivore]

Optima batteries are great. You will switch to a gel the first time a battery leaks and destroys everything around it. I would switch your fuel filter as well. I'm definitely doing the ati balancer and pin

Who makes delete pipes btw?

 

[Camfab]

Pretty much agree with Chucks answers, except if you do decide to use the OPTIMA, just make sure you get the Viper specific model. I have the Woodhouse mounts and like them. The ATI balancer is a great unit, however I don't see any reason to change the stock unit. My experience with aftermarket balancers is that they tend to be slightly undersize in bore size and can be a nightmare to install (broken installation tools). In my opinion ( you know what they say about opinions right), drilling and pinning a crank is hack work. The ATI balancer comes with a keyway, that's the right way to do the job. Pull the entire engine apart, index and have the snout machined for a proper keyway. As VPA mentioned, use all factory fluids.

 

[speedracervr4]

Might want to do a search on the Optima Batteries a couple of guys have had issues on their Vipers. I also like Sears Diehard (7yrs out of my last one). The ATI is nice, but unless you're planing on adding a S/C or turbos I would just go with pinning the stock balancer. Roe has a nice pin kit and cat delete pipes, but most exhaust shops will do it for less than $200. Just remove the side sills yourself and take it to a competent exhaust shop.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Optima batteries are great. You will switch to a gel the first time a battery leaks and destroys everything around it. I would switch your fuel filter as well. I'm definitely doing the ati balancer and pin

Who makes delete pipes btw?

I've had two Optimas and both disappointed me. I've had numerous DieHards in my 35 years of driving and have never been disappointed.

Any muffler shop can replace the muffler with an H-pipe for under $200. Make sure you are present when they do it.

 

[dave6666]

Do batteries really leak any more? I haven't had one leak in a bazillion years, so that's a pretty weak marketing point for a product that has a bad reputation.

Regarding the cold air intake, the K&N filter thing is an insulting joke POS, but the Vipair for the factory box and the JMB Performance are the real deal. I have both. But you use one or the other. I am just a parts ***** lol.

 

[LifeIsGood]

On/In my viper (after diligent research)...

Coolant - PeakGlobal LifeTime
Tranny fluid - MOPAR Synthetic Manual Transmission Lubricant SAE 75W-85 (part# 04874459)
Brake fluid - DOT4

Oil/oil filter (Amsoil) - Mopar oil filter
Power steering bracket/pulley (billet) - Mark at IPSCO
Power steering vent tube - Roe Racing Power Steering Vent Tube, 92-02
Check motor mounts - Woodhouse

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Definitely do your research on Optima. Many many people, including me, have had bad experiences with them. They're great if all you need to do is power your TV remote for 3 months. Actually working in a Viper? That's a different story.

From what I've read, the company sold out a few years ago and since then, the quality has gone downhill.

 

[eucharistos]

thanks gents

 

[SeaViper]

tag for later . . .

 

[Fangs10]

"Quality wires/Champion plugs Mopar and Champion every 20K."

I hope you don't mean new wires every 20k miles??

I used power steering fluid for the power steering this weekend when I changed mine.

 

[Invasivore]

On/In my viper (after diligent research)...

Coolant - PeakGlobal LifeTime
[/COLOR][/URL]

What makes this coolant so good? I used Prestone Extended Life 150k mile Ethylene glycol 50/50 for now with Water Wetter. I plan on flushing the coolant once a year (Habit from maintaining my boat).

I couldn't get the pipe plugs out of the engine coolant drains (just ordered a pipe plug socket set), so I drained the radiator (gets a little more than 2 out of the 3+ gallons out each time) and flushed with distilled about 6 times until the water came out clear. I filled it with 2 gallons of 50/50 until i get the pipe plug sockets to properly drain the system.

 

[FastZilla]

I'm a bit of a freak show when it comes to things I do. On the power steering simply draining the fluid and refilling will not get all of the grime out. Simply take off the return line (to the reservoir) off and install one of those cheap glass see-thru filters (use an extra piece of 3/8" line so you don't cut/mess up you factory hose. Turn the car on and turn the wheels from lock to lock several times. Shut the car off, remove filter (throw out the fluid removed from the resorvior). Install factory hose back in place & refill with Mobile 1 Syntheric ATF (ATF+4). remove the filter element from the cheap filter and notice all the chunks that are no longer floating around your PS system. Why manufacturere don't put filters on the PS is beyond me.

Fuel filter is a PITA - change it anyway.
Read up on oil filters onthe site. The volume and pressure of the Viper V10 is much greater than many other cars. It's not so much the filtration as the bypass spring tension (filter could go into bypass from the volume and ressure and never actually filter the oil). Filters cost the same - buy the Dodge ones.
Woodhouse Poly Mounts will keep you from missing shifts but also transfer more vibration into the car causing new rattles to appear - benefit far outweighs the new rattles.
Definately replace all fluids. Mobile 1 is a great standard (it's all I use) but you can spend the next 3 months of your life reading post after post on this site about which fluid is the best.
HIDs - personal preference. IMO they don't fit the car. But if you live in the middle of nowhere I can understand.
Belt - YES!!!

Depending on the mileage there are some target of opportunity items you may want to do:
R&R Water pump
R&R Idler
May want a 170deg thermostat.
Supercharger

 

[NVMYVPR]

Dave6666, what makes the K&N a POS? I have an uninstalled K&N CF set-up. After comparing it to the JMB performance short tube box that pulls from NACA duct I don't see a whole lot of difference other than the JMB piece looks really sweet. What makes the JMB piece that much better? Is it not using a K&N filter? Are the tubes larger in diameter etc? Thanks.

Craig,

 

[Invasivore]

Could you send me a link to the glass filter you used, fastzilla? Also what kind of 3/8 line? Excuse my ignorance since I have never flushed power steering before. Why do you use Atf 4 vs power steering fluid?

Yeah I ended up using Mobil 1 filter and fluid. Im ordering the viper specific ones next time. I was going to use royal purple oil but I'm unsure which base stocks they use.

 

[FastZilla]

One like this ($14):
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TRD-9245/

As for the hose any 3/8" oil/fuel line. It will not be in use for more than 2-3 minutes. Some of the new fuel lines have a teflon/plastic sleeve inside and are a PITA to slop over the barbs of the filter w/o heat. The oil resistant "fuel" line that does not have the sleeve would be better for this application. Use simple worm gear hose clamps - there is pressure on the return side.

PS Fluid is basically the same as Dextron ATF - I will state my opinion only: I believe PS and Dextron are the same fluids. The red color is a dye added, reason some PS fluids are clear looking. Dextron is a 7wt oil, what is PS fluid???
From the Penzoil Website - judge for yourself:

TYPICAL PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
PENNZOIL MULTI-VEHICLE ATF
TEST METHOD TYPICAL RESULTS
Density @ 15 C, g/mL ASTM D-4052 0.861
Pounds per Gallon 7.64
Flash Point, C ASTM D-92 184
Pour Point, C ASTM D-97 -48
Color Red
Viscosity
@ 40 C, cSt ASTM D-445 33.82
@ 100 C, cSt ASTM D-445 7.60
Viscosity Index ASTM D-2270 204
Brookfield Viscosity @ -40 C, cP ASTM D-2983 10,200
Typical values that may vary from batch to batch

Power Steering Fluid
TYPICAL CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
TEST METHOD TYPICAL RESULTS
Specific Gravity ASTM D-287 0.874
API Gravity ASTM D-287 30.3
Flash Point, °F(°C) ASTM D-92 365(185)
Pour Point, °F(°C) ASTM D-97 -40(-40)
Viscosity
@ 40°C, cSt ASTM D-445 37.3
@ 100°C, cSt ASTM D-445 7.1
@ -40°C, cP ASTM D-2983 33,000
Viscosity Index ASTM D-2270 155
Color Blue
Foam After 1 Minute ASTM D-982 0,0,0
Material Number
Bulk 8604

Summary of differences between ATF & PS fluid:
Fluid density - basically the same
Flash point - basically the same
Viscosity - basically the same
Color - DIFFERENT - Found the secret! ******

I've never actually used PS fluid - I have no problems with foaming, heat, wear, etc. The figures abouve are for NON-Synthetic fluids - I don't think synthetic PS fluid is readily available. If Synthetic ATF is better for your trans, it should be better for your PS (higher flash points, higher thermal break down, less prone to gelling/freezing, etc.)

There is a fluid guru on the board (TomFlo....something) - he is some kind of petrolium scientist that lives and breathes this stuff. He recommends Mobile1 15-40 Diesel truck oil because oil/lubrication wise it's the same as the "high performance" regular stuff, the recomendation is because it has a bunch more additives in it to reduce and break down carbon that will keep you engine much cleaner (2-3 time as much).

Oil, tires, paint color, detail spray, micro-fiber cloth brand, beer, boxer vs. briefs, etc. will ultimately spark heated debates with enough scientific proof provided to make you head split.

I carry a small tool bag in the RT that has various hose clamps, lengths of hoses, zip-ties, etc. Basic tools (screw drivers, pliers, etc. This Kobalt (lowes) socket set is very complete, small and light weight):
http://www.lowes.com/pd_70128-1074-...151&Ntk=i_products&ddkey=http:CategoryDisplay

The small military black canvas too bags are nice and look Factory in the trunk. Also the Slime brand tire repair kit is very complete. I throw these in all the cars, they are $110 but come with everything. Sometimes you have to plug a tire rather you want to or not.
http://www.slime.com/shop/power-spair-flat-tire-repair-kit-70004/

 

[LifeIsGood]

What makes this coolant so good? I used Prestone Extended Life 150k mile Ethylene glycol 50/50 for now with Water Wetter. I plan on flushing the coolant once a year (Habit from maintaining my boat).

I couldn't get the pipe plugs out of the engine coolant drains (just ordered a pipe plug socket set), so I drained the radiator (gets a little more than 2 out of the 3+ gallons out each time) and flushed with distilled about 6 times until the water came out clear. I filled it with 2 gallons of 50/50 until i get the pipe plug sockets to properly drain the system.

Tom, F&L GoR (Fluid and Lubricant Geek of the Realm), recommened this coolant to me.

I've seen some bench tests with Peak Universal Lifetime antifreeze. It is an excellent product.

-Tom

 

[Invasivore]

..............

Where is a good place to order the high pressure power steering hose besides the stealership?

 

[AFL in NJ]

Once you're a member, there's a How-to article on how to create a drain plug for your differential so that you can service it easier and more often.

Regards,
Aaron