SRT Engineering Chat HERE on March 3rd!

[Y2K5SRT]

Once again the folks from SRT have generously offered to host a chat here for Viper owners (and prospective owners) on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. It will take place here from 6:00 - 8:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time (that's 5:00 Central, 4:00 Mountain and 3:00 Pacific).

Now this is your chance to chat directly with SRT employees about the Viper platform - be it old or new. Just understand that ALL questions about future product (anything beyond the 2010 model) will be ignored if not deleted by our moderating staff first. Chrysler/SRT personnel are strictly forbidden from commenting about future product, so don't waste your typewriting. Our moderators will be standing by and will delete without warning - other than this one.

As always, we would encourage you to start posting questions here immediately. Our web staff will consolidate those questions into one reply before the actual chat starts and SRT will review them beforehand as well. As stated above, we reserve the right to edit or delete those questions that SRT cannot answer due to company policy.

We look forward to your questions and seeing you here on the 3rd!

 

[Nader]

I own a 2004 and noticed that my tranny is difficult to shift into 1, 2 and reverse when it is cold 30-40 degree days. Once it warms up all is fine. The tranny oil has been changed a year ago (3000 miles). The car is not driven hard often and only sees 2 track events a year - I am a novice racer.Any ideas what the issue might be?

Another unrelated question. Recent I removed my intake to replace with a polished intake. Since I was removing the intake I purchased pretty ARP 12 pt 1/4 20's for to replace the stock bolts. The ARP bolts were made for valve covers attached to aluminum heads so I figured they would be fine. When I tried using the ARP bolts some would not thread into the holes. Also Some would thread a bit but not too far before becoming too tight. Needless to say, I skipped the ARP bolts and install the stock bolts which went back on fine. Is there a reason why aftermarket bolts might not work on the 2004 intake?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nader]

Another quick question - I noticed on the ACRX you included two sets of cannards on the front end while standard ACRs get a single set. From the looks of it both have the same rear wing. Does that mean the ACR could benefit from the additional downforce? I also notice the ACR rafle car which is a production street legal ACR will have two sets of cannards.

Is the ACR faster with a bit more front-end downforce?

 

[Newport Viper]

When are you going back the the 'Ring to put the record out of reach for years to come.

The new gear should pick up quite some time on the long straight.....

 

[JonB]

Last week I drove my '09 ACR at ~60 mph across a 2.5 mile bridge in a steady 55-60 kt crosswind. I was fighting crosswind Yaw that forced me to dial in steering to compensate. YIKES! It reminded me of pilot training. [ I would have been more stable at 120 mph, but there was traffic!! ]

Will the new 2010 ACR slotted wing end plates help to minimize this crosswind Yaw?

Do I have to buy a complete 2010, or can I just install the new end plates ?!

 

[Art 138]

I had my lower intake manifold ported by Arrow Racing Engines on my 09 ACR; they claim 20-25HP power increase; I am running Belanger headers,HF Cats with stock muffler&Mopar PCM and the Arrow close-out panel....I have not had an opportunity to Dyno the car yet; has this extra performance envelope been explored on the MY 2010 ACR-X????

 

[Paul Hawker]

Hi guys.

Have an 09 Coupe with 20,000 miles.

1. Gearshift very difficult to get into 1st 50% of the time. Rest of the time it is like butter. Rest of the gears are also smooth as can be.

2. Viper lopes easily down the fwy at 1,500 RPM. Seems to be smooth, and not really lugging. Is it ******* the car to do this for hours at a time on long trips. (Gas mileage is pretty terrific at these times)

Thanks for making such a fantastic car.

 

[j-rho]

Would like to again see if it is possible to have the 2008+ Viper LSD issued as a part supercedence for the 2003-2006 LSD via a TSB.

The 2003-2006 LSD is a poor piece, if the newer 2008+ part were listed as a factory authorized replacement for the old unit, racers bound to stock pieces like me, would have a real leg up.

More info here:
http://forums.viperclub.org/2712938-post30.html
and here:
http://forums.viperclub.org/srt-eng...-tsb-2003-2006-limited-slip-differential.html

Many thanks for your continued support of a great product.

 

[hdscreens]

I currently have a 2005 SRT-10 and it veers off to sides mildly when on mildly uneven roads. Most will say it's due to the wide front tires. I seem to think it's because the front wheels were designed a tad to forward. I guess I am suggesting if the front suspension and therefore wheels were pushed a bit closer to the rear that they would carry more weight like say of the motor then it wouldn't swerve so easily. Dodge used to rely on the cab forward idea was Gen 3 Viper designed on the cab forward idea?

 

[Canyon707]

I am studying a plan to make all my gauges, odometer and tachometer digital. Plx gauges seems the way to go with the conversion. My question is how linked is the Gen 3 computer to these gauges? I wouldn't think the oil pressure and water temp are but, not sure. Any insight into this would be greatly appreicated.

 

[PK3]

Hi Guys,

I have a few questions about the new 2010 production Stripe widths? I have a 2010 ACR ordered with Delete Black Center Band Two-Tone and want to add Dual Black Painted Stripes (M92) to my car.


1. What is the new width of the strip over the top edge of the rear trunk lid and the space between the two stripes? Will the new stripe be as wide as to touch the vertical stands that hold the rear wing on the car? These stands were normally body color in the past with a 9-inch stripe. Will the stands now be stripe color?

2. What is the width of the stripes on the roof where it meets the upper edge of the windshield? And the space between them at that point?

3. Will the license plate pocket be painted stripe color as shown on the Toxic Orange convertible in the Los Angeles car show?

Thanks very much for the information and help.

VIN 100171

 

[Bobpantax]

1. I know that you all eat pizza. Have you recently started to develop a taste for more exotic italian food? If so, was that taste acquired locally or in Italy?

2. Will the pistons being used in the ACRX be available through Mopar or the piston manufacturer itself for use in Gen IV regular street Vipers and/or normal ACRs? If so, what do you think the time frame on availability will be? If not, which after market forged pistons do you think are the most robust/best value for both the Gen III and Gen IV motors?

3. At Palm Beach we discussed the fact that you had added some deflectors or ducts in the front fascia area. I do not remember what they were for. What were they for? Did you keep them in? If so, would they be beneficial for a Gen III or IV Viper that is tracked occasionally? If so, will they be available through Mopar or otherwise? If so, when?

4. Every great once in awhile the door latch does not operate properly on my Gen III. The cure is to turn the engine on and off. What causes this? It happens so infrequently that I do not mind it but I am curious as to why it happens at all.

5. As one or more of you witnessed ( depending on who is on this chat), one of my headlights sometimes, without warning, turns off. It is not a frequent occurrence. It just happened to happen as I was recently, safely approaching the Winkles test team from behind during an acceleration test near Palm Beach. Both headlights also sometimes show moisture inside. Is this covered by warranty? There seems to be some resistance to replacing the lights. I have the Chrysler Max care extended warranty and the light issue has been there from the beginning. I believe Mark J. may have spoken with one of you about it back in 2006. Please advise.

6. If you leave your rain baffle off the hood, what is the worst than can happen?

7. Is there going to be any more SRT testing in South Florida in the near future? ( One year or less.)

 

[ACRBruce]

Can the Racetech (?) seat in the ACR-X be fitted to the street SRT-10 easily? If so what are the part numbers?

 

[billjr1]

Hi,

Is it possible to turn of misfire detection, so that Racelogic Traction control can be installed in a Gen IV?

 

[SRTfan]

On behalf of olason and myself, I'd like to inquire about SRT engineering careers.

Does SRT have an internship program? If so, where can resumes be sent?

If not, what is the best career path to get involved with engineering at SRT, and what courses/organizations will be most useful as an SRT engineer? Lastly, what CAD software and simulation packages does Dodge/SRT use?

Olason's original thread: http://forums.viperclub.org/srt-engineering-q-area/633027-srt-internship-question.html

Thanks,
Tom

 

[BlknBlu]

I replaced the dash and center console pieces with the Mopar carbon fiber looking replacements on my 08 Viper and then put them on my my 09 ACR with no issues. When i added the original one back on I used the 09 console pieces and they did not fit around the power window switches. Why does the Mopar Carbon fiber work on both cars and the stock consoles do not swap from year to year?

Bruce

 

[ViperGeorge]

There are many posts on this site about somewhat weak batteries causing the engine to operate poorly. Some have suggested that the this is because of voltage fluctuations to the electronics as the alternator attempts to charge the battery. Is the Viper's alternator undersized for the job? No other car I've had displays any problem running as long as the battery is strong enough to start the car. What is the definitive word on a battery's condition and the performance of the engine?

 

[ViperGeorge]

On an 06 when the IM monitors have been reset by clearing a code or by removing the battery what conditions must be met for the Evap Test to complete? It seems to take forever. I've driven the car hundreds of miles and the test still does not complete.

 

[Bobpantax]

What car are you bringing down to Florida for the event on 3/14? One of the two operational ME 412s perhaps?

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

There have been several posts recently about paint issues, over spray to be exact on some new Vipers coming off the assembly line. We rarely saw a paint complaint on the older Gens. What happened to the quality control and the final line inspection?

 

[gb66gth]

I was out at Motorsports Ranch in Cresson this weekend and saw you guys testing and tweeking the ACR-X. I don't really have a question, but just wanted to let you know the car looks great and runs like a scalded ape!
I love a car company that has the enthusiasm to build a spec. racer out of a car like the Viper.
Keep up the good work!

 

[Rizzo]

I have a 98 GTS and every time I go to the garage and see the car I become very aroused and go back in the house, grab my wife and make love to her. She is very frustrated and wants me to get rid of the car because she cant get anything done all summer. Have you got a cure for this? PS. I had a Corvette for years and this NEVER happened.

 

[Bobpantax]

A few SRT8 questions if you do not mind.

1.Why the hiatus for the SRT8 Jeep for the 2011 model year? It seems like the car is really starting to catch on. Why stop it for a year?

2. The MyGiG, even with the reprogramming, acts up a bit with respect to the phone voice recognition software. Is there another update coming?

3. Some of us have experienced delamination on the inside of the front tires of our Jeep SRT8s. Mark Leslie at University Dodge has one if you want to see it. It is from my Jeep. it occurred around 17000 miles without me knowing it. I discovered it while it was parked. About one and one quarter inch of the outside of the right edge of the tire came off down to the cord. Scary stuff. I heard that this was due to a bad batch of tires. The alignment was a very small amount off. Very small - no symptoms such as pulling, etc.

4. Any truth that an SRT8 Nitro will soon exist? The 5.7 Hemi in that vehicle would be a nice piece.

 

[Valentine61]

zMAX seems to be advertizing like crazy. When Caroll Shelby stands behind it you almost think there might be something to it. Would you recommend for or against putting zMAX into a Viper engine? Why or why not?

 

[repiv]

Can the Eletronic throttle control from a Gen IV be grafted into a Gen III car. If so, what, from a physical standpiont would be necessary. I have a Motec ECU in the car that would control the throttle.

thanks in advance

frank

 

[sssweet]

2002 GTS- Final Edition
2006 300 SRT8

Who did the paint on the ACR-X?

Cheating on this one, but cut me a break... What technical detail do I need to know as it relates to the OEM shocks and struts on my 2006 300 SRT8 to preserve ride/handling? Have 135k on the car. Shocks and struts needed replacing. Local shop quoted me $1,100.00 for job versus dealership at $1,900.00. Once they got the car in the air and taken apart I got a call,"Oops, the ones we quoted won't work. You need the KS? struts and Sachs shocks." $1,850.00 total by the time I was done. They state these are OEM equivalent...

 

[AbsolutHank]

How do you adjust the left door hinge on a Gen3? The door is starting to drag on the sill and creak/pop

 

[SRT Engineers]

Stay tuned!!

When are you going back the the 'Ring to put the record out of reach for years to come.

The new gear should pick up quite some time on the long straight.....

 

[Valentine61]

How do we enter the SRT Chat???

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

You be in it now!
PBR