Picking up a highly modded gen 3

[1Willy1]

Hey guys

Left a deposit on a Paxton supercharged gen 3

Lots of stuff done but the one issue that I'm concerned about is when I depress and release the clutch... I can audibly hear it sort of connecting and disconnecting underneath the car

Is this something a modded high power clutch might do ? Or perhaps is this a drive train issue?

I know you guys wpuod have to hear it but I'm.hoping it's nothing to worry about.

Thanks in advance

[Ramtuff]

Probably just the fingers of the pressure plate moving when the slave cylinder is pushing on them.

[1Willy1]

Probably just the fingers of the pressure plate moving when the slave cylinder is pushing on them.

Thanks ramtuff

Is that something more common with high powered clutches?

IL try to take a video of it

It's not a clunk or clank it's like you can hear the clutch engaging and disengaging

Never heard it before on any other car

[jpmst3]

Typically stiffer springs for increased HP, sometimes equates to more noise when the ambient noise floor is low.

[1Willy1]

Probably just the fingers of the pressure plate moving when the slave cylinder is pushing on them.


Typically stiffer springs for increased HP, sometimes equates to more noise when the ambient noise floor is low.

Much appreciated, hoping for the best I'm picking it up later today

[sonicbloo]

You've got 2 Vipers now? Doesn't seem long since you got your first. Well done that man!

[proedge]

only thing better than one viper is two vipers

[Steve M]

I've had quite a few different high capacity/performance clutches on two different vehicles, and I can't say that any of them made any appreciable mechanical noise when the clutch pedal was depressed with the car not running.

Different friction materials can make noises when engaging the clutch from a stop (like chattering and/or squealing), but that's dependent on the material used.

[1Willy1]

You've got 2 Vipers now? Doesn't seem long since you got your first. Well done that man!

Honestly man , my blue viper as most seen was definitely a diamond in the rough .... bit I fell so deeply in love with it .... truly fun car

This second one is a huge step up , not just the power... the way the doors close , the silent windows, the interior smell , it's night and day


only thing better than one viper is two vipers

Haha no doubt about that


I've had quite a few different high capacity/performance clutches on two different vehicles, and I can't say that any of them made any appreciable mechanical noise when the clutch pedal was depressed with the car not running.

Different friction materials can make noises when engaging the clutch from a stop (like chattering and/or squealing), but that's dependent on the material used.

Thanks Steve, I own the car now and the noise when pushing the clutch is that of a spring being released , it's only noticeable in low rpm otherwise the engine covers it up

I'm not overly concerned with it anymore because after driving for 2-3 hours it seems to be flawless

[1Willy1]

Little teaser , such an amazing experience driving this car

I still do not know the full extent of the mods but I'll list what I do know

-Paxton blower (apprrox 800hp)
-Cam ( specs unknown)
-Meth
-Headers
-Magnaflow exhaust
-2 piece brake rotors ( make unknown)
-High end coilovers ( drives like a lexus) , brand unknown
-19 inch concave 3 piece wheels ( don't like the red lips will be changing asap)
-Carbon fiber and Suede steering wheel
-Full JL AUDIO sound system, 2 amps , extra rear battery
-Kenwood double din touch screen deck
-front splitter ( brand unknown)
- rear spoiler - brand unknown
-upgraded clutch ( brand unknown)

The tranny is definitely built, what a difference from my other , no idea who did it or to what specs

373 rear end, not sure if built or what

Gonna post some photos soon hope to find out more details

God is good and this car is such a blessing

Appreciate all the help and advice guys5090450905

[1Willy1]

50906

[1Willy1]

Does anyone know if the fact the car is cammed and supercharged changes the recommended oil?

My 05 is 10w 40, this one says its 10w30 on the cap

I guess my best bet is just going with the oil recommended by the manufacturer?

Thanks

[Steve-Indy]

Guys with Paxton equipped Gen III's that I know ran Mobil 1 15W-50.

FYI: 2003 and 2004 Viper oil caps said Mobil 1 10W-30.
2005 and 2006 models said Mobil 1 0W-40.

[1Willy1]

Guys with Paxton equipped Gen III's that I know ran Mobil 1 15W-50.

FYI: 2003 and 2004 Viper oil caps said Mobil 1 10W-30.
2005 and 2006 models said Mobil 1 0W-40.

Thanks Steve, I've heard the same

Wonder why they made such a drastic oil change from 04 to 05

[1Willy1]

Found this on another forum from a guy named as "srt engineer"

This question has come up a few times on this forum with some misinformation being passed along - Just for the record; 15W-50 will work fine in the 2008 engine. The only downside might be a slight drop in fuel economy (0.2 to 0.5 mpg if you can measure it or if you care!). The 0W-40 oil was selected primarily for the slight fuel economy improvement it offers and its broader operating range when compared to the older 5W-30 or 10W-30 oils. The 0W-40 is a superior product when compared to the 5W or 10W-30 oils.

I don't think the 15w 50 is ideal for colder climates but most supercharged guys run it

Tempted to go 0w40 but I'll do more research

[2quik6]

15w-50 would seem to me to be quit thick for the application. Both my supercharged 05 Viper powered vehicles use 0w-40 since the rotating assemblies are stock.

[Steve M]

I wouldn't be afraid of the 15w50 being too thick unless you live pretty far north.

I put together some specs for the different grades of Mobil 1 engine oils, mostly from their website (https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants/for-personal-vehicles/our-products/motor-oils/mobil-1-motor-oil-products) as well as some other places around the internet when certain specs weren't listed (I have no idea why they started doing that a few years ago). The results:

https://i.ibb.co/8d2L49K/Mobil-1-Engine-Oil-Specs.jpg

And here's the SAE J300 spec for reference:

https://i.ibb.co/C6h9bvh/SAE-J300.jpg

Source: http://www.lube-media.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Lube-Tech-113-The-Impact-of-SAE-Critical-Specifications-to-the-formulating-and-manufacture-of-automotive-oils.pdf

Note how thin the 0w40 is at 100°C - if you cross reference it to the SAE J300 standard, you can see that it just qualifies as a 40 weight oil. Now, is that necessarily a bad thing? Probably not, but there have been a few mentions on this board that Dick Winkles liked the 10w40 and 15w50 oils better for high performance applications compared to the factory spec'd 0w40. Also note that the 10w40 is pretty darn close to a 50 weight oil at the upper end of the temp. range.

Random info: the 15w50 also has a bit more zinc in it for those that need/want it.

Just food for thought...if your engine is still working, then clearly what you are doing is good enough.

[Steve M]

And congrats to the OP on the purchase! Looks like a sweet ride with some solid upgrades.

I'm really digging that steering wheel.

[Aevus]

I wouldn't be afraid of the 15w50 being too thick unless you live pretty far north.

I live ''far north'' and I use Amsoil signature 0W40 from october to april (stored winter) then I switch to Amsoil Dominator racing 15W50 for the summer time.

Best of both worlds, many reasons... Cold starts, high temps, track season, max 6 months intervals, etc..

[1Willy1]

Thanks guys , I just feel more confident with the 0w 40 in the cooler Temps, so gonna go with that

Might switch to 15w 50 in sunner

And I think I'm somewhat north haha

50935

[1Willy1]

And congrats to the OP on the purchase! Looks like a sweet ride with some solid upgrades.

I'm really digging that steering wheel.

Thanks Steve, love the wheel too, changes the feel quite a bit

[Aevus]

And I think I'm somewhat north haha

oh damn we had snow this year didnt we? And it's not over yet...

[Aevus]

Thanks guys , I just feel more confident with the 0w 40 in the cooler Temps, so gonna go with that

yeah cold starts aren't very gentle to an engine... June to September on the other hand, 15W50 would be perfect

[Steve M]

You win the "holy shit that's a lot of snow" award.

0w40 for you it is then.

[1Willy1]

oh damn we had snow this year didnt we? And it's not over yet...

everytime i think its over....NOPE, another few inches/feet of it lol


yeah cold starts aren't very gentle to an engine... June to September on the other hand, 15W50 would be perfect

god idea , i dont beat on the car much anyways, i dont go past 5k rpm very often if ever, so hopefully 0w 40 year long works ok


You win the "holy shit that's a lot of snow" award.

0w40 for you it is then.

lol the poor cars though, got caught off guard by that storm my own fault

[1Willy1]

update on the car, running and performing amazing, except for a low RPM stutter / hesitation that happens once in a while

seems exactly like the issue on my blue one , which was a burned 02 sensor (upstream)

ordered 2 more and hoping that solves it

[1Willy1]

Hey guys

Can anyone tell me if any of these items circled are the IAC, idle air control valve?

Having some "hanging rpm" as well as low end stuttering

Wanna try and clean it if possible

Thanks50966

[Old School]

The upper arrow is the IAC.

Hanging throttle, not returning to idle, is often caused by the throttle body not closing fully. This is because of the air pressure differential on each side of the throttle plates and the return spring not being able to overcome it. At idle, there can be 14psi air pressure on the throttle plates. They are maybe 5 or 6 square inches, so there is ~75lbs pressure pressing on the plates causing friction on the throttle shaft. You can test this by getting the throttle to hang, the physically try to close the throttle completely under the hood.

[1Willy1]

Thanks old school

Yes heard people trying to clean the TB but alot had luck with the IAC as well

My IAC does not seem to plunge or depress when squeezed, I pressed quite hard but maybe not hard enough ?

Has zero movement, very weird

[1Willy1]

Hey guys , does anyone know the type of front lip this is?

Make and model ?

Also Are these two piece rotors? If so does anyone recognize them.?

I have an APR carbon lip I waited 6 months for but actually starting to like this one a bit more

Also I git the wheels off and the car has KW coilovers , huge improvement over the BC coilovers on my blue one510585105951060

[SRT_BluByU]

Thanks old school

Yes heard people trying to clean the TB but alot had luck with the IAC as well

My IAC does not seem to plunge or depress when squeezed, I pressed quite hard but maybe not hard enough ?

Has zero movement, very weird

IAC's usually arent plunger style controls. Its a stepped screw jack needle/seat assembly. Needs power to move it.

[jpmst3]

I hope you can get those seemingly minor issues sorted out.

I like that front lip as well. Curious to see if anyone recognizes it.

[1Willy1]

IAC's usually arent plunger style controls. Its a stepped screw jack needle/seat assembly. Needs power to move it.
Thanks, glad I didn't push too hard on it


I hope you can get those seemingly minor issues sorted out.

I like that front lip as well. Curious to see if anyone recognizes it.

I think the issue was gas, I was using 93 but I think it's tuned for 94

The low end hesitation seems to be gone, I do still get a hanging RPM at times

[Old School]

Yes heard people trying to clean the TB but alot had luck with the IAC as well



I do still get a hanging RPM at times

My hanging throttle at idle was caused by not having enough return spring.

[1Willy1]

My hanging throttle at idle was caused by not having enough return spring.

Thanks, u mean return spring in the TB?

[Old School]

Thanks, u mean return spring in the TB?

Yes, mine was an aftermarket BBK, I was able to twist mine around another 1/4 turn preload. Fixed the problem.

[1Willy1]

Yes, mine was an aftermarket BBK, I was able to twist mine around another 1/4 turn preload. Fixed the problem.

I think mines aftermarket too, I'll look into it Thanks

[proedge]

Those rotors look like the two piece GiroDisk or Eradispeed

[1Willy1]

Thanks

[1Willy1]

Those rotors look like the two piece GiroDisk or Eradispeed

Thanks

On a side note my power steering blew up , something gave way and sprayed oil.all over , lost power steering function immediately

Hoping it's just a hose , my question was what power steering fluid should I use once it's repaired ?

Just dealer recommended or is there a better option ?

[Zubik]

ATF+4 transmission fluid

[1Willy1]

ATF+4 transmission fluid

Thanks appreciate it

Shop doesn't have time till next week bit I'm.thinkimg of ordering the updated lines anyways , as I'm pretty sure that's what gave way

[1Willy1]

Drove to mechanics today and seems like the coolinh system for the engine has shut down as well

So abrupt fluid leak with immediate power steering and cooling system failure

Any ideas guys?

The shop didn't want to to touch it and the performance shop I use is backed up till June

[V10Sidepipes]

https://www.racingsolutions.com/products/rsi-power-steering-line-kit-gen-3.html

Power steering pump powers the cooling fan as well.

[ViperSRT]

Gen 3 uses power steering to drive the cooling fan.

[1Willy1]

Thanks alot guys that puts me at ease

Are the lines DIY friendly?

Any write ups on how to access the pump and wires ?

Assuming it's do e from underneath the car ?

s

[Zubik]

Stock probably under 1hr to take pump out and do lines. It’s accessible through top. Take accessory belt off, three bolts out, gives enough clearance to take off all plumbing to the pump. I would imagine your supercharger belt/bracket stuff is in the way. If changing pump, probably have to undo that. If doing just lines can be done from above, but not sure what the supercharger is blocking. There are two high pressure lines running from pump: to steering rack and cooling fan. Very easy to get to with air box out.

[1Willy1]

Thanks zubik

From.the top with the blower it seems hard to access

I'm hoping it can be accessed from underneath without removing the blower , the first shop I tried refused to touch it , they said it looks like the blower needs to be removed

[1Willy1]

Hey guys

This is probably a silly question to some but if I want to hook up a battery charger to the engine bay , where do I hook up the negative too?

Some say any bolt is fine but I'd like to know firsure

Thanks

[jpmst3]

Technically just about any bolt with metal contact through the frame would work. But, you can typically find a bolt that is meant to be a ground, as in it has multiple black wires already tightened down. If you look around, you can probably find easy access to a bolt/nut with larger gauge wire(s) that are grounded there.

[V10Sidepipes]

Hey guys

This is probably a silly question to some but if I want to hook up a battery charger to the engine bay , where do I hook up the negative too?

Some say any bolt is fine but I'd like to know firsure

Thanks

Easier to run it off the battery in the back and run the battery tender harness wire into the rear bumper opening (vs having to leave the hood open or propped up which the security system hates). That’s how mine is and I just grab the harness off the battery and plug it into the battery tender whenever it’s going to sit for more than a few days.

[jpmst3]

Sorry, I missed that batter tender part of your post.

If that is what you are after, battery maintenance. Yes, that is what I do as well. I have the pigtail attached directly to the battery terminals and out the back of the rear bumper. When I unplug it, I just tuck the cable inside the bumper and hit the road.
Most maintainers come with a 2-3 foot lead (so you can choose how you want to connect to the batter) with terminals. If your did not, you can buy those cables on Amazon/ebay in a myriad of lengths. I picked up a couple of extras for tractors, and other seldom used machines with a starter.

[1Willy1]

Thanks guys , on my blue one I go right to the battery, on this one it has a sound system in the back covering the opening and battery , so I'd prefer the engine bat if possible

What could go wrong If by chance I hook up to a ground that isn't sufficient ?

[Wiretech]

Thanks guys , on my blue one I go right to the battery, on this one it has a sound system in the back covering the opening and battery , so I'd prefer the engine bat if possible

What could go wrong If by chance I hook up to a ground that isn't sufficient ?

I perfer to have the tender in the front of the vehicle in case iam backing out it automaticly disconnect, just tired of draging the tender down the street

[1Willy1]

My power steering issue was actually a cracked steerimg rack, I updated the connections anyways so the power steering system is pretty much bulletproofed , (hope)

Started refinishing the wheels , I'm not crazy about black wheels, and really hated the red lip, so I had to go on the attack5164251643516445164551646

[Old School]

Is that the same wheel??

[1Willy1]

Same wheel

I first went with a carbon flash metallic base coat and high gloss clear, but didn't like it as much as I thought

Then I tried polished lip with carbon flash high gloss face , that was worse

5164751648

[1Willy1]

Hey guys , just had my power steering lines replaced , the shop I believe cracked the rack right around the threads, it was professionally welded and reinstalled

Now when the car is not moving , or moving slow, if I turn the wheel left, I get a power steering shudder and vibration, sounds like a muffled machine gun

Not when I turn right...only left ...

Before I bring the car back in , any ideas on wgat it could be ?

Air in the system ? Hose rubbing ? Any help is appreciated

[proedge]

could be air in the system. I think there's a procedure to bleed it somewhere

[1Willy1]

Thanks, when I open the power steering cold it's nearly empty, the dipstick doesn't even touch the liquid

I'm assuming this is too low?

Do you know the correct way to read it ?

[Zubik]

There should be a dip stick attached to the cap. It should read full when engine is cold.

[1Willy1]

Thanks appreciate it

New piece of the puzzle for anyone who has any ideas

It only seems to happen when the car gets very hot, like super hot outside, driving for a couple hours, ac on pushing the coolant Temps higher then usual

Once car cools down it stops

Is belt slippage a possibility?

When the hose broke it sprayed fluid all over the engine bay ....

[Zubik]

This can be many things from head gasket issue to air in system/low on coolant. I would start w/basics (leaks, checking for airflow restrictions, fan coming on, air in system, bleeding, coolant level) to progressively harder to treat (thermostat, water pump, radiator, and head gasket). Servicing all above is fairly easy w/stock car, good access to everything. I'm not sure how your belt/bracket setup impedes access to components.

[1Willy1]

Thanks , the car is supercharged so it's harder to access I think

The shop is leaning towards the belt slipping due to the fluid sprayed all over when the power steering failed

Not getting any white smoke or loss of coolant, I checked my other viper and coolant is at same level

I'm.goimg to order a belt and I'll update u guys how it goes

[1Willy1]

My power steering failed again , they said the weld cracked , it lasted only a couple weeks

Really pissed off and going to have a talk with the shop

Does anyone know what the average time it would take for a steering rack to be removed and reinstalled ?

(Also looking for a new/used rack if anyone has one )

[Fatman2006]

Good god what a nightmare. Best of luck getting everything sorted out.

[Zishan]

Congrats, I picked up a silver SC Viper recently as well. What size are your wheels? Do you happen to have any pics of the refinished wheels installed? Trying to get ideas for mine.