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NEW Stage 3 Owners Feedback Thread

759K views 5K replies 403 participants last post by  Stage3 SRT4 
#1 · (Edited)
I can't believe the old thread is done! It was so much easier to discuss Stage 3 issues, questions, comments, and concerns. Let's get this one going to continue on. Oh yeah, I will be checking this thread every day Castrol :ami: . . . so yeah . . . sticky it.
 
#5,334 ·
Good idea to run a big front mount intercooler on Stage 3 running e85?
What is the factory intercooler good for? I heard people running over 450whp with the factory intercooler.

Curious if any Stage 3 guys have went the BFMIC route from the stocker on their S3. Was it worth it? Monitor Ambient air temps and intake temps before and after? Just di around 4 pulls today and saw my intake temp hit 100 degrees. It was 67 degrees out. Not sure what my ambient temps were, but I bet they were slightly higher due to the sensor being in the engine bay on my short ram intake.
 
#5,338 ·
Totally satisfied with Stage 3 + Toys after 12 years and 100K

Well, it's been exactly 12 years and 100,000 miles since my car was upgraded to Stage 3 + Toys.
She continues to be a hell of a lot of fun and has been extremely reliable, with no problems at all other than a fuel pump replace and a few clutches ;)

Still shredding tyres in DAB3 with about 21PSI on 91 octane Union 76 Premium.

Thanks to all the PVO - SRT folks for making the Stage 3 kit.
Totally worth every cent of what I paid for it.
And the S3 coilovers (over 100K and no issues at all).
And the whole car (normal maintenance, oil Mobil 1 0W-40, Filter K&N HP2009, trans fluid every 6-8K with ATF+4, MPSC brakes (over 100K and still lots of meat).

Just finished a 1200-odd mile trip from SF Bay Area to LA and back up the coast highway and she ran perfectly averaging between 28MPG and 34 MPG on the freeway.

Planning another trip, this time to Yellowstone next summer, about 950 miles each way.
 
#5,343 ·
Well, it's been exactly 12 years and 100,000 miles since my car was upgraded to Stage 3 + Toys.
She continues to be a hell of a lot of fun and has been extremely reliable, with no problems at all other than a fuel pump replace and a few clutches ;)

Still shredding tyres in DAB3 with about 21PSI on 91 octane Union 76 Premium.

Thanks to all the PVO - SRT folks for making the Stage 3 kit.
Totally worth every cent of what I paid for it.
And the S3 coilovers (over 100K and no issues at all).
And the whole car (normal maintenance, oil Mobil 1 0W-40, Filter K&N HP2009, trans fluid every 6-8K with ATF+4, MPSC brakes (over 100K and still lots of meat).

Just finished a 1200-odd mile trip from SF Bay Area to LA and back up the coast highway and she ran perfectly averaging between 28MPG and 34 MPG on the freeway.

Planning another trip, this time to Yellowstone next summer, about 950 miles each way.
Followed your S3 advice from this thread, except went no toys and still use the AGP WG.
Car is still going strong. Had Josh Fullybilt? do the install after porting the S3 new with the exhaust and intake manifolds and throttle body after new years of 2007. That with the Maxxfab O2, high flow cat DP and Injen exhaust gets way better mileage and sounds awesome!

Still running the clutch Tex had made when he worked at Speed Merchant, but have a 6 puck street waiting for the day it gives up.

Had to do the water pump at 50k and a 255 fuel pump at 60k. Have S3 and KW V3 coilovers. Like the S3s better on road, but the V3s are the bomb on track. Done every road course in CA except Sonoma many times(Was an instructor for a few HPDE organizations). Running back on the stock struts and wheels now with snow tires because I moved to Oklahoma... I think people get mad because it drives in the ice and snow like it's not there with 225 Blizzaks. Lol

Thanks for your input and part reviews Simon. Been a long time since the NorCal Pleasington meets, but hope we cross paths again some day.
 
#5,342 ·
don't worry RT. I have had my big wheel S3 from Bob sitting in my garage for 3 years now. However I do have a stock S3 on the car. I am putting the damn BWS3 on this winter I swear.

I can say my Stock s3 is still going strong. I bought it used with 30k on it and I have put another 60k on it. Same here the only issue I have had was fuel pump.
 
#5,345 ·
I went the E1 route but I've always admired the Stage 3 kit.

Stage 3 = turn key ready with reliable horse power.
 
#5,347 ·
saw one for 3k just about (2800). Used and beat to shit too...for that I'd grab a tubular manifold and have a show quality kit before buying old junk. If you can find a reasonable owner you can get them for like 2k-1800 used. But same story; used parts for that much isn't my cup of tea
 
#5,348 ·
I'm on the same page with used parts. However given the rarity of the stage 3 turbo you're not left with much options if you're dead set on the Mopar route. I picked up a reasonably priced used (chipped fins, shaft play) stage 3 and rebuilt it for not much money at all. Now I have a rebuilt spare which is in far better shape then 99% of the overpriced, molested, and beat up used stage 3 turbos floating around the classifieds.
 
#5,349 ·
I picked up a spare CHRA and S3 housing years ago when dealers still had them for reasonable prices... So I have a brand new S3 turbo sitting in a box somewhere. I've loved every minute of my plug and play S3 kit... It's only when I start modding for more that I get frustrated. This summer I reverted my car back to the base s3 kit from e85 and I enjoyed it more then I have in a long time.

Guess you can still piece together a s3 turbo for about 1K
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007NR4DBA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007NR4E8W
 
#5,355 ·
Damn. As soon as the weather warms up, I need to get this off of my car and put'r up for sale :frown:
Been sitting since 2011 :gay:
It'll be a very sad day for me :ben:
 
#5,351 ·
The only problem I encountered with the Stage 3 kit other then the fuel delivery was with the WGA and DAB. Took me years and multiple WGAs to figure it out but for some reason the Mopar Stage 3 WGA is designed with very little travel. It doesn't cause any issues until to try to use DAB0 or 1, where boost would start low, but inevitably shoot up to 20+ as you climb up in revs, even with the WGA hooked directly to the turbo. Years ago it had me believe that my boostbox (now wotbox) just wasn't working as planned.

I finally found the solution by buying the AGP WGA with the 8 psi spring. From the get go it has much more travel and sure enough, I had a rock solid 10psi all the way to redline in DAB0. I really enjoyed it when I brought the car to my 1st lapping day as 10 psi was really all I needed there.

Otherwise my car is far from stock Mopar now but I still remember the good old days when all I was running was an ED WUSS and the Stage 3 kit.
 
#5,379 ·
So I talked to a tuner about the stage 3 agp wastegate and he stated it was a waste of time and money. I bought it recently and am on the verge of sending it back. I have the stage 3 with toys and I read that the agp waste gate holds better boost to red line and gets to boost better. basically the tuner told me that he could tune the stage 3 system I have to do the same thing. also I was reading that the stage 3 pcm will re learn the boost curve so the function of the advanced AGP is waste of money.
any input of the truth or not on all this? If I wasted the money ill send it back but if not then prove me wrong that I do need it. Also what spring do you run? 8psi? does that spring still hold the same settings and the factory stage3 waste gate?
man I'm so confused :surprise:
 
#5,353 ·
Hahaha and I'm still rocking it to this day! Car runs in the 11s and still looks stock. :eveilgrin

Too bad I'm not giving it as much love as I used to. I now have a handful of Subarus including a rallycross car along with a 240sx project. But the SRT is still the original that gave me the car itch.
 
#5,357 · (Edited)
Still perfect 13 years and 105K miles after install.

Still perfect 13 years and 105K miles after Stage 3 + Toys install.
Still continuing to run as good as ever.
Reliable. 25MPG. Drives like stock.
Everything still works.
FMIC sprayers still working.
DAB so convenient for "de-tuning" during rain/snow/ice.
HOM works but has not been tried with 100+ in years though.
Planning some more trips this summer...maybe Alaska!

Thanks PVO :thumbsup:
 
#5,358 ·
Hey guys.

I'm debating on sending my intake manifold to SDK to get ported. I already have the TB ported to 55mm. Also the car is a BWS3 ported and coated by Bob. All supporting mods: 3in exhaust, direct fit wider intercooler, -6an return line, 1025cc injectors, bnf, dcr walboro 255, dcr fuel rail, mopar cai.

Car only has 56k and around 6k since all that went in. Car runs great. Currently in the break in period for the new clutch, Southbend s2 endurance. Winter is around the corner so I have time to send it out. Any input?
 
#5,359 ·
I am not sure that you will see much of a difference with only the IM ported. I take it that the porting will make the runners larger and match the openings to the gasket?
The head will still have smaller than gasket port openings, not be ported and smaller valves.
Opening up the intake IMHO will decrease the velocity of the air going into the chamber, which will decrease instead of provide any gains.
 
#5,360 ·
The engineer that designed the intake manifolds for the 2.4L turbo (Garry McKissick) used to frequent our local Shelby (Turbo) Dodge meets in Southern California and said there wouldn't be any gains from larger throttle body or intake manifold porting on the SRT-4. I want to say he mentioned something like 400-500hp range for the intake manifold. That would likely mean most stock turbo and Mopar Performance "Stage" cars won't see improvements from any "porting" to open up the runners or match to the intake ports and there's a chance it could harm low-end performance out of boost.

Since you have a modified, larger compressor wheel Stage 3 setup it might be pushing enough airflow that you could see some gains, but I'd suspect the exhaust side of the engine is still a much bigger restriction with the somewhat small exhaust ports and smaller (but much improved over stock turbo) scroll and nozzle area of the S3 manifold.
 
#5,361 ·
I figured. The porting would basically open the neck some and gasket match the runners. The s3 exhaust manifold was ported beautifully by Bob from Ravenswork. I was debating between going with a ported intake manifold or a bfmic.

Ideally porting the head would be the next step but I don’t have that type of money at the moment. I have a few things on my to do list that maybe I should focus this winter and wait for porting when I have the money to do it right.

I finally jumped back on this forum after 5-8yrs so I have a ton of info to read in this thread hahahaha

Thank you guys for all your input!!
 
#5,365 · (Edited)
I tested, data logged and dyno tested a lot of intercoolers back in the day when smaller vendors were coming out with them and doing group buys. The bigger intercoolers, both tube-and-fin and bar-and-plate types that require removal of the stock front bumper support crossmember do provide a benefit even on a Mopar Stage 2 car but it isn't so much increased power as being able to hold intake charge temps closer to ambient. This allows for more consistent ignition timing and less knock. People pushing the stock turbo to it's limits which results in even hotter charge temps benefit even more.

That said, the stock tube-and-fin type core in the factory intercooler flows but PVO/SRT engineers were concerned enough with charge temps that the Stage 2 and Stage 3 kits with "turbo toys" included the intercooler sprayer to help reduce charge temps. A general roundabout recommendation is that if you want to run an aggressive tune and timing to maximize power an upgraded intercooler when you start getting into the mid-300 wheel hp range like a Stage 3 turbo or similar mid-frame sized turbo or larger.

The aftermarket direct-fit intercoolers are all from what I'm aware thicker bar-and-place cores thicker than the stock tube-and-fin core. The bar-and-plate style cores generally don't flow as well as tube-and-fin so there's a little more resistance to airflow and therefore pressure drop, but they generally cool much better (assuming appropriately sized). With a conservative tune you can push the stock intercooler, for example a friend's car that I tuned is trapping somewhere just north of 120 mph on a big wheel modified S3 turbo on the stock intercooler and charge temps aren't terrible. It could see some gains and a little more aggressive tuning if it had a bigger aftermarket intercooler but he doesn't want to remove the stock bumper support cross-member.
 
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