new to Vans

[biggdog]

I just bought my wife a 2003 Dodge 1500 full size conversion van. It is the first van I have ever had. How do you get the inside motor cover off? I found the two clipd in the passenger foot wells, and unhooked those, but it still feels like there is something holding it on. There is carpet glued in the cover that extends to the floor, is this all that is holding this? I'm doing this to change the air filter to a K&N filter to help the gas milage. This 318 sucks down the fuel.

Thanks for your help,
Biggdog

[BleedDodge]

Are you serious? Open the hood. Don't take the doghouse out.

[slantsixness]

If you just want to look at the wimpy 318, pull the carpet back and you'll see the rest of how to get the doghouse apart. Put the passengers seat all the way back too, or you'll be there for an hour and crack your windshield trying to get it out of the way.

But the air cleaner is accesible from under the hood, not like the old '71-93 vans with the big doghouse.

Improve your gas mileage with an air filter? Ok, but you don't really think that's gonna do much, do you? You'll be lucky if you get 15-17mpg out of it no matter what you do. If you're not getting that, you need a tuneup!
Big van, 600 pounds of conversion equipment, a 5.2L and a rear that's probably 3.23:1 or less. Hmm... a slug with a 200 pound fiberglass roof creating huge amounts of drag.... no wonder the mpg sucks. Maybe 15-17 you won't even see...

You could put flowmasters on it and gain some economy, but your wife will kick your butt for spending that much money, and you'd have a howling drone all the way down the road inside the van, and she'll kick you again for the noise!

Sorry for the bad news,

Slantsixness

[DioGreer]

I have worked on a 92 ram van, and the doghouse was attached with the two rear clips and two floor bolts in the front. I never had trouble removing it, but in newer models it could be harder. If you dont need to remove it, then dont.