18 Hours with Clay of Riff Raff Performance! (LONG!)
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,510
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From: Anchorage, AK
18 Hours with Clay of Riff Raff Performance! (LONG!)
This will be long as hell because I have tons to be happy about so scroll down for pictures. 
First off, I am glad to be back on the internet after a month of being on the road. Being back in Alaska is amazing. 5 days of 70 degree days with no clouds in the sky! There is snow on the ground, ice on the rivers and the massive mosquitoes are already out. But getting to stare at Mt McKinley every day has been worth it.
Left Atlanta on April 1st and got here about 2 days ago. This was a 7,800 mile trip and it was a blast. I am absolutely in love with my truck. Bought her with 260,000 miles and I have managed to put 10k on her in 5 weeks without getting even a hiccup from her. She spent her life in Georgia and under my command I have really thrown it at her. First we towed my Mustang 2,000 miles and then this road trip has really been a bit of everything. She has now experienced snow, ice, tons of rain, creeks, river bed rock crawling, L.A traffic, twisty mountain roads, a mud pit, sandy beaches, and who knows what else I have thrown at her. I also slept laid out in the front seat to sleep for about half of my trip and was quite comfortable. Either way I love this thing and don't plan on giving her up. I will post up pics from my trip when I get settled in a little bit better.
More to the point, along my road trip I had a chance to work and hang out with the soon to be famous Clay of Riff Raff Performance. We had been exchanging e-mails even before I had a truck in my hands and once I found out I would literally drive through his town, it was sure to be a stop. Coincidentally while driving in California I realized my wheel bearing was taking a dump on me. Clay offered to let me use his tools and so I made the 4 hour trip down from my brothers house in Oregon to visit him after having parts sent to his shop. It was also at this time that it became apparent to me that I would be wiser to order and install my goodies in Oregon where I would have Clay with me and could avoid shipping to Alaska! If it weren't for being rear ended on my motorcycle, most of this money wouldn't have even been available. I figured I would go big now and just be happy all summer. So far, it is looking damn good.
Mods to do: Wheel bearing, 6637 mod with Pete's filter, CCV mod, GPR, HPx, MBRP 5 inch cannon, DP tuner with 80e, 140 and a hush idle, Quad Pillar with Performax, Boost, EGT, Trans Temp and Oil Temp. A big day!
I will go ahead and get to the point on this. I showed up at Clay's house at about 11:01 AM, and I believe I dropped him back off at his house after breakfast at about 5:30AM the next day. I had a blast and hopefully I didn't destroy his marriage.
The wheel bearing install was actually one of the smoother parts of the day. I didn't start bleeding and cussing until much later in the day.
I have also created a new club based on this experience, Clay informed me that I am his first 3 page invoice! So I have created the 3 page + club which for everyone else's sake, I hope doesn't gain too many members!
This is what she looked like after getting stuck in a big hole in the Grand Canyon! (see: driver is a moron) I usually don't wash my vehicles on long trips but after the wheel bearing starting going out I decided she deserved a bath, some love and some goodies to show her that I am not just a 1 night stand kind of guy.
After cleaning her up, she got some brand new BFG All Terrain T/As, a couple stickers and then we showed up at Riff Raff!
The wheel bearing wasn't that bad. We got the old bearing off nice and easy but the pain in the *** arrived when we realized we were going to need to transfer the old studs to the new wheel bearing. During this process I managed to put the bearing on the ground and attack it with two wrenches while putting all my pressure on them. What does this mean you ask? Well physics (and Eugene will confirm this I hope!!!) tells us that when something gives away while you are pushing against it, you will likely follow. So I ended up slipping, falling and slamming my forehead against the table that Clay was using to stand over the engine. Barely a flesh wound but damn I got my box rocked! It was at this point that I called Ed, got some part numbers and then ran to the local Ford dealership which just happened to have our studs! Clay noted that I was on fire with my luck!
Clay took care of the gauge and intake install while I worked on the wheel bearing. He also ordered this in black for me from Pete. I think this looks amazingly sexy and I think this color could be a big hit. I also need to give a big thanks to Pete for getting this done for me. Quality and fit are great!
I was also able to buy an early model of RPD's oil pressure cross over. Truck seems a lot quieter when I am off the gas but at the same time with all the mods we applied at once who knows! The logic seems worth the mod.
After getting the wheel bearing done, we got pizza ordered and tackled the exhaust. Both of us were blown away by how freaking big a 5 inch system is. Obviously it is 5 inches but seeing the bent pieces is mind boggling. The tip I ordered never showed up but Clay suggested I go without it just so everyone will know that I am not bluffing! I actually love how it looks and people have already complimented me on it. I spent 20 bucks on 3 cans of 2200 temp spray paint. It sucked and was probably a waste of money but I got enough of it on my hands that I can probably keep my skin on up to 2,200 degrees!
Here I am trying to get the freaking band clamp off the turbo. Who ever the last tech was to work on it must have thought it would be hilarious to leave the bolt on the firewall side, making it very difficult to loosen. Then we struggled to pry the clamp off without breaking it.
It should be noted the stock down pipe is almost impossible to get out without removing the transmission X over, so cutting was the best method for us. The MBRP system adjusts for this and was easy to get in. The downpipe is only 4 inches on the system however.
Stupid stud!
There is the legend himself tightening the system up while I fiddle around and take pictures! No shots of his face in order to keep the paparazzi away!
This was the mess that was in his driveway when his wife came home. I apologized greatly for the mess! Us car people are worse than kids but at least we clean up!
After dark we stopped for some grub and Clay couldn't believe how lucky I was. (Walked away from a motorcycle accident, 1000 miles on a crapped out wheel bearing, easy wheel bearing install, parts happening to be in stock at his crappy local dealership, etc etc) He threatened to keep me around just for my luck. He handed me my fortune cookie and I joked that I didn't even want it with the way things were going. Sure enough, look at this sucker. I got a 2 for 1!
Clay pointed out that it would be awfully hard for anyone to get away from their inner self. I must nod in agreement!
After getting all this had been done we discussed a DP tuner. I knew from the forum it would be a big hit. A couple of rides in Clay's truck and I was sold. Of course it was impossible to reach the firewall side bolt holding the PCM in, and then we just kept running into little problems which took this install into the early morning. I love the tuner, even though she won't let me roll too much coal.
After some test runs, Clay suggested break fast and I concurred!
I dropped him off at home at about 5:30 AM and started my 4 hour drive back to my brothers. I made it about 30 minutes, pulled over and slept like a baby for a couple hours. The next day was like Christmas.
Took this one the way home and the rest the next day.
Thought I would share my new stickers! 404 and 907 are the area codes for Atlanta and all of Alaska, my favorite two places! Thanks to Clay for passing along the FTE sticker he had laying around that another member gave him! (Megawatt?)
Anyways, it was a blast and I really enjoyed meeting Clay. He had been a genuine stand up guy before I even committed to spending any money with him and I couldn't be happier with anything that happened. He is going to be my first call/e-mail for anything I need from now on. I also need to send out a big thanks to Ed (FTE Parts Guy) for his help. He got me my parts to Clays in time and he was a big help when we realized we needed studs to complete the wheels bearing install. He will also be my first call for anything Ford. Two excellent guys that I will recommend to anyone when they need something.
I leave you with this picture of Mug (truck name) and I after waking up on the side of the road to our first mini snow storm! Thanks to Clay's GPR mod, I let them stay on for about 30 seconds beyond the WTS light and she fired right up.
First off, I am glad to be back on the internet after a month of being on the road. Being back in Alaska is amazing. 5 days of 70 degree days with no clouds in the sky! There is snow on the ground, ice on the rivers and the massive mosquitoes are already out. But getting to stare at Mt McKinley every day has been worth it.
Left Atlanta on April 1st and got here about 2 days ago. This was a 7,800 mile trip and it was a blast. I am absolutely in love with my truck. Bought her with 260,000 miles and I have managed to put 10k on her in 5 weeks without getting even a hiccup from her. She spent her life in Georgia and under my command I have really thrown it at her. First we towed my Mustang 2,000 miles and then this road trip has really been a bit of everything. She has now experienced snow, ice, tons of rain, creeks, river bed rock crawling, L.A traffic, twisty mountain roads, a mud pit, sandy beaches, and who knows what else I have thrown at her. I also slept laid out in the front seat to sleep for about half of my trip and was quite comfortable. Either way I love this thing and don't plan on giving her up. I will post up pics from my trip when I get settled in a little bit better.
More to the point, along my road trip I had a chance to work and hang out with the soon to be famous Clay of Riff Raff Performance. We had been exchanging e-mails even before I had a truck in my hands and once I found out I would literally drive through his town, it was sure to be a stop. Coincidentally while driving in California I realized my wheel bearing was taking a dump on me. Clay offered to let me use his tools and so I made the 4 hour trip down from my brothers house in Oregon to visit him after having parts sent to his shop. It was also at this time that it became apparent to me that I would be wiser to order and install my goodies in Oregon where I would have Clay with me and could avoid shipping to Alaska! If it weren't for being rear ended on my motorcycle, most of this money wouldn't have even been available. I figured I would go big now and just be happy all summer. So far, it is looking damn good.
Mods to do: Wheel bearing, 6637 mod with Pete's filter, CCV mod, GPR, HPx, MBRP 5 inch cannon, DP tuner with 80e, 140 and a hush idle, Quad Pillar with Performax, Boost, EGT, Trans Temp and Oil Temp. A big day!
I will go ahead and get to the point on this. I showed up at Clay's house at about 11:01 AM, and I believe I dropped him back off at his house after breakfast at about 5:30AM the next day. I had a blast and hopefully I didn't destroy his marriage.
The wheel bearing install was actually one of the smoother parts of the day. I didn't start bleeding and cussing until much later in the day.I have also created a new club based on this experience, Clay informed me that I am his first 3 page invoice! So I have created the 3 page + club which for everyone else's sake, I hope doesn't gain too many members!
This is what she looked like after getting stuck in a big hole in the Grand Canyon! (see: driver is a moron) I usually don't wash my vehicles on long trips but after the wheel bearing starting going out I decided she deserved a bath, some love and some goodies to show her that I am not just a 1 night stand kind of guy.
After cleaning her up, she got some brand new BFG All Terrain T/As, a couple stickers and then we showed up at Riff Raff!
The wheel bearing wasn't that bad. We got the old bearing off nice and easy but the pain in the *** arrived when we realized we were going to need to transfer the old studs to the new wheel bearing. During this process I managed to put the bearing on the ground and attack it with two wrenches while putting all my pressure on them. What does this mean you ask? Well physics (and Eugene will confirm this I hope!!!) tells us that when something gives away while you are pushing against it, you will likely follow. So I ended up slipping, falling and slamming my forehead against the table that Clay was using to stand over the engine. Barely a flesh wound but damn I got my box rocked! It was at this point that I called Ed, got some part numbers and then ran to the local Ford dealership which just happened to have our studs! Clay noted that I was on fire with my luck!
Clay took care of the gauge and intake install while I worked on the wheel bearing. He also ordered this in black for me from Pete. I think this looks amazingly sexy and I think this color could be a big hit. I also need to give a big thanks to Pete for getting this done for me. Quality and fit are great!
I was also able to buy an early model of RPD's oil pressure cross over. Truck seems a lot quieter when I am off the gas but at the same time with all the mods we applied at once who knows! The logic seems worth the mod.
After getting the wheel bearing done, we got pizza ordered and tackled the exhaust. Both of us were blown away by how freaking big a 5 inch system is. Obviously it is 5 inches but seeing the bent pieces is mind boggling. The tip I ordered never showed up but Clay suggested I go without it just so everyone will know that I am not bluffing! I actually love how it looks and people have already complimented me on it. I spent 20 bucks on 3 cans of 2200 temp spray paint. It sucked and was probably a waste of money but I got enough of it on my hands that I can probably keep my skin on up to 2,200 degrees!
Here I am trying to get the freaking band clamp off the turbo. Who ever the last tech was to work on it must have thought it would be hilarious to leave the bolt on the firewall side, making it very difficult to loosen. Then we struggled to pry the clamp off without breaking it.
It should be noted the stock down pipe is almost impossible to get out without removing the transmission X over, so cutting was the best method for us. The MBRP system adjusts for this and was easy to get in. The downpipe is only 4 inches on the system however.
Stupid stud!
There is the legend himself tightening the system up while I fiddle around and take pictures! No shots of his face in order to keep the paparazzi away!
This was the mess that was in his driveway when his wife came home. I apologized greatly for the mess! Us car people are worse than kids but at least we clean up!
After dark we stopped for some grub and Clay couldn't believe how lucky I was. (Walked away from a motorcycle accident, 1000 miles on a crapped out wheel bearing, easy wheel bearing install, parts happening to be in stock at his crappy local dealership, etc etc) He threatened to keep me around just for my luck. He handed me my fortune cookie and I joked that I didn't even want it with the way things were going. Sure enough, look at this sucker. I got a 2 for 1!
Clay pointed out that it would be awfully hard for anyone to get away from their inner self. I must nod in agreement!
After getting all this had been done we discussed a DP tuner. I knew from the forum it would be a big hit. A couple of rides in Clay's truck and I was sold. Of course it was impossible to reach the firewall side bolt holding the PCM in, and then we just kept running into little problems which took this install into the early morning. I love the tuner, even though she won't let me roll too much coal.
After some test runs, Clay suggested break fast and I concurred!
I dropped him off at home at about 5:30 AM and started my 4 hour drive back to my brothers. I made it about 30 minutes, pulled over and slept like a baby for a couple hours. The next day was like Christmas.
Took this one the way home and the rest the next day.
Thought I would share my new stickers! 404 and 907 are the area codes for Atlanta and all of Alaska, my favorite two places! Thanks to Clay for passing along the FTE sticker he had laying around that another member gave him! (Megawatt?)
Anyways, it was a blast and I really enjoyed meeting Clay. He had been a genuine stand up guy before I even committed to spending any money with him and I couldn't be happier with anything that happened. He is going to be my first call/e-mail for anything I need from now on. I also need to send out a big thanks to Ed (FTE Parts Guy) for his help. He got me my parts to Clays in time and he was a big help when we realized we needed studs to complete the wheels bearing install. He will also be my first call for anything Ford. Two excellent guys that I will recommend to anyone when they need something.
I leave you with this picture of Mug (truck name) and I after waking up on the side of the road to our first mini snow storm! Thanks to Clay's GPR mod, I let them stay on for about 30 seconds beyond the WTS light and she fired right up.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Vacaville, Ca.
Alex, Sounds like you guys had a heck of a marathon. I just got back from Clay's. You're right, He is a stand up kinda guy. He will be my first call on my next mod. I got the HPX on this trip. I was surprised how much it quiets the engine down. Glad that your trip went well.
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From: Parker, CO
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