View Full Version : Significant improvement in towing performance!
rjschoolcraft
11-06-2003, 14:57
I am presently sitting in Las Vegas, NV in attendance at the SEMA Show 2003. I towed my travel trailer to Las Vegas from Martinsville for the show. The route is I-70 to I-15...some very mountainous terrain.
Thanks to information gleaned from this resource and products from Kennedy Diesel, my Suburban is finally a respectable towing machine...and I sense there is more in there. Having traveled the exact same route (and farther) in June with the family on vacation, I have a good comparison test established. At the time of the summer trip, I had Kennedy's TD Max chip, the HO water pump and dual t-stats, the K&N air filter and Banks exhaust installed. I suffered from overheating problems and low power in western Colorado and Utah.
This trip, I have the Kennedy intercooler, Kennedy fan clutch and 9-blade steel fan. From Indiana through Kansas I set the cruise on 70 mph and drove...the most speed loss was 5 mph on some grades in Missouri. In the summer I had to down shift on most any grade to keep from losing more than 5 mph.
In Colorado, I set the cruise on 75 mph (speed limit) and just drove. It was amazing. Previously, I could not sustain 75 mph on level ground...I could only do that on down grades.
Late Monday night as I was approaching Denver, I lost boost. Turns out, the waste gate actuator failed...the rod broke where it connects to the piston in the canister. I lost two thirds of a day while rounding up the part in Denver, replaced it in a K-Mart parking lot, then moved on.
Climbing out of Denver on I-70 up to the Eisenhower Tunnel under the Great Divide was my first real test. Last summer, I struggled with overheating (had to stop twice to cool down) and low power (it was hot). I actually dropped into first gear at less than 35 mph when approaching the tunnel at 11,000+ elevation. This time, I hit the tunnel at 50 mph and only briefly dropped into second gear. At no other time on the east side of the divide did I drop below 55 mph.
The down grades were managed much more easily with the TorqLoc engaged. The rig felt much more secure and it was much easier to maintain safe speeds.
Last summer, the tow through Utah was a struggle. At several spots, I had to crawl in first gear at about 25-30 mph. This time, I never dropped below 50 mph and only used second gear a couple of times. I actually got into a bit of a contest with a Dodge Cummins 3500 dually towing a 5th-wheel. He could pull me slightly on some of the grades...Then he decided to really out run me. I fell in behind and stayed with him (the draft helped). We ran at over 80 mph for several miles, then I got a good jump on an upgrade, passed him and went on. Cool :D
This truck really has me excited now. Overheating seems to be a thing of the past. Now I am just beginning to tap the real power potential. :cool:
I now have the return trip to do, starting tomorrow and hope to be home by Saturday night. As for the water mist injection issue, I can't see how it would provide the performance that the intercooler did for that sustained effort. Running 70 - 75 mph towing the trailer requires sustained boost levels of 10-13 psi...that's over 1800 miles at high boost levels. In the systems I've seen described here, the water would be on all the time and I don't see how I could keep the tank full. Just my opinion.
So far, the intercooler and the fan clutch are the two most significant changes that I have made...but they all work together.
What fun! smile.gif
[ 06-25-2004, 07:37 AM: Message edited by: ronniejoe ]
moondoggie
11-06-2003, 15:33
Good Day!
Thanks for sharing your story. With a little added detail, this could make a VERY good article.....
Blessings!
Brian Johnson, #5044
jspringator
11-06-2003, 17:27
I have pretty much everything you have except the intercooler, and the torque loc, which won't work on the 99. I wonder how much difference the intercooler alone would make? My last trip was down I-75 to Florida, and it would be hard to imagine much improvement. I estimate my weight around 6000 lbs.,loaded.
THE ONLY REGRET I HAVE ABOUT MY INTERCOOLER IS THAT I WAITED SO LONG TO BY ONE.
I DO NOT THINK IT WILL WORK BEST ON A STOCK ENGINE. NEED MORE BOOST AND FUEL
WHEN MY TRUCK WAS STOCK IT WOULD DOWN SHIFT BIG HILLS ABOUT 55 MPH.
WITH EXHAUST AND CHIP ABOUT 65 ON SAME HILL WITH HIGH EGT.
WITH INTERCOOLER IT WILL RUN 72 MPH ON SAME HILL IN OVERDRIVE AND UNDER 1000 DEGRESS ON EGT.
rjschoolcraft
11-06-2003, 17:46
In all honesty, the intercooler was huge! As I said earlier, the chip was in when I did this in June...The intercooler is the only performance improver since that time. Before, the high intake temps and coolant temps were causing the PCM to draw back on fuel. Now it just rolls on. For what it's worth, I towed down through the hills of Kentucky just after installing the intercooler, fan and fan clutch back in July on a 95+ degree day...A/C running. It was incredible how much better it did.
Kennedy has a "hotter" chip than the one I have. I'm probably sold on it now and will have to acquire it soon. :D
My rig, fully loaded, weighs in at over 16,300 lb. combined weight. Roughly 8100 lbs. each. I wasn't as heavily loaded on this trip...minus the wife and kids and associated gear. However, I would guess that I am around 14,000 lb. combined.
Another point... Through Kansas, running 70 mph, the egt gage ran between 850 and 900F :eek: Previously (with only exhaust and air filter mods), I struggled to run 65 with egt's in the 1300 to 1350F range. Last summer, I could run 70 in Kansas in most areas (with chip), but my egt readings were between 1100 and 1200F. Granted it's cooler outside now than last summer, but I've run out this way in the spring before (this past spring and the one previous) and that's when I registered the 1300+ egt's...the ambient temps were similar to now. So the intercooler has made a tremendous difference.
In Utah, running 75 in most areas, the egt was between 900 and 1100F. I hit over 1400F a few times on some of the big mountain climbs, but I used to run that all the time when the truck was stock except for gages. That's where I think a turbo charger upgrade will help. I think I'm blowing the waste gate open at higher engine speeds. My boost falls off (to about 8-9 psi) and the egt's really climb. This engine seems to like boost to keep it cool.
[ 11-06-2003, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: ronniejoe ]
patrick m.
11-06-2003, 19:50
i would have to agree that the 6.5 LOVES boost.
catmandoo
11-06-2003, 20:31
i have a 92 1/2 ton 2wd that i just put my banks on and was lucky to get 1/2 lb cruisin at 60 empty and after the mandrel downpipe and full exhaust(no muffler) and getting that air chamber to seal 95% i can run 2-3 lbs at 60-65 and can get 5lbs like that and power from hell jeez feels like a v-12,used to struggle up good grades now i can pick up speed. all this talk of intercoolers will they be worth the trouble in my situation i usually don't tow anything and usually empty i know just how i could run one and i have to pull my front end off anyway(damn pheasants)i guess question is would it be worth the trouble.
patrick m.
11-06-2003, 20:41
if your max boost is 5psi, the intercooler wont be a benefit to you.
When the charge air is compressed to 10psi and more, the tempurature rises too high and is less dense. When i installed mine, i noticed a 2psi loss in total boost, partially due to the cooling affect, and partially due to the added distance and resistance.
im more curious why you only get 5psi from your "Banks" turbo. I read in one of your posts that it is an "early" stlye kit, and was non-wastegated".
My Garrett is from a "banks" kit and is also n/w, but i get 16psi max.
do you have any measurements?(turbine wheel dia, comp wheel dia, a/r ratio)etc
KrisHull
11-06-2003, 21:08
Patrick,
Where did you buy your turbo, and how much was it?
jspringator
11-07-2003, 05:26
Under what conditions will the computer cut fuel because it senses boost is too high? Is this a concern with the JK Boost controller?
Bobbie Martin
11-07-2003, 05:52
Ronniejoe,
Did you notice any increase in fuel economy? Did the intercooler make any difference in everyday (unloaded) driving?
Thanks, Bobbie
catmandoo
11-07-2003, 05:55
well i also have an 82 gmc 3/4 ton suburban with a banks on it and the most i have ever seen out of it was 7 lbs pulling pretty hard. i figured this was normal for these.i could prbably get 7 out of this one if i was pulling something but empty by the time i get up to 5 lbs i'm doing over 60 mph 1st gear i don't get any boost 2nd just before shift it will come up to maybe 1 lb 3rd 31/2 to 4 lbs before shift to 4th then like i say time i get to 5 if i don't want to chance a ticket i have to back off.i could probably get more if i turned the pump up to spec. i turned it up like said here in other posts and when on it hard it just billowed smoke so i turned the pump down just a hair and it really helped the smoke and it seemed to gain a little power. now i really have to be pullin hard to see smoke,one other weird thing i noticed is i thought my cold advance quit after i turned up the pump and when i started it yesterday it still didn't idle high like it should but after running for about 5 mins it made a definate switch in idle sound(got quieter) so i kinda assume it is working,just doesn't hammer like before.
LanduytG
11-07-2003, 10:33
I have to agree with Ronnie that the big IC had a very big gain. I did this about 3 or so years ago and the first trip was do to the Smokies and I never was under 60 mph and never had to worry about EGT's or water temp. The truck is a joy to drive when you don't have to worry about those two things. I have the BD rv chip I might have to try JK's big chip.
Greg
I also agree that the intercooler was the most noticeable peformance gainer. Since I live in Colorado, I give my truck the I 70 workout several times a year.
This is my 3rd year with the intercooler, and while towing, I picked up 5-10 mph on most climbs, about a 10 degree average drop in coolant temp, and 200 or so degree drop in EGTs.
As far as the boost "dumping", my truck has always done that over a certain rpm. I talked to JK about that and he felt the they were designed that way because of the added stress to the engine a higher rpms. The intercooler does seem to like boost though, 13-14 psi seems to be yield the most noticeable difference. But to me, even at lower boost levels, the added power is noticeable.
As for fuel economy, I haven't really noticed any change, loaded or unloaded.
After having it, I wouldn't be without it. It's just too bad they didn't come stock with one.
Joe.
patrick m.
11-07-2003, 16:08
Kris, i bought the turbo from a friend, used.
James, Kennedy's boost controller will "hide" the added pressure so the computer does not open the wastegate.
Without an intercooler, the high charge air temp detected by the "IAT- intake air temp sensor, will cause the computer to open the wastegate, and reduce fuel. In some cases the computer seems to just reduce fuel,which will affect boost.
IMHO, any boost pressure over 10psi will benefit from an intercooler, and probably should have one.
Hi there I have a 98 6.5t.d c/c dually and tow a 30ft 5er.Combined weight is 18500lbs.Before I upgraded the truck had a hard tine pulling on level ground,never mind a hill.I dealt with diesel auto in Vancouver.I installed their 4" exaust and downpipe an i/c, boch high flow injectors high flow air and a little boost box I then installed ispro boost and pyro guages. This year I travelled accros B.C and I was truly impressed with the differance. The boost would go right off the guage if I let it. I crested a few 3-4 thousand foot passes and the truck never dropped below 50mph.I think i would have needed a tow over before.It has put my faith in the engine up a few pegs,as far as power.The cooling I think would be the next area to deal with as with all the boost and 90deg weather that was the only thing I had to moniter a little more carefully.I think one could do a little piston melting if not watched
Dave
rjschoolcraft
11-09-2003, 17:36
I'm back home.
On Friday, November 7, 2003, I left Las Vegas at 6:00 am PST (9:00 am EST) and headed for home. At 11:00 pm PST (2:00 am EST), I pulled into a rest area near Colby, KS...nearly 1,000 miles away.
The Suburban performed well on this drive. I had good power and could run whatever speed I wanted within reason.
On Saturday, I left the rest area at 6:00 am EST... Something changed. The boost had fallen back to nearly stock levels and power was way down.
After studying the gages for the nearly 900 miles remaining, it is clear that the PCM is commanding the boost level. I suspect that the BARO sensor may have failed. I had an extra Boost Sensor at home. Today, I installed it, but no difference. I will try the new BARO sensor as soon as I can acquire one.
Does anyone know if the BARO signal fails, will the PCM revert to a default (low) boost schedule?
LanduytG
11-09-2003, 17:56
Ronnie
What are you using to control the boost? How far down did it drop? Yes the boro has a effect on boost. I control the boost with one of JK's adjustable boost controllers that on the map sensor. I had boost problems and founf the pot to be bad in the controller.
Greg
THATS THE PROBLEM WITH THESE SCREWY 6.5S, THEY ARE LIKE A LINCOLN I HAD ONCE UPON A TIME AND NEVER AGAIN. ABOUT THE TIME YOU THINK THEY ARE FINALLY FIXED ON LOUSY POWER AND HIGH TEMPS. SOMETHING ELSE BREAKS OR GOES HAYWIRE.
MY NEIGHBOR HAS A NEW 6.0 LITRE FORD DIESEL AND THEY ARE BUYING IT BACK ON THE LEMON LAW FOR FAILED INJECTORS ONE AFTER ANOTHER.
I,M STILL SAVING MY PENNIES TO DO THE CUMMINS CONVERSION. I HAVE EVERYTHING BUT THE TRANNY AND THE HYBRED TURBO FOR THE ENGINE.SHOULD GET IT IN THE CHEVY NEXT YEAR AND ILL DO A FULL REPORT FOR THE PAGE AND ALL YOU DISGRUNTLED DETROIT DIESEL OWNERS!!!!
Ralph Fichtl
11-09-2003, 21:43
Where did you get your TorqLoc and how much?
rjschoolcraft
11-10-2003, 04:21
My Suburban has over 182,000 miles on it now. Failures of small components are a reality with any vehicle that has that many miles on it. The Cummins will also have these types of issues.
Moedog: When I went through Grand Junction on Friday evening, the truck was running like a champ.
Ralph: The TorqLoc that I have was a promotional item provided to the DP by BD for the article. However, you can go to their website at BD-Power (http://www.bd-power.com/) and see all of their products and prices.
Greg: Boost is controlled (so far) completely by the Kennedy chip. I have no other boost controls on the engine, although, I am likely going to buy one for the BARO sensor in the future to pull the Wastegate Solenoid Valve into 100% duty cycle. Boost fell to near stock levels...5-7 psi except under heavy load in OD...max of about 9 psi. Normally, it will boost about 12-13 psi in OD with the converter clutch engaged. At high elevation, it was boosting to nearly 14 psi.
[ 11-11-2003, 05:16 PM: Message edited by: ronniejoe ]
rjschoolcraft
11-11-2003, 15:00
Boost problem cured!
Boy, I hate to be dumb, but it seems that I do that every now and then.
As I noted in the original post, I had to replace the waste gate actuator in Denver on the way out to Las Vegas. It seems that I managed to crack the vacuum line going to the waste gate actuator. It waited until Saturday morning on the way back to leak badly enough to affect boost. Fixed the leak and now my performer is back!
The one thing that I don't understand is why no codes were set in the computer...for either problem.
A no code is a good code! :D
I've been "studying" boost problems since about 1996. Seems I've had just about every one possible except a PCM failure (knocking on wood now). I've come to the conclusion that DTC 78 onlu comes on when the boost is too high for the PCM's liking. I drove for a week with a failed vacuum pump and never set a code, but when the wastegate stuck and the boost crept up around 12 psi it set the code and disabled the boost instantly. A sticky solenoid has the same effect. One reason you need a boost gauge...
Originally posted by ronniejoe:
Boost problem cured!
Boy, I hate to be dumb, but it seems that I do that every now and then.
As I noted in the original post, I had to replace the waste gate actuator in Denver on the way out to Las Vegas. It seems that I managed to crack the vacuum line going to the waste gate actuator. It waited until Saturday morning on the way back to leak badly enough to affect boost. Fixed the leak and now my performer is back!
The one thing that I don't understand is why no codes were set in the computer...for either problem. Ron,
The complete vacuum harness lists for $12 from GM.
I had a 1996 truck in recently with a spliced/broken harness, and an improperly wired wastegate (stuck in no man's land) that had been running as an N/A engine for some time. Pretty bad, missed the tabs on the airbox lid, pinched hose at turbo inlet etc.
I went to check raw pump vacuum, and found GRAVEL packed inside the lage plastic fitting where it reduces to the 1/8" line! :eek: It appears that the vacuum pump can operate in reverse...
Anyhow, long story short, the vac pump wasn't working nor the wategate solenoid, but after a healthy shot of WD 40 (a rap on the solenoid to free it up) and a new vac harness, it all worked like a charm! May not be a bad idea to shoot a little WD in the hose while running as a PM type of thing.
Then we hit a cold spell, he gelled up and had to have it towed. When he stopped back, I went to put in plugs, and the darn shop had the lid for the airbox TOTALLY unseated again! :mad:
Well, the good news is, that we should have a flat panel foam filter that WORKS from Unifilter VERY soon!
PS: Ronnie,
On the code thing, Ancient Chinese Secret... :D
rjschoolcraft
11-12-2003, 13:43
Bobbie:
Sorry to not respond sooner. I guess I over looked your post. So far, nothing I have done has helped my mileage... That is probably because I use the new found power that every mod gives! :D The Suburban averages right at 8 mpg towing the travel trailer. This short of what MP reports with the Project Truck. I think that is because the 18:1 engine is more efficient at making power partly because of the high boost levels. In every day, unloaded driving, the truck is definitely more responsive than before. I can even say that the intercooler helped here. I installed the chip before the intercooler. The chip helped the truck under these conditions, but the intercooler has helped again. I did notice about 2 psi reduction in boost at most driving conditions, except wot under load in OD with converter locked up. Here the full commanded boost is achieved as before the IC.
Kennedy:
I was planning to check into a new vacuum harness since I've now made two repairs to it. At the price you quoted, I'd be silly not to get one. Thanks again for your help and advice.
moondoggie
11-13-2003, 05:18
Good Day!
I replaced those lousy plastic tubes with soft copper from the hardware store. I don't think these will crack, & pretty cheap (you know me).
Blessings!
Brian Johnson, #5044
This (cracked plastics) is another sign of high intake air temps taking their toll. Yet another good reason for FULL TIME intercooling...
rjschoolcraft
01-14-2004, 20:41
Another update. I towed the travel trailer to Murphysboro, IL last weekend so that my boys could wrestle in a tournament there. I made the same trip a year ago for the same reason.
This thing is fun to drive now while towing. It is truly amazing how much better it runs. I usually set the cruise on 70 and sit back and drive. In Eastern Illinois on I-70, a string of about 8 semis blew by me... Couldn't have that. :D I wondered if I could run with them... ;) Well, I'll be durned! Hammer down, catch up, roll along at 80 miles per hour behind the last truck for about 30 or 40 miles. No problem. :cool: Sanity crept back in and I slowed back down to 70, but I now know! I could have run faster... WOW!
All this talk about intercoolers... Anyone ever try one of the air/water style? I have been looking at these because I don't have room for a traditional intercooler (I'm doing lots of cutting just to get an adequate radiator!). Some kits are here water/air intercoolers (http://www.vortechsuperchargers.com/products/coolers/)
rjschoolcraft
01-15-2004, 04:58
Panhead has one that he really likes.
matt-max
01-15-2004, 11:14
bill heath has one he says is engineered for our applications i am considering for the tahoe.
he says 12 gallon tank, alcohol/water mix, pump on the frame, good for 40hp for $420 iirc.
he says several out there.....who's got one?
matt
Sounds like water injection. Air/air is 100% duty cycle, and as soon as you move, VERY effective. After pulling a hill like Ronniejoe mentioned, a guy could still lay his hand on the intake!
matt-max
01-15-2004, 13:53
oops, you are correct, of course.
read through quickly and did not make the distinction.
so what is a half-ton owner to do? spend a few months custom installing? i bet my snowplow mount complicates things even further.....
matt
I have the heath water mist injection. Had intercooler before that.The mist injection performs so much better.I could put my hand on the turbo at any time. Could not do that before.My engine exhaust temps are lower.The power is also very noticeable.The kit comes with everything you need.
rjschoolcraft
01-17-2004, 07:44
Here's what I would like to see...
Set up a long distance, cross country towing demonstration between an intercooled 6.5 and one with water injection. Mountain towing and desert towing must be included in the western United States. We can argue all day long about opinions... the proof is in the pudding.
Furthermore, has anyone ever run the hill in the Pull-Off competition with a water injected 6.5?
It seems to me that the water injection is a Band-Aid that works for short term bursts. I know that's the way we used it in the aerospace business... during takeoff. Never for cruise conditions. I sometimes tow a thousand miles in a day through mountains, desert, etc. The intercooler quietly does it's job without any of my attention and without filling up any water tanks or carrying any extra "dead weight". I would have really enjoyed having one of you guys with water injection running with me on the trip described earlier in this thread. That would have done a lot to answer these questions.
[ 07-01-2004, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: ronniejoe ]
pannhead
01-17-2004, 08:08
i recently installed an air intake temp gauge and i can confidently say to you ronniejoe...any place,any grade,anytime,any distance,any altitude...(friendly jab :D ) hey, do my kids and ole lady count as dead weight ?! :D
rjschoolcraft
01-17-2004, 08:46
:D I won't tell her you said that!
Your liquid intercooler system sounds like a great set-up. While you do have to carry water, you don't have to stop and fill it up every now and then.
My comments are all directed at "water injection". The physics of it work, no argument there. However, I need to see a lot of data and demonstration before I believe it can compete on a long term basis with intercooling.
BTW, earlier in this thread, JeepSJ asked about liquid intercooler systems. I was hoping you might direct him to some of the previous discussions about your system.
matt-max
01-17-2004, 08:56
i think i will probably pull the trigger on the water injection setup for the tahoe. i don't use it to pull much, i use the bigger trucks for that, it'll be more for giggles.
since we are only 30 miles or so away maybe we can work out a side by side sometime in the 'mountains' of southern indiana....
matt
rjschoolcraft
01-17-2004, 11:33
That's cool!
I tow an enclosed car trailer. I have a 1955 chevy that i show and occasionally race. I tow up and down the east coast with it. My truck runs so much better with the water injection.Before I installed it I was also skeptical on how it would work.So when I purchased it I did a little test. Loaded with trailer with air to air intercooler went up hill that I marked off.I reached 55 mph.I took off the air to air intercooler and installed the water injection. Ran the same hill and reached 66 mph plus my exhaust temps were 124 degrees cooler.I rest my case.
rjschoolcraft
01-17-2004, 14:51
You shouldn't rest your case until you tow across the Mojave Desert in June at over 16,000 lb. combined weight! Towing around the East Coast is easy compared to Towing out West. My Suburban did OK East of the Mississippi in stock trim... It fell flat on its face out West. The Eastern mountains are one thing (I've been through them several times from New York state down through South Carolina), but the Western mountains and the desert Southwest are a whole different story.
Barry Nave
01-17-2004, 15:34
For long term towing I would go with the IC.
My water system is more for power when needed and when I do pull my TT and I see boost above 12# on grades and IAT going above 160* I'll turn it on.
Bill Heath is right about the power and the water fill would be a pain in the A hole doing full time. Not to say that I have'nt put a 30 gal. tank in the bed befor :D
moondoggie
01-17-2004, 15:35
Good Day!
I would suggest that there is no case to rest. Everyone has done a great job of providing the technical information about their particular situation & results. The winner here is not intercoolers or mist injection, the winner is all of us who can now make a choice based on what the good DP members have discovered & shared. We can choose what we figure will work best for us in our situation.
Me, I'm going for intercooled, water-, alcohol-, nitrous-, propane-injection: my daily commute takes just too long! ;)
Blessings!
Brian Johnson, #5044
pannhead
01-17-2004, 15:42
does anyone feel the difference going with 50/50 alcohol in the water? has anyone tried ?
jspringator
01-17-2004, 16:27
Since I only need intercooling when I tow, and My trailer has a watertank and a drain, I don't see how it could be that bad to fill up at a truckstop, which also always has a hose available. I am more concerned about longevity than extra power.
Barry Nave
01-17-2004, 16:46
Panhead
50/50 is to strong. Yes I have done that and the Eng. rattle is so strong you will think it's flying apart. One gal. denature alky. Two gal. water gives it a very strong pull. :D
Guys, the air/water unit I was talking about is NOT any type of water injection. This is an actual intercooler, but instead of using air to cool the intake charge, water circulates through it. Water is stored in a small tank, gets pumped through a small cooler (in front of radiator), then it goes through the intercooler and back into the storage tank. The advantage is that the air/water unit is a fraction of the size of an air/air intercooler, plus it can be mounted anywhere. There is the issue of the small radiator that you need to use in the water supply, but that is about the same as a large trans cooler. Follow the link that I posted in my original message and you'll se what I'm talking about.
rjschoolcraft
01-19-2004, 05:36
JeepSJ,
That's what Pannhead uses (I don't know if it is the exact same unit) and I keep hoping he'll fill you in more. Some time ago, there was quite a discussion of his unit. He posted pictures and gave a lot of technical detail. You might try searching on his user name and see what comes up. Hopefully, that information was posted after the "Great Server Crash" and is still available. ;)
Panhead - I searched through all of your posts and couldn't find one with pics. Do you have the pics posted somewhere I could see them?
pannhead
01-21-2004, 17:56
just got back from hospital...i had emergency surgery monday night (my appendix exploded),yea it hurt like ?@#%^&*,you're fine one minute and then squeeling in pain like a little girl the next....they took out what was left of it and now i got another battle scar and a big bottle of drugs....Aint monday a B!tch :( ..cant type much right now..give me a couple days and i'll post specifics and my e-mail add for pics
pannhead
01-21-2004, 18:11
its a spearco 2-230...details in a few days, i'm gotta lay down..wife said no drugs (legally prescribed) and typing allowed ;)
rjschoolcraft
01-21-2004, 19:02
Wow! Glad your doing OK. Keep us posted on your recovery. May God be with you.
pannhead
02-03-2004, 18:07
ok,this is going to be kinda lengthy :rolleyes: ..there have been some modifications since the last time i posted (which i think got lost in the DP computer crash)...the liquid intercooler is a spearco model 2-230 which is mounted on top of the intake horn..the intake horn was rotated 180 degrees,because of this there was no access to the fuel filter housing so i eliminated it and mounted a racor filter system next to the driver battery..easy access,and clear bowl..the turbine housing is rotated to about 6 o'clock..the charge pipe TO the intercooler is 2.5 inch copper and then sleeved with 4 inch copper (water circulates around the charge pipe)...the pipe FROM the intercooler to the intake is wrapped with a thermal reflective material...the water is circulated by two meziere remote water pumps(over 20 gal per minute)..the intercooler system capacity is 20 gallons...the coolent goes 1st thru a heat exchanger where the oil and trans cooler was(they are now remote mounted and fan cooled),then to another heat exchanger where the skid plate used to be(these exchanger are about 16"x 10" x 2",then goes to an aluminum howe radiator 16" x 32" which is mounted under the burb at an angle with scoop and duel flex-o-lite fans...alot of amps, so i installed a 200 amp alternator and have duel yellow-top batteries (no juice problems here :D )some other facts..BD race chip,JK boost controller,#9 resistor,interceptor unit for trans (from JK: excellent service by the way)..boost,egt,volt, and ait gauges...rear-view camera system...liquid cooled thermo-electric fsd cooler (i'll post on that one another day),edlebrock shocks etc etc etc...except for the custom grill inserts truck pretty much appears stock....ok,now for the disclaimer..this system DOESNT make sense for most people,its best for me because i'm almost always stuck in slower speeds because of CA traffic :mad: ,this system doesnt require any speed to cool the charge air temp unlike an air/air unit mounted horizontal...i got alot of the stuff VERY cheap and got real luckey also..if you were to try to build a like system it would run you mega bucks...i tow very heavy trailers w/bobcats etc,my truck is my living...i cant wait for the duramax burb...i run about 15 psi at spike..the ait gauge really shows how intake temps and egt temps go hand in hand....i'll go take a quick pic for anyone who is interested...for everyone else sorry about the long boring post ;) ....my e-mail is pannhead51@aol.com
MTTwister
02-05-2004, 15:02
panhead - this sounds like a cool :rolleyes: system. even though out of $ reach, still would be interested in pics - if you could post or link.
Also waiting expectorantly for the liquid cooled FSD setup, although I'm going with a air cooled heat sink.
pannhead
02-05-2004, 16:31
i'm not quite there with the computer skills yet :rolleyes: e-mail me,then i can send a pic....one of these days i'll get my kids to show me what all these bottons do :D
Pics please!
Glad to see that you are up and about.
rjschoolcraft
03-04-2004, 04:43
Another update.
I just towed my trailer over to East Peoria, IL and back this week. I am beginning a new project with Caterpillar and use my trailer for business travel...I don't like hotels much.
I still cannot get over how well this truck runs now...and I believe there is more to get out of it. As I've said before, the improvement in towing performance is nothing short of remarkable.
For instance, Monday night while traveling westbound on I-74, I was bucking a big head wind. Wind gusts were severe and approaching 30 mph. In previous trips across that highway under similar conditions, I struggled to maintain 65 mph running about 1400F egt and coolant temps of 230+. Monday, I set the cruise control on 70 mph and drove on. Temps? EGT: 900-950F, coolant: 195-200F. The tension (in me) associated with the previous low power and high temperatures is gone. On the return trip with no wind, the egt was running about 800F with the cruise set on 70 mph.
As a repeat, boost pressures hold fairly steady while towing at this speed. On the trip over, on level ground boost pressure was about 11 psi...sustained. Obviously, it varied with changes in grade and wind conditions. On the return trip, it ran between 9 and 10 psi. With the intercooler, I can pull into a rest area, pop the hood and lay my hand on the intake manifold. It is slightly warm, but will not burn and is not uncomfortable to touch.
For a long time, I doubted if I could ever achieve this level of performance with the 6.5. It's not a Duramax, but it can now perform respectably while towing a heavy load with lots of wind drag. This is fun. smile.gif
moondoggie
03-04-2004, 06:24
Good Day!
Thanks for the update. Updates like this are not only fun to read, but will remain available in the future, using the search feature.
Blessings!
Brian Johnson, #5044
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