Exhaust Brake

[imported_]

Looking for some advice on an exhaust brake. Which one do you have and how well do you like it? Which brand is better? I am looking to install one in my '02 GMC 3500 Crew cab dually with an Ally tranny. I have had brake fade in the past on some hills while towing and I feel this will help--Any ideas will help---Thanks,,,Jim

[CanadaKev]

Jim,
I have BD's exhaust brake and am very pleased with it. I seldom use my foot brake except for the final few feet, coming to a stop.
50K km and my brake pads are still at 85%.

Kev

[CntrlCalDmax]

I use the BD also and am very happy with it. Installed mine so that it is adjustable in the cab with gauges to monitor back pressure. I also installed a 4" exhaust at the same time to eliminate any added back pressure caused by the brake butterfly. Pics in sig.

[Jayhawker]

I have the Banks Brake installed in a 4" Banks exhaust system on my 2003 3500. I really like the brake activation on cold idle; it does put a little load om the engine to assist warm-up and exercises the brake. Works great towing heavy trailer down mountain switchbacks. It is also great when going through the curves on long down-hill mountain grades without a tralier. (Use Tow/Haul, leave Brake on, and get automatic braking by taking foot off throttle as you approach a curve and then apply the throttle to release the Banks Brake and power through the curve.)

[glamisboy]

I heard the Banks is a good one.

[ 09-01-2003, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: glamisboy ]

[DMAX Daddy]

Whats the going price on a Banks Brake?

A friend just got one on his Ford and he was just amazed, he wouldnt shut up about it the whole way down the mountain!

[Jayhawker]

I am not familiar with the features of the BD, Pac-Brake (?), and other exhaust brakes on the market, so I can not say the Banks Brake is best. But it does work exactly as advertised. I paid about $1,100 in November 2002, installed it on my 01 2500, and now have moved it to my 03 3500.

[wushaw]

I have the BD brake and it seems to work as advertised.
Depending on heavy your trailer is the real question of whether it is worth it. My trailer is a little over 15000 and going down 7% grades with switchbacks I will still get hot brakes. When your trying to keep your speed to 30-40 mph and then trying to make a 15mph turn, I don't care what anybody says 15000 lbs is too much weight to keep in check with a one ton. I am getting a bigger truck.

[CntrlCalDmax]

15,000 lbs might be a little too much. I'm about 17,500 gross and with 50 psi exhaust back pressure, and grade braking engaged (3500+ RPM), I will slow down coming down any mountain in Colorado on I70 starting from 60 mph without using service brakes. Monitoring back pressure from inside the cab is so informative I would not use the brake without it.

[motovet]

I have the BD brake and it works great with my 10,000# trailer. I also have the regulator and guage in cab thanks to CntrlCal who pionered the idea. I also upped the pressure switch to 120 PSI and that allows up to 50+ PSI under 2000 RPM. With that kind of adjustability you can slow a heavy load better at slower speeds, and get maximum use of the brake at any speed.

[ryeguy]

Just posted on the other thread, but here goes again.

I like my Banks exhaust brake. But I've also installed the overdrive lock-out, which I think is really necessary to take full advantage of the exhaust brake.

I can't comment on the BD stuff, but isn't it manually adjusted? The Banks stuff is "flip a switch and it does the rest" which I like, so I can concentrate on more important things - like keeping it between the lines.

--Rob

[motovet]

The BD brake is only manually adjustable for the two (or more?), of us who have put the regulator in cab. I use the lockout too and agree it helps the brake work as it raises the RPM's and increases the backpressure. The nice thing about having the adjustability is always having the brake in the sweet spot regardless of conditions, and getting maximum results at all times.

[ 09-03-2003, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: motovet ]

[Kennedy]

Just for curiosity, how many of you see a BIG puff of black when you release the brake?

I'm curious as to whether this is accumulating soot being dislodged, OR an injector imbalance loading up the pipe when the back psi is high...

[bearman]

kennedy
I see a big puff of black when I release the brake.

CntrlCalDmax
How and where do you mount the regulator in the cab???? Sounds likea great idea! Any pics and directions?
Cheers
Bear

[tpitt]

John,
When I release mine I get a puff of smoke. I believe it is just soot build up. When I first installed mine It smoked so bad I called BD, thinking that it wasn't compatable with the egr. It cleared up and hasn't been a problem since and that was ages ago. Terry

[CntrlCalDmax]

bearman,

I mounted the regulator and a pressure gauge to read regulated air in the CD or tape storage hole just above the console. I made a panel out of 1/4" black sheet plastic and cut openings for the regulator and gauge and added a post light for night. I also installed the exhaust brake switch, high idle and ODLO switches in this panel. When the door is closed, no one knows it's there. In the overhead I installed an Xmonitor that has a third read out for exhaust back pressure. Several pics in sig.

The only unusual thing about using it is when I want to reduce braking, after I turn down the regulator I have to tap the throttle to momentarily bleed off air pressure and then the system resets to the new selected setting. This only takes a second. Adding pressure is no problem. The regulator supplied from BD dosen't bleed off pressure when turned down only a little.

Leo

[CanadaKev]

JK,
I don't get any smoke when I release the brake.
But I use my brake often, so perhaps I don't get any build-up.

I also have the regulator in the cab but wouldn't do it again. I'd leave it under the hood(it's getting too cluttered in the cab). Since putting the regulator in the cab I have left it on max back pressure and haven't touched it.

Kev

[Kennedy]

I like my BD brake for it's ruggedness, but the controls are a bit simplistic. I'd like to have the ability to use cruise control when the brake is on. It shouldn't be that difficult, just lock out the brake when the cruise switch is activated...

I also have the rattle that annoys the crap out of me. The fix is supposed to be at my dist, I just haven't had time. I also need to do the snorkel thing for the vent...

[ryeguy]

I don't get any puff of black smoke. No rattle either.

--Rob

[motovet]

John, as you know my truck sounds identical to yours underneith, thanks to that rattle sound. I seem to only get that puff of black when I use the brake for warm up.
CntrlCal, ever try the 125 PSI switch?

[CntrlCalDmax]

I had the rattle about 1,000 miles after installing the brake. BD sent a new actuator that I installed and adjusted so that the actuator still had tension on it with the valve full open. This stopped the noise.

Moto, Haven't called them for it yet. Thanks for reminding me.