She's a hottie!!!!

[93_Fummins]

Stupid question (because I already know the answer), but what can I do to decrease EGT's without losing too much power?

I finally got the Fummins all the way together, leagal, and on the road over the weekend. The maiden voyage was a 600 mile trip from my dad's shop in Missouri to my apartment in Oklahoma. The truck runs like a champ, even drives pretty good considering it's size and makeup. However, the EGT's were between 1000 and 1150 degrees the whole way, even letting waaaaaay off the throttle going up hills to stay away from 1200. Granted, I'm pulling 38 inch rubber and the truck is no lightweight, but I'm a little concerned.

The innards are stock. No intercooler. HTT Pulse 3-piece exhaust. HTT Stage IV 60mm compressor. 16cm2 exhaust housing. Pump turned up half turn from runaway. DDP fuel pin. Stock smoke screw. Star wheel turned down. Unknown injectors (past owner said they were 40hp+ injectors, but I'm assuming he got swindled and they are stock because the fuel screw was tampered with on the rebuilt pump that he said he never touched). Also, open element K&N air filter. Stock downpipe to 4 inch straight exhaust to dual 4 inch stacks. 4.10 gears 10 inch lift and 38 inch tires.

Logical answer is add an intercooler, but I don't have the resources readily available to add an intercooler any time soon. Are there any cheap and easy ways to lower the temps without losing too much power? Is there anything drastically wrong with my setup that I'm overlooking?

Like I said, stupid question, but I'm on a budget and lacking the tools to get any serious fabrication done. Feel free to bash me all you want. I just don't want to melt the poor thing down, but I still wanna go fast. Heck of a perdicament...

[Ace]

That actually sounds about right for the setup you are describing. You could try water/meth for help pulling the grades. But I think the best approach is going cost some money: a bigger turbo with a 4" downpipe - preferably with an intercooler as well.

Nobody I have heard about has ever been able to really work one these things using anything bigger than stock injectors without a bigger turbo to go along with them. In fact, your story has been repeated in the Cummins online forums many times. Going up to just 34" tires added an average of 100 degerees EGT to my setup at cruise and under any load at all. Lost MPG too.

[JQmile]

If you're willing to live with about 30 less horsepower you can turn the fuel screw down a little. I can vary my cruising EGTs from 600 deg to 900 deg just by turning the fuel screw in and out.

[dpuckett]

CHeck your timing. If it's not right, it will run hot. I'd say 1.4-1.6mm should give you good bottom end grunt, and still keep EGTs in check.

[seeker1056]

1200 degrees wont hurt nothin if it isnt all the time and the 1000 is barely hot

[KTA]

Interesting my truck before the twins always cruised about 10 deg per mph so 60 was 600 and 90 was 900deg. At 7300lb it isnt very light either and has terrible aerodynamics with the utility box. I am surprised it is that toasty. It could be retarded timing. Of course that hybrid turbo is a joke too. There is no real benefit to one.

[93_Fummins]

I kind of figured that the hybrid setup wasn't going to hack it, but I was worried about exploding the stock turbo as I was already pushing it to its limits. Guess I just had to learn the hard way...

I have a water/meth kit that I'm going to install this weekend, so maybe that'll help a little. Granted, I realize that it's just basically a cover-up for a problem that needs to be fixed, but I'll have to wait a while until I can afford a better turbo/intercooler setup...

Thanks for the input guys!

[dpuckett]

Intercooler will work wonders.

DP

[93_Fummins]

Intercooler will work wonders.

DP

Time, money, and tools...all of which I have very little of where I'm at. Just have to watch the Pyro like a hawk for the meantime...and try to keep off the skinny pedal...

[CumminsPride]

I think the water will make a good bit of difference and the extra umph is nice too.

[93_Fummins]

Installed the water/meth injection system this weekend. It made an amazing difference in power right off the bat. I took it for a trip to gauge the difference. On a big hill just out of town, without water it ran about 1100 degrees and climbing at about 15 psi with a very sluggish feeling. With the water/meth it peaked out at 1000 degrees at about 35 psi and I didn't have to pull out of the throttle. The minute the system kicks in, it throws you in the back seat and takes off like a rocket. Cleared my smoke up a little bit too.

Final verdict, I'll have to find an intercooler because water just doesn't last long enough. I went through three quarts in about 10 miles, but then again I was enjoying the fun factor to the fullest.

[93_Fummins]

Well, I win this week's Darwin award...

I was testing and tuning my newly installed water/meth injection system the other day and a 3rd Gen pulled up beside me at a light. So, I dropped it in gear, flipped the switch for the W/M, and dropped the hammer. I jumped off the line strong and had him for about 50 feet until I grabbed third and laid into it again. About that time I started to hear a shudder in the exhaust and it started running funky.

So, I'm guessing I probably blew a head gasket??? Stupid is as stupid does I guess...

While on the subject of stupid, I have a stupid question... Will head studs alone really do me any good without fire rings? It looks like i'm going to have to replace the head gasket, which was due anyway, and I figure I might as well install head studs, but should I take the time to have the head fire ringed or is my application still mild enough to not need fire rings?

Sorry for being a Goamer about all fo this...

[Crossy's son]

You don't need to get it fire ringed, but you can, at your power levels i don't think its necessary.

To lower egt's i'd get a99-03 powerstroke intercooler or 2nd gen dodge cummins intercooler and rig it in there with some 3" intake tubes.

whats the running "funky" mean? white smoke? is there A/F running down the side of the block ??

Did you check the oil ? is it milky?

One easy way to tell if you HG is bad is to start it up cold and grab the upper RAD. hose and see if its hard, if its hard then the H/g is bad . Thats what my ole man told me

[Richie O]

One easy way to tell if you HG is bad is to start it up cold and grab the upper RAD. hose and see if its hard, if its hard then the H/g is bad . Thats what my ole man told me

Thats only true if the compression is getting into a coolant port. If the head gasket is blown between 2 cylinders or to the outside it won't pressurize the radiator.

[93_Fummins]

When I said it is running funky, I just meant that something didn't quite feel up to snuff...kind of a seat of the pants diagnosis.

Oil is clean. Smoke is black. Block is dry. Not losing coolant, nor pressurizing the radiator. It actually still runs like a champ. I readjusted the "start" and "full" settings on the water/meth controller and haven't had that "funky" feeling since. I was just paranoid because it almost sounded and felt exactly the way my dad's 3208 CAT did when it blew the head gasket between two cylinders. I think I'm just so excited about my Fummins and all this new found power that I don't want to blow the darn thing up already. Kind of like skeeting yourself during foreplay...

I picked up a 99 PowerStroke intercooler on ebay the other day, now just looking for a compressor elbow. It probably wouldn't hurt to put in a piston lift pump either. Gotta see how the funds work out this month...