On Sunday August, 28th we plan on having another truck meet in Millersburg, Ohio. You may have seen our past meets 1, 2, 3 and 4. This one will be the same. We’ll get together and shoot the breeze about Ford trucks (and trucks in general), then we’ll drag a trailer up and down a 15%-17% grade hill and compare how the trucks did. It’s always a fun, educational, and sometimes piston melting, turbo breaking good time.

Post here if you are interested in coming. If you need hotel or camp ground recommendations let me know.

 

Hi Mike,

Of course I'll be there, sans truck and trailer this time. Should be a great time!

 

Good deal. I'll probably rent a dump trailer or equipment trailer and find something to load into or onto one of them. My Equal-I-zer hitch can be adapted for all sorts of trailers so I have options.

 

I penciled it into my schedule...

 

Good to hear Rick!

 

It was fun last time. I'll put it on the schedule.

 

Will we have a Dodge there to show us how to pull that 1 little trailer?

 

LOL! My neighbor has already said he's just watching this time. He was without a truck for a month or so last time.

 

Isn't that a pisser!

 

For those who do not know the back story on the Dodge, Mike's neighbor called him when he saw 7 or 8 Fords on the street and asked if it took all those Ford's to pull one little trailer. The gauntlet was thrown and the neighbor hooked his Dodge to the 12000 pound trailer. Halfway up the hill it went "boom".

Regards

 

Yeah, that Dodge was toast after that one. He had tuned it if I recall, but do not have the capability to monitor or adjust based upon his load.

I have always said better to close or stock power levels when towing heavy. Bet he thinks the same now.

 

Because of the circumstances with the pull and everyone else in Fords I find what happened with the Dodge a bit humorous myself. I do have to throw out there, though, that it wasn't a total mud flinging session and was originally all done in fun. I still feel bad the cummins went bang. That wasn't the intent, but it is a risk everyone needs to be aware of.

 

When we rebuilt he did go with a bigger turbo and bigger injectors and a tuner that is the same as yours (I think) with all the proper probes for EGT, etc. He already said it will be "stock" tune anytime he tows.
He took it all pretty well. I don't know how many thousands he put into it but besides the turbo and injectors all the internals were replaced except for the crank, and I think all the robs. Also I think he had all the cylinders sleeved but I don't remember exactly. He did use the original head (had to be shaved a little bit) and I think he had a complete value replacement and grind done.

Here is one of the old burnt pistons.

 

Like Steve said, no one was very happy to see the Dodge go up in smoke. The humor was not in the truck blowing up but in the irony of it's owners instigating phone call. I posted the video over on RVnet with no attempt to place blame on anyone. My "Dodge Boy's" fan club over there was apoplectic. Now that was funny...

 

It was actually an instigating text message.

I felt really bad about it after the fact, but unfortunately this is what can happen when running that hard while tuned. He was making some big power though. With his antique 4-speed auto he pulled faster than all but the 6.7Ls did up until it let go.

When we came to a stop he shut the truck off right away. I suggested he let it run for a bit to cool down, and he then started it back up. I wonder if heat soak caused any of the damage. That thing got HOT!