Hi all, I'm wanting to get either a banks brake or BD brake for my 05 F250, i have heard 50/50 on either and wondering if anyone else has them and do they actually work or just a waste of time. Cheers Matt

 

If you are running a stock F250 with EBPV not deleted then essentially your truck already has the hardware in place, you don't have to add any.

All you need to do is get a Tuner with a DECEL tune. When you flip over to DECEL the tune will engage the Exhaust Back Pressure Valve (EBPV) and there you have your exhaust brake.

 

Be wary of SP Diesel EBPV with trans control. I purchased this from SP Diesel. Whilst on the web it would do exactly what I wanted and would not interfer with any other programing or systems and add to the transmission lock to allow for the retarding power to actually be transfered from your engine to your wheels. IIRC once you lift your foot on our auto trucks the G/Box does the big clutch in and freewheel (essenctially). I had given up on this and it has sat in my shed for the last 12 months. I will have to retry it when I take the truck of the road soon and see if I can get it to work. Intially SP Diesel where full of beans to help but as it got harder and harder they help all but dried up. I purchased their plug and play cables to ensure no messing with the OEM harnesses and still was told I must have stuffed up the wiring. Anyway bottom line is you will need one that also does the Trans-Loc if you have the auto and also disengage to allow the clutches to work when you stop. I believe BD had a good one and I also believe Banks have one but I am a bit wary of Banks everything. If you don't have the auto all you need is a switch on the shifter stick and tee into your EBPV wiring to close.
Good luck and let us know if you get something that works well.

 

Thanks guys, unfortinantly im just a farmer....so i dont understand alot of the things you talk about We do how ever have a very good F series mechanic and i will run it all by him, when towing our gooseneck loaded down hill i sometimes put the over drive on too just to get the vehicle back on the engine so we dont end up in neutral, will this stuff anyhting up? Exhaust brake wise, i was looking at the banks one that bolts onto the engine, not sure if it will work on the auto as with our auto volvos they have a retarder rather than an exhaust brake.

 

Hey Matt. Im just a dumba$$ truck driver and knew jack about these things when I got mine. But after many questions like yours and alot of searching on this and other sites I have come a long way.
Guzzles web site has many good bits with pics and detailed instructions on most of the common mods. I did he's Torque Converter lock switch and it works a treat.
Welcome to guzzle's TC Lockup Mod Web Page

You should book mark he's home page, its a very useful site. Also dont forget the FTE site
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
Use the "search forum" function, it has a wealth of info.
Heres a you tube on the EBPV mod that Simon mentioned
Also there is a debate on it here. Have a read.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ust-brake.html
And if you run a tuner like most of us here you can a tune for it as well. Here is a couple of another sites that I troll as well
7.3L Power Stroke - Aftermarket & Performance - PowerStrokeNation : Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum
7.3 Aftermarket - PowerStrokeArmy
If your are thinking about it I bet you will find someone on these sites that has already done it.

 

Thanks chunder down under, found that very interesting the link to the "debate" sounds like the same stuff i have heard about both, will have some more chat time with the mechanic and see what he says, we are lucky having an F series specialist up the road.

 

Matt, the point is that the F250 7.3 already has an exhaust flap installed - so you don't need to install any hardware other than wiring.

The exhaust flap in the F250 is called the Exhaust Back Pressure Valve (EBPV) and is designed in stock form to close to allow the engine to generate enough warm to not freeze up. There is also a little kettle element like thing where the turbo blows into intake manifold which is designed to heat the charge air up. This is called the Air Intake Heater (AIH). Check out the Common Mods thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...mmon-mods.html


I was chasing an exhaust brake when I first got my F250 - for towing horses too. I don't tow a gooseneck though.

Anyway, as the Youtube above shows, 2 bits of wire and a switch is all you need to have your F250 rigged up with an exhaust brake!

2 mods that you should do if you are towing heavy are:
1) Transmission oil temperature gauge - and watch it like a hawk (the auto trans is a weak point in our trucks) - this is a super easy gauge to fit;
2) Exhaust Gas Temperature gauge - the Ford Australia turbo dump pipe strangles the 3.5 inch turbo outlet to 2.5 inches and holds heat in - this can cook the turbo - this is slightly harder to fit as you need to drill and tap a 1/4 in NPT thread in the exhaust manifold to fit the gauge heat probe.

If you find your trans temp heading north the next vital upgrade is an increased capacity transmission cooler,

 

Note: Power Hungry Performance recommend against F250 exhaust brakes.
See:
Power Hungry Performance - Frequently Asked Questions

 

All in all sounds like the mod EBPV is a no no, our truck is in good nick and looked after well but wwe generaly are loaded to max weight with a gooseneck trailer of some sort. I have the higher capicity trans cooler to fit but not yet done, Simon the last info you posted was interesting to read, although there is parts of the info on other posts and a few videos on you tube saying how good it is. Guess its one of those deals if it works it does if it kills the truck it does. Thanks for all your help, another 10 r 15 yrs i might be educated on all this :P

 

I think the points of their argument:
1) the trans is built strong for acceleration, the coast clutches aren't designed for braking;
2) if you exhaust brake a big load you can get so much back pressure in the exhaust manifolds that it will hold the exhaust valve open causing the piston to hit it & a huge repair bill.

I've had my F250 for 4 years, broke a few things to start with then learned heaps from the forum and links. I would never part with it now - it has timeless quality, is built to last, is not so complex that it is too hard to work on & fix, knowledge and spare parts are easy to find on the net (& import directly), and you don't have to rely on a dealer.
Sure, they use a bit of fuel, but they save you in so many other areas & are likely to out last 3 or 4 'normal' vehicles given knowledgeable use & maintenance.