so how does everyone like there jake brake......its on my 2015 f-250....dont know if this is a new thing .....i know my 2011 f-350 didn't have it.....really hardly notice its working ....it slightly slows me down when in tow/haul mode while braking......how do you like it????

 

I like it allot. When in tow haul mode going down hill I can feel it working well. So far I am very happy with it. It was one of the improvements that helped me make the decision to upgrade to a 2015 over a 2014 closeout.

 

First off, It is not a Jake Brake! it is an exhaust brake. Big difference.

Exhaust brakes work on exhaust back pressure. Which means you have to have some exhaust to create the back pressure. These type of brakes work best when you get some rpms and have air moving through the system.

Driving around empty in 6th gear at 1700 rpm. You won't feel much at all.
Get it into a lower gear at 2500-3000 rpm and you will feel it holding you back.

I can't speak for the 2015's. But the earlier 6.7L would do a good job of Holding a speed, but they didn't do much at slowing you down from a given speed to something slower. i.e Come over the summit of 7% grade at 40 mph in 2nd gear at 3000 rpm and it would hold my truck and trailers at 40 mph down 6-7 miles of 7% grade. But if I came over the summit at 55 mph in 6th gear and wanted the exhaust brake to slow the rig to 40 mph on the same 7% grade. It is not going to happen with out some brakes.

 

This, exactly ^

Nothing at all like a "Jake Brake", no exhaust brake is.

 

did some searching

Super Duty® continues to innovate with its enhanced Tow/Haul Mode. For 2011, the new Power Stroke® 6.7L diesel and six-speed TorqShift® transmission utilizes seemless engine exhaust braking to improve driving confidence and minimize brake wear. While driving downhill in Tow/Haul Mode and tapping the brake, the combustion process is restricted to help maintain the desired vehicle speed. This big-rig-inspired feature increases towing confidence without wearing down the transmission or heating up the brakes. So when you need extra control coming down that 8% grade towing 20,000 lbs., this new feature on the Power Stroke Diesel gives you that extra driving confidence and safety.
from some more Ford literature:

Quote:
Tow/Haul Mode
• Tow/Haul mode with Integrated Exhaust Brake
(6.7L diesel only) gives drivers even greater
control when traveling downhill
• Helps eliminate unwanted gear search
on steep grades and allows engine braking
to maintain vehicle speed and control
on down grades
•
Helps reduce the use of service brakes,
lengthening service intervals and
minimizing maintenance costs

Integrated Exhaust Brake
• This big-rig inspired feature is part of the
Tow/Haul mode functionality
• The Power Stroke® engine calibration
automatically adjusts the exhaust
back pressure, so this feature is a
seamless operation to the customer
• Improves trailer control by increasing engine
exhaust back pressure to help slow the vehicle
without generating additional heat in the
brakes or transmission components

 

"Seemless"?

 

The exhaust brake feature on the 2015 Super Duties with the diesel engine is the main reason I also went with a new 2015 versus a 2014 on the lot or in fact a 2013 F450 that my dealer had on the lot too.


I tow heavy (8 - 10 tons) on a regular basis through some hilly country and really wanted to stop having to use the brake pedal on downhill grades.


Regards,


Lauren

 

I guess you can tell us how much it's improved from the 11-14 trucks, then.

My 11's exhaust brake is...OK. Underwhelming actually. And Car & Driver (I think) found out the 6.7L Ford came in a distant third to the Duramax and Cummins.

 

FROM CAR AND DRIVER

Ford is the one throwing down the gauntlet in the heavy-duty truck wars this time, having just announced another power infusion for its F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty pickups. Ford promised that it would give its 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8 more power when it gave us a preview of the new 2015 Super Duty trucks last fall, but now we have the numbers to back up the claims: 440 horsepower and 860 lb-ft of torque, up from 400 horses and 800 lb-ft on the 2014 models.

That’s considerably more grunt than the 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft of torque of the 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8 that powers the 2015 Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD. It also out-torques (barely) the Ram Heavy Duty’s 6.7-liter Cummins inline-six diesel engine, with its 385 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of torque. See how this works?

Payload and towing capacities rise in turn, with the max tow capacity of the F-450 rising from 24,700 pounds to 31,200, should you have a naval ship anchor in your back yard that needs to be hauled away. This bests the Ram by 1200 pounds and the GM twins by 8000, or roughly the weight of a full-grown white rhino. The F-350’s towing numbers rise as well, with maximum fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailer towing rising to an utterly ridiculous 26,500 pounds.

Furthermore, Ford claims that the design of the engine made it relatively easy to upgrade, and that the newfound power does not come at the expense of efficiency. “The designers of the original 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbo-diesel predicted that it would eventually need to be upgraded for higher output,” said David Ives, Ford Power Stroke technical specialist. “They designed it in a way that made it easier to add a larger turbocharger, increasing airflow and creating more power for dramatically improved performance, yet we haven’t lost any efficiency.”


In its chest-pounding press release, Ford says “The improvements we’ve made essentially give Super Duty customers an engine designed for our larger F-650 and F-750 trucks. They may not realize how tough this engine really is.”

The engine gets a new GT37 turbocharger with a larger 88-millimeter compressor wheel that will replace the previous GT32. The compressor will force more air into the cylinders to improve performance, particularly at high altitudes, Ford said in a statement.

With the new turbo, new high-pressure fuel pump and fuel injectors, the Super Duty's fuel delivery system has been improved, Ford says. The new injectors, for example, will burn cleaner and result in quieter performance.

 

I am curious as to just how much better the 2015 exhaust brake really is. I have learned how to get the most out of my 2011 truck's exhaust brake.

I've often come off 8% grades with 10,000-13,000 lbs behind me in 1st gear and had it hold 25 mph all the way down the grade with out me touching my brakes. I've dropped off the top of Logan Canyon on Hiway 89 into Bear Lake on 7% grades with the same loads in 2nd gear at 40 mph and only had to touch the brakes on a couple of the 30 mph curves. And I frequently come down I-80 in Parleys Canyon on 7% grades at 50-55 mph without touching my brakes for the whole 20 mile grade.

I can't speak for maximum loads of 16,000 lbs or so. Since most of mine max out around 13,000lbs, Maybe folks heavier than me need more brakes. The trick with the earlier 6.7L is to start at the speed you want to hold at the summit and not expect the system to slow you down, But rather maintain the speed.

I've ordered a new 15, So I'll be able to report how well it works come summer after I drag my horses over a few mountain passes. But I'm interested in shortening the learning curve by listening to those who have already figured out how to get the most out of their exhaust brake.

 

PH - I will interested in your take on the exhaust brake on the 2015.

 

Be patient. My 2015 truck is not due until late March

 

I am patient... I am just happy you are getting a 2015 to evaluate.

 

On the dash of my '15 is a button for exhaust braking. I don't always drive in the tow-haul as sometime the loads do not justify but downhill on a 7% grade I just push the button and it slows me down, love it...

 

Here's my experience and opinion.

First, painted horse is 100% spot on with the description of the 2011-14 exhaust brake.

The '15 is different.

Works in tow/haul or M mode or also in D.

Level of braking (retardation) is still dependent on engine rpm. Higher rpm, greater effectiveness.

I'd say that the way painted horse describes the use of the engine brake is still the way to effectively operate the new one. The main thing is with the new one, you will actually lose speed instead of just holding speed. Of course, if you're very heavy and going pretty fast (over 60mph in 5th gear) it won't work well. You still need over 2000 rpms to generate the back pressure in the system to retard your speed.

The system is practically silent, it works great as long as it is operated properly.