I will be installing a BD exhaust brake in a few weeks and I was wondering what gauges I might need. Pyro I would think is a must. Since I have a manual trans would I need a trans temp? I want to use a pillar pod and I'm not sure if I need a single or 2 or 3 pod? Also would a 4" exhaust be beneficial? Any thoughts are welcome.

 

just so you know, ford does not recomend exhaust brakes on these trucks. prepare for war with your dealer if any issues arise. u say six speed? u mean manual?

 

BowTieHatr----Yes, I mean 6 sp manual trans. So this is what I hear, that there would be war if an issue arises.
But the one problem that I have is that, everyone says there will be issues or ford does not recomend them. Where does it say that? I have read the warrentee guide and do not see anything that spicifically says do not use an exhaust brake. I must be missing something? Also I have not heard of one person that has had any issues. I want to hear facts only. I can see that the whole exhaust brake subject is a touchy subject.

 

I highly doubt a manual will ever need a temp gauge but it cant hurt. I dont think a port exists so you will need a custon send unit for the drain plug hole. I would say yes to Pyro and engine oil or coolant, volts, tranny temp.

Upgrade to 4 inch exhaust and then buy the exhaust brake or you will have to replace it. You also need the correct software and interface for a manual trans, clutch switch and variable geometry turbo. I have yet to see this available. Most are designed for the auto tranny. You dont want the brake closed with the clutch in, your engine will stall.

I think the main issue with exhaust brake and variable geometry turbo is to control it in a way that gets some back pressure but to not over do it. Oh, that means you need an exhaust pressure gauge, vacuum gauge as well :-)

Sorry I have never seen one installed. Only on bigger hardware, not with a VGT 6.0.

 

mhoefer---Thanks for your info. The BD exhaust brake does interface with the variable geometry turbo and the egr. I am not sure about if it interfaces with the clutch. I will probably have the 4" exhaust installed at the same time. The brake is designed so that if there is any more than 45 lbs of back pressure it will open up so not to overload the motor. An exhaust pressure gauge sounds like a good call.

 

can't go wrong with the three pod one. not sure about the older SD's but my 06, doesn't even have a voltmeter, so i'm putting one of those on, along with transtemp, and pyro. the boost gauge on the instrument cluster, i have read that it's pretty accurate to an aftermarket one.

 

The boost gauge on mine is spot on with my aftermarket digital boost gauge, the only reason that I still use my digital boost gauge instead of switching it to a different one is that I can see exactly how much boost, where is I still have to do a little estimating with the factory one, but the factory gauge is pretty good.

 

For the record, Int'l and Ford both agree that the 6.0L (VT365) was NEVER designed for an exhaust brake. The components of the motor were never designed to handle the stress and pressures of the back-pressure when applying the exhaust brake.

Yes, I do remember reading in my 2003 diesel supplement about exhaust brakes... but I do remember reading that Int'l did not design the motor to handle it as their VT365 version motor is not used in applications requiring such...

The use of an exhaust brake will stress seals, valves, turbo's, rocker arms, valve covers and heat... and the like... just becuase someone builds an exhaust brake that fits on the 6.0L does not mean that it can handle it.

Ford designed the "torqushift tranny" to be a "poor man's" exhaust brake or sorts and recommends that trailer brakes, downshifting early, using the torqushift tranny gearing is what is to be used.

Good luck... you will need it if you work the exhaust brake like your hoping too!!!

 

When we think "exhaust brakes" we think "Big Rigs and JAKE BRAKES as they are referred too.

We're talking about two different systems. Both work by getting
off the gas with the tranny in gear to allow the engine's desire to return
to idle speed to act as a drag on the rest of the drivetrain and slow the
vehicle (and load) down.

Jacobs engine brakes like big-rigs use vent the cylindars just before
detonation, at the top of the compression stroke. Basically, with the Jake
Brake on, the engine has to work to spin the pistons through the exhaust
stroke, intake stroke, and (most importantly) the compression stroke, but
then dumps the mix just before it goes bang. The result is you have all the
parasitic loss from the engine's other 3 strokes acting as a drag on your
drivetrain to slow you down but none of the power stroke kicking you
forward. Really, REALLY good compression braking.

A Banks or BP engine brake system is a bolt-on part designed for retrofitting on lighter truck engines. It just uses a butterfly valve downstream from the turbo housing to close off part of the exhaust, thus increasing backpressure. You still have the power strokes from each cylinder working to push the truck
forward (even when coasting down a hill your RPM's are still turning over causing "forward power"), but the increased backpressure is making the engine work much harder just to turn over, thus increasing the retarding effect on the drivetrain.

Basically, you get back-pressure fighting the "forward pressure" and the effect is just a whole lot of pressure that will blow your motor and void your warrenty!!!!!!

Hopefully, this explnation of "Big Rig" exhaust brakes and "light truck" exhaust brakes helps clarify why they are not used on motors like ours. Just trying to clarify why not to use the Banks or BP set-up without any justification. I always to prove or justify my side of an issue so it hopefully has some credibility???

 

tazo, you have'nt said how much weight your towing or plan on towing. Why i mention this is because you seem bent on doing this for some reason. A reason i cant understand. Maybe your looking for the sound????? I tow some weight, and in tow mode i have no stopping problems. I think Ford done a bang up job on this torque shift tranny. I have the power to get my load moving and i have the gearing down to stop.
Theres something you need to consider. If you do this it will be in effect 100% of the time. As it is you can turn tow mode on/off, but your way it will be effecting your motor and tranny all the time. Yea i'm meaning extra wear.

 

'exiled', he doesn't have a torqueshift, he has a 6 speed manual.

 

exiled--I tow about 7500lbs. I will soon be up grading to a larger goosneck trailer. I have a manual trans so the torque shift trany does not apply to me.
Beachbumcook--Thank you for your info. Now as far as the BD brake is concerned it can be turned off like it wasn't there. What I can't understand is why I have yet to here of a motor being destroyed from an exhaust brake that goes for dodge chevy or ford. They use them in the 7.3 psd and I have not heard of one bad thing. The exhaust brake is not meant to be used 100% of the time. It must be used with common sense. Like any after market item "if you play you must be willing to pay". Seems to me the omly real reason for not using one on the 6.0 is the VGT. But it seems to have been worked out with the BD brake.

 

well tazo, sounds like you will be doing it no matter what. well if you do. give us some honest feedback so we can spread the good or bad news. hopefully it will work. i know that the brake was used on the 73 engin.e, but it was not and will never be a 6.0. all of the brakes i ever heard of being installed on a 7.3 was on autos due to no engine braking, but never heard of them on a straight drive due to possible over revving the engine when down shifting.

 

BowTieHatr---It's not that I will be doing it no matter what. It's that everyone seems so against it and I have yet to hear any real solid evidence of it being dangerous for the 6.0. Being a manual guy I can understand how driver error can have a fatal effect if not driven correctly. I really do thank you all for your expertice and input.

 

There is nothing mechanical that can be damaged by the use of the exhaust brake. The exhaust valve springs and lower end of the engine are more than strong enough to support far more exhaust backpressure than the valve is capable of delivering.

Not to say that it won't throw some trouble codes- I'm sure it will. You might run into some issues of turbo lag as it is possible it may throw the turbo control to open loop as it will be seeing more than the desired exhaust backpressure. But nothing more than the presence of a code and some potential aggrevating behavior will result.

A couple of my personal street racing files lock the converter, coast clutch, lowest commanded gear and throws the turbo to 100% DC at closed throttle to bring the truck to a stop with no brakes. The EBP shoots through the roof at 4000+ RPM locked with the turbo closed and has never caused any directly related damage.