Exhaust gas temperature and towing

I most often hear 1250* as the number for only a short time. I don't think I have ever hit that mark. I have come close on some long pulls though. Always watching my gauges. Sometimes I hate them. Ignorance is bliss till boom.

I could be mistaken, but unless you have chipped your truck your engine should de-fuel itself when the EGT's get to a dangerous level. Most of us that watch EGT's closely have a chip or some type of programmer. Without my program, I watch EGT's but never see them get as high as I do with the program.

christopherglenn wrote:
"I also idle turbo down to 3,000-4,000 degrees before turning it off."

Wow.. I assume you meant 300-400...

Thanks...big mistake...Yes 300-400

MY old 06 Ram 5.9 ran 800-1000 on the flats and would defuel at 1350 in the mountains,pre tubo.Was pulling a 15 k fiver.

"I also idle turbo down to 3,000-4,000 degrees before turning it off."

Wow.. I assume you meant 300-400...

On mine the secret is to keep the rpms up.

I tow 11,000#+ (19,500# GCVW) and haven't seen the north side of 1,100 degrees. This is with a mild chip, and 5 speed manual, and 3.55 gears.

My 01 I don't go over 1200. I think TDR had an article many years ago and above 1,200 degrees is when you start to run into problems. Big grades I just plug along at 1200 degrees and have no problems. I also idle turbo down to 300-400 degrees before turning it off. Also with exhaust brake I can go from Seattle to Yuma (Via I-5 most of time) and never have to brake on down hills. Trailer approx. 8,500 pounds.

From somewhere..."How Hot Is Too Hot?
Based on our own experience in the sled pulling and drag racing world, we can definitely say that any engine running at 1,800 to 2,000 degrees EGT for more than a second or two should be rebuilt every season and may incur turbocharger, cylinder head, or piston damage during the season. It's just too much to ask a diesel to run at those types of temperatures. For towing, we'd say 1,200 degrees is a safe number, with occasional spikes of up to 1,400 degrees when climbing grades being an acceptable risk. The concept of EGT is analogous to putting something in the oven. You can put your hand in a hot oven for a second or two, and nothing will happen. Leave it in there, and you'll get burned. The same thing happens in a diesel engine. The longer the engine spends at a high EGT, the more likely it is to become damaged.

(edited ...error in temps)

Ram 3500 DRW Laramie, 3.73 rear axle. Banks Intake plus Banks 4" cat-back monster exhaust so it breathes well. No chip and Edge gauge pack. The probe is pre turbo. I run 800-900 on the flats but it jumps fast when it turns hilly. The truck has 76k miles so I'm hoping it will be the last truck I will need. Probably over cautious.

Jeez, I tow 11,000 lbs all over the place, Cali. and back etc and I don't remember ever seeing over 1,200*, maybe 1,250* for a brief burst on the most arduous of climbs. I keep my eye on the gauges all the time and shift to keep the revs in the power band between 2,000 to 2,500 when climbing. I have occasionally tached up to 3,000RPM with the trailer on as the urgency and need demanded. Pre or post turbo on your set up?

Cheers!

Mike