Which Exhaust Brake?
I have a 2001 Dodge Cummins with auto transmission and I want to add an exhaust brake. I would like input as to which brand is the best to go with. I will need it for high Colorado mountain passes p...
Forum Discussion
I didn't know either for my 2001 with AUTO 47re. We did across a retired Cummins engineer that did a lot of work between Chrysler and Cummins before he retired. We did go with BD after he pointed out the maintenance "required" on Pac Brake and also digging around TDR's forum and several diesel forums. Pac brake was better in several areas according to him. Cost was one of them If I recall right. But overall we thought BD was better.
Perfectly happy, but that is after getting "what they cost" out of my mind. Totally too much money for those things, that is until you get 1/2 down a good size hill and your ABS light comes on.
We went from Seattle to LA and not use regular brakes (trailer is around 8,500) on any grades. Not that I-5 has any really big grades, I think 7% is most. But been on a lot of other grades that exhaust brake and regular brakes we're necessary. Sure is nice to have exhaust brake. No wonder the new ones come with them.
But here is what I'm not happy with. No big deal, just passing it on.
-Cool down period, bit hard to remember at first, to shut of switch to exhaust brake before you park. EGT's don't go below 4 or 5K when exhaust brake is on. So I usually shut off switch when I get off the freeway.
-Engine noise is now even louder than what is already too darn loud.
-There are 2 brass plugs on the flange. One plug is for temp sensor and other is for testing backpressure. The casting design of flange is over 20 years old according to BD and very few brake downs because of cracked or broken flange. Very strong design but I had to call them because bigger plug vibrated out. Burned a hole in the weather stripping just above the trans dip stick tube, about size of quarter. But it sounded much, much worse at the time, my wife had a horrified look and death grip on door handle. Funny now but wasn't then, believe me. So make sure brass plugs are tight after you get it installed. There aren't to many lock tite type materials that holds up to 1200 degrees on the market. So if I recall right, 12 psi on torque wrench is what BD told me, they also told me they get maybe 2 dozen calls a year with same question of brass plugs coming loose. And don't use anything except brass, rust factor. BD was perfectly honest saying they're QC is supposed to double check the plugs before unit is put into box to ship. Anyways after an oil change I give the plugs a little tug to make they're tight.
(side note about 47re) The retired Cummins engineer also brought to my attention that I have 3 errors in my owner manual. (little did I know) All 3 errors conflict each other about servicing the 47re when you tow with it. He said that he "lost the war about trans service behind a bigger torque engine" and the trans was Chryslers not Cummins. He said Chrysler's view at the time, was more servicing makes it harder to compete against other OEM's who don't have as much maintenance. Also interesting to me was owners manuals are to protect OEM's behind more so than the owner. Gives OEM's a chance to get out of much $$$ as possible. They probably knew the 47re was junk when they made it.
Perfectly happy, but that is after getting "what they cost" out of my mind. Totally too much money for those things, that is until you get 1/2 down a good size hill and your ABS light comes on.
We went from Seattle to LA and not use regular brakes (trailer is around 8,500) on any grades. Not that I-5 has any really big grades, I think 7% is most. But been on a lot of other grades that exhaust brake and regular brakes we're necessary. Sure is nice to have exhaust brake. No wonder the new ones come with them.
But here is what I'm not happy with. No big deal, just passing it on.
-Cool down period, bit hard to remember at first, to shut of switch to exhaust brake before you park. EGT's don't go below 4 or 5K when exhaust brake is on. So I usually shut off switch when I get off the freeway.
-Engine noise is now even louder than what is already too darn loud.
-There are 2 brass plugs on the flange. One plug is for temp sensor and other is for testing backpressure. The casting design of flange is over 20 years old according to BD and very few brake downs because of cracked or broken flange. Very strong design but I had to call them because bigger plug vibrated out. Burned a hole in the weather stripping just above the trans dip stick tube, about size of quarter. But it sounded much, much worse at the time, my wife had a horrified look and death grip on door handle. Funny now but wasn't then, believe me. So make sure brass plugs are tight after you get it installed. There aren't to many lock tite type materials that holds up to 1200 degrees on the market. So if I recall right, 12 psi on torque wrench is what BD told me, they also told me they get maybe 2 dozen calls a year with same question of brass plugs coming loose. And don't use anything except brass, rust factor. BD was perfectly honest saying they're QC is supposed to double check the plugs before unit is put into box to ship. Anyways after an oil change I give the plugs a little tug to make they're tight.
(side note about 47re) The retired Cummins engineer also brought to my attention that I have 3 errors in my owner manual. (little did I know) All 3 errors conflict each other about servicing the 47re when you tow with it. He said that he "lost the war about trans service behind a bigger torque engine" and the trans was Chryslers not Cummins. He said Chrysler's view at the time, was more servicing makes it harder to compete against other OEM's who don't have as much maintenance. Also interesting to me was owners manuals are to protect OEM's behind more so than the owner. Gives OEM's a chance to get out of much $$$ as possible. They probably knew the 47re was junk when they made it.
