Diesel Tuners

The purpose of the turbo on the diesel is to stuff more air in the cylinder which means you can stuff more fuel into the cylinder and get more power. Doing all of this will increase the EGT to the point if unchecked, the engine will reach melt down.

The newer engines have pretty well been maxed out with the manufacturers tuning and emissions controls. The old 7.3L Ford and the 5.9L Cummins had some room for tuning and could take the extra pressures and fuel.

Ken

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

GoPackGo wrote:
"On a diesel engine the turbo is on there to just keep EGT and emissions in check."This is the first time I have ever seen a statement like this. Turbos have been used on diesels since forever to boost HP - John Deere tractors, semi's, etc. Long before there were any emissions standards at all.

In fact, possibly the coolest diesel car in existance - the Audi R18 Le Mans racer, gets approx 500 HP from a 3.7L turbo V-6. I doubt that the turbo is on there for emissions reasons.

I'm really not trying to be argumentative as I assume there's a little more to your statement. I'd really like to know what you mean.

Tim

You missed the EGT part Tim. Let me try to explain:

I can add a lot of fuel to a diesel to make a lot of power. Past a certain point the combustion chamber and everything in it will get too hot and fail. Pistons melt, rings get red hot and head gaskets burn.

The turbo is there to prevent that and it adds air to clean up emissions. The more boost you add the cooler the EGT will become because you are adding air to cool things off.

Here is a discussion about turbo boost on diesels. It does a better job of explaining it.

My point is, there is a big difference between a turbo on a gasoline engine and a diesel engine.

While it is true excess boost can cool exhaust gasses and a diesel doesn't need the precise mixture control of a gas engine, both need more fuel to make more power and more fuel doesn't burn without more air.

If you'd post your year, brand and model of your tow truck, you'll get a very good answer.

I have one of the last 7.3 PowerStrokes made, and I have a tuner with a 60 tow mode and an 80 hp econo mode. My truck's low mileage and it's an incredible performer. It was worth the cost in my situation.

But the new model diesels probably don't have any need for more power than they have.

A turbo is on most diesels to help the pressure in the cylinder. There are naturally aspirated (non turbo) diesels out there but they are limited by how much air they can pull in. The only things a turbo does is that it helps increase the pressure in the cylinder which then allows more fuel because there is more air (via the pressure from the turbo) so naturally more fuel is needed to maintain the proper ratios. This is true for gas and diesel engines. Gas engines usually run well at lower pressures (non Turbo/naturally aspirated) because they have an ignition source (spark plugs) where diesels (a more stable fuel with a different flash point) use pressure / heat / timed fuel injection to go "bang".

EGR (Exhaust Gas recycling) was introduces on diesels in the mid 2000's as a way of filling some of the space in the cylinder space with inert gas (does not burn/no air) to maintain pressure. Because some of the space is used there is less room for the fuel/air mixture. Now the engine uses less fuel/air per stroke. Less air because of the EGR means the fuel air mixture takes less fuel) this also helps keeps the cylinder temps down as it burns a little less fuel per stroke. Lower cylinder temps help keep the engine from producing some of the emission problems that form with high cylinder temps, specifically NOX. This introduces another concern.

Now many feel that feeding an engine (specifically diesels) being fed it's own exhaust is not just inert gas but also soot etc. as a diesel is not know to burn cleanly - simply put - there is soot in the exhaust.

Take the Emissions off and increase pressure (also fuel) with no EGR you are now feeding an engine clean air and ,some say, making each power stroke have a full fuel/air mixture makes engine run better/as designed etc. (this is part of why Cummins went from a 5.9 to the 6.7 but that is a totally different discussion) Now there is the possibility of raising or exceeding the safe limits of EGTs (Exhaust Ga Temp) which can be a very bad thing.

I am not going to get into why a turbo charged engine has an intercooler but in general cool in the combustion chamber does not cool an engine.

Tuners on the engine gives the tuner or owner control of many parameters of how an engine runs so it is often recommended that if you change the stock parameters you get gauges of some type to monitor you engine to help prevent some obviously expensive problems.

I hope the OP will take a some time to do some more research.

good luck

GoPackGo wrote:
"On a diesel engine the turbo is on there to just keep EGT and emissions in check."This is the first time I have ever seen a statement like this. Turbos have been used on diesels since forever to boost HP - John Deere tractors, semi's, etc. Long before there were any emissions standards at all.

In fact, possibly the coolest diesel car in existance - the Audi R18 Le Mans racer, gets approx 500 HP from a 3.7L turbo V-6. I doubt that the turbo is on there for emissions reasons.

I'm really not trying to be argumentative as I assume there's a little more to your statement. I'd really like to know what you mean.

Tim

You missed the EGT part Tim. Let me try to explain:

I can add a lot of fuel to a diesel to make a lot of power. Past a certain point the combustion chamber and everything in it will get too hot and fail. Pistons melt, rings get red hot and head gaskets burn.

The turbo is there to prevent that and it adds air to clean up emissions. The more boost you add the cooler the EGT will become because you are adding air to cool things off.

Here is a discussion about turbo boost on diesels. It does a better job of explaining it.

My point is, there is a big difference between a turbo on a gasoline engine and a diesel engine.

The best place to ask a question like this is on the site for the particular vehicle you have. Tuners do help, but it all depends on what you are wanting it for. I run a hypertek economiser, its a 1 tune that is added and thats it. It does seem to help on my diesel ford. I added a mikes/sct tune to my rv and it definitely helps. I am not looking for milage increases although both seem to have given one. The diesel is much more responsive with and without towing milage went up maybe 1 mpg but overall performance is so much better. We run 80mph non tow and around 19 mpg (2350 rpm), for the rv I got 9+ at 70 crossing nebraska this summer. got 8+ in colorado mountains. so yes it did help and it improved the manners of the v10 significantly.

So go to your site of choice, explain what you have, what you want and then ask them to give you the pros-cons of a particular tuner. BD and some of the others have some downsides, most are recommending other brands with live tune. Just remember many are against tuners, improved air intake systems etc, yet trailer life and motorhome magazines have positive reviews on these installs.

GoPackGo wrote:
"On a diesel engine the turbo is on there to just keep EGT and emissions in check."

This is the first time I have ever seen a statement like this. Turbos have been used on diesels since forever to boost HP - John Deere tractors, semi's, etc. Long before there were any emissions standards at all.

In fact, possibly the coolest diesel car in existance - the Audi R18 Le Mans racer, gets approx 500 HP from a 3.7L turbo V-6. I doubt that the turbo is on there for emissions reasons.

I'm really not trying to be argumentative as I assume there's a little more to your statement. I'd really like to know what you mean.

Tim

More boost will reduce EGT if you don't add more fuel but they are there so you can add more fuel and make more power.

To answer the question;

Void warranty; Yes
Save money...No.

I'm not a big tuner fan however one thing you can count on is that your warranty will be voided. I'm in the car business and have been for over 23 years.

Sorry - double post.