Any TC's on 2006 Dodge CDI. looking at exhaust brake

pirlbeck wrote:

About the only problem you could run into that I did not have to worry about is rust......rusted hardware and rusted exhaust pipe connections. My truck was pretty new when I did mine so it was not a concern.

Might have exhaust hardware, otherwise mine is all good. A benefit of living in California and staying off salted roads. I'll be sure to check and have new stuff on hand in case.

skipro3 wrote:

pirlbeck wrote:

Well, I have been a mechanic pretty much all of my adult life and I have owned my own farm tractor repair shop since 1976, so I may of had a little advantage. If I remember correctly, the furnished instructions were pretty good. I did it on a weekend when my help was not at the shop and I had to have my wife help hold the exhaust up to get it reconnected.

I've read the instructions several times over and completely understand what's going on and what is needed. I just wasn't sure there wasn't going to be 'skill' involved in performing the tasks to get 'er done.

In fact, my kit contained the wrong harness. What I had in no way compared to what the instructions stipulated. So I built my own harness from the diagrams and schematics. Then, for some reason, I called Jacob's and talked to them. A very nice technician and I chatted and he understood what I was going to need. He mailed me the correct harness (with the relay and all) without any charge. He told me the only nut was the wire/pin connecting to the ECM. He said the 2005's had the ECM on the passenger side of the block and the 2006 had the ECM on the driver side and that the harness he was sending me might have that wire too short if it's for a 2005 and not 2006. (Part #'s were the same, so, without measuring, he wasn't sure which he was sending.) No problems there; I worked in electronics and extending a wire with a splice isn't any trouble.

I suppose as long as I have the right tools, (nothing unusual that I could see, right?)and I have help in the form of another RAM diesel truck owner, I should be able to accomplish this without destroying my motor. Ha!

Thanks for the info/advice!

About the only problem you could run into that I did not have to worry about is rust......rusted hardware and rusted exhaust pipe connections. My truck was pretty new when I did mine so it was not a concern.

pirlbeck wrote:

Well, I have been a mechanic pretty much all of my adult life and I have owned my own farm tractor repair shop since 1976, so I may of had a little advantage. If I remember correctly, the furnished instructions were pretty good. I did it on a weekend when my help was not at the shop and I had to have my wife help hold the exhaust up to get it reconnected.

I've read the instructions several times over and completely understand what's going on and what is needed. I just wasn't sure there wasn't going to be 'skill' involved in performing the tasks to get 'er done.

In fact, my kit contained the wrong harness. What I had in no way compared to what the instructions stipulated. So I built my own harness from the diagrams and schematics. Then, for some reason, I called Jacob's and talked to them. A very nice technician and I chatted and he understood what I was going to need. He mailed me the correct harness (with the relay and all) without any charge. He told me the only nut was the wire/pin connecting to the ECM. He said the 2005's had the ECM on the passenger side of the block and the 2006 had the ECM on the driver side and that the harness he was sending me might have that wire too short if it's for a 2005 and not 2006. (Part #'s were the same, so, without measuring, he wasn't sure which he was sending.) No problems there; I worked in electronics and extending a wire with a splice isn't any trouble.

I suppose as long as I have the right tools, (nothing unusual that I could see, right?)and I have help in the form of another RAM diesel truck owner, I should be able to accomplish this without destroying my motor. Ha!

Thanks for the info/advice!

skipro3 wrote:

pirlbeck wrote:
I installed the Cummins exhaust brake kit on my 2006 with auto when the truck was new. No software updates are anything else required. I remember plugging the one wire into the ECM connector was a little tricky for some reason.....I think I was a little uncertain which location to put the wire into.

The exhaust brake worked great last summer with a pickup camper in the Canadian Rockies. I was very glad I had it in the mountains.

So you think a guy with basic mechanical skill and knowledge can do the install without much difficulty? Is this a one person or two person job?

Well, I have been a mechanic pretty much all of my adult life and I have owned my own farm tractor repair shop since 1976, so I may of had a little advantage. If I remember correctly, the furnished instructions were pretty good. I did it on a weekend when my help was not at the shop and I had to have my wife help hold the exhaust up to get it reconnected.

You will have to modify it to use the air for an air hose, but it's simple. Put a tee into the line and a valve to cut off air to the new line. Start the truck, use the e brake switch in the cab to activate the compressor. Works well. I.ve used it many times. I hard plumbed in one of those little yellow coiled up hoses and it lives under the hood.

pirlbeck wrote:
I installed the Cummins exhaust brake kit on my 2006 with auto when the truck was new. No software updates are anything else required. I remember plugging the one wire into the ECM connector was a little tricky for some reason.....I think I was a little uncertain which location to put the wire into.

The exhaust brake worked great last summer with a pickup camper in the Canadian Rockies. I was very glad I had it in the mountains.

So you think a guy with basic mechanical skill and knowledge can do the install without much difficulty? Is this a one person or two person job?

Agree on the compressor operated vs vacuum pump. Aside from differnet belt and another component that can fail and leave you on the side of the road, the belt routing is horrendous on these trucks already, no need to complicate it further.
Air is handy too. It's not as good as a viair compressor, but I've used it for airbags (nice when you unload the camper somewhere and can air down the airbags and re fill), balls, bike tires, inner tubes, and in a pinch you could air up a tire if necessary. (Not reccomended, they're lighter duty cycle)

I installed the Cummins exhaust brake kit on my 2006 with auto when the truck was new. No software updates are anything else required. I remember plugging the one wire into the ECM connector was a little tricky for some reason.....I think I was a little uncertain which location to put the wire into.

The exhaust brake worked great last summer with a pickup camper in the Canadian Rockies. I was very glad I had it in the mountains.

My '03 Dodge/Cummins 5.9/NV5600 six speed manual tranny has the Jacobs exhaust brake. The '03 was the first year of the new HPCR engines with the 4" exhaust. Jacobs was late with the new exhaust brakes.
Towed a 11k 5th wheel trailer and other GN flatbeds for 3 months before the EB was ready and supplied to the Dodge dealers. Downhills was scary as zero engine braking. Just like shifting the tranny to neutral.

After the Jacobs was installed I used the trucks brakes very little (135k miles before new brake pads/front only).
I wouldn't own any brand of diesel without some type of exhaust braking.

Some folks bought a EB and just installed it. No braking..... Gotta' install all the necessary engine/tranny software and hardware to make it work right so check with the exhaust brake mfg as they can tell you what is needed for your particular vehicle to make the EB work like it should.

I went with the Pacbrake PRXB on my truck over the Jake Brake because of the air compressor actuated vs. vacuum pump. The Jake Brake's vacuum pump requires a longer fan belt and the pumps are prone to failure. When I researched the two companies in how the are installed they are identical with the exception of the vacuum pump vs. the air compressor. I also liked the idea of having a air compressor for other uses. It been on my truck since new and has never failed me. 12 years of service and counting.