bombing 101
 

Well I moved my fuel plate and adjusted the star wheel tonite. Thanks to Forrest and Dalton for their quick help! Im impressed with the throttle response and I can feel a little bit better power, seems more broad than before. BUT, I only get the slighest amount of smoke? I was kinda hopin for more. Im pretty sure the star wheel is all the way forward but Im gonna check again just to be sure.

On another note, whats the fuss about blocking your waste gate? Now remember , IM a newbie so be kind with the terms here. lol

also to anyone whos close to Wisconsin. I need to get rid of my dually box and adapters/wheels. Lookin for a reg 8' box to trade.

If you aren't really getting smoke or a real kick, then I would guess that the AFC housing wasn't slid ahead at the same time. If you don't advance the AFC housing ahead, you won't allow the fuel rack cam to hit the plate fully. The AFC will get in the way.

You may have noticed that the AFC housing is slotted as well. Just loosen your mounting hardware and bump it up a bit too.

did that made sure it was slid forward as well

Your fuel pressure could be low due to a bad overflow valve or plugged filters.

On the blocking the wastegate note, With more fuel you will need more air to maintain lower combustion temperatures (EGT or Exhaust Gas Temperatures). The increased boost will reduce the smoke somewhat, however too much smoke usually ends up being alot of heat. High EGTS can do some serous damage if not controlled properly. With your current setup, the wastegate could be totally disabled and would provide adequate boost.

The other side of the coin is overboost, which in the case of the stock plate in the year of your truck is not a concern. However some that block the wastegate up and over the 36-40 psi threshold are testing the strenght of the stock HX35 turbo. I have concluded from research that the range of 36-40 is the redline for the turbo for any longevity as well as efficiency. Efficiency is another lengthy topic.

Infidel has a good point about fuel pressure, this may be holding you back.

couldn't he pre-load the diaphram with the smoke screw to get a little more initial travel??

But, if it's a stock AFC spring there should be quite a bit of slack between it and the star wheel if the star wheel is indeed bottomed out. If this is the case the smoke screw doesn't have enough length to even preload the diaphram I don't think. On that same note, when the star wheel is at its farthest forward position, it almost dissapears under the housing opening and can be difficult to get those last few clicks. Check for spring slack, and that the starwheel really is as far forward as you think. With that stock plate, you probably still won't see much smoke except for the very first off idle stab, or when you start it with partial throttle. You wanna feel the potential.......pull that AFC and scribe a line where the plate is, then remove it and go for a drive. There's a lot of controversy surrounding "plateless" rigs with lots of posts pertaining to it. But the increased fuel will give you a glimpse into the horsepower world!! I wouldn't leave it there long...or be tweaking too many things period without gauges....as I don't see them in your sig. Things can get toasty quick, especially plateless. You'll prolly be best with say a #10 which has a wide range of tunability. it's one of the cheapest mods on these beasts. If you're feeling crafty, take your stock plate and grind up a #100. I like mine, but have to keep an eye on the thermometer past about 2100 rpm OD full throttle.

Another improvement is to crank the timing some. This will move your power band up a little, but with an auto this is usually absorbed by converter stall anyway. The trade-off is better mileage and more mid/high range power. Speaking of autos, hows your trans doing? Do you have an auto? If so, adding power means new tranny soon....unless you take some precautions to get yours up to speed for the mild upgrades.

and on and on and on. Bombing these trucks is a action and reaction experience. One thing affects 2 others, and weak links are not bashful about showing themselves. Do lots of homework and lots of reading. Everythinh you need to know is available right here. Benefit from everyone elses experience and it will save you $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in the end.

sry for the long one.......

hey thanks for the info, its priceless. My truck has a 5spd. And yes gauges are in the works before i do anything else. Im still learning about deisels so I wont be taking this in too fast. I dont want to grind my plate simply because I havent done it or seen it done in person. But knowing what plate to buy for my app would be useful. Keep the info cummins guys!!!!!