West Coast

I towed my trailer today for the first time since I puchased my 94 regular cab,
4 x 4, 5 speed CTD last month. Trailer loaded weighs 10500 lbs. My truck with toolbox and fuel transfer tank weighs 10200 lbs. The freeway EGT's where around 900 - 1175 with a 2 - 4 % grade. Then I went over a 8800 foot pass. The grade was 4 - 5 % for 3 miles then 7 - 8 % for 3 miles. At the base of the mountain I was running around 1100 EGT's in 5 gear.. And at the top of the 8% about 1350-1375. Once I saw the 1300 EGT's I backed down to 1200... How long at 1300 - 1375 EGT's can I run my 94 CTD and still be ok??


If I backed the star wheel off would it lower my EGT's when towing?? Right now the star wheel is right in the middle.....

Dave

cumminsdriver635

The fuel plate is what will lower your towing EGT's. You would have to move it back just a little to get what you want. The starwheel only does the low boost fueling. As far as running 1350+ EGT's.....I just dont do it myself. I haul plenty in the summer, and i can always keep it around 1200 degrees, and not have any problems with the power. I can get it on up there, and i do sometimes, but i let off after a few(4-5) seconds over 1300*. You may not hurt anything; and call me overly cautious if you want, but i dont like to sustain anything over 1200*-1225* while towing. I like to just keep it on the safe side, and allow some room for pyrometer error. I really dont feel like dealing with a burnt piston anytime soon, so so i just try to keep it at 1225* or lower. Sustaining high EGT's is what causes problems. Not getting there. Sustaining it causes heat soak.

Eric

West Coast

Thanks for the reply Eric. My right foot probably has more to do with the EGT's than anything....!!!!! I have to go over the pass again tomorrow. I will use better right foot management and see what happens...... And maybe I will back the fuel plate off a little....

Dave

TxDiesel007

you will find that all out power

is good for fun, but not for towing. I just put my banks thru a test on the highway recently, pyro reached 1000 post turbo Max, which is roughly 1300-1400 max pre turbo.. Scary, but let the truck cool off well enough or drive it at lower rpms if at all possible and ull be ok. I dont do it too often, it was time to letter scream for a bit

The starwheel is best for low end, what your situation indicates is that ur plate is too far forward, you have too much fuel and too little turbo, which is what is causing ur egt issues..

Tx

West Coast

Today I moved my #8 plate 1/8 back from completely forward. Truck still drives hard. Maybe a little less on top. I will have to tow to see if I notice a big difference in the EGT's.......

Dave

cumminsdriver635

If it does have some EGT problems still, then just back out of the pedal a little. If you get a 3k GSK, sometimes you can downgear, and keep the rpm's up, and run lower EGT's.

Eric

West Coast

Yeah when I towed on Saturday vs. Friday I backed off the pedal more often. Had to shift down to 3rd both days to keep the EGT's below or at 1300 F . But the top of the grade was closer to 10% for about 1.5 miles. My truck weighs 10500 lbs and trailer was 10500 lbs. Over all the truck pulled great. The truck would have kept pulling in 4th unit it melted down.... Got love the CTD.....

Dave

1320

Before I had twins, I ran for 14-16 hrs straight......@ 1300 to 1400.

1350 was the norm.....Id back off as it edged towards 1400. I think Ive heard thatthe later pistons might be different though, I don t know if it was true or even if so which might be better. Maybe someone else knows forsure.

Now....with twins. 1100-1200 on grades as fast as I want to go. On the down side, I broke the input shaft on a small grade last friday.....the good news....6 speed next week.

cumminsdriver635

It may do that all day, and not hurt a thing, but that would scare me

Eric

Rattlerattle

What are your RPM's at? I have always found that pulling hills in 5th gets hot unless you are really moving.

I find 4th and 2000 to 2500 rpm to keep it under 1100 degrees or so.

first4age

With all this talk of EGT numbers, does an owner with a stock cummins, like me, have to worry about this?

The max I would tow right now would be my car trailer (1700 ish lbs) and my E stock autox car (2500 ish lbs) plus gear (100 ish lbs) = 4300 lbs.

I don't want to spend the money on a EGT guage for the truck yet since my modified turbo street car doesn't have one yet.

1320

me too......why do you think I have twins now......

I was at about 28k lbs......pulling 4 th gear with 3.54's @ about 60 mph. I only got 5th on flat to slight down hills. Since having twins, its a different truck, I do the passing in the truck lane at what ever sped I feel is safe.

A stocker.....pulling 5000 kbs....I wouldn t worry, but man I remeber pulling a 6% grade when mine was stock with about 5500 lbs.....it was 3 rd gear @37 mph, at the top. I bet it was running pretty high egts, with the cat etc on there. I do an exhuast, BHAF asap...and some gauges.

MCummings

No.

Dodge built them for people like you to tow more than you are, and not have to worry about anything.

With your 12V, that's exactly what you can do.


Merrick