koogala

Seems to be lots of talk for gauges....especially egts...... ....the engine will ABSOLUTELY MELT right there in the driveway idleing UNLESS you
have a state-of-the-art, flavor of the month egt gauge...[I]GOTTA KEEP A EYE ON THAT EGT, THEM DODGE BOYS OUGHTA BUILD'EM IN THEM TRUCKS FROM THE FAKTREE.....

I did a lot of research on here,reading as well ask asking, not only members
but manufacturers of performance chips, before I purchased an entry level
"Box." I described my driving style & how often & how much I pulled. There
were varying answers but the large majority felt with normal driving
& moderate towing a[U]egt gauge was NOT NECESSARY.[/U

Normal driving IS NOT doing donuts in a parking lot for 15 seconds or more,
lining up on the local strip to run 12.5 seconds in a 8,000 # truck, or loading
& hooking up a 12-15,000# trailer & towing it thru the oompa-loopa pass.

The vision of diesel pickups was to provide a substantial increase in power
over gasoline versions. PERIOD. They weren't meant to carry over into the
medium duty truck market. They certainly weren't meant to take down the strip & see "Stoplight Duty" on Saturday night, although many folks do it..........& wind up ROASTING something...Imagine that...

Be honest. I want to know of ALL instances you guys know about of someone
having a meltdown who was using the vehicle in a NORMAL MANNER (defined)-
Driving 70-75 mph on a freeway OR hauling a medium load at reasonable speed, such as a pleasure boat or a 6-8000# trailered load on average road conditions.(No mountain passes or long grades)

I am in a rural agriculture community with LOTS of Cummins,Powerjokes, & Duramax-powered vehicles. I have never heard of or seen ANYONE destroy
a diesel-powered vehicle SOLELY due to EGTS. Many of these guys also run
chips or boxes, too.

Well, I'm fixin'to hook up the camper & go campin'fer spring break. Ol' lady says,"We gotta go. Get off that computer!"

Probably won't make it to the park, though. I'll be the guy with the hood up
'cause he didn't have a EGT gauge....

LEMME HEAR ABOUT ALL THEM ROASTED DIESELS!!! I'll check in when I get back.

MikeyB

I for one don't want to drop a valve seat due to high EGTs, nor spitting out the #6 freeze plug.

MikeyB

Bswope

Yeah how bout it!!

rustyshakelford

why would you not want to monitor you engines preformace better?

brett

Hounddog

Your NOT the norm that posts on here.Also on that 100 h.p. setting(60 somewhat)and a trailer hooked to it EGT's can get on the high side.Its also a great way to monitor fuel filter&fueling/economy,air filter and general health of the engine.Boost a little low or Egts a little high its like WHAT/Why or EGT is high and boost high with this trailer that weighs LESS then the one I just unhooked from due to differant aero dynamics.Big differance in cool down temps depending on load,weather and other conditions.I've had two trucks with gauges and feel naked without them.My single mount piller mount with the one Westach boost/egt gauge tells me a lot.Got a buddy that the LENGTH of his bumper hitch(air flow) shows up on his gauges.A little longer slid in and his egt's go down/boost goes down with ecomny going up.Just a swap of receiver shows up on a little old boost and egt gauge.

Gas Sucks

ive never had gauges and havent ever tore one up, and ive had 23 new trucks about 18 with 100+ hp chips(on the diesel), couple with injectors and a couple with both, ive ran them down the highway for 1 to 150 miles at over 100mph (i cant drive the speed limit) and never had a problem, but ive never kept one for over 10 months, most miles i have ever put on one is 30k, im sure if i kept one longer i might have a problem, but ive never had a single problem and never even had to get warrenty work done. ive had 13 dodges w/cummins year from 97 to 2006, 4 powerstrokes from 97 to 2005, 2 duramax's 03 adn 05, 4 gas chevys, and a gas ford. and i have tried just about every chip on the market, blue chip, bullydog, diablo, tst, edge, torque enhancer, smarty, s/c flachpaq, volumizer, quadzilla and possibly more cant remember anymore.

But if you monitor your engine it will be easier to diagnose a problem if you have one, it is a very good idea to have gauges especially if you are pulling. It is a good piece of mind and you will never have to worry about possibly getting too hot. Which could be very easy

PoorMansCat

Guages are a good thing, my problem is how to teach my wife what they mean and how to watch them. If they would make a guage that alarms to her cell phone, I KNOW she would pay attention.
Guages are a good thing, but common sense would work even better!!!!...

H8GAS

"Be honest. I want to know of ALL instances you guys know about of someone
having a meltdown who was using the vehicle in a NORMAL MANNER (defined)-
Driving 70-75 mph on a freeway OR hauling a medium load at reasonable speed, such as a pleasure boat or a 6-8000# trailered load on average road conditions.(No mountain passes or long grades)"



Who are you to define a NORMAL MANNER of driving??! I don't launch my truck, drag it, pull sleds, or do donuts with it. What I do and fully expect it to hold up to is pulling my 11K lbs toy hauler anywhere I want to go. INCLUDING mountain passes and long grades (which I see in California). I got gauges so I know what my truck is doing.

Hounddog

None.But hear again why I like someting as small and minor as a boost and egt gauge.Fuel/combustion temp and boost is the heart of a diesel.Any STOCK over the road tractors made without them? I don't know and thats why I'm asking.Frankly could care if someone installs those two simple gauges or not or has bombed numerous vehicles without such.One day it will bite you in the butt/pocket book.I know a few deaf and blind folks that get along very well in their situation.But I bet they'd do better in ours(seeing/hearing)From the very first when adding enhacements to these engines(1989) two sayings have been used.Gauges FIRST and if YOU play YOU pay.I took BOTH of these to heart well over a decade ago.Seem thse two statements were never question until recently.I never guestioned the old Gurus(Bushwacker Bob)who I just read passed away recently on TDR about such after reading reasons why.Heck why worry about open fuel vents or micron ratings of fuel filters or if stock air boxes flow.Lots of folks don't read forums and act on any thing.I just know I won't increase fuel psi(now more then ever)or timing/boost without knowning what the heck its doing as well as the other little benifits of having them.

NavyChief

I was going to sit on this for an evening thing to type on, but I'll go ahead and chime in. First of all, read my sig. I see more diesel engines in more states of failure than the average person. I am going to work for a major Heavy equipment producing company upon retirement as a failure analysis specialist so I will assure you that I have seen this sort of thing. You ask what is the purpose of the EGT and do these engines ever melt down under normal conditions....... You bet your drivetrain they do!!!! It is not often and can be considered a "freak" occurrence if you will, but a failed injector, valve seat cracking and disintegrating to the cylinder, failure of the turbo compressor, even just a simple burnt valve can all be detected early by an EGT GAUGE. there are those who may disagree, and we are all entitled to an opinion, but I will ensure to you this: I am extremely in tune to what my truck is doing all of the time when it in operation on the road or at idle, loaded or unloaded. That gauge is KEY to that and not just for the power nuts. (I am one of those too)
I am on my second Cummins unit with a full set of Diprocol gauges installed. I had two Cummins before those that didn't have them. I can't be without them now.
I tow!!!! No gray area and I am not going to sit here and tell you that I pull some 5-6k boat somewhere to do some fishin'. No offense to those out there who do fish, but I regularly pull two Antique John Deere Tractors on a 25+5 gooseneck. I do not stare at my EGT Gauge, but I can glance at that gauge out of the corner of my eye and know right where my engine stands on the flat away or on the Pa turnpike headed for Laurel summit between exits 11 and 10.
If you choose not to have the gauge in your truck, that is super. everyone sets their truck up to their own wants, desires and needs. No one drives your truck but you and those you designate. Do what works for you. By the way, there are no Class 6-8 trucks out there that do not have some type of exhaust gas temperature sensing device. This is just my two cents and this probably aint worth that

R/
Eric

DiEseLjunKy

Boost gauge is an "owner operator spec". Same with EGT. The vast majority of over the road company trucks out there don't have these gauges. None of mine ever have. Fuel level, oil temp, water temp, air press, speed, rpms and that's it.

Gas Sucks

agreed, i just dont like drilling holes in ANTHING, thats why i dont have them!! plus i trade alot and USUALLY dont put anything on one i cant put on the next truck or sell, but i have been breaking my own rules lately

carharttfarmer

ive got a niebhor thats ruined 2 john deeres and there built to take more abuse than our trucks

PoorMansCat

I don't know about other OTR engine manufacturers, but Caterpillar engines monitor EGT, coolant temp., boost, etc....and there are alarm,derate,and shutdown settings for all of them whether they have a guage installed or not. This is all in the ECM programming. This is to protect the engine from the operator.

deerefarm06

Hate to be devils advocate here but I think the point he is trying to make is sometimes we act like if you dont have an EGT guage and your running a chip/programmer/downloader, your truck will burn itself to the ground idling in the driveway. I know alot of guys who have a BDDL or Edge Juice and dont run guages, then again, they dont run the ever living snot out of their trucks either