What kind of EGTs are safe when towing?

I was towing (truck in signature) with smarty on #5 and it would could climb to 1100*F going up hills and I did get some timing rattle (ouch!) sometimes. I let out of it when I heard it though.

I am thinking my options are:

1. Set the Smarty down to almost stock when towing
2. Get smaller tires
3. Get lower axle ratio (have 3.73:1 now)

Any ideas and input would be good.

Thanks,
Tobin

 

My max limit (at my discretion) is no more than 1350*. My truck has to be hauling 15k+ to reach that much. Some ppl here have seen excess of 1400* before but that I would not suggest.

 

1100* is nothing at all to worry about for your 06.

 

i guess you have the smarty sr. i do not know the settings on the sr but the one on the jr to use is the default tow setting bob Wagner or some one will tune in and give you the setting it will be around 75 hp with timing. this will lower the egt 250* from stock the 06 has a in cylinder egr scheme for emissions to remove it keep the smarty on the same setting. change the cam to a pdr and change nozzles to ddp50 hp this will lower the egt even further, keep your oil cleaner and gain you 4.5mpg i am not a fan of auto tranny and do not know how much increase in torque it will handle but this mod will increase the low end torque by about 50%. tell me what the p3 prodigy is

 

With my XZT tow box on my 06 towing between 8 and 10 thou Ive got up to 1300 and I dont worry about that, 1100 seems pretty good to me.

 

X2.

I can hit 1500 pretty easy if I am not watching on hills pulling 12k. I have don it a few times with no ill affects yet. 119k on the truck.

 

Put the smarty on 3 when towing, you will still have plenty of power.

Befoe I put on the twin turbos I towed with my smarty on 3 and my TST on 2/2 and when hauling hay I would be at 1250-1350 for 5 to ten minutes at a time.

 

Thanks for the replies. That makes me feel better as it pretty much got to 1100* and stayed there on some steep Florida hills, and got close to 1200* maybe once.

The only thing that has me worried now is that timing rattle when it would kind of lug the motor. Just too much timing with the Smarty?

Yes, I do have the Smarty SR.

I have been throwing the idea around about swaping in a aftermarket cam to get rid of the in cylinder EGR.

Tobin

 

There are steep hills in Florida! Sorry but I could not pass this up.

 

I was wondering if anyone would catch my sarcasim.

Tobin

 

Hey Tobin - c'mon over to my neck of the woods - 5K to 11K ft altitude - grades are 6%, some steeper - get that '06 broke in for towing.

I tow 18K GN loads on a regular basis, EGT's in 5th gear are 1100-1200*s, on a typical summer day when the ambient temp is right at 100*s, the EGT's can easily be at 1300-1400*s. Most durations are 5-10 miles, or about 10 minutes. Probably harder on the probe itself.

Sarcasm noted - Florida has mole-hills.


CD

 

I'm not familiar with the Smarty as I have an Edge w/Attitude. I tow on level 2 of 5 and still have to watch my EGT gauge if I'm really getting down on it or it it's one of long grades at 8 to 10 percent. The shop that installed my unit told me that 1350 should be top except for a very short up to 1500. He said that at 1600 it starts cooking the seals in the turbo (they do a lot of performance work on Cummins engines). My Fiver weighs in at 14K. Without the trailer and set on level 5 I can reach 1300 quickly just putting my foot into it.

 

1400 is all the higher you should go .But I keep my at 1350. I Poland on keeping this one around a longer time.