OK, I haven't been listening to the topics on boxes, I have been busy getting stripes, toppers, cargo floors, PIAA bulbs, Eagle wheels, AFE Air Intake System, and ordering the Cargo Express Shadowmaster STE 30' enclosed trailer.

Now I am thinking about a box. I am not going to race the CTD '03 6spd RAM Quadcab SB SW, I have to many toys to need a race truck. I am considering adding a box for towing power. I read a thread this morning and was wondering if there is a simple box that plugs in and will work with my AFE air intake and stock exhaust. (My wife advised against the Magnaflow muffler and/or a loud system. Thats the only thing she has asked and she did ask.) I really don't want to go in a put a bunch of extra gagues in.

So, What can I get that will

Give no trouble and safely add Torque/HP

Use my stock exhaust

Not need extra gauges

Not cost and arm and a leg.

Help tow the big trailer without a lot of shifting of the 6 speed.

Can a box be used only as a secondary system to cut on when towing?

I'm thinking 75 or so hp and mainly a torque increase to pull the trailer.

Am I on the right track? Is it possible to just plug in and play?

Thanks Jim

 

Edge EZ seems to be a relaible box. It's been around the longest. You'll also feel that power in the SOP meter too. I like mine.

 

I don't have a box yet either, but I have been reading all those threads . You will probably find that most will recommend the Edge EZ and even with that, everyone will recommend some kind of gauge to monitor EGT, especially with stock exhaust. Edge EZ will give you the 70 HP your looking for, at around $450. Adjustable under the hood so you can turn it up or down as you please. From what I have read though, the few that are running any box with stock exhaust have been able to get the EGTs pretty hot on long uphill pulls. Other than that, one of the new, yet to be released boxes, is suppose to monitor EGTs and back off the fueling when EGTs get to hot. That might be worth the added cost (around $700 supposedly) if you can wait until they are released. I'm not sure I could trust it though. I would want a gauge.

I would recommend getting an X-Monitor digital gauge. You can get the Pyro (which is EGT) and Turbo (which is boost) in one gauge for $350 and it looks really good, very civilized, not intrusive like a pillar full of round gauges (sorry to the round gauge guys!). Here is a pick of mine:

 

YOU NEED GAUGES!!!!!! PERIOD!!!

 

Another:

 

Hello all...been lurking here for awhile and just now registered. Looks like a great site for CTD owners. My 03 is the second CTD i've had and I would like to do some mods on it. Not anything drastic but been leaning toward an Edge product.

AK RAM,

Where did you get your gauge box to monitor EGT, boost? It looks great and is not intrusive on the cab. How difficult is the install.

Thanks!

 

Edge EZ AND guages or
Newer fueling box AND guages

k w

 

I LIKE MY "QUADZILLA" BOX IT CAN BE ADJUSTED IN THE CAB 0-50-100 HP. I HAVE GUAGES,BUT HAVE NOT SEEN OVER 900. I USE THIS TRUCK FOR PULLING A 8,OOO POUND TT AND FOR SNOW PLOWING.THIS IS THEIR TOWING BOX, THEY ALSO OFFER A 140HP ONE.

 

PRE OR POST EGT'S?

 

Thanks for the replies, Remember I am looking for a plug in upgrade that does not require any other support.

I do have an AFE air intake and I could probably do a EGT Gage. I really have about spent the $ limit on this truck.

I am happy with the power that I have just to drive, I just would like to know I have axillary hp on tap for pulling a 10K TT.

So,

Why would I need an EGT gage?

What would I do if it told me temps were to high?

Will high temps hurt my truck (of course it will but how)

Can I just use the box when I want to tow?

Remember this is Hotbox 101 and I don't know anything about it. Thanks Jim

 

I got my X-Monitor from a local diesel shop, but you can get them at Geno's Garage for about as good a price as anywhere, $360 for Pyro and Boost. Of course, the more readings you add to it the more it costs. Like Pyro, Boost, and Trans Temp all in one is $429. These guys make it: http://www.bd-power.com/ram/xmonitor.html
Geno’s Garage: http://216.167.41.9/CoastalData/show...ctGroup_ID=134

I thought the install was fairly easy but the instructions could have been better. You replace one of the intake manifold bolts and with a hollow bolt that comes with the kit that allows boost pressure through so the boost sensor can pick up a reading. The instructions tell you to remove the intake manifold bolt and replace it with the drilled bolt and torque to specifications, but doesn't give the torque specifications. So I look it up in the service manual and it says this bolt is suppose to be torqued to 18 ft lbs. Set the torque wrench to 18 ft lbs and the bolt broke off in the manifold before I reached about 10 ft lbs...go figure. No problem though, it backed right out with an easy-out. The shop where I bought it from gave me a new drilled bolt. They had extras on hand, said this happens a lot (you would think they would have told me this before hand). I installed the new one with a little RTV High Temp Thread Sealer and stopped at about 9 ft lbs. All is good.

On the pyro, you have to drill and tap the exhaust manifold for the EGT sensor if you want pre turbo, or drill and tap the exhaust elbow if you want post turbo. They also give you a steel bung that is already threaded for the sensor that you can weld to your exhaust pipe somewhere after the turbo elbow. Drill a hole in your pipe, insert bung, and weld into place. EGT probe screws right in…no tapping. I went pre turbo and didn't think it was that hard. Again, I had all the stuff in the garage already that I needed, like an angle drill to get into the tight spaces, correct size tap, etc. If your the kind of guy that worries about changing your own oil, I would find a local shop that can install it for you. Took me about 5 hours, being real careful with everything. Having done one, if I did another one, I could probably do it in about 2 and a half. There are other digital gauges out there, but I liked the X-Monitor and its features.

 

I'll give it a try while I'm at it. You need an EGT gauge so you can tell if your generating to much heat or not. General consensus is that 1300 degrees F is the most you can generate safely for any amount of time.

If the gauge told you temps were to high, say your towing your trailer up hill and the EGT temp reaches 1350 to 1400, you back off the throttle a little and the temp will drop 100 to 200 degrees almost instantly. A pre turbo EGT reading is measuring the gas temperature, not manifold temperature. The sensor is not actually touching the manifold so it is very accurate and changes are recorded almost instantaneously.

High temps will melt your pistons. Yep...that would be bad.

Most boxes have an "Off" position, but even in "Off" mode, I think they all still do a little. Like the Edge EZ in off mode still makes like 10 Hp or something like that...I remember reading. Hope I got this right. I'm sure someone will correct me if I didn't.

 

So,

Why would I need an EGT gage?
What would I do if it told me temps were to high?

If you are climbing a hill and the exhaust gas temperatures exceed a safe limit of 1250 F for a few minutes and continue to climb you can do the following:
1] Back out of the throttle.
2] Drop it down a gear to get more air/boost to bring the temps down.
With no gauge even stock you will not know if you are in critical temps until its too late.
If you have an intercooler boot that is leaking, the temp climbs VERY fast well beyond 1500F even on a stock truck. Sure you have warranty but who wants to be stuck somewhere if the cost of this gauge can save the incovenience.

Plus, if you just pulled a hard hill and want to stop, you can watch the pyrometer gauge to ensure the temps are not too high before shut down...this will help your turbo last a long time and not coke a bearing and have that bite you later on down the road.



Will high temps hurt my truck (of course it will but how)

Yes it can hurt the turbo and parts of the engine and hurt your trip. Explained above. Even on a stock truck.

Can I just use the box when I want to tow?

Sure but its fun to use empty and will pose less of a problem while not towing. You will like the EZ.

Remember this is Hotbox 101 and I don't know anything about it. Thanks Jim

A boost gauge will show if you have low boost, which would then correlate with high exhaust gas temps. This could lead you to a fast and simple fix by tightening up an intercooler clamp or fixing it before it does damage. 7/16" deep socket.
Most of this is preventative stuff that in my opinion should be on the truck from the factory. Fuel pressure is also critical and can be very low on these trucks. Better to be prepared then to be stuck on the side of the road for something that could be resolved simpler then a trip to the dealer on the back of a tow truck etc.

I'm glad you are asking.


Scotty

 

Scotty, on that "quadzilla" it is pre turbo.

 

Sounds like an EGT gage at least and maybe a boost gage are in order then, you guys are killin' my checking account!

I had a good idea about most of this but wanted to ask to be sure. I think there were others that wanted to know the answers to the questions as well as I.

The consensus also seems to go toward the Edge EZ Box as well. I have a while before I will need one and I really need to pull the trailer first and see if I need it or not. I figure the trailer and accessories along with my Corvette inside will go about 8.5K gross.

BTW, the dealer I bought the Silver bullet from is selling EZ boxes and chip for the Hemi along with AFE air systems. I only worry about traveling and breaking down somewhere among the savages that will scalp you alive...........Thanks and let the information please continue by all means as I would like to hear more. jim