I think you guys are doing it to yourselves. Have you noticed that new heavy trucks have not smoked for over a decade. The 2010 standard requires the exhaust leaving a heavy diesel be virtually cleaner than the air drawn in.

When I started in heavy trucks we were allowed 30 seconds smoke with each gear change. That is long gone. Now, that would be a citation. We got into the Snap Idle - Opacity tests in the early 90's. They implemented random excessive smoke testing. One tractor I used to maintain was mailed a warning because a citizen complained that they had seen it smoke. She had to show proof of correction or be ordered in for a metered test.

I certified the repairs for her. Had she been cited the fine was $800 the first time. If the unit was repaired within 45 days the fine would be reduced to the mandatory $300.

There is also a major move to force older heavy trucks into the junk yard. Smoke is not a function of horsepower. Smoke is a function of an overfueled engine. Look at the 600 HP CAT, the 600 HP Cummins and the 550 HP Detroit. Not one of them smokes. Each of them makes more usable power than three B Series coupled together. They are absolutely clean. Buses have been clean even longer because they can draw federal subsidies.

A friend of mine drove a 400 HP Cummins for a company. She was their #1 driver so they turned the engine way up for her. When she blew the engine, the shop pulled the heads and found that all six pistons had multiple deep cracks. Too much fuel which equaled too much fire. The pistons could not handle it. The owner ordered it set to stock specs.

The EPA is running out of people to mess with. So you guys are making yourselves into a target. The EPA sets the standard that Cummins and Dodge have to meet. It is obvious the engines are being intentionally modified. I would expect some form of legislation to put an end to the fun in the near future. It's too bad beacuse if guys would lighten up you might stay under the radar a while longer.

 

That is what most of us want...

 

Well Said!

 

I have run alot of cummins motors in big trucks and the main reason cummins cant take heat well is because of the aluminum piston, everytime i have enter the fuel pump to swap buttons i was driving on borrowed time because they just want live with fuel being turned to them not long anyway.

with that said there are ways to fix an old 855 up to run and live but it will cost 15k-20k to do it and the only place i trust to buy those parts to do it is DIESEL INJECTION OF PITTSBURGH.

AND I will agree when you smoke your looseing power.

 

My buddy's '97 2500 CTD is stock and smokes a lil. Not much, but enough for a stock truck.

Anyways, if you have any Banks products, they aim to cut out the black smoke. Gale Banks is the no black smoke guy. Unless you're building a Suburban Gorilla like on Xtreme 4x4, the engine was a Banks built Duramax. That hoss rolled some coal.

 

Oh, and smoke color is representative of fuel or air. The black smoke is a result of more fuel being forced into the engine, while white smoke is the result of more air than fuel in the engine. An example would be in truck pulls, you're trying to give the engine fuel, but not moving enough to have enough air, hence the black smoke.