I am a senior, who after years of dreaming ended up with a 1996 3500 Dually. This truck has been maintained well and has 150,000 on the engine. Years ago I read that a TURBO COOL DOWN add on, was recommened for these engines. Keep in mind I said YEARS AGO, I read this, in an RV magazine.

My question is, with all the miles already on this older truck, should I add this to the vehicle or would I just be beating a dead horse "so to speak" I would appreciate if anyone could tell me if this add on, IS REQUIRED to help in saving the turbo... Or its just a plus for a unit that is towing a heavy load all the time.




I would also like to find out, if I should consider synthetic oil and transmission fluid.

I spent several hours in the garage ""petting"" this old truck, until ma ma ran me inside and put me to bed!!!!

Thanks again for any suggestions.

Later John

 

The timer is not a required add on for long turbo life. If you idle the engine for 30 seconds after you drive around town and for about 5 minutes after you tow you should be fine. I have used this method from day one on my truck and when I inspected my turbo I had no coking on the inside at all.

 

If it makes you happy, do it. It won't hurt. I find mine is very useful for leaving the truck running when going into a convenience store. Mine made it 210k before I bought the truck and added the turbo timer, so I can't say it's a must.

Synthetic in the trans and rear(s) is a good idea due to the higher heat resistance, but it's an unneccessary expense in the engine. Any of the name brand diesel oils is good for 10k or a year if the truck isn't short tripped or seriously overfueled, why spend $13 - $20 a gallon when you can spend $6 and have the same results? The only exception to this is a truck that spends the winter in the frozen North. The 5W-40 synthetics help with starting and reduce wear from cold starts when the temp is below 10 degrees, especially if it's not practical to plug in.

 

I APPRECIATE THE IMPUT FROM BOTH OF YOU... kEEP A KEEN EDGE AND YOUR POWDER DRY.

THANKS AGAIN John