KATOOM

Great point.

carl48

don t has a 12 valve with 35 lbs springs. I know he has a gear driven pump but if he wants the best braking power the bd or pac is the only way to go. I hate auto's so not as much help there. but on our p pump trucks we added a micro switch on the throttle linkage and placed it in series with the switch we have on the shifter. we run a fleet of trucks and have first hand experience with different brands until you drive two identical trucks, one with a bd and one with a jake to see the difference you are not qualified to make a statement like that. most do not tow as heavy as we do and the lessor bhp may not be an issue with them. the serpentine statement was directed to colinp's 06. all of our 03 up vacuum pump diaphragms have failed, we were just replacing them until I had the lockup and it did take the fan and radiator out on a 06.

Don T

I have read everyone`s comments and well I`am still a bit lost. I do have air bags and a small compressor that runs the bags from the Cab of my truck. I think the micro switch is a 300$ option ? I have a switch on the dash that I use to lock the TC . I have to have some kind of brake install before next May for my trip . Is the Micro switch for the throttle linkage sounds like all I need along with my switch to lock the TC. I don`t think I need to spend the $$ for the controller for my trans. would this statement be correct?? Help is appreciated !

KATOOM

To the best of my knowledge, the 12 valve trucks must have the micro switch because there is no other means of letting the exhaust brake solenoid know when you are or are not touching the throttle. The 24 valve trucks have the ECM. If you're serious about getting an exhaust brake then just call up a the few available brands out there. BD, Banks, Pacbrake, and possibly Jacobs. Ask them since they're going to know best what you need for your truck.

NE frmhnd

Boss has a BD on his 00, only complaint is having to take the solenoid valve apart to clean it. When it started to stick it stuck on, had to disconnect it on the side of the road.

Don T

Does the micro switch work the same as the TPS ? Could the TPS be used to activate the exhaust break ?

carl48

don t I never drove a auto so I will have to guess at a couple of things. on some of my trucks we do not use the micro switch, we mount our switches on the gear shifter and just apply the brake when we want. you could do the same but it is a pita to mount the switch on the dash. learn to drive using the eb most of the time and truck brakes only part time, this means mount the switch where it is very easy to reach. not sure where the shifter is on a auto, if it is on the floor mount the switch on it even if you have to add a extension. the transmission controller is needed to lock up the transmission so that the eb can work, it sounds like you have some kind of switch to lock it up without controller upgrade. stick with bd or pac for reasons stated above. if you want to use your existing compressor the pac should be a little cheaper because of the way it works. the bd has a regulator that adjusts the pressure fed to the cylinder to precisely open the butterfly valve at 60 psi. the pac achieves it mechanically with a spring and does not care about pressure as long as there is enough to keep it closed.

Maverick2001

I have had the Pacbrake for over 50,000 miles with only one regulator issue. Pacbrake replaced the compressor for free even though I was out of the warranty period because it was a known issue,

Their customer service is top notch.

Also, since the Pac is compressor driven it gives you one unit that will run both your E-brake and in-cab controls for your existing air bags. Rather than having a compressor for your airbags and a vacuum pump for your exhaust brake (Jacobs)

I would recommend Pacbrake for the above reasons, but my buddy has a BD brake that he loves and both are extremely reliable and the BD uses the existing vacuum on the truck.

Basically you can't go wrong either way.

KATOOM

To be honest Don T, its been so long since I've researched what all the exhaust brake companies currently have or utilize that I can only go by what I know. And yes, the micro switch is like a TPS, sort of. Its simply a switch which is mount under the throttle pedal that toggles ON or OFF by the pressure of the throttle pedal. Its purpose is to tell the exhaust brake air solenoid when to open and close which then engages the exhaust brake ON and OFF. If there is no such device to communicate with the solenoid then there's no way to make sure that the exhaust brake is OFF while the throttle is pressed. If you press the throttle with the exhaust brake ON then the EGT's skyrocket in a hurry. If you were switching the exhaust brake on and off manually then not paying attention to this potential overlap could pose as a problem. So to make these units as user friendly as possible before ECM systems, exhaust brake companies came up with the throttle pedal micro switch.

To answer your question about the TPS.....no, to the best of my knowledge, it cannot, unless there is someway to set something up which the exhaust brake manufactures have come up with. But I seriously doubt they have since all technology is moving forward and current day trucks have ECM systems which can be tapped into, and the ECM does all the ON/OFF work. Heck, the ECM will even allow the exhaust brake to function with the cruise control, and the newer years incorporate other cool functions like partial exhaust brake to help engine warm up.

I advise again to call all the exhaust brake companies you want and ask them whats currently available for your model truck. I dont even know if any of them offer kits which utilize the OEM vacuum pump anymore and only use a compressor system.

Whatever company you choose.....they all work the same in the sense that they all shut off the exhaust flow to a maximum of 190 brake HP. Other than that, its all bells and whistles and air flow and whatever they can think of to make theirs better than the other guys.

Don T

Carl 48 I have replace the stock Tc with a single disk billet Tc that was build so I could run my 2nd gen up to 500 hp and still have a warranty on the TC. So TC lock in any gear should be like a std trans in OD Or third locked.I might be wrong but an auto lock is no different that a std trans in any gear. I read somewhere that the air activated wants 60 psi air to close.I would have to run small air tank res to do this. because my truck now only supplies 10 psi to the bags all the time. and would need 60 psi to operate the Break . then I need another compressor and storage tank to handle the air. I see a system with a small compressor that they sell an air hose to fill tires , LOL I wonder how long that compressor would last pumping up the 80 psi I run when needed in my 285 16" E rated tires. this is why I started this post. I just don`t jump in and find out I made a $$$ mistake. I hope to get it correct from the start.

KATOOM

You could either find out if someone like Pacbrake still offers a vacuum operated exhaust brake system which would allow you to use the OEM vacuum pump, or you could go hog wild and set up a nice high dollar 12 volt compressor system with an auxiliary holding tank which would easily power your exhaust brake, air bags, and fill all the tires you want.

montemorris

I have an 01, 6 speed, 232,000 miles, with medium speed rear end (3.75?) that I've been towing a 30' 5th wheel with for 10 years. I've decided I need an exhaust brake so I can quit worrying and babying the brakes down mountain passes.

Questions: would there be a problem with a USED brake? Would obtaining and reinstalling one be worth the trouble/money saved? Is there much to "go bad" on an exhaust brake so that a used one would most probably unreliable? Any other issues?

KATOOM

There really isnt much to go bad and even if you had to replace a solenoid or any other part, I'm sure it would still be far cheaper than a brand new unit. And in saying that, I guess it would also depend on what brand and model you were looking at.

dstad

Bd inline 4" remote mount is the only way to go. I've got compounds, built auto and a bd brake for 5 years. Not one single issue.

nkennedy

You can still get a brand new stock exhaust brake off Ebay for $711. Works well for me, and real easy to install.