I just wanted to pass along a few very simple and realitivly low cost ways to improve performance and comfort of your Cummins Turbo Diesel trucks. The performance gains are purely subjective, in principle the therory is sound, but without a boat full of money and all the latest equipment, the true gains will never be relized.
What is very evident is how the truck responds, and how it feels. Turbo lag, the time from which you need the power, till the engine makes the power has been somewhat of a concern for me. Since the addition of the larger turbo housing, the normal boost I would see while driving along has fallen from 12-15 to 5-9. These produces less response at lower rpm's, the engine just doesn't feel as snappy. The trade-off was the train like power while towing a very heavy load, the boost is still there, just it takes more load to reggister. That and the fact that EGT's are no longer a problem, the increased flow has them in check, even on the longest of hills.
What I did was simply wrap the turbo housing with a insulating blanket, and the down pipe as well. This insulation keeps more of the engines heat contained with-in the system, which provides more energy to drive the turbo. Turbo's live off of the free heat,energy that is produced by the combustion of fuel, this just helps the turbo recieve all of that energy. I also made a blanket, cover for the exhaust manifold, this to is made of a high heat (2000 degree) matterial that helps keep the heat from the exhaust, contained to the exhaust. Other benifits include lower under hood temps, which help performance by lowering the intake charged air temps and helps items like the batteries live longer. Wrapping and insulating the exhaust manifold maintains hotter exhaust gas temperatures that exit the system faster by way of increased density. Increased exhaust scavenging is produced, along with lower intake temperatures.
shot of engine compartment while working
To further aid my efforts, I also insulated the AFE Filter box, Intake air hose to turbo, and the pipes that run to and from the intercooler. This reduces the transfer of heat to the charged air system thru radiation and heat sinking. The air box was cleaned and de-greased, then from a sheet of heat barrier I cut out the various shapes needed. Then the air box and the back of the sheets were sprayed with glue, and the pieces applied, I then reinstalled the molding around the top. So far my heat readings, taken with a inferred heat gun, show almost a 150 degree reduction of heat at the air box, and have not pulled anything yet. There was a little over 200 degrees of heat reduction at the bottom intercooler intake pipe, I jsut finished and have not had time to take all the readings I want, but so far it's been a success.
this is a covered AFE air box
picture of a completed right side
left side air intake tube
Simple ways to improve your truck
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