CTD engine brake, do I want one?
From : mac davis
Q: im sort of building our next truck on paper as i think of options.... since the main use of the next truck will be towing id like info on the factory engine brake... anyone here have experience with one are they effective im coming at this from no experience with diesels other than semis a long time ago... folks have told me that a td does not have compression braking like a gasser without the optional engine brake and that we should get the factory installed brake.. any comments welcome im asking out of total ignorance of the ctd.. also how is it activated dash switch stalk button etc. mac .
Replies:
From : tom lawrence
any comments welcome im asking out of total ignorance of the ctd.. exhaust brakes are very effective at slowing down a vehicle and can really make a difference in the life of your service brakes. if youre getting a manual transmission definately get the brake. currently an exhaust brake isnt available for an automatic without going aftermarket but may be by the time you order. its been a touch and go process for dc for the past couple of years now youd think they could have figured this out by now... also how is it activated dash switch stalk button etc. the factory exhaust brake works in conjunction with the cummins ecm and has a manual activation switch that you mount usually on the gearshift. when the manual switch is on the ecm will engage the brake when throttle input is 0% so when you lift off the throttle the brake activates but when you advance the throttle the brake automatically cuts out. a side benefit of an exhaust brake is faster engine warm-up in cold weather. start the truck engage the brake and within 5 minutes or so youll have heat. the extra load that it places on the engine is enough to get the engine warm. imo there are better aftermarket brakes that work on compressed air rather than vacuum available but the big advantage of the jake exhaust brake is the factory warranty and brakes do go bad... they work in an extremely harsh environment. the biggest drawback with the factory setup is that is uses a different serpentine belt becuase its now also spinning a vacuum pump. this is a non-standard belt and could be hard to find if you ever break one on the road. the simple solution is to get two and carry one as a spare. .
From : mac davis
on fri 04 jun 2004 002331 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote thanks tom... good info! i just cant see getting the manual tranny... getting to lazy to shift for myself i guess... the brake sounds like the way to go especially with the faster warmup.. were hoping to order a truck by the end of the year... any comments welcome im asking out of total ignorance of the ctd.. exhaust brakes are very effective at slowing down a vehicle and can really make a difference in the life of your service brakes. if youre getting a manual transmission definately get the brake. currently an exhaust brake isnt available for an automatic without going aftermarket but may be by the time you order. its been a touch and go process for dc for the past couple of years now youd think they could have figured this out by now... also how is it activated dash switch stalk button etc. the factory exhaust brake works in conjunction with the cummins ecm and has a manual activation switch that you mount usually on the gearshift. when the manual switch is on the ecm will engage the brake when throttle input is 0% so when you lift off the throttle the brake activates but when you advance the throttle the brake automatically cuts out. a side benefit of an exhaust brake is faster engine warm-up in cold weather. start the truck engage the brake and within 5 minutes or so youll have heat. the extra load that it places on the engine is enough to get the engine warm. imo there are better aftermarket brakes that work on compressed air rather than vacuum available but the big advantage of the jake exhaust brake is the factory warranty and brakes do go bad... they work in an extremely harsh environment. the biggest drawback with the factory setup is that is uses a different serpentine belt becuase its now also spinning a vacuum pump. this is a non-standard belt and could be hard to find if you ever break one on the road. the simple solution is to get two and carry one as a spare. mac .
From : nosey
mac davis wrote im sort of building our next truck on paper as i think of options.... since the main use of the next truck will be towing id like info on the factory engine brake... anyone here have experience with one are they effective im coming at this from no experience with diesels other than semis a long time ago... folks have told me that a td does not have compression braking like a gasser without the optional engine brake and that we should get the factory installed brake.. any comments welcome im asking out of total ignorance of the ctd.. also how is it activated dash switch stalk button etc. mac mac check this out. http//www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/dodgeram/exhaustbrake.cfm http//www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/dodgeram/exhaustbrakes/exhaustbrakes.cfm .
From : mike simmons
on fri 04 jun 2004 002331 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote thanks tom... good info! i just cant see getting the manual tranny... getting to lazy to shift for myself i guess... the brake sounds like the way to go especially with the faster warmup.. were hoping to order a truck by the end of the year... any comments welcome im asking out of total ignorance of the ctd.. exhaust brakes are very effective at slowing down a vehicle and can really make a difference in the life of your service brakes. if youre getting a manual transmission definately get the brake. currently an exhaust brake isnt available for an automatic without going aftermarket but may be by the time you order. its been a touch and go process for dc for the past couple of years now youd think they could have figured this out by now... also how is it activated dash switch stalk button etc. the factory exhaust brake works in conjunction with the cummins ecm and has a manual activation switch that you mount usually on the gearshift. when the manual switch is on the ecm will engage the brake when throttle input is 0% so when you lift off the throttle the brake activates but when you advance the throttle the brake automatically cuts out. a side benefit of an exhaust brake is faster engine warm-up in cold weather. start the truck engage the brake and within 5 minutes or so youll have heat. the extra load that it places on the engine is enough to get the engine warm. imo there are better aftermarket brakes that work on compressed air rather than vacuum available but the big advantage of the jake exhaust brake is the factory warranty and brakes do go bad... they work in an extremely harsh environment. the biggest drawback with the factory setup is that is uses a different serpentine belt becuase its now also spinning a vacuum pump. this is a non-standard belt and could be hard to find if you ever break one on the road. the simple solution is to get two and carry one as a spare. mac mac when i ordered my 03 ctd i had every intention of getting an exhaust brake installed but there were probs with the eb and the 48re as tom alluded to. i tow a 30 travel trailer that weighs about 8k wet and have towed thru the smokys and blue ridge mtns and have really had no problem. although the diesel doesnt have compression braking like a gasser its lack of compression braking isnt as bad as i imagined after listening to others. how big of a load will you tow unless i get into the rockys or get a bigger rv im quite happy without the eb. the quicker warm-up would be nice in the winter tho as the cummins is coooold blooded. mike .
From : tom lawrence
the brake sounds like the way to go especially with the faster warmup.. were hoping to order a truck by the end of the year... okay - follow the thread over on the turbo diesel register http//www.tdr1.com/forums/showthread.phps=0275b50c0be2f37d4d805b5e1b165c52&threadid=76813 carlton is a cummins engineer working with dc on the exhaust brake certification for the autos. the last posting seems to indicate that it will be august before anything is known for certain one way or the other. .
From : mac davis
on fri 4 jun 2004 111630 -0500 mike simmons mikesim@fidnet.com wrote mac when i ordered my 03 ctd i had every intention of getting an exhaust brake installed but there were probs with the eb and the 48re as tom alluded to. i tow a 30 travel trailer that weighs about 8k wet and have towed thru the smokys and blue ridge mtns and have really had no problem. although the diesel doesnt have compression braking like a gasser its lack of compression braking isnt as bad as i imagined after listening to others. how big of a load will you tow unless i get into the rockys or get a bigger rv im quite happy without the eb. the quicker warm-up would be nice in the winter tho as the cummins is coooold blooded. mike right now were pulling a 27 tt thats about 5800 or so loaded 4750 dry... well be getting a 34 or 36 5er when my wife gets out of school but we wanted to get the ctd as soon as we can swing it financially... most of the 5ers that weve looked at are in the 11000 to 13000 range... wow! im guessing that as long as mr. army is stationed at ft. lewis well be making the trip 3 or 4 times a year and though the brakes on the ram and trailer worked fine im concerned about no compression braking in a ctd.... mac .
From : mac davis
on sat 05 jun 2004 000339 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote the brake sounds like the way to go especially with the faster warmup.. were hoping to order a truck by the end of the year... okay - follow the thread over on the turbo diesel register http//www.tdr1.com/forums/showthread.phps=0275b50c0be2f37d4d805b5e1b165c52&threadid=76813 carlton is a cummins engineer working with dc on the exhaust brake certification for the autos. the last posting seems to indicate that it will be august before anything is known for certain one way or the other. tom.. any idea why they wont warranty one with an automatic i guess what im wondering is if its because of added strain on the tranny or because of the electronics/control end of things mac .
From : mac davis
on fri 4 jun 2004 171635 -0400 nosey kfrei43@removethis.hotmail.com wrote mac check this out. http//www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/dodgeram/exhaustbrake.cfm http//www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/products/dodgeram/exhaustbrakes/exhaustbrakes.cfm thanks! ive bookmarked both pages for after saturday honeydos... they look interesting.. mac .
From : tom lawrence
tom.. any idea why they wont warranty one with an automatic i guess what im wondering is if its because of added strain on the tranny or because of the electronics/control end of things the last i heard it was a combination of things. first the current software in the pcm now in the cummins ecm wasnt keeping the tc locked in all situations with the brake engaged how simple could this be if the brake is on lock the tcc. if you have to unlock the tcc disengage the brake. sheesh.... secondly there was a problem with a thrust washer in the tranny getting worn when the brake was in operation gee maybe replace it with a torrington bearing for an extra $3.50 are ya sure you dont want to get a 6spd .
From : mac davis
on sat 05 jun 2004 191050 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote tom.. any idea why they wont warranty one with an automatic i guess what im wondering is if its because of added strain on the tranny or because of the electronics/control end of things the last i heard it was a combination of things. first the current software in the pcm now in the cummins ecm wasnt keeping the tc locked in all situations with the brake engaged how simple could this be if the brake is on lock the tcc. if you have to unlock the tcc disengage the brake. sheesh.... secondly there was a problem with a thrust washer in the tranny getting worn when the brake was in operation gee maybe replace it with a torrington bearing for an extra $3.50 are ya sure you dont want to get a 6spd the 6 speed sounds a lot more rugged and reliable but i just cant picture driving around in a stick... i prefer a manual in a small car but would rather let a truck shift for itself especially when towing.. it sounds like the problems with the eb with an auto are very solveable hopefully theyll get it right soon.. mac .
From : roy
on sat 05 jun 2004 191050 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote tom.. any idea why they wont warranty one with an automatic i guess what im wondering is if its because of added strain on the tranny or because of the electronics/control end of things the last i heard it was a combination of things. first the current software in the pcm now in the cummins ecm wasnt keeping the tc locked in all situations with the brake engaged how simple could this be if the brake is on lock the tcc. if you have to unlock the tcc disengage the brake. sheesh.... secondly there was a problem with a thrust washer in the tranny getting worn when the brake was in operation gee maybe replace it with a torrington bearing for an extra $3.50 are ya sure you dont want to get a 6spd the 6 speed sounds a lot more rugged and reliable but i just cant picture driving around in a stick... i prefer a manual in a small car but would rather let a truck shift for itself especially when towing.. it sounds like the problems with the eb with an auto are very solveable hopefully theyll get it right soon.. mac as i understand things the new and improved machine that youll be hauling on your visits to red does not require any hands on other than the initial hook up. im sure that is the underlying issue regards the stick vs. automatic.bg if your buying it for towing and not in bumper to bumper traffic every day id opt for the standard. or go for the automatic and figure on tossing it and going 3-4k for an aftermarket built for towing transmission. roy .
From : denny
on sat 05 jun 2004 191050 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote tom.. any idea why they wont warranty one with an automatic i guess what im wondering is if its because of added strain on the tranny or because of the electronics/control end of things the last i heard it was a combination of things. first the current software in the pcm now in the cummins ecm wasnt keeping the tc locked in all situations with the brake engaged how simple could this be if the brake is on lock the tcc. if you have to unlock the tcc disengage the brake. sheesh.... secondly there was a problem with a thrust washer in the tranny getting worn when the brake was in operation gee maybe replace it with a torrington bearing for an extra $3.50 are ya sure you dont want to get a 6spd the 6 speed sounds a lot more rugged and reliable but i just cant picture driving around in a stick... i prefer a manual in a small car but would rather let a truck shift for itself especially when towing.. it sounds like the problems with the eb with an auto are very solveable hopefully theyll get it right soon.. mac as i understand things the new and improved machine that youll be hauling on your visits to red does not require any hands on other than the initial hook up. im sure that is the underlying issue regards the stick vs. automatic.bg that was brutal!! g everybody make it back from fl. ok denny .
From : roy
on sat 05 jun 2004 191050 gmt tom lawrence tnloaswpraemnmcien5g@earthlink.net wrote tom.. any idea why they wont warranty one with an automatic i guess what im wondering is if its because of added strain on the tranny or because of the electronics/control end of things the last i heard it was a combination of things. first the current software in the pcm now in the cummins ecm wasnt keeping the tc locked in all situations with the brake engaged how simple could this be if the brake is on lock the tcc. if you have to unlock the tcc disengage the brake. sheesh.... secondly there was a problem with a thrust washer in the tranny getting worn when the brake was in operation gee maybe replace it with a torrington bearing for an extra $3.50 are ya sure you dont want to get a 6spd the 6 speed sounds a lot more rugged and reliable but i just cant picture driving around in a stick... i prefer a manual in a small car but would rather let a truck shift for itself especially when towing.. it sounds like the problems with the eb with an auto are very solveable hopefully theyll get it right soon.. mac as i understand things the new and improved machine that youll be hauling on your visits to red does not require any hands on other than the initial hook up. im sure that is the underlying issue regards the stick vs. automatic.bg that was brutal!! g no it wasnt. just telling like it probably is. note in my previous post i didnt bring in his age.bfg everybody make it back from fl. ok they all made it back from bermuda none the worse for wear. roy denny .
From : mac davis
on sun 06 jun 2004 161033 gmt roy roy@home.net wrote snip if your buying it for towing and not in bumper to bumper traffic every day id opt for the standard. or go for the automatic and figure on tossing it and going 3-4k for an aftermarket built for towing transmission. roy well like the ram now it will be for towing and my daily driver... nan takes the dakota to work because since we traded in the cougar for the ram the dak is the good gas mileage one for her commute... i work at home and dont get out much so the ram stays home.. wouldnt the aftermarket eb cause warranty issues though mac .
From : roy
on sun 06 jun 2004 161033 gmt roy roy@home.net wrote snip if your buying it for towing and not in bumper to bumper traffic every day id opt for the standard. or go for the automatic and figure on tossing it and going 3-4k for an aftermarket built for towing transmission. roy well like the ram now it will be for towing and my daily driver... nan takes the dakota to work because since we traded in the cougar for the ram the dak is the good gas mileage one for her commute... i work at home and dont get out much so the ram stays home.. wouldnt the aftermarket eb cause warranty issues though yes if you bought a auto no if it was a std. from what you have described you wont be in a heck of a lot of traffic youd be better served with the std imho. roy mac .
From : redneck tookover hell
well like the ram now it will be for towing and my daily driver... nan takes the dakota to work because since we traded in the cougar for the ram damn mac i did notice you were kind of excited when i pulled up with the cummins dually 4 by!!!! bg dont get out much i noticed that too!!!!!!!!! bfg politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. .
From : redneck tookover hell
as i understand things the new and improved machine that youll be hauling on your visits to red does not require any hands on other than the initial hook up. mac and i were waiting for you to show up with that new and improved machine. neither mac nor myself have any idea what you have done to new and improve it care to elaborate or are you and denny keeping it a secret eg enquiring minds want to know politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. .
From : mac davis
on 07 jun 2004 221918 gmt mopar440@aol.comnet.org redneck tookover hell wrote hey red.. i told you that wed be back more often if you would of traded trucks... well like the ram now it will be for towing and my daily driver... nan takes the dakota to work because since we traded in the cougar for the ram damn mac i did notice you were kind of excited when i pulled up with the cummins dually 4 by!!!! bg dont get out much i noticed that too!!!!!!!!! bfg politics the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich. mac .
From : mac davis
on mon 07 jun 2004 221409 gmt roy roy@home.net wrote wouldnt the aftermarket eb cause warranty issues though yes if you bought a auto no if it was a std. from what you have described you wont be in a heck of a lot of traffic youd be better served with the std imho. roy mac i polled the wife and she wants a standard tranny even less than i do... well have to test drive both when were ready to buy.. mac .