1st year with CTD

[AMcCormick]

This is my firts diesel truck. Have had the truck just over a year now. Bought the truck with 165K miles and worn out tires. So far so good. The steering box cracked just before our crosscountry road trip, topped of the steering at each fuel stop. New steering box on arrival in CA. Got four new tires the first day of that trip. transmission is on its way but hanging in there. A huge difference when the converter is locked. On day number two I almost rear ended somebody on an uphill onramp. Was a little heavy on the accelrator and when the converter locked the truck just took off. The first six months barely drove the truck, living in KeyWest preffered transport is a bicycle. I was happy with the mpg for the crosscountry trip. 16. 12 towing small trailer. Overall I'm not getting the mpg I hoped for. I'm driving lately with 35"s and will be putting the 265 street tires back on this weekend. I'm a little worried about the lift pump as I'm coming close to the 200K mi mark. What are the clues to pump failure and injector failure? From most of my reading the lift pump can drop dead at any moment. the next thing will be a AirDog or FASS system. Then when I have $$$ a new built transmission. Wish list is a bomber suspension Carli or Lorenz. Asking Santa for some gauges. Overall I'm happy with the truck has I've never had a truck with so much grunt. i towed my buddies sailboat up to Hunnington Lake for him. He was so amazed at how easily we just motored up the climb with plenty more to go on the accelrator. Now I just want to squeze some better mpg. have been averaging 16-18mpg driving around the SF bay area with the 35"s.

Thanks to TDR.

 

[Regcabguy]

That's good mileage w/35"s. It should increase noticibly with the skate board tires.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

Get rid of the cork in any diesel engine and mileage goes way up. The stock exhaust housing is too tight for maximum mileage gains. Go to a 16 exhaust housing and 2 sizes up in injectors and I'll bet you get over 20 mpg with those 3:73 gears.



The warning signs of a failing lift pump? That's easy. The gauge says 0 psi. :-laf



No gauges? Guess what your next project is? Tell Santa you'll buy the gauges yourself and to have him bring you a FASS.



NEVER run a modified diesel without a set of gauges. Manifold absolute pressure (Boost) Exhaust gas temperature (Pyrometer) and Fuel pressure (Lift pump)



A modified Cummins engine is seriously devoid of a sense of humor. Trust me.

 

[AMcCormick]

I know gauges come before any power upgrades. The only reason I'm thinking fuel system first is that it is an upgrade that will support further mods. While at the same time cutting out a known weak link. The chip is only a 50hp chip and I'm not towing anything heavy for now. I fully understand the importance of vital info and I dont want to destroy my truck. 1st prioty EGT, but if this is so important then why is this not built into the truck from the factory? I drove a Superduty diesel that did have a factory boost gauge but no EGT. The only mods I have done are to increase air intake and cut the muffler out to decrease restriction. I imagine I would really have to be hammering things for the EGTs to get really hot to point of damaging? To be honest I dont know and yup that is why the gauges are so important.

Thanks, Andy