Attention: TDR Forum Junkies I just installed a turbo mount BD exhaust brake in my ’04 one ton. It works great, only about a ½ second delay to turn on when you take your foot off the fuel. (Pac Brake and Jacobs are about 2 seconds, and any delay is too long when you’ve got a big load behind you). The quality of the brake is obvious, and I have examined the installation manual for all three and BD by far (way far) is the easiest to install for the non-mechanic like me. I don’t like tapping into the ECM 60 pin module as required in some others. That’s a red flag at warrantee service time. Simplest is best in my way of thinking and I am sure Pac and Jacobs are more than sufficiently well built too, after all these aren’t 18 wheelers. I put a BD in my 2nd gen truck and it worked perfect for 5 years.
BUT, the installation manual could be improved. It is a chincy little zerox copied deal, you are better off to get the color PDF from on line sites. But there are gaps (see below). For some reason, BD chooses not to have it on their web site. I got it from a dealer’s web site. Even harder to find the in line mount exhaust install manual, but there is one.
Oregon Fuel Injection has the best price on the Brake I could find and their service and support is super. $1075 with no shipping fees plus Oregon is a no sales tax state! check em out at
http://www.o-f-i.com/index.php?pid=11#VACUUM_EXHAUST_BRAKE_KITS
If you get one, here are a few tips:
The APPS sensor wire connector color is ass backwards in the BD bulletin for teh 2004 Dodge. When I called BD about it (there is no blue wire with white tracer) they told me its Dodge’s problem. HELLO? Wrong! They were actually pretty pissy about it too. But Oregon Diesel got me the correct information.
Before installing the brake itself, drop the exhaust pipe down a notch by removing the two bolts that hold the exhaust pipe donut in place.
Remove the through dash grommet washer completely to drill your line passage hole.
When installing the vacuum pump holder, look for the little divots in the side of the steel engine area liner. They line up perfectly with the bracket, so you can just use the sheet metal screws without drilling (I substituted stainless, common BD, why cheap out on hardware? and square head screws?)
And finally, the APPS throttle sensor is under the driver’s side battery tray for the one tons (and maybe ¾ tons), but you need not remove the wheel liner as the manual states, just unplug the cable and clamp on the connector on the brown with white tracer for the 6 speed. Automatic APPS wire is apparently blue with white, but I am not sure. If you are unsure, use a voltmeter, the APPS wire puts out a tiny voltage at idle (0. 04 v) but about 4 volts at higher throttle when run to ground.
The new shift mounted switch seems better than the detent-type they used to use, no rattle like the older one.
So there you go, BD make great products, but they are a B minus on their manual documentation and providing access to their PDF files. And at least one guy who answers the phone needs an attitude adjustment (never had that happen before, hope he gets moved out of customer service!). In my business the customer is always right. Period. And this time I was. No Canadian jokes here about Molson eh? Thanks again to Oregon Fuel Injection especially Mark.
BUT, the installation manual could be improved. It is a chincy little zerox copied deal, you are better off to get the color PDF from on line sites. But there are gaps (see below). For some reason, BD chooses not to have it on their web site. I got it from a dealer’s web site. Even harder to find the in line mount exhaust install manual, but there is one.
Oregon Fuel Injection has the best price on the Brake I could find and their service and support is super. $1075 with no shipping fees plus Oregon is a no sales tax state! check em out at
http://www.o-f-i.com/index.php?pid=11#VACUUM_EXHAUST_BRAKE_KITS
If you get one, here are a few tips:
The APPS sensor wire connector color is ass backwards in the BD bulletin for teh 2004 Dodge. When I called BD about it (there is no blue wire with white tracer) they told me its Dodge’s problem. HELLO? Wrong! They were actually pretty pissy about it too. But Oregon Diesel got me the correct information.
Before installing the brake itself, drop the exhaust pipe down a notch by removing the two bolts that hold the exhaust pipe donut in place.
Remove the through dash grommet washer completely to drill your line passage hole.
When installing the vacuum pump holder, look for the little divots in the side of the steel engine area liner. They line up perfectly with the bracket, so you can just use the sheet metal screws without drilling (I substituted stainless, common BD, why cheap out on hardware? and square head screws?)
And finally, the APPS throttle sensor is under the driver’s side battery tray for the one tons (and maybe ¾ tons), but you need not remove the wheel liner as the manual states, just unplug the cable and clamp on the connector on the brown with white tracer for the 6 speed. Automatic APPS wire is apparently blue with white, but I am not sure. If you are unsure, use a voltmeter, the APPS wire puts out a tiny voltage at idle (0. 04 v) but about 4 volts at higher throttle when run to ground.
The new shift mounted switch seems better than the detent-type they used to use, no rattle like the older one.
So there you go, BD make great products, but they are a B minus on their manual documentation and providing access to their PDF files. And at least one guy who answers the phone needs an attitude adjustment (never had that happen before, hope he gets moved out of customer service!). In my business the customer is always right. Period. And this time I was. No Canadian jokes here about Molson eh? Thanks again to Oregon Fuel Injection especially Mark.
