bully dog box

[Jeff Kelderman]

anyone else install a bully dog box yet? put mine in a couple of weeks ago and seems to "wake it up", especially after 2200 rpms. runs much better now, seemed to be quite the dog before.

 

[91W350]

Jeff, Have you checked fuel mileage yet? You are probably still too busy playing with the big power... .

 

[Jeff Kelderman]

13 mpg. , nothing to brag about. the truck is a 6 speed with 4. 10 gears.



running around 75-80 mph on the highway.



what is everyone else getting? i got 11-12 when i ran a 1500 mile trip when it was brand new.

 

[91W350]

Mine ran almost 16 today, I drove a little over 200 miles, the wind was gusting up to 45 mph and it flat kicked my mileage. Normally it runs really close to 18. I have noticed that anything over 70 in my truck sends the mileage to the basement.

 

[Me808garam]

Aloha guys my 03 so with 4000 mils on it is running 20-21 mpg. Empty all stock. . At the pump milage of course. .

 

[91W350]

I can get 20 to 21 out of mine, but I have to drive 60 to do it. For an old lead foot like me, 60 is a drag! We just got back from doing some GEO-Caching, fueled up just out of curiousity. 19. 33, includes a lot of uphill, downhill, gravel roads, a little pasture driving and some 75 mph Interstate Cruising. Not bad, I can live with it! Good thing too as it is not paid for yet...

 

[MUDDY]

liking my bullydog box bunches. no increase b4 2200 rpm, but comes on strong above that. an advantage to that is no fuel pressure increase at normal driving conditions. also is easy on stock clutch or stock auto at those rpm.



noticed no mpg increase from installing the box on my 9200 lb rig. [13 or so towing,18 solo at 10k] but the box in combo with the dd1s make the rig scoot. Oo.

 

[Garry Verheyden]

Bullydog box

I don't know if you got a different box than I did, but mine sucked.

I borrowed a new 60-65 RWHP box from a well known Canadian Diesel performance guy who just got one to try out. It was claimed to be 60 to 65 hp increase.

I noticed a slight increase in power at about 2500 rpm. But I said that it didn't feel like 60hp to me (more like 20hp).

Since I was in disbelief about the claimed power increase, I went to BD and asked Cristian if I could borrow thier dyno. He was nice enough to let me use it. The 6spd. H. O. dually 4x4 quad was like this.



Baseline: 260. 4 HP at 2780 RPM. / 499. 4 Trq. at 2620 RPM.

Bullydog: 271. 0 HP at 2440 RPM. / 620. 9 Trq. at 2120 RPM.



Not much of a noticeable increase for a 8000lb. truck. An unimpressive 10. 6 HP increase with a claimed increase of 60-65.

Torque was better but in my opinion not worth what they are charging for the box.

I borrowed an Edge box from one of BD's trucks which was also rated for 60 HP.



Edge Ez: 317. 2 HP at 2740 RPM. / 710. 1 Trq. at 2000 RPM.

An increase of 56. 8 HP which is good for a box that claims 60HP.

The Edge box was a fueling only box as was the Bullydog. Also the Edge box was a lot less expensive.

I returned the Bullydog box to the person that was possibly going to sell them and he returned it to Bullydog and won't be selling them. He has too good of a name to be tarnishing it with Dr. performence type exaggerated HP claimes on the products he sells.

Garry.

 

[Jeff Kelderman]

interesting, so say the least. i have not dynoed mine, but i feel better acceleration above 2200 rpm. probably from the increase in torque???

 

[Garry Verheyden]

Jeff I might be just spoiled since my other truck is 400+ HP.

The power increase is noticable( although only 10HP) because it comes on earlier ( peak HP was at 2440RPM vs. 2780RPM stock)

Bullydogs HP was actually lower than stock at about 2800 RPM.

If I knew how to scan the Dyno charts into my computer, I would post them for you.

Garry.

 

[Jeff Kelderman]

i know what you are saying about having another truck with more power. my 99 has the BD adjustable box with larger injectors and exhaust, so it is a totally different truck than my the 03. it is also much different when driving the 99 with a 5 speed and 3. 54 opposed to the 03 with a 6 speed and 4. 10. the 3rd and 4th gear pull in the 99 is nice.

 

[Garry Verheyden]

Definitely a lot more shifting with the 6speed 4:10 but better for heavy towing.

Garry.

 

[Mathew Clausen]

torque at 1500 rpm

I am curious what the edge box did at say 1500 rpm. I don't care about peak HP numbers at 2700 rpm because I never run mine there. What I am looking for is a big boost in throttle response and torque where I normally drive mine which is 1200 - 2000 or so. Any comments on that after driving?



One thing to keep in mind before completely bashing bullydogs claims (I have no experience with them good or bad) is that with that kind of torque gain - it is possible that there is a 60 hp gain over stock at some point in the rev range - just might not be at peak power. With a torque gain of 24% - there has to be a bigger than 10hp gain somewhere in the curve. Lets run some numbers - Peak torque is up 24% - but at 2120 it must be more than that. The stock truck should be making about 200 hp at that rpm - multiply by 1. 24 gives 245 hp or about a 45hp gain? Am I close?



Of course it looks like the edge box really ups the ante with 42% increase in torque at 600 rpm lower peak AND a 60hp peak gain. I suspect there gains at 2000 rpm are larger than 60 hp. Those curves would be interesting!



Mathew

 

[Garry Verheyden]

Mathew,

We started the dyno at about 1600 RPM. Power stock was just below 100HP and with the Bullydog it was about 100HP. These figures are irrelevant since we just started the test at that RPM.

The Bullydog box broke 200HP at about1900 RPM vs. 2100 RPM stock. The Edge box broke 200HP at about 1800RPM.

Torque stock at 2000 rpm was about 490 ft lbs.

Bullydog " " " " " " 610 ft lbs.

Edge Ez " " " " " " 710 ft lbs.

I'm not trying to promote any vendors products in peticular, I'm just letting you know my findings.

Garry.

 

[pecandude1]

i got the bullydog box awhile back. it does not add anything until you atleast hit 2400 rpm. below that it still feels like the same old stock truck i really dont like it i wish i would have waited and got the edge box:{

 

[RSnaith]

I don't sell the Bully Dog box, but I do know they recently changed the program to pull power in earlier and that the boxes can be reflashed with the new program. Maybe contact your vendor and see if they can help you out...

 

[KLockliear]

Re: torque at 1500 rpm

Originally posted by Mathew Clausen

What I am looking for is a big boost in throttle response and torque where I normally drive mine which is 1200 - 2000 or so.

FYI, you should be revving that motor a lot more than you are. Lugging is hard on the bearings and other hard parts. These engines really start to build power at 2000, and peak HP is at around 2900rpm, so you need to turn it up more to get to use the power it has. Torque is virtually flat from 2100 to 2800 on the ISBe engine.

 

[RSnaith]

Re: Re: torque at 1500 rpm

Originally posted by KLockliear

FYI, you should be revving that motor a lot more than you are. Lugging is hard on the bearings and other hard parts. These engines really start to build power at 2000, and peak HP is at around 2900rpm, so you need to turn it up more to get to use the power it has. Torque is virtually flat from 2100 to 2800 on the ISBe engine.

I believe this is why he's looking for mods that will bring in his torque lower in the RPM range, so that he doesn't have to rev the engine high to avoid lugging.



In my mind, the current diesel offerings from the Big 3 are building power in the wrong spot of the RPM range. Heavy equipment engines are built to build torque low in the RPM range for a couple reasons:



1) longevity. If you can run down a highway at 1600 RPM and tow the load without lugging, your engine will last longer than having to run the road at 2300 RPM. Oil will stand up better, and you can run longer between oil changes.



2) Operator comfort. Even with the new quiet engines, the in cab noise at 2300 RPM is much higher than at 1600 - 1700 RPM. Vibration is also increased at higher RPMs, and for anyone who has done any significant amount of towing, its understood that increased vibration leads to operator fatigue earlier.

 

[KLockliear]

I believe this is where sheer size comes into play. The larger the engine, the lower the RPM's required to make power. In the case of the 5. 9l, it needs some RPM to work efficiently. In this engines case, regardless of how much you might be able to make it have below 1800rpm, it's still lugging.

 

[RSnaith]

Originally posted by KLockliear

I believe this is where sheer size comes into play. The larger the engine, the lower the RPM's required to make power. In the case of the 5. 9l, it needs some RPM to work efficiently. In this engines case, regardless of how much you might be able to make it have below 1800rpm, it's still lugging.

You don't give the little 5. 9 enough credit My 2001, with mild injectors and a Comp box had more than enough power below 2000 RPM to comfortably pull 20K loads. When stepping up to 30K, I generally had to bring things back up to 2100 RPM to keep from lugging. And the 12 valve engines could spend all day towing 20K loads at 1700 RPM with only the addition of a mild cam plate. I think the 03s, once the timing/fueling boxes are out, will prove themselves to be almost as capable at low RPM power as were the old 12 valves.