Colorado driving impresions

[Mactruck]

Hello from Sunny Colorado.

Just thought I would post some impressions of how my Cummins likes the mountains.

1. WOW look at the smoke. Never thought I could see this much black smoke from a stock Cummins. Not bad at 8000 feet. It's even better at 12,800 feet. Question though, Would an Edge EZ with the timing advance only jumper selected make it run with less smoke?



2. Cold weather and altitude. Started my truck up at a campground outside of Telluride on a 35 degree morning. My truck was not happy, Puffing black smoke and she sounded like it wanted to rollover and go back to sleep , ten minutes and it was much better.



3. watch your EGT's Back in the east. I could drive around with a load in the bed and not watch my EGT's get above 1000 degrees. Well I'm on my way to my sisters wedding with 20 cases of water, 5 cases of wine. 5 cases of canned beer. 20 cases of bottled beer (O'dells brewing co. gotta love em) as well as all my camping gear and luggage and other stuff.

Cruising up I-70 and low and behold I watched my EGT's hit 1250 as soon as I backed it down it I tried figuring how you guys out her do it every day. So I hammered it down, drove my boost up and flew up to Eisenhower going 75+. ( hey it was either that or downshift and go 50 :razz: ) which leaves me with... .



4. diesels can pull This trip I've gone up multiple passes my favorite being Monarch. Helping a friend move from Crested Butte, again I found myself Fully loaded. Well as soon as I hit the pass I knew why I bought a Cummins. She just pulls right up the hill as I blow by every car and truck that lugged up that hill. This is why we own diesels people!



In closing I do have to mention that I drove my truck from Telluride Via Ophir pass to Red Mountain then over Engineer Pass to Lake City. This was some of the most picturesque Four wheeling I've ever done and the truck performed flawlessly. I'll post some pics later.



My girlfriend wants to know when we can move here..... So do I

 

[ftb87]

Welcome to the "Colorful State"!. I moved here 11 years ago and have not looked back since.



I just made the trip over the divide and my truck did the same thing. However, it was great to climb and pass everything in site.



Frank

 

[Hale on wheels]

How in the world did you handle those tight switchbacks in your truck? I agree that Engineer's Pass had great scenery, but I remember the switchbacks being too tight for a jeep to turn without having to back up on a couple of them.

 

[pcorssmit]

I've never had mine get hot in the hills running empty. Gotta watch it when it real warm out w/the trailer. A lot of it has to do with being at the right rpm, I usually run about 80 up I-70 (w/out trailer) and its fine.



Pete

 

[roadranger]

Mactruck-



Welcome to Colorado, and the High Country!



Guess you missed the snowstorm here Sat. morning...

I moved out here from the Nutmeg state in '95- you'll like it here as long as you can stay away from the metropolitan areas with their traffic gridlock.



1. It'll smoke LESS with the EZ in timing only, but it'll always smoke. I run mine in #2 slot to avoid fogging out the intersections.



2. Mine starts great down to 20* without plugging in the block heater- better check if your manifold heaters are working.



3. I put my gauges in before bombing, and was dismayed to find that the STOCK HO could easily push the EGTs past 1250*

Now, with towing/carrying all this stuff in sig. , gotta watch the gauges while pulling.

Downshifting one gear with the 6 spd has fixed

all problems so far, without any loss in road speed.

 

[Mactruck]

Hale:

The funny thing is that while I was driving up. I saw a subaru forester, and 2 - s10 blazers coming down (probably rentals). I don't think they made it all the way up though. I did see a cummins quad loaded with hunters though

The trail does have some tight switchbacks. I only had to back up twice to negotiate some of the tightest switchbacks. Other than that it's a very do-able trail. I wouldn't attempt it in a dually though.



Road ranger: Caught thew tail end of the storm in Crested Butte. Only an inch, seems like Breck got the most of it.

The truck in the cold started fine--- it just ran REAL rough until it warmed up.

Hey I'll be in the springs wednesday through saturday for a Biz conference.

 

[BFaoro]

Native

Welcome to Colorado ! I grew up here and I love it! My truck is a 12 valve but even stock, pulling cattle trailers, I can get to 1150. You gotto just love high altitude



edit: fix spelling

 

[klenger]

Welcome to Colorado. I've lived here 25 years and have no desire to leave. Enjoy your visit.



Ken

 

[Coop]

Smoke, whats that

I just moved up here a couple of months ago, and I still haven't seen but any smoke come out of my truck!!! I've seen some smoke come out of K_Arts' truck, but none out of mine.

 

[446]

I thought 1250 was normal operating temp

Actually my EGT & smoke have gone up since I put in 370's and my mileage has gone down the tubes.

Maybe I'll find someone that can help with my timing

I thought our Diesels are supposed to be more efficient with more power.

While I'm here, anyone know of a reasonable trans shop?

I need to have the trans on my Chevy plow truck rebuilt before the snow hits!

Thanks

Ray

 

[azcummins]

I have an EZ and when I head up to Estes Park to ride some trails, the cummins will crank out some smoke if I get anywhere close to 1500 rpm when shifting. If you keep it cranking though, smoke isn't an issue.



As far as EGT, I'm on my 3rd Isspro EGT that piece of S*&! doesn't brake 700 degrees even when I'm laying on it with a 6000# load. Maybe a student loan so I get a SPA?

 

[K_Arts]

First off... it was nice meeting you Mactruck. . BTW. . the wife really fell in love with your front and rear bumpers, She's now bugging me to get some for her truck. LOL



As far as EGT's and smoke. Yeah you really have to watch them out here. The wifes almost stock 2k1. 5 (almost stock, cause I put my stock hx35 turbo in her truck along with a K&N RE0880 filter in her truck), will max out at around 18lbs of boost and 1200 degrees.



Mine with the power upgrades smokes like a freight train and is pretty much stuck around 1100-1150. But you do have to be aware travelling through the Rockies, if you aren't cruising with very much boost, your EGT's will get out of hand quickly!!



BTW... I'm glad that you had a good trip here, now that I know that you come out this way every year... Beers are on my next time...



Hope you have a safe trip home!!!



Kev

 

[roadranger]

Mactruck-



Knew a guy from Marlborough in the 70's. His name was Al Albert, up on Blackledge Rd. He owned a couple of semis and I drove one for him, leased to Distributors Service Co out of Chicago. Don't know if he's around town anymore.

I hailed from Woodstock, up near Putnam.

 

[WKener]

Perdy isn't it? Yeah, I mean Colorado...

I will tell ya, my truck smokes like a D*mn chimney if I get on it at all up here, and I usually see 1000-1050* unloaded up Rabbit Ears pass doing 70-75mph, and I will usually get 1000-1100* at 70-75mph up I-70 to the Eisenhower (again, unloaded).



I actually got into a little bit of a run with a new BMW 3-series a few weeks ago up I-70 going away from Dillon. It seemed like he was a little suprised to see me right on his tail as he was doing 75 or so, and passing everybody. So it sure loooked to me like he dropped gears and tried to pull away from me up the hill, but I stayed right on him until we hit about 85-90mph (I admit, my egt's were at about 1250* or so as I accellerated hard), at which point we were nearing the merging-lanes part and had to slow down (I wouldn't dare go any faster than that up that road anyway!).

 

[Mactruck]

I'm Back.....

Got home on Thursday sept. 13th at 10:30 PM EST.

Left Colorado Wednesday Sept 12th @ 9:30 AM MT with a quick stop to say Hello to K_Arts.

It was great meeting a fellow TDR member on the road. I hope to meet more of you when I come out next year. Unfortunately I tried to meet up with KatDiesel but he was working when I was driving through Omaha.

Roadranger: I'm sorry I couldn't meet up with you. My conference was canceled in the springs and I had to run back to help support family and fellow fireman due to the tragedy. I know an R. Albert who lives on west rd. and I went to school with his son Brian!



Later

Kevin M.

 

[KYOUNG]

smoking in colorado

Hey guys, at high altitude you have a lot less air, so your diesel will run rich. I had aproblem with white smoke going down mountain passes at low throttle,high rpm. I got timing adjusted and it went away There is nothing better than pulling 3 mules and a load of elk hunting stuff up through Eisenhower tunnel and Vail pass and passing everyone in sight truckon

 

[Sean Flanagan]

Pulling my trailer up the passes here in Colorado I have to pretty much drive by the pyro, letting off at 1300. With 32 or so PSI of boost, there isn't much smoke but it ain't hard to get the temp. past 1400! Taking the muffler out bought me a little more time before I have to let off the throttle but it still isn't enough.



I know excactly what you mean about starting at high altitudes. It's like the Cummins engineers forgot about things over 10,000ft. Especially when it's cold outside. But after a few minutes of coughing and stinking, it purrs like a kitten.



But, my buddies 2001 ETH starts flawlessly at high altitudes.