Edge EZ

[jgallentine]

I need some quick help. I have read 15 pages of search results on the Edge and still haven't located exactly what I am looking for.



I am considering installing an Edge EZ on an otherwise mostly stock truck. (see signature) My questions are as follows:



1. Is this box okay to add without guages?



2. I have been told that the EZ has an audible warning for high EGTs. Is this true?



3. Does the EZ tap the pump wire(s)?



4. I have heard that installing boxes that boost the fuel pressure may wipe out the VP 44. Is the EZ a box that may do that?



5. Should this box be installed before there is a fuel pressure guage on the truck?



6. Should the lift pump be checked first?



7. Will the stock clutch hold?



Are there any other things I should consider before installing an EZ. I know you got to pay if you want to play I am just rying to understand how much I may be signing on for. The truck has about 84,000 miles on it with the stock clutch. When fully loaded, I have a gross combined weight between 18,000 and 19,000 pounds.



Thanks for any and all input.

 

[JPLB22]

I don't know too much and I'm sure that someone with more knowledge than me will respond. I am at work and have nothing else to do anyway, so here is what I know,



The EZ does not tap the pump wire



I personally am putting on gauges before I add any power to the truck



I haven't heard anything about a warning from the EZ for high EGT's, but it would have to be pretty loud because the EZ mounts underneath the hood ( I don't think anything enters the cab )



My fuel pressure gauge will be monitering the lift pump, cause I change my fuel filter every 7500 and don't feel the need to monitor the loss across the filter cause it never really gets that dirty.



I don't think the EZ really pushes that much fuel, I think it is more of a timing box.



I have an auto and was told that with an EZ AND DD 2's I would have to be very careful. I am waiting for enough money to go DTT on the transmission and Engine BOMBs in the same week, so I don't have to be very careful.



Good luck and have FUN!!

 

[TomGolden]

1. Is this box okay to add without guages?

Well, it is best to get gauges, before anything else, but as soon as possible afterwards. If the ONLY thing you do before gauges is add the EZ, and you do not drive with your foot on the floor 100% of the time and the EZ on the top setting, you will probably not fry pistons... ... .

2. I have been told that the EZ has an audible warning for high EGTs. Is this true?

Nope, neither does the Edge Comp box, as neither has any way to measure your EGTs.

3. Does the EZ tap the pump wire(s)?

Nope, only the Comp does (as far as Edge products go, anyway).

4. I have heard that installing boxes that boost the fuel pressure may wipe out the VP 44. Is the EZ a box that may do that?

None of the "boxes" that I am aware of actually do anything to your fuel pressure. The Edge boxes, EZ and Comp both, alter both fuel levels that the VP44 injection pump sends to your injectors, and alters the timing. The lift pump going out and allowing your fuel pressure going into the VP44 to drop too low is basically the main reason for VP44 deaths. And as I said above, this happens on stock trucks as well as highly BOMBed trucks.

5. Should this box be installed before there is a fuel pressure guge on the truck?

A fuel pressure gauge is absolutely mandatory, even on a 100% bone stock truck. The lift pumps in all the 24 valve trucks are quite prone to failure, and there seems to be no correlation to the amount of modifications done to any part of the truck and failure rate.

6. Should the lift pump be checked first?

See my comment to question #5 above

7. Will the stock clutch hold?

As I said in question #1, if the EZ is the ONLY mod, your OEM clutch will survive for a while... unless you tow frequently/heavy, drag race, sled pull, or in some other way load it up pretty good. But, it will fail sooner than if you did not install the EZ. How much sooner is debateable...

Are there any other things I should consider before installing an EZ. I know you got to pay if you want to play I am just rying to understand how much I may be signing on for. The truck has about 84,000 miles on it with the stock clutch. When fully loaded, I have a gross combined weight between 18,000 and 19,000 pounds.

Ok, back to question #7 for a moment. If you tow like this, kiss the OEM clutch bye-bye real soon once you add the EZ, especially with 84K miles already on it. I would at the very least recommend an upgraded air filter to help with keeping EGTs under controll.



Don't know if you know much about the EZ, so please forgive me if you already knew this. The EZ has 3 settings, adjustable by removing the rear panel of the box and moving a small jumper pin. Make sure you get the proper jumper settings from Edge. There are 3 sets of pins, and only 3 proper jumper settings, so you need to be careful when moving the jumper around. The settings basically go from very mild fueling & timing enhancement, to most agressive. On the side of caution, you might consider chosing one of the two milder settings to lessen the impact to the OEM clutch.



Hope this all helps.



Tom

 

[RustyJC]

In addition to Tom's comments, if you're concerned about EGT (and who among us isn't), be sure and install the boost elbow that should come with your EZ. This (in conjunction with a 4" exhaust system installed at the same time) dropped my peak pre-turbo EGT's while towing from 1300 to 1100 degF and increased the maximum boost from 21 psig to 30 psig.



We tow a 13,500 lb 5th wheel (21,180 lbs GCW versus 21,150 lbs GCWR). Although my clutch is different than yours, mine is still holding up OK so far. If I were to upgrade injectors, however, I fear that my next call would be to South Bend Clutch for an OFE.



Rusty

 

[CFAR]

Most of the vp44 failures I have read about deal with wire tap boxes, which the ez is not. The old rule of thumb used to be if you put a wire tap box on and your vp44 lasted a couple of days you didn't have one of the bad ones. Some of the older trucks 98. 5,99,00's had some tolerance issues internal to the vp44 that not only caused premature failures but when you tapped the wire they tended to die almost immediately. Read about one that lasted for about 30 minutes.



If you are towing I would get an egt and fuel pressure gauge. The egt will cost you about 150. fuel pressure can be had for less than 50. depending on how you decide to connect it. An EGT gauge is a lot cheaper in the long run than a rebuild. And a fuel pressure gauge is somewhat cheaper than a vp44.



As far as the clutch goes, I have read that some of the 5 speed clutches actually hold better than the 6 speeds, but as someone else said with your loads and 84k on the stock clutch you will probably need to repace the clutch. An sbc will cost you a pretty penny but is one of the best.

 

[greyghost]

99 CTD perspective

TomGolden - Thats one of the best Q and A I've read in a longtime. MotorTrend eat your heart out.





Since the guys who chimed in are running '01 or newer I figured I'd give you my two 2 cents.



Bought the truck new '99 in 1998. After 30k miles while towing heavy on the highway (65 mph) I started having a power problem. turns out it was the Lift Pump. Warranty replaced it, ordered gages that day. 15k miles later the 2nd LP stated to go south (you've got to watch those little sucker). If not for the Gage I certainly would have been replacing the big boy VP44. Nothing is better than the ease of mind knowing exactly what going on under the hood when towing heavy (look at the big rigs, wall to wall gages).

Now I've caught the bombing bug. Gages, Comp, Exhaust, Injectors and in that order too. Went with the Comp because it allowed me to run it like the EZ until I found the courage to tap the pump wire. And with that I was only a few weeks. Power was nice. MPG was nice too, so protect the LP the best you can and watch the pressusre and EGT's and life is good. (90k on the stock clutch and moved the third lift pump closer to the tank. )



My next mods will be a SBC OFE and custom LP system.

 

[jgallentine]

Thanks

Thanks for all of the input. I am going to guage up before the box install. I actually have an in for Autometer guages so I will be using them. I am going to put in the standard fuel pressure guage and boost guage. However, I think I'll do something a little different for the EGTs. I think I will put a two channel pyrometer in with both probes above the turbo, one on each side of the web in the manifold. I am also going to attach warning lights to both channels and set them about 1300 degrees. The I think I'll put a single channel pyrometer in the exhaust elbow just below the turbo. With that set-up I can see both pre and post turbo temps which might be kind of interesting. Besides, if you're going to put in guages you might as well put in a bunch.



Thanks again for all of the input.

 

[Oasis-3]

jgallantine I have a EZ for sale in the classifieds for a 1999

"cheep"



Cliff

 

[plongson]

Clutch..

There has always been the issue "Will my stock clutch hold" Well... I think that after having my set-up now (see Sig. for details)for many thound miles, it really depends on your personal driving habits. If you slip that bugger off the line and hammer it hard all the time, it will fail in short order. If you let it engage fully and roll on the power gently it will handle the power just fine. When mine was dyno'ed at 330 hp and 700 lbs. torque, it did not slip, I believe because it was steady and smooth and not hammered. It depends what you want the truck to do, Smoke the heck out of 'em off the line, or as in my case, I just want it to pull my big TT like a raped ape. Anyway, I REALLY like my combo, and I still have my stock exhaust with no EGT issues...

 

[Hohn]

I have had similar results. I have an EZ and IIs, so I am pretty close to the 330-350rwhp ballpark. Clutch will not slip, even at WOT in 6th.



That said, I never tow, and I use my clutch like it's an on-off switch (if you start in first all the time, you can do that)



I am expecting much shorter clutch life with my power level, but since I have so much stop and go, my clutch would have a short life anyway.



Starting in first gear all the time definitely helps your clutch. It also means you have to shift more, so the rest of your trans might not like it.



HOHN

 

[TomGolden]

Re: 99 CTD perspective

Originally posted by greyghost

TomGolden - Thats one of the best Q and A I've read in a longtime. MotorTrend eat your heart out.

Why thank you sir It's a pleasure to pass along information and experiences I have had along the way since becoming infected with this disease in September 2000 (BOMBitis, that is).

 

[Hohn]

I can't believe I have spent so much money on BOMBs and I don't even have 12K miles on my truck. I am gonna have to sit tight for at least a year or so 'til the wallet cools down...



Hohn

 

[TomGolden]

... until the wallet cools down... :-laf:-laf:-laf



Yer phunny If this is your first Cummins, and since you said you only have 12K on it to date, your ignorance of the characteristics of this disease made me chuckle. If you are anything like the rest of us poor financially depleted BOMBers, you'll soon learn the wallet never cools off.



Repeat after me: I am doing my part for economic stimulation. I might end up in the poor house, but I am doing this for the greater benefit of an entire industry and nation.



No offense meant, but there simply is no possible way any of us can ever hope to stop BOMBing our trucks. It's like Crack, just not quite as destructive or illegal. hehehe It's Friday, I'm going out of town tonight for a nice 8 day vacation and I'm in a frisky mood this morning



Tom

 

[Hohn]

Off to Orlando myself! Our first anniversary is Sunday, so we are gonna have a little fun.



So far my clutch is holding! I still can't believe it! 350ish rwhp on a stock clutch. I am pretty sure a wire tap would fix that



HOHN