Exh. Brake Pac, BD, or Jacobs?

[mattymac]

Who knows the diffrences between these 3 major exhaust brakes? Goods, Bads, Or whatevers? I already know about the warranty thing with the jacobs (Dont really care) but it is alot more $$$ and no one has really said anything about the others (that I know of). Thanks guys!

 

[SRadke]

Pac is compressed air operated versus the vacuum operation of the Jacobs. They have to mount a vac pump on the motor and drive it with a belt as oppose to a small electric compressor. This is the reason I went Pac and have no complaints. I don't know anything about the BD for third gens.



-Scott

 

[mattymac]

Scott, so on your pac does it have an air tank? If so what PSI will it go up to? Maybee I can put my air horns from my 01 on.

 

[SRadke]

I put in my own tank and with a few fittings plumbed the little compressor into it but I think Pac offers a tank option. It is a LITTLE compressor so don't expect much from it. It pumps up to 150psi if IIRC, it may be 100 though. I abandoned that system when I added the air ride and got a bigger compressor and tank. I plan to plumb the brake into my new tank.



-Scott

 

[DCaswell]

I went with the Pac because of the electric compressor, didn't like the idea of one more pully going around & different size belt. Easy to install & been on for 40k with no problems.

 

[jelag]

Several important points you might want to consider...



1 - PacBrake was the first to design and build and exhaust brake for the Dodge Pickup's and Jacobs followed... ...



2 - look for a vendor who builds the complete brake in house and has their own design team..... I know of only 2 that do that... . PacBrake and Jacobs



3 - there's a lot of hype about performance... ... remember that retarding HP is a function of a physics formula..... Back pressure and RPM... . Too much back pressure the valve pops open and hits the piston... PacBrake limits the function of the exhaust brake to meet the standards set by Cummins... . they also build them for CAT, Detroit... . Ford... ... IH etc... ... . so if you take 3 brands and set them for the same back pressure at any given RPM and they will have the same retarding HP.....



4 - The PacBrake is air powered... for fast efficent action... I also have a small air tank on my 01 and 04 and use this to power a set of air horns... ...



5 - PacBrake and Jacobs are the only 2 that I know that are designed to connect to the trucks computer for seamless interaction... .....



Check out each on their web sights... www.pacbrake.com



I'm guessing were PacBrakes oldest distributor... . we'd love to help... . but the guys that run this borad won't let me put prices up when I provide information... ... A quick PM would get you that...



Have a great day... . Hope this has been some help... .

 

[klenger]

Does anyone know what they can't use an electic servo and forget about vacuum and pressure pumps?

 

[SRadke]

If I understand the operation of these things correctly the butterfly hinge is slightly off center which allows it to be pushed open and exhaust gas to pass maintaining the proper back pressure. An electric servo would not give like an air or vacuum cylinder.



-Scott

 

[Dean Upson]

I have had the Jacobs brake on my trucks since 98 and have had no problems and recommend them. I cannot comment on the Pac or other air-operated units because I have had no personal experience with them. From what I have read here they all work well. The Jacobs brake is pricier and has the blessing of D/C and Cummins on the six-speed, that issue alone was enough to sell me.



Dean

 

[mattymac]

I havent got mine yet because of bigger turbo options and compatability of a turbo mounted brake (which is slim to none). I Miss our vacum pumps on these new motors for simplicity of an exh. brake because Ive experienced a BD brake on a Ford 7. 3 SD and the hardware and wiring was an absolute nightmare! How bad is it on our dodges to put in these new brakes with the pumps and wiring. Also where are you guys mounting the pumps and tanks if using one? Thanks for the great info agin guys!

 

[SRadke]

Pacbrake install with compressor hardware is about an hour. Add another 30 minutes for wireing (a little less if you're already familiar with where to go through the firewall). It's really not a bad job. If you're concerned about turbo options buy the 4" inline brake and put it underneath, problem solved. My air tanks are ouside the frame rails under the box in the front corners.



-Scott

 

[CumminsBu]

Do all the exhaust brakes mount to the turbos? If so can you run aftermarket turbo with any exhaust brake? What is the inside diameter of the inlet and outlet of the brakes or well they work with a 4" exhaust?

Thanks for the help.

 

[mattymac]

Originally posted by MALIBU

Do all the exhaust brakes mount to the turbos? If so can you run aftermarket turbo with any exhaust brake? What is the inside diameter of the inlet and outlet of the brakes or well they work with a 4" exhaust?

Thanks for the help.

On the newer trucks (not just 3rd gens, 2nds as well) there is a removeable elbow on the turbo outlet that the exhaust bolts or hooks to, and this can be replaced by the exh. brake. You can run aftermarket turbos if they use the same style of turbo outlet which they are few options here. As for the inline brakes they mount downstream from the turbo in the exhaust making the use of aftermarket turbos with exhaust brakes doable. The problem that ive heard of with the inlines are they are slow to activate and loose some retarding horsepower, anyone have any facts to this?

 

[amsoilman]

I had the BD Exhaust Brake ON my last truck, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it only gave me a problem once, and that is when the valve that operates it got gummed up. (I did clean it after I discovered the problem) I also installed many of these units on other CTD trucks. I did not like the instructions that came with the units, but they did some correcting as time went by.



The truck I now have (03') has the "Jacobs" brake, and I like it very well. The Instructions that came with it were simply put, GREAT!! It does a very good job as well. AS most of you know, the 2nd Gen trucks had a Vacuum pump, as opposed to the 3rd Gen trucks, but I think the pump that Jacobs has come up with is a good one. As I remember when they were in the process of development of the 03' Gen trucks, they had problems in the pump area, so they had to delay the release of the brakes until they had a proven pump... ... ... ... ... and I hope they found one!



I installed the Jacobs on my 03' truck, and it was not a hard task at all, and believe it to be as good as any other brake out there. It is wired to the computer on the engine, so there are no switches, other than the one to turn the system on, then when the go peddle is released, the brake unit come on.



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[Briman]

I have a Pac inline 4" brake and it is not slow in activating and has good retarding power. Unlike the turbo mounted brake, it is necessary to buy a damped (liquid filled) gauge and hook it up to the brake body and measure and adjust back pressure created by the brake. Our third gens allow for 60 lbs of back pressure. I like this brake better than the turbo mount Jacobs I had. It activates just as fast, has better retarding and has less restriction/heat buildup. It was mechanically harder to install though. The electrical connections were a piece of cake.

 

[Diesel Nut]

I went with the Jacobs becuse Cummins owns Jacobs and Ifelt you can't go wrong with a brake made by the same company as the engine. Besides, theway I see it, if you have a maximum value of backpressure you can hit, I would imagine that pretty much they will all beclose to the same. It would come down toi brand preferences and wiring methods(into ecm or not) And, I believe the US Gear remote mount is an electric solenoid engagement.

 

[CBrittan]

I have the "jake" on my 04. 5 6spd. I find it works well, gives me 2 seconds to change gears, wont let me speed down hill, and I have it on all the time. I notice it comes on when I start cold, and stays on at idle till the engine warms up. I can hear the vacuum pump sometimes at idle. I have experience with BD in a previous Dodge 24 valve, and a 6. 5 Chev. This "jake" is perfectly responsive and I have no hesitation to recommend it!

 

[Gypsyman]

I second everything you stated CBrittan...



-Richard

 

[Cryppie]

And a third from the left coast!!