exhaust brake questions...

[tntway]

for those of you that have e-brakes... . what brand do you have, why did you get that brand and what are your likes and dislikes of your brand now that you have it.



also, for those of you that are hooked into the ECM, how do you like that feature and if you have the go fast pedal switch how do you like that?



please don't turn this into a urination contest like the auto transmission threads are. i'm just looking for good information and opinions.



thanks, tim.

 

[Diesel Freak]

I have a question also. Can the BD four inch remote exhaust brake be run by the ECM ?

 

[Utah Willie]

exhaust brake

I have the Jacobs (Mopar) brake installed as that was the dealer's choice. It has worked extremely well. I have no knowledge of BD, Banks or other E-brakes, but assume they all work well too. I wouldn't drive a diesel without one, towing or not. I use it all the time. I love it!

 

[Ethdee]

I bought a BD because I wanted a turbo-mounted brake and like the design. Rather than a fixed orifice, they use an offset shaft on the butterfly to control the back pressure. It works with springs in the actuator piston to relieve pressure when it gets to 60 pounds. BD says that they make maximum braking horsepower at a lower RPM than others.



BD gives no instructions on how to hook it up to the ECM, so I did it myself. I think I over-engineered it, but that's better than the other way. I used the ECM output to drive a relay through a 2-amp fuse (to protect the ECM). I then used another 2-amp fuse from a spare slot in the fuse box to power the relay contacts. From the relay contacts I went through the switch in Bob V's Super Shifter, and then to the solenoid. I put a 1N4001 diode across the solenoid to eliminate the voltage spike caused when the circuit opens. If you don't believe there's a spike, temporarily hold onto the wire to the solenoid (the copper part), ground yourself with the other hand, and touch the wire to the battery and remove it.



I had to break the 'VOID' sticker on the ECM to install the wire. I told my dealer exacty what I did, and showed him my installation. I don't want any warranty problems down the line, and I think I'm covered.



I like the ECM control. There's a delay after the throttle returns to idle position before the brake actuates. That means I can shift without the brake coming on, and I also like the idea that the clutch and driveline are lightly pre-loaded before the brake takes effect.



I am happy with the BD brake, and with Bob V's shifter. It incorporates a switch for the brake, and one for 2WD-Low.



To be fair, my truck is the only Dodge diesel pickup I've ever been in, so I don't have any basis for comparison to the others.



Jim

 

[Diesel Freak]

Jim, can you send me a schematic?

 

[WDaniels]

I have the Pac-Brake. The reason I chose the Pac was for it's effectiveness at higher RPM's. I tow 7000lbs+ a couple times a week and the pac is good for the highter rpm's that the extra weight will push you to. The BD exhaust is better for lighter loads and medium RPM's. Or so I'm told.

WD

 

[Ethdee]

Originally posted by Diesel Freak

Jim, can you send me a schematic?

Sure, only it only exists in my head right now. I'll have a chance to work on it Sunday, and I'll send you a note.



I've been intending to draw it, just in case I ever have to work on it. A few years from now, I might not remember.



Jim

 

[dresslered]

I went with the Jacobs Exhaust Brake. Seems like the guys that designed the engine knew what they were doing, so why not let them do the exhaust brake as well (Jacobs is a subsidiary of Cummins). This brake is the only one that I have NEVER heard of anyone having a problem with. Also, it operates directly off of the Cummins ECM whereas most of the others rely on a microswitch. The ECM offers a solid-state switch and a slight delay allowing you to shift without the exhaust brake coming on.



A stick mounted ON/OFF switch is a nice add-on.

 

[Steve Campbell]

I have a US Gear remote mount...

brake. Similar to the BD, it can achieve maximum (factory set at 54 lbs) backpressure at lower rpms. It uses a wastegate (similar to the turbo) to keep the pressure in the pipe constant.

 

[dmurdock]

I have the pac-brake hooked to the ecm. I like this setup fine. It was an easy install (except for hooking that wire into the ecm. . kinda hard if your tall,fat, and have a 4x4 ) Oh yeah, I bought it from Bill K @ DTT

 

[BCFAST]

I had a US Gear unit on my previous truck. I did NOT want a turbo-mounted unit for a few reasons, a couple of which are: added weight to the manifold, restriction and turbulance close to the outlet, etc. The current owner of that truck reports over 300k miles of trouble-free operation of the US Gear unit, and uses as I did both loaded and unloaded.

 

[Evan A. Beck]

I have driven trucks with all the different brakes... BD, Jacobs, US Gear, Pac-Brake, Banks, etc. BD is by far the best, in terms of simplicity and perfromance. The 4" remote mount ones work really well, both on 5. 9s, 8. 3s, and some Cat motors. Jacobs is my second choice.



Wiring through the ECM works well, especially for AT trucks. My personal preference is to wire it without a throttle switch/ECM control. Just a simple on-off switch on the shifter works awesome.

 

[Chipstien]

Evan, how would you put a switch on the Auto lever. Just curious.

 

[merryman]

I had the Pac Brake on the last Ram, liked it fine. Went with the E-brake on the '01, mostly because of the Cummins relationship, and I like the brake fine and I like the ECM attachment feature with the delayed actuation for shifting------Evan knows lots more about this stuff than I do, but I found the E-brake a simple install, and so far (40Kmiles) it has required no attention. I tow an 11. 5K fiver and it does a good job holding the load back on mountains.

I have the ETH DEE

Vaughn

 

[roadranger]

There's something I don't understand about these ebrakes...



On 18 wheelers with the true Jake brakes, there is a microswitch on the throttle pedal AND the clutch pedal. This shuts off the brake if your foot is touching EITHER pedal. Makes it real easy downshifting thru the gears to utilize the engine brake. Also real easy in heavy traffic to control when to turn the brake on/off by just touching the clutch pedal.



Why doesn't these ebrakes for the pickups have these same features?

 

[dmurdock]

Originally posted by roadranger

There's something I don't understand about these ebrakes...



On 18 wheelers with the true Jake brakes, there is a microswitch on the throttle pedal AND the clutch pedal. This shuts off the brake if your foot is touching EITHER pedal. Makes it real easy downshifting thru the gears to utilize the engine brake. Also real easy in heavy traffic to control when to turn the brake on/off by just touching the clutch pedal.



Why doesn't these ebrakes for the pickups have these same features?

You know what roadranger?? That's a dam good question!!

hmmm, i haven't looked, but where is the clutch safety switch? Could someone tap into that? Is it powered? Could I just tap into that circuit for e-brake power instead of the fuse box???



Roadranger, you got me thinkin.....



somebody who knows please post, wether the switch is powered or just breaks ground, this sounds do-able!

 

[dresslered]

This is the reason for the ECM hook-up on the Jacob's E-Brake. It gives you a slight delay so that the exhaust brake doesn't come on in between shifts.

 

[Wheaties]

Originally posted by dresslered





A stick mounted ON/OFF switch is a nice add-on.

dresslered:

Did you get the switch from Jacobs, or is it the same switch BD sells?



Thanks,

Matt

 

[dresslered]

Matt-

I kind of took the long route but I think the results came out pretty nice. I ordered the switch from Napa (axle shift switch #PP6490) and then fabbed my own mounting bracket. I used 7/16" bar stock, clamping two pieces together while I drilled the holes (slightly undersize) for the switch and the gear shift lever (I don't recall the sizes). Then, the two halves are screwed together using recessed allen head machine screws.



I'm still using the Jacob's switch (below cigar lighter) as a "Master ON/OFF" which can over-ride the lever mounted switch.



P. S. Boy, the TDR is sure making you use small pictures these days! C'mon guys, memory is cheap!

 

[K_Arts]

I had DTT install the Pacbrake when they did my whole transmission setup.



I wasn't too familiar with E-brakes so I went with what DTT reccomended. My pacbrake has worked flawlessly for over a year now. It has just the right amount of breaking power and even sounds cool... LOL



Kev