Exhaust Brake

[RMostert]

First time into the diesel realm. 3500 4x4 6 speed. Made first trip to the mountains pulling 10,000# trailer. Up hill in 5th and downhill in 2nd and sometimes low didn't feel right.

Can you give me some insight on the different exhaust brakes offered? My gut says to go with Jacob's through a Cummin's dealer.

 

[SRadke]

What year truck? In the third generation trucks (03-04. 5) there are really only two options, Jacobs or Pacbrake. The Jacobs is activated by vacuum created by an engine mounted vac pump run off the fan belt and the Pac is activated by an electric air compressor. Personally I have the Pac and love it but the Jacobs has Chrysler's blessing should warantee be an issue.



-Scott

 

[ramtifosi]

There is also the BD brake, it is also run by an electric air pump. The major difference between it and the pacbrake is that there are no relief holes in the butterfly valve, which pacbrake has two, lack of the pressure relief holes increases braking pressure. It costs a little more though. Looked at them all before I bought mine, have it on for 15,000 miles and are very satisfied. Whoevers you install make sure to get a gear shift mounted switch and not a dash mounted switch, you will be happier. Forgot about banks they make one too, do not know much about theirs, hard to get past their advertising hype. Good Luck, whichever you install your service brakes will last a lot longer. Hardly use them myself since.

 

[RMostert]

6/04 is the manufacture date so I guess 04. 5. I'm going to spend a couple minutes now and look up Pac.

 

[jcarew]

we have a 2002 cummins 6spd cab-chassis made into a class c M. H. We use the pac-brake been on it for 40k best accessory I ever put on my truck, the safety factor with it is amazing. descending mtns. with it is a piece of cake. take your pick but Pac-brake is my choice.

 

[Rickricket]

I asked Dodge after hearing from Cummins that Dodge and Cummins now recommends that no exhaust brake be installed on the 2003-2004. 5 Dodge trucks. An email from Dodge, Micheal Fairo, confirms that there is no exhaust brake at this time compatible with the 03/04 Dodge. Raises warranty problems doesn't it. I have a 2004. 5 600 cummins Dodge 4X2, 3500 and tow 16,000 rv. Hoping for more info from Dodge or cummins.

 

[fyrescott]

RMostert,

correct me if I'm wrong but I believe you have a factory 4" exhaust. Take a look at a BD 4" inline exhaust brake. Compare it side by side with any turbo bount brake and you will see the difference right away. The butterfly valve is almost twice the size offering better exhuast flow and better low rpm braking. Installation took only about 3 hours complete with wiring of the shifter switch, very easy. It is by far the best mod I have done yet. I pull a 34' fifth wheel and controlling my speed on a down hill grade is a piece of cake. And being a remote mounted inline brake, you should have no warrantee issues. But I guess that depends on your Dealer.

 

[fyrescott]

I forgot to add that the automatic transmission is the only one that DC does not want an exhaust brake on, the manual transmission is still OK