Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Exhaust brake

[SAndreasen]

What exhaust brake for a1998 24 valve ?

 

[Sticks]

Auto or manual trans?

Regardless, I would go with US Gear D-Celerator, electric actuated. If auto, you will need a Torque Converter lockup controller.

 

[SnoKing]

Manual from other posts. SNOKING

 

[NIsaacs]

If you still have and will keep a stock turbo, I would use a direct mount Pac or BD. If not, then any remote mount would be fine.

Nick

 

[VolsFan]

When I got my truck over two yrs ago now it had a Jacobs already installed. Looks nice and clean in the engine bay and has a tag on radiator frame that says Jacobs by mopar. I have only put 20k on the truck has 200k now, works awesome. Very happy with how it is helping my service brakes. At 20k on my old auto I was getting close to a pad change, no where near that on this truck. Also the bigger brakes help too. I have cleaned the IAT sensor twice since ownership with liberal use of the exhaust brake too

 

[SAndreasen]

I've been looking at bd exhaust brake is anybody using one ? I have a 5 speed and 4 inch exhaust and the stock turbo

 

[SAndreasen]

Auto or manual trans?

Regardless, I would go with US Gear D-Celerator, electric actuated. If auto, you will need a Torque Converter lockup controller.

You have the us gear decelerator what is better or different about it than the other ones ? I don't know anything about any of them all I know is what I read and then there all the best according to the manufacuturer .

 

[NIsaacs]

I have a BD on my '01, it was direct mount/direct fit. To install, you remove the existing cast elbow off the turbo and bolt the brake in it's place. I think the US gear brake is remote mount only, it installs in your exhaust pipe under the truck. I have over 200k miles on my BD, excellent brake. If you tow, there is no better mod (exhaust brake), period!

Nick

 

[SnoKing]

The advantage of a inline or remote brake is that it allows the use of different turbo's. A normal 2nd gen turbo mounted brake works with the HY35 and HX35 only. Jacobs, Banks, BD and Pacbrake will fall into this category.

I ready had a Magnoflow 4" SS exhaust system. My Banks brake include their 4" down pipe. I ended up also getting their 4" intermediate pipe to make it a bolt on installation.

This was originally installed with a HY35 turbo, so I went with a PDR35-12W as a turbo upgrade so that it would all bolt back up. Use of a inline exhaust brake was thought for years on the 2nd gens to offer more flexibility for turbo replacement. Looking at BD site they use an adapter between the turbo and their brake, so maybe they have more flexibility.

SNOKING

 

[Ram4Sam]

I've been looking at bd exhaust brake is anybody using one ? I have a 5 speed and 4 inch exhaust and the stock turbo

I had one on my 2001 for almost 15 years and 110,000 miles, worked flawlessly the whole time. The advantage the BD has is that it uses vacuum from the vac pump already on the truck for operation, no need to add an air compressor like the other brands.

Sam

 

[SnoKing]

Banks uses trucks vacuum also. SNOKING

 

[klcammie]

I've been VERY HAPPY with the BD direct mount installed 3 years ago.

 

[RWherley]

I like the direct turbo mount units over the remote mount ones, when dad got his 04 he had the dealer install the Jacobs one it worked great but needed an add on vac pump to work and the vac pumps were junk we went through 4 units in 3 years so we change to a BD remount mount with a BD super B turbo. the remount unit used an air compressor to work and we had many issues with the electronic parts and it stopped working and from being under the truck in the road mist it is now locked up. I took the old turbo mount Jacobs break and had a friend change the mounting flange so it fits on my Holeset Super 40 turbo.

 

[Sticks]

You have the us gear decelerator what is better or different about it than the other ones ? I don't know anything about any of them all I know is what I read and then there all the best according to the manufacuturer .

The few years I worked at an independent diesel shop, I drove the big Three Diesel pickups, and all manner of exhaust brakes. None of them compared to the braking power of my US Gear Dcelerator on my 02 Dodge.

Instead of a hole or bunch of holes, the US Gear has literally a wastegate that cracks open at 35psi of back pressure. and would pull the truck down all the way to idle RPMs, whereas the others would peter out at about 1500 rpm.

The electric solenoid closing and opening was instant, instead of the gradual closing on the vacuum or pressure operated versions, and opened back up just as fast.

They are also a legitimate 3.5" or 4" ID (depending on your needs), so no additional restriction, unlike some others that are made for 3.5 but are 3.0 ID for example.

My 02, I had to replace the service brakes at 75k, because the pads delaminated from the backing plate with about 1/4" of pad left. That was about 70% city driving. I rarely used the service brakes. The EX brake was enough to control my slowing on surface streets, exit ramps, and rush hour stop and go traffic.

Coming down either side of Eisenhower (I-70 in Colorado) with an at capacity or over weight in my bed, it would still pull me below the speed limits on the donwhill runs. Never towed anything worthy to see how it performed with a real load.

 

[KATOOM]

Pretty much ALL exhaust brakes for these engines are capable of achieving the same retarding brake horsepower of around 190. Other than that, they all have their own specific bells and whistles and features which separate them from the crowd. Researching and knowing those differences should help you determine which one you want.

The problem with such a variety of exhaust brakes to choose from is that when you ask people for opinions about exhaust brakes, the odds are that they've only ever had one on their truck and have no clue what another brand would feel like on that very same truck. So you'll get the same ol' "my brand is best" talk from people even though they dont know. But that said, as long as it works for them.....

Over the years I personally have heard some mixed opinions about the two main differences in exhaust brake types. That being the direct mounted verses exhaust pipe mounted. I understand that the direct mounted works better and faster because there's less exhaust area to compress and they're less likely to ever stick from carbon build up because of the higher heat location. Whereas the exhaust mounted ones do offer different turbo applications but their reaction time is much slower because they have to compress all the exhaust between the engine and the brake, they're more susceptible to corrosion from road salts, more susceptible to road debris damage, and more likely to carbon sticking because of the much cooler heat location.

Whatever you choose, just make sure you research them because they're not cheap and they're definitely not all the same.

 

[drag racer]

The advantage of a inline or remote brake is that it allows the use of different turbo's. A normal 2nd gen turbo mounted brake works with the HY35 and HX35 only. Jacobs, Banks, BD and Pacbrake will fall into this category.

This sums it up pretty well. Put a Banks Brake and trans. controller on mine last year to go with my 4" Banks exhaust system. Works great so far...

 

[JAlford]

I had a US Gear Decelerator on my truck for 14 yrs. I had originally purchased a unit for the stock exhaust system, and it really was a great working unit most of the time. I did have issues with the switching controls, relays, and carbon sticking of the butterfly. Then I upsized my exhaust to 4" a few years later, and purchased the 4" decelerator butterfly housing and actuator. The retarding force of that setup was significantly less at the same RPM (took much higher RPM to slow effectively). I called US Gear and they verified that the 4" unit would not work as well at low RPM's, due to increased volume of the exhaust gasses compressed. I also had significantly more issues with carbon buildup on the butterfly and sticking, but those effects might have been due to increased fueling, as I changed from stock injectors at the same time. The 4" Decelerator brake worked very sporadically, and was so maintenance demanding, that I finally gave up and just left it disconnected electrically for several years. When I finally decided to get it working again, the lack of maintenance had taken its toll and I decided to purchase a Banks exh brake as a replacement. I have had significant issues with getting the Banks brake to function on my truck, so I don't know how well it performs as of yet. What I do have is a significant decrease in EGT's and quicker turbo spooling, due to the housing coming from my turbo. I will tell you that if you have a lot of modifications on the truck, Banks isn't much help with tech support, and you are limited as to options for connecting the control system. I also had to remove my aftermarket intake filter system and go back to the stock air box just to get the brake on the truck, as well as difficulties connecting to my MBRP exhaust, electrical connections, and such. Banks tells people that their system is only designed for a "stock" application, and you are on your own to integrate other aftermarket equipment with the system. Just do a lot of homework before you buy so you know what you are getting into.
Jeff

 

[KATOOM]

I had a US Gear Decelerator on my truck for 14 yrs. I had originally purchased a unit for the stock exhaust system, and it really was a great working unit most of the time. I did have issues with the switching controls, relays, and carbon sticking of the butterfly. Then I upsized my exhaust to 4" a few years later, and purchased the 4" decelerator butterfly housing and actuator. The retarding force of that setup was significantly less at the same RPM (took much higher RPM to slow effectively). I called US Gear and they verified that the 4" unit would not work as well at low RPM's, due to increased volume of the exhaust gasses compressed. I also had significantly more issues with carbon buildup on the butterfly and sticking, but those effects might have been due to increased fueling, as I changed from stock injectors at the same time. The 4" Decelerator brake worked very sporadically, and was so maintenance demanding, that I finally gave up and just left it disconnected electrically for several years. When I finally decided to get it working again, the lack of maintenance had taken its toll and I decided to purchase a Banks exh brake as a replacement. I have had significant issues with getting the Banks brake to function on my truck, so I don't know how well it performs as of yet. What I do have is a significant decrease in EGT's and quicker turbo spooling, due to the housing coming from my turbo. I will tell you that if you have a lot of modifications on the truck, Banks isn't much help with tech support, and you are limited as to options for connecting the control system. I also had to remove my aftermarket intake filter system and go back to the stock air box just to get the brake on the truck, as well as difficulties connecting to my MBRP exhaust, electrical connections, and such. Banks tells people that their system is only designed for a "stock" application, and you are on your own to integrate other aftermarket equipment with the system. Just do a lot of homework before you buy so you know what you are getting into.
Jeff

Thank you for the honest post.

 

[SAndreasen]

this thread left me with more questions than answers so I guess I will just have to compile all the information and see whatt I can make of it. like was stated earlier everybody seems to only run the onebrand of exhaust brake and of course there's is the best . I do appreciate the responses I need to order literature and read through it all and compare again

 

[Ram4Sam]

Don't over think it.........they all work well, you can't really make a mistake. I ended up with a BD because at the time, a vendor had a smokin' deal on BD's. The only big difference is some use the vac pump for power and others you have to add a compressor for power.

Sam