Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) exhaust brakes

[darkhorse]

Hi all. I'm a newbi here. I traded my 22 year old Ram 250 on a '01 2500 ETH DEE last week & driving has became fun again!

I pulled 10K lb's of hay home for my horses Up a steep coulee road. I can't imagine really needing more power but an exhaust brake would be cool especially for the brakes. I've been surfing for info & it's quite confusing. I'd like to hear what others are useing & why.



Richard

 

[rfcom]

First, welcome to the TDR. You will find a lot of useful info here, especially when looking for more power, as I am doing. I got an e-brake for hauling my TT and I got the Jacobs unit because it works off the ECM, not a microswitch on the go pedal. It's also the only DC approved unit for use on the Cummins engine. I don't know what a DEE is, but if it's the auto transmission, you will likely need to beef it up for use with an e-brake, mainly to make it stay locked up when the brake is on or it can overheat. If it's the 6 speed, you're good to go.



Jim

 

[WestTN]

Dee..

ETH mens the HO engine and DEE is the purchase code for the 6 speed manual transmission. Each was only available with the other until the newest trucks came along.

 

[Thomas]

"Each was only available with the other until the newest trucks came along"



Each was only available with the other after model year 2000. You will find a few standard output engines with the NV5400 transmission prior to the introduction of the high-output Cummins in model year 2001.

 

[Diesel Gunner]

I have had my Pacbrake for 2 years now and am very happy with it. Works off of the ECM and I have a switch on the shifter to turn it on and off.



IMO if you tow anything bigger than atv's or jet ski's an E-brake is worth the money. I know that I won't own another oil burner without one.

 

[CWade]

Welcome to TDR ! I also have a '01 H/O and I talked the dealer into selling me the mopar packaged Jacobs Brake for cost as part of the deal when I purchased the truck new. I installed it myself. It's works great everytime. The instructions were easy to follow and the harness was made for the truck.



Charlie

 

[darkhorse]

I've spent the week getting used to my new truck. I'd heard these things were pretty nice but I had no idea how nice. For such a big front heavy pick up It sure handles nice & it just doesn't slow down for hills! This Dodge feels more like a big high output sports sedan than a truck. I'm running absolutly stock & I love it. I've got a Westberg combo guage on order to get a better idea how things are running. I've been up late reading oodles of threads on TDR's forums to get an idea what works for folks. I'm mostly into longevity & milage as opposed to more power. I do haul a 5th wheel horse trailer with the live load & would sure like an exhaust brake. I was quoted a great price on a (don't flame me boys) Banks Brake & 4" SS exhaust. I'm going to spring for it.

 

[jcarew]

Hi have an 02 6spd with a Pac-Brake love it hardly use the brakes. have a Hx40 turbo and the Pac-Brake is the only one that fits easily.

 

[jtisdale]

Welcome aboard!!!

I have a PAC brake (turbo mount) with Bob V's Eaton Fuller shifter 2low/brake kit. I put it in a year ago, and it works great.



Where are you located? If you need any help dont be afraid to give a yell.

We have a small group of us (in WI) that get together from time to time and talk trucks and stuff. Let me know if you are interested in meeting up with some of us sometime, and I'll get you on our email list.



Jim

 

[darkhorse]

Thanks Jim. I'm up the big river in Pepin County. Please, put me on your E-mail list.

Richard

 

[Okie-Go]

I have the Jacobs and love it. I have the switch on the gearshift also. I use it in town quite often. Sure saves the service brakes.

 

[Mille4212]

Hi, welcome to the TDR. I've had both the Jacobs and now the BD brake. I'll have to say if I had to do it again I would buy which ever I could get a better deal on. Both have done a very good job keeping me slowed down with a 24' 5th wheel and a 18' sea ray I/O boat.

 

[Greenfeld]

Welcome Darkhorse!



I have both the Banks Brake and the 4" Monster Exhaust. Love them both. Have had absolutley no problems with with the transmission due to the brake Oo.



Never had a transmission temp while towing last summer over 190



Great tech support and customer service from Banks!



Hope this info helps.

 

[darkhorse]

Hey "Green" that's what I like hearing. Incidentally our trucks are the same color & equipped a lot alike except for the tyranny. How long have you been running the Banks Brake?

 

[Pat@BD]

Darkhorse,



The biggest thing that separates one brake from the next is the effective braking range. This comes in by the way the different manufacturers regulate the acupressure to prevent over pressurizing an engine. What most companies are doing is just drilling a hole into the butterfly valve which blocks the exhaust. This way there is always exhaust escaping and you can only build 58-60psi at a max. This works, but what you give up is braking at the lower rpms. In a Dodge you are going to do most of your driving around 18-2100 rpm. When your exhaust brake has a hole in the vent you are losing most of the holdback right through that hole. Most of them dont really start working well until around 25-2600 rpm. With the BD Brake we are using the Variable orifice to control backpressure. We are limiting the amount of pressure that the brake will build through the vacuum canister. We use a solid butterfly valve, no holes means much better braking at the lower rpms. We also have no delay built into the brake. When you let of the accelerator pedal the brake cuts in right away. Most of the others run off a delay system, anywhere from 1-3seconds. Next time you are doing 65mph and count 3 seconds and see how far you go. That is how far it is before you get any braking. Hopefully I straightened a few things out for you.

 

[darkhorse]

Thanks Pat. I read most of that on the BD web sight. I almost went for the BD but I was offered this killer deal on the Banks. I think it will do what I need but I understand what you are saying about "variable orifice". It does sound like a valuable feature.

 

[Greenfeld]

Been running the Banks Brake for over a year, almost twenty thousand miles!



Also we had a BD installed on the Amublance at my fire station, not nearly as effective as the Banks Oo.



Dave

 

[darkhorse]

Since I have ordered the Banks Brake, it's good to hear frome a user who is happy. Lots of guys bash Banks just on general principle or something. People have been telling me the BD works better because it doesn't have the fixed orifice in the butterfly. I'm anxious to get mine in to see for myself how well it works. My combo guage just arrived this afternoon. I've got to figure a way to rout the boost guage tube through the dash. This truck has sure put some fun back into driving for me

 

[jelag]

There are a few points about exhaust brakes that you might consider when you start the..... I'm looking process.....



1 - does the manufacture have mechanical engineers on staff to design... . flow test... . dyno test... . their products.....



2 - does the manufacture have the ability to manufacture the complete brake in house... . and control the quality from start to finish...



3 - does the exhaust brake manufacture also manufacture engine brakes and offer products around the world... . This key factor tells you they have access to technical information from the engine manufacture... ...



4 - back pressure is the key to the function of the exhaust brake... so any given exhaust brake that will provide the hightest exhaust back pressure acceptable to Cummins will give the best performance... . and any 2 brakes. . on the same engine... at the same back pressure will provide the same braking HP..... this is a function of physic's.....



There is a lot of hype out and around about exhaust brakes but the 4 points above are what I personally tell most people who are looking for exhaust brakes... and the operation for most of them... are controlled by the ECM... .



Hope this has been some help... .



Jim

 

[George D]

I have to agree with the post from BD. I have the BD brake and tow a 38ft fifth-wheel. The low rpm braking power is excellent. Got mine from The Powershop http://www.thepowershop.com/ and received very good service and price.