Want mild upgrade for towing while keeping in mind warranty issues. Members who are using a VA, let me know your thoughts.
The VA might be right for you. Very easy to install, unless your plug is as tight as mine, then it takes a few minutes of wriggling. I was afraid I was going to break the plastic on the plug. I think the warranty issue can be argued either way. Even if your model doesn't have the "void" stickers on the plug, any smart mechanic can look at the lack of dust on the plug connections where you just removed the VA a few hours earlier and know exactly what you have done. I recommend you discuss your plans with the OWNER of your local dealer; get his personal word on what the agreement is. Don't ask him to put it in writing; I'm sure he can't do that because of DC.
I have seen no verifiable mpg improvement. I'm finding that mpg varies so much as a function of temperature, that I feel I need to see 60 degree weather again before I can be fair about this.
Power-wise, I did see an improvement. Timed acceleration, 50 to 75 mph dropped from 15 seconds to 10 seconds. In lower gears, I can't tell any difference, because without a load to tow my truck jumps to max rpm shortly after you press the pedal anyway.
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Some may point out that the EZ has a boost module, but for towing, I'm not sure you really want to pull increased boost for long periods of time, this is not an advantage in this application (opinion only, I'm sure others disagree). My thoughts are that both products are good, but I like the fact that the VA makes a model that is specifically set up for each version of the Cummins engine (non-HO, HO, RV, etc. ).
With your 5 speed, the VA will allow you to stay in 5th gear longer if you want to push the transmission design limits, but I think it would still be wise to drop to 4th gear (direct drive) when pulling a big load up hill. To do otherwise is just asking for 5th gear problems. And the dealer will probably believe that it was your increased power that failed 5th gear. This answer won't be popular, but I feel that if you install mods like the VA you are taking a big chance on being able to defend warranty claims. I've done some mods, but I'm accepting that risk because I feel a 100k warranty doesn't mean that much anyway, especially on a Cummins diesel with manual transmission. It is at 200k, 300k, 400k where I expect things to maybe start breaking.
If you're towing "heavy" but within rated limits, you might want to consider waiting before BOMB'ing unless you're really unhappy with present power levels.
P. S. - don't forget to get a pyro before you do any power mods.
[This message has been edited by HC (edited 01-22-2001). ]
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