Archived Plugged Exhaust??

[CGerber]

I have a 98 24 valve. Over the weekend I was pulling a heavy load through the mountains, the truck started missing slightly under load. After a short time I heard a loud woosh and black smoke started pouring out from the exhaust and the truck lost power. After limping home I discovered the lower line to the turbo had blown off, after reattaching the truck seems to run better but it still blows the smoke under load. Could the exhaust be plugged? Would this blow the turbo line? I still have the stock exhaust system, should I replace with a performance system? If so are there any recommendations?



Any help would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks

 

[TSRAM]

Do you have gauges? As in a boost gauge or pyrometer? I'm wondering if maybe you got the turbo too hot with the strain from the load and KO'd the turbo. If you can hook up a boost gauge to the manifold it would help to know what kind of boost psi you're seeing.

 

[CGerber]

No, I don't have any gauges. The turbo spins ok, does not seem like there is a bearing problem. Is there any other way to check the turbo function?

 

[paccool]

Make sure to check all the boost line fittings to make sure no more are blown off. Then I think you need to check the intercooler for leaks. Also check the wastegate setup on the turbo for proper operation. The "woosh" noise you had points to the boost circut.

 

[TSRAM]

I agree. Something is wrong with the boost pressure for some reason. You may have simply blown a boot out from under a clamp. I didn't mean to alarm you if I did. The presence of alot of black smoke on what I am ASSuming is a stock truck is almost certainly loss of boost pressure.

Although some of ours seem to smoke heavy almost always. :-laf :-laf

 

[CGerber]

It DID blow a boot out from under the clamp. Before I found this out I drove approx 300 miles (Virginia to Buffalo) after talking to a Dodge service tech in virginia who assured me it would do no further damage to the truck (although he failed to see the blown clamp). Could driving this distance cause a build up of soot thst is blowing itself out, the truck seems to be running ok anf the black smoke appears to be happening less frequently.



By the way the truck has a Superchip set at the Tow safe setting and a K & N air filter. What are your thoughts on the K & N filter, after reading some of the posts here I wonder if I should get rid of it.



Thanks for the help.



Charlie

 

[TSRAM]

Toss it. The oil residue can get into the turbo and do not very pretty things. There are other oiled type elements that others run, but they filter much better. Cummins won't warrantee the engine with a K&N air nor a Fram oil filter.

 

[TSRAM]

Oops, I forgot, No you probably didn't do any harm, but you need to get gauges on the truck especially with any type of power additive. I was one that thought the lift pump wouldn't get me either, but... ... .....

 

[CGerber]

Any you recomend?

 

[CGerber]

Seems like I need a boost guage, I have a fuel pressure guage, any others? What does the Pyrometer read, exhaust temp?

 

[BTighe]

It DID blow a boot out from under the clamp. Before I found this out I drove approx 300 miles (Virginia to Buffalo) after talking to a Dodge service tech in virginia who assured me it would do no further damage to the truck (although he failed to see the blown clamp). Could driving this distance cause a build up of soot thst is blowing itself out, the truck seems to be running ok anf the black smoke appears to be happening less frequently.



By the way the truck has a Superchip set at the Tow safe setting and a K & N air filter. What are your thoughts on the K & N filter, after reading some of the posts here I wonder if I should get rid of it.



Thanks for the help.



Charlie

toss it for a bhaf. i paid like 45bucks and dont worry about dirty intake anymore. i also put on a turbo shield and it was like 20bucks. i would get some gauges in there asap. even if you dont run much fuel you know it would be nice to know what going on it there. what the heck, get the exhaust too.

 

[BTighe]

Seems like I need a boost guage, I have a fuel pressure guage, any others? What does the Pyrometer read, exhaust temp?

yup. any time you add fuel your gonna add heat. thats why you need the intake and exhaust.

 

[CGerber]

I forgot to mention the turbo housing looks discolored, like it heated up. Do you think a faulty waste gate or plugged exhaust could cause back pressure to blow off the clamp and heat up the turbo?



I guess my plan is to replace the exhaust and the K & N filter, get some guages, and see what happens.



Thanks

 

[Grey Wolf]

You might want to have the muffler checked too. A friend of mine was having low power problems and I told him to have his cat & muffler looked at. It turned out the cat was OK but there was a baffle in the muffler that broke off and was plugging it up good. He got and a new one and the cat somehow got lost in the install

 

[CGerber]

Thanks,



I think Ill replace the entire exhaust with 4" Stainless. Anyone know of a decent supplier?