Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Ready to ditch the box.

[HookMeUp]

Un hooked my Van Aakyn box over the weekend and just ran on the injectors. We towed the TT to the CG and I really felt little difference in the way the truck pulled the the TT. Noticed a little less giddy up when pulling away from a stop and a little more smoke. Did notice that the engine vibration (due to advanced timing) was gone when pulling the hills. So I think I'm going to ditch the box, I have a boost fooler I got Scheid Diesel. Are there any boxes that do fueling only without tapping the pump?

 

[59Turbo]

I'm kind of in the same boat, I'm looking for a fueling only box due to my truck shuddering when towing in the winter which I'm guessing is due to the advanced timing of the comp box. When it's warmer out I don't notice it. As far as I know the Smarty is the only "box" that on certain levels adds fuel only without any added timing.

 

[DCreed]

Smarty adds fuel only on even #s and timing/fuel on odd #s (above 1), the drag comp on 1X5 should add very little timing.

 

[NoSeeUm]

The Smarty runs very smooth on even SW's as I discovered that I like not having timing rattle. I found that SW2 was about the best for towing, anything higher and smoke could go off the scale. Keep in mind that was with 150 Hp injectors which will smoke at lower rpm's when the engine is lugging any amount.



Jim

 

[GOT-Torque]

Edge box adds timing when turned on, and doesn't add any when turned off. It does not add more timing as you go up in levels.



If you have too much timing, you can fool your IAT sensor with a switch and a resistor to pull timing back out of the truck (I have done this for a year or two when needed).



A Redline box adds fuel only with no timing, however not many people would recommend running one on the street in a towing application:-laf

 

[Moose Truck]

A Redline box adds fuel only with no timing, however not many people would recommend running one on the street in a towing application:-laf

The BlueChip FMS will work just fine for towing Without the Redline's Fullout Nuclear War fueling. However, You need to tap the pump wire for either box, Moose

 

[ASimpson]

I run Blue Chips APB box its fuel only and so nice to just be able to turn a knob. Also Ihave never found any better customer service anywhere. My . 02

 

[johncameron]

Are there any boxes that do fueling only without tapping the pump?

My Banks Big Hoss only adds fuel through the pump wire. I let the SMARTY do the timing

With the SMARTY you can use fuel only programs. 0-2-4-6-8

John

 

[Regcabguy]

Primal power.

My old '99 enjoyed an Edge EZ,Mach 1. 6's and a BHAF. No timing rattle,excellent power,minimal EGT's with 2000# camper,and decent economy. Guess I was lucky. Without the EZ,the thing was a dog.

 

[johncameron]

I think timing rattle is relative from person to person. When I first got my smarty the added timing sounded "strange" to me and now I'm used to it. When I run a non-timing software not it sounds tame.



JC

 

[Regcabguy]

Timing rattle.

I think timing rattle is relative from person to person. When I first got my smarty the added timing sounded "strange" to me and now I'm used to it. When I run a non-timing software not it sounds tame.



JC

Interesting that you bring that up. I've currently restored my truck to stock due to perceived t. r. in my '07. On sw#1,my cold starts(even here in our brutally cold mornings made all kinds of racket. Bob's assured me it's harmless but the truck's too new still... Restoring it to stock quiets it way down. Perhaps my '99 made so much racket I couldn't hear anything.

 

[HookMeUp]

Timing rattle really didn't bother me all that much. Just that it's funny how it really didn't make that much of a difference with the box disconnected above 1200rpm.

 

[PRout]

Just curious if anyone has noticed a drop in fuel mileage by taking away the extra timing??

I recently returned the truck to stock timing and use the Blue Chip APB box to add fueling (only) the same as ASimpson mentioned above, but rarely turn up the box. Am mostly just running on injectors and boost fooler 98% of the time and have found the truck runs very smooth and without the timing rattle.

Not sure how much difference the timing change makes on mileage. Is the extra MPG worth the extra rattle, hammer, & stress on the engine while towing would be my question. . I sure havent figured out the answer yet. .

And, is the extra timing really hurting anything other than raising cylinder pressures a bit? Some have said they burned their motors from too much timing and towing heavy. .

 

[NoSeeUm]

The timing rattle gets annoying for me pulling up a hill at 2000+ rpm. The over all engine noise is far greater than not just the timing rattle alone. I can definately tell when the TST is fueling by the engine noise, but even that is more subdued with less timing. I have forgotten to hit 5th gear at times even at 65 mph, where with timing I have never done so. This is because the engine noise is close to the same for 1900 rpm or 2400 rpm.



I had been running on Fuel Saver + TST. The timing rattle at rpm is actually IMO not bad. Sounds like allot of timing at idle though. Idle takes on a whole new sound. More like a witches cackle than a big cat purring. I might have gotten around 19 mph around town, but that was not on a full fill up. I had been getting around 16-17 mph. I don't know the long term effects of allot of timing, heavy fueling and high boost and decided that I did not want to go there. I also had what I thought was some timing stutter with the TST full tilt one afternoon, but I could not repeat what happened. Putzing around town or cruising empty, might still be a go with Fuel Saver because the mileage increase was very encouraging and it does not add fuel on the bottom too rapidly that can cause smoke.



I do know that IAT does have an effect on timing, I can hear that. I might try the resistor trick. Can you give some specifics for a "how to?".



I also am beginning to think that CWT also effects timing, because I notice the rattle after IAT is warmed up but CWT still below 180F. Possibly not timing rattle, could it just be more rattle due to less than optimum cylinder temperatures or some such? I don't fully understand any of it, but my ears tell me the sound is different.



Maybe I should just go back to blasting out some Rock -n- Roll... .



Jim

 

[GOT-Torque]

I think the resistor trick is covered in this thread that I started a while ago...



I've never really described it as a timing rattle, for me it is more of a violent engine miss/shake/hesistation until I get out of the throttle. It's easier to do when cold, under a load, or lower rpms. And my new super soaker injectors made it worse (added more timing yet).

 

[NoSeeUm]

I think the resistor trick is covered in this thread that I started a while ago...



I've never really described it as a timing rattle, for me it is more of a violent engine miss/shake/hesistation until I get out of the throttle. It's easier to do when cold, under a load, or lower rpms. And my new super soaker injectors made it worse (added more timing yet).

Thanks!



Still using the resistor?



Jim

 

[GOT-Torque]

yep, I never changed it to a potentiometer for fine tuning.

 

[HookMeUp]

I've been running almost 2 weeks without the box, injectors only. I towed our TT last weekend, much quieter and no timing hammer. I didn't see any change in fuel mileage. The VA box has a pigtail for a switch any ideas what that does?

 

[HookMeUp]

I just got my VA Smartbox back form Don Jolley at van Aaken. I had sent it in so he could do some custom programming for me to take out about 50% of the overall timing the box adds. I will get it put back in the truck this afternoon just in time to camping this weekend. CG is about a 100 miles away should be a good test.

 

[Boondocker]

Maybe some of us are more sensitive to "timing rattle" than others. I also have a theory that this effect is more pronounced in HO-motor trucks whose ECM and VP-44 timing is advanced more than SO trucks.



Based on most of what I've heard and accept as common belief, timing advance (within reason) improves throttle response (feels like power), lowers EGT, and raises MPG. Why the aftermarket does this and the factory doesn't, I cannot explain, except to the degree that "Dodge" makes (made) SO and HO motors in the first place.



You can call me an even-numbered kind of guy (Smarty-wise) because that so-called timing rattle rubs me the wrong way. That being said, I have always towed on SW #3, believing that I was getting about a 50-degree EGT reduction and possibly some MPG improvement from the extra timing without the not-so-smooth throttle characteristics of even the mildest CaTCHER program. Can I prove this? Nope. Not a shred of empirical evidence from my personal experience. Maybe I'll just forego the timing next trailer trip and see how I like it. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to measure the difference.



Neil