Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Stock truck, best free upgrades?

[QWaller]

Ok I recently bought a 98 5spd 12 valve. Is currently totally stock. I need some free power to hold me over until I can get a 10 plate and 3k kit. Just killed KDP last weekend. 84k on the clock. I understand about moving the plate forward. My question is what to do with star wheel if anything and do I need to do anything with the turbo? Do you adjust wastegate rod or use a boost elbow. Pretty clueless in this dept.

One gripe with the truck is that currently feels sluggish coming out of an 05 610. It also smokes very little for a 12 valve. It seems that my old 97 had more power but that was several years ago and 4500 feet lower in altitude. Anyones advice on where you would start with a stock truck would be appreciated.

Thanks

Quinn

 

[boondock]

Get a pyro and boost guage. Then slide the stock plate forward. Mine went from around 190 to 235-245 with stock plate all the way forward and timing at 15. 5.

AFC housing and starwheel will give you more fuel before the boost come up(more smoke too). It will spool up a little faster.



You could get a boost elbow (10 bucks) but even at these levels it won't do much IMO.

 

[DBentley]

hate to ask a dumb question but what is a boost elbow?

 

[bmoeller]

Waller-



As said before, get the gauges.



If you have the tools, grind your plate into a #10. Get the boost elbow, and set it for 30# boost.



If you have the manual transmission, you may need to slide the plate back a little, to save the clutch.

hate to ask a dumb question but what is a boost elbow?

It is a brass elbow that has 1/8" NPT on one end, barbed on the other. A set screw on it adjusts how much boost the wastegate "sees". The less boost it "sees", the higher the boost must be to open the 'gate.

 

[QWaller]

Does anyone have a source in mind for an adjustable elbow. Also, buying the 10 plate was on my list for the future, But if anyone has an illustration of how to do this, I am in a position where I could try it(don't have to drive the truck every day and I have an angle grinder).

Thanks

Quinn

 

[BTighe]

Does anyone have a source in mind for an adjustable elbow. Also, buying the 10 plate was on my list for the future, But if anyone has an illustration of how to do this, I am in a position where I could try it(don't have to drive the truck every day and I have an angle grinder).

Thanks

Quinn

check out piers diesel research for the elbow. i think there 20bucks though. if you grind the plate youll want the elbow. i would use a bench grinder rather than an angle grinder, would be alot easier. watch where you install the plate too, stock clutch was slippin in no time . save money for new one, youll need it.

 

[NPierce]

I would like to know also!!!! EW ME EW ME!!

 

[QWaller]

Pierce,

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat! So far I have replaced Tstat, KDP'd (and did actually solve the front engine leak simultaneously), silencer ring MIA, fuel filter change, stock plate now forward as is the AFC housing. . On order are Luke's Link, Nasta bars, Bhaf, and anything else I can think of in the priority column, Waitin to see if anyone has a little less ambiguous picture of grind area for the plate than the one I have seen floating around here.

 

[RJPotts]

I've seen "boost elbows" at Home Depot for less than $0. 25, no sense in spending $10-$20 on a little piece of brass.

And since you said you will have *minimal* mods for the time being, why not just cap the WG off completely.

Just take your WG elbow off the turbo, take it to home depot and find one with a slightly smaller hole and a much tighter bend in it. The needle isn't absolutely necessary.

-R. J.

 

[NPierce]

I'm new to all this cummins stuff, so bear with me. I moved the star wheel forward some, that helped alot, what is the AFC housing? And the grind plate thing? Does anyone have pics I can look at for this neat stuff, I learn better that way. I already have had the silencer ring gone. I've seen people weld the WG shut? I don't if thats the best method, but I guess if you can watch the boost, you should be ok?

 

[1BadDad]

Reply to N. Pierce

The AFC Houcing is the > Air Fuel Control Housing> it regulates the amount of air and fuel to control what your telling your truck to do. In veryy verry simple terms. Information on grinding your plate, I have traced actual #6 and #10 on to paper. If you would like a copy of them , P. M. me and I could mail it to you if it would help. When grinding a fuel plate it is important to keep it as straight and smooth as possible. A little adjustment in the shape of a plate can make a big differance in how your truck reacts to different commands. I usually run a TST #6 plate in my 95 auto, but when I took my stock plate and ground it flat, I noticed it didn't downshift out of overdrive like it normaly did, like when you go to pass people. I just felt the # 6 plate did better than the one I ground flat. I would be interested to see how a #10 plate would react to my truck, but I have not made one yet. Good luck and feel free to PM !

 

[NPierce]

I have a 5 spd, so I dont think downshifting is a problem. I"m gonna take a little off at a time and see what happends. Probably start off at 1/2 and then flat... . or just do it flat, then pull the star wheel back and tinker with it. We'll see what happends! Thanks for the help everyone! It would have taken me awhile to "break the codes" but eventually I would have gotten there. I gotta do the wastegate thing also. But that is no biggie!

 

[budctdca]

Being a broke college student, I am into the cheapest most effective mods to get the best results. I got a boost elbow (=13 psi), some people say it is adjustable, but TST says not to adjust it, just install and let it be. I also got a good deal on some plates (#4,#6,#8,#10), I have tried the #6 and #8, and I like the #8 slid full forward ALOT better...



There is also an AFC spring kit that uses a lighter spring then stock and this lets the fuel rack travel more under less boost than before. This and the boost elbow made a huge difference.



Also, if you have an A/T, you can do the mystery switch and it makes driving alot more fun!!! :-laf



So heres what I would do: AFC spring= $35, boost elbow= $15, fuel plate= $depends, mystery switch= free.



I also am going to get my pump bench tested and flowed, and from what I hear, thats "better" than getting injectors... for $150, not bad... we'll see.



Luke