Whats Hot?

[zues]

I just got back from pulling my 5er to Bass Lake. On the flats and small hills, my pyro would run 900 to 1150. On a couple of longer hills the pyro would get up to 1280. On one hill out of Bass Lake which I think the elevation is around 6000 feet my pyro hit 1450. I installed the x-monitor before the turbo in the exhaust manifold. The truck is all stock.

 

[JRG]

Personally I think these motors are good for hotter than most think. 1450* stock is up there, but why would DC build it that was if it wre going to melt?



JRG

 

[zues]

I feel the same way being all stock. As long as it is stock I will keep it at WOT and watch the pyro. I will not back out of it as long as I am still under warranty.

 

[BRuppel]

so what's the cook your turbo limit? i have heard many different numbers.

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

I would certainly agree with you. DCX didn't do all those heat management upgrades on this engines because they wanted to spend the extra money. I think that in the long run their bean counters have computed it will save big $ by having these.

 

[Big MAK]

Good post. It's interesting the new trucks run a-lot hotter then even 1. 5 yrs ago. FWIW; I don't let my pyro stay past 1200 degrees for more then a few seconds. I figure it takes awhile for the heat of the exhaust to be absorbed by the metals in the cyclinder; so getting into the 'very hot' range for a little while is no big deal. But aluminum melts at 1450 if I remember right -- and I figure it's a couple hundred degrees hotter inside the cylinder then it is a couple inches outside of it; hence I don't like seeing over 1200. With these newer engines and the direct spray of oil on the cylinders to keep them cool apparently DC had decided to 'push the envelope'. BUT; IMO back out of it when you're seeing temps into the 1200+ for more the a couple seconds. And definitely back out of it when you're seeing 1450. Downshift and let it breath deeper for awhile to cool down.



As for 1000/1100 while towing. No problem. I've done that all day (literally) on older CTDs with less cooling then these newer engines. They're made for it.

 

[willyslover]

just remember that #6 runs much hotter than the average of all 6 that your gauge shows... and there have been several guys melt down #6 when the temps were at 1300 for a while. . not preaching just reminding

 

[Buffalo]

Last night, I talked with a friend of mine who has an '04. 5 Duramax. His truck is running a lot hotter than he would like. His brother has an '03 Duramax. They drive up to the mountains, here in AZ quite often, together, and compare performance of the two trucks. The '. 04. 5 definately runs hotter. Last week, he took it back to the dealership and the service mgr. told him that they have been hearing complaints from people towing heavy. GM, apparently, refuses to do anything about the problem. My buddy got on one of the diesel websites (Diesel Place, I think) and found quite a number of heavy towers, also complaining about the high engine temps. Seems like this is not just a Dodge problem. It's probably all the extra emmisions equipment. I know on my old '91 Dodge, almost everything wrong with that truck could be traced back to government controls. It's a completely different truck now after fixing the problems. Joe.

 

[InThinAir]

This is a great post! I was thinking about this coming home this weekend, loaded with the Slide-in and the Horse Trailer coming up the mountains. I will say that my 03 is NOT hotter than my 01. That said, they both are too hot! Since both of the trucks are mostly stock, I have both probes POST turbo. Also because the pre turbo numbers would be too scary for me.



Yesterday pulling up the canyon I topped out at right below 1100 degrees POST Turbo. This was after a steady climb for several miles ending on 7% grade at highway speeds. Both trucks have seen these kind of temps on a regular basis. And I see 800-900 every day empty on that same stretch.



I haven't done extensive research, but I haven't seen a stock truck have a melt down? So Based on my numbers I feel safe running a post turbo number up to 1100 degrees, what is that pre turbo? I would guess 1400-1500 Degrees. And running it there for as long as I need it. Also the cummins site does indicate that the engine will derate before melting down. This is unconfirmed but is stated on the site.



But I will say that the paint on the hood of my 01 is discolored around the turbo from the heat, I guess it is the heat... And it is about to roll over to 100k.



---Doug

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Thin Air those are SCARY numbers

Since the tiny turbo on these will hold back some of the heat you are probably experiencing more than 300F drop across the turbo. So you are probably pushing 1500F



Vaughn

 

[rashwor]

That would explain the paint discoloring on the hood! :--) I think she has been hot!



My probe is pre-turbo and I try to keep it below 1200*. Since I use the high rpms to flow more air, it is not hard to keep it below 1200* with the Edge EZ set on the highest setting. My muffler is also missing



FWIW... before becoming a member on this site, I never ever worried about EGT, fuel pressure or anything else on a stock truck. I have a '92 still stock with over 240,000 miles and no EGT and it has been worked very hard and never had a problem. My personal opinion is that on a stock truck, you are probably fine and probably will never have a problem as long as you stick within the payload / towing limits set by DC. Even on a stock truck, if you get outside the payload / towing limits set by DC and you melt something, DC would not have to honor warranty if they could prove you were overloaded.

 

[ttreibel]

The "600's" seem to run hotter than the 03's and 04's even with boxes installed I think if you can you will need to kill the "Kitty" and find a box that turns off that third injection event.

 

[Gypsyman]

Thin Air those are SCARY numbers

Since the tiny turbo on these will hold back some of the heat you are probably experiencing more than 300F drop across the turbo. So you are probably pushing 1500F



Vaughn

You're right Vaughn. I have pre and post now and on 5x5 with the TST and NO LOAD I have seen differences of 530*!!!



-Richard

 

[DPKetchum]

The Ford 6. 0s run that hot also. All big three are running those temps.

 

[InThinAir]

Thin Air those are SCARY numbers

Since the tiny turbo on these will hold back some of the heat you are probably experiencing more than 300F drop across the turbo. So you are probably pushing 1500F



Vaughn

You know I always wondered why my heater works so good on these trucks, but the A/C doesn't. I am sure having 1500 degrees in the manifold helps!!!



I have been a member here for a few years and always wondered how people see such low EGTs and also cool down so fast. I think truly it is the elevation and the steep grades that I drive. Because now that I have similar numbers in 2 trucks I think that these numbers are normal. But I also wonder how people don't melt down in the mountains pulling heavy without guages. And a guy that I know has almost 200k on his 01 and he turns off the truck before he has come to a complete stop! And I know he just came up the same road I did... So he has to be shuttin' down at at least 500 degrees. That truck needed a new VP44, but other than that no ill effects from the heat. And he pulls as heavy as I do.



So I use the guages mostly to drive for economy and no coking the turbo, but I don't think much of that either...



I will state it for the record, I don't think you can meltdown a stock truck if you stay within reason of the posted speed limit and gvw of the truck.



---Doug