Hello all. Been lurking for a while, first post!

This truck is still new to me, trying to figure out what’s normal and what’s not.

 

2006 G56 4wd 3.73 DRW 163k

 

I have a little over 3000 miles on a long block with a Hamilton 178/208 with reman injectors I sourced from my local Bosch facility. While I’d prefer a Smarty Jr, truck came with a Juice with Attitude so I have been running that. All else is stock.

 

My normal trip and main use for this truck is hauling my 8.5x20 standard height bumper pull enclosed with my Jeep inside from CT to PA via interstates 84 and 81. Trailer is roughly 8500lb loaded up, so I am guessing I am somewhere between 16-17k lb gross, though I have not been to the scale.

 

The hills on this route are not what I would call extreme, but some are relatively steep and many drag on for 2-3 miles. With the stock tune but Edge boost fooling to 35lb, just about every hill would have my boost maxed out there with EGTs between 1200-1300*F with Edge reporting 100% load. On medium sized rolling hills this was enough to maintain 70mph, but not on the longer grades. Not much change between Edge settings between stock and 2, but 3 seemed to provide a noticeable bump. On 3, medium rolling hills were down to 25lb and 70% load, EGTs about the same but still losing speed on longer grades. When pulling grades losing speed, I noticed that boost and EGTs would reduce with rpm, I would max out around 30lb and 1150*F by the time I was down to 2000rpm, this differs from my 12v a few years ago that would fuel consistently no matter what, though I realize this is a different animal and may be normal operation.

 

70 mph puts me about 2300rpm. Both fill ups netted me 9mpg, which seems low to me. Daily driving seems to be about 15mpg. Towards the end of the trip I separated from my friends with lighter setups and slowing down to 65-70mph and the truck seems happier there, 70+ and it seemed it needed 15lb of boost just to maintain speed, though there is basically zero flat terrain on the entire trip.

 

Some things to note:

Not making or consuming oil

Light black haze pulling hard with Edge on 3, no other smoke

Rail pressure is 20kpsi full load at 2300rpm, idles at 7kpsi

Baldwin filter in stock canister, Donaldson 3mic/water sep on frame rail

I have slight shake in the truck most noticeable through the shifter between 1600 and 2000rpm, I can’t hear a miss in the engine or exhaust and all exhaust manifold ports laser thermometer’d within 10*F or so at idle and 1500rpm – balance issue somewhere?

 

 

Does this sound normal? Should I start poking around my truck or adjust my expectations? Or do I need to just slow down. With 325/610 stock, I figured 8500lb would be a breeze at 70. It does it, but it seems to be working.

That's about it. You'll probably end up at 0°±2° in that area. 

Heading out for the first wheeling trip of the year today. ~900 miles. Truck and trailer came to work with me today and leaving right from here.

 

I'm not sure if it is the turbo or the tune - probably both - but I am feeling an improvement equal to or greater than what I felt going from stock tune to Jr. It feels much more comfortable cruising and soaking up medium sized rolling hills at 65-70mph now.

 

Question on EGTs. I am really regretting letting my GF borrow my laptop for a few days because I can't show a screenshot of the timing map I'm running. My cruise region 30-60% load timing is very similar to the UDC Jr sample tune you posted over on CompD (AH) and maybe a hair higher in some areas. In the higher RPM, higher load areas (5th gear grade climbing) it runs very close and just under the SW3 Jr sample tune and is also more gradual getting there (I think your advice was 'less static').

 

On medium hills at 70mph and ~60-80% load, I am seeing 1000-1100* and 25-30lb of boost. 4th and 5th gear steep on ramp at the same 85% load to about 2700rpm and I'm getting to 1250-1300 by the time I shift, so only briefly seeing that.

 

Again... really wish I could post a screenshot, but the lower EGTs in the 60-80% area has me a hair concerned and wondering if I should revert back to SW3 for the trip. There is one area I hear some timing/injector rattle while running through the gears at higher loads that I haven't identified yet but it is very brief so I am not too concerned there. Mostly concerned about 5th gear sustained 1200-1300* based on SW3 sample high RPM/load and 1000-1100* letting cruise control do work cruising smaller hills on the highway.

Edited April 25, 20186 yr by JPhauler87

How does your fuel map compare to SW3 sample? Or Stock?

4 minutes ago, AH64ID said:

How does your fuel map compare to SW3 sample? Or Stock?

 

Haven't touched duration and still using Jr so no pressure, either. Timing as described, maxed out WG map, little more aggressive torque management than SW3 for smoother operation is all I have done.

Edited April 25, 20186 yr by JPhauler87

That's the same fueling that SW3 runs, so it's decent for comparison.

 

Why does the lower EGT have you concerned? 

 

 

Trying to avoid turning my pistons into puddles of aluminum! Long trip and first time operating my UDC tune in the higher load area of the map where I suspect bad things are more likely to happen, if they are going to happen.

 

I suspect that my changes are not drastic enough to really cause that to happen, and I do not drive aggressively. Mostly looking for a sanity check, I think you've given me one.

As long as you're not running above 50% BTDC I wouldn't worry about it.

I ended up averaging about 9.8mpg on that trip holding 70mph on all but the largest grades.

 

Shorter NH trip with the trailer a few weeks ago netted 10.7mpg traveling at 65mph.

 

I got a VIN locked SSR for a song and paid to get it unlocked. So, I have been playing with rail pressure now. I should take some screenshots, but I basically have it increasing with load and RPM pretty steadily with a dip in the 0-37% 1800-2200 load area to try to work on unloaded economy. (Sold Jr and am <$600 into everything tuning related now.)

 

Duration is still 100% stock.

 

Was around 14.5k psi in the unloaded highway cruise area with 11* and could hear a very faint rattle. Best I was doing with the more aggressive timing was ~16.5mpg. I have been driving it everyday the last week or so and netted a solid 18mpg on a 470 mile tank. Best ever so far with for this truck. Fingers crossed it's repeatable.

 

Last night I lowered the rail pressure to about 13.5k psi in the cruise area with about 10* max timing. Still the faintest rattle cruising, but EGTs seemed to be a hair lower and the lie-o-meter was reading 22mpg by the time I was to work and it has been pretty consistently 2mpg optimistic since I uploaded the first tune on my Jr a while ago. Too soon to tell though.

 

All my unloaded highway driving is moderately hilly with cruise at 65mph.

 

The rest of the timing map is now verbatim what came out of the timing calculator except where I bumped it ~1* in the highway cruise region. The next time I am hooked up to my trailer I will be keeping an eye on how it acts in the mid load range where it cruises with the trailer. I think I was around 5-6* there coming right off the calculator. For the upper RPM and load areas I guess I am seeing very little reason for aggressive timing there since that is not a place I spend much time. And when I am there, I just want the piece of mind that I can be there without worrying about cylinder temps. I may experiment with dropping the rail pressure in the trailer cruise region to see if it helps as much there as it seems to have helped elsewhere in the map.

 

I was initially intrigued by using the SSR to turn off the pre-injection, but I am not sure that will be worth the trouble. Maybe if I find myself with some time to play with it I will experiment, but doesn't sound like it is a very well developed feature.

 

Rear pinion seal has been leaking since halfway to Utah, finally dealing with that this weekend. Have been getting a really annoying shutter on take off since I owned the truck. Cured it by shimming the carrier bearing... then hooked my trailer and found it was worse. Bah! I think I'm going to be saving my pennies for a one piece alum unit. ($$$)

Driving at the speed limits I'm netting 18mpg daily driving and 11mpg towing. Happy.

 

Working on dialing back pre boost smoke. Not bad at all unless I'm making an aggressive left turn into traffic or take off hard. Timing is pretty retarded in the low RPM high load regions. Working on dialing back duration a bit there now, not sure it's helping. Any advice?

I've alerted the Source Resource gang... Hopefully someone can give you a hand...

I hate to say it, but UDC Pro is what you need. There just aren’t enough tables in UDC Basic. Most of that comes from the base tables that are adjusted by MADS, especially since you’re using SSR base tune. 

 

Dialing duration back just makes you run a higher load, and then you’ll also effect the duration at other rpms too. 

 

Timing and rail pressure are the best adjustments for that in UDC Basic, especially with stock injectors. 

Edited August 28, 20186 yr by AH64ID

Don’t hate to say it. Choice I made. May still make it? With trailer hooked, spools pretty quick.

 

SO. Thoughts on manifold and turbo blankets to help spool?

They will help. The blanket helps when driving thru rolling hills and he manifold helps all the time. 

 

It just not guaranteed to be enough, but I’ve done both and don’t regret it.