The wife is letting me spend some money on the truck, so here's what I need.   

 

1. I just rolled over 250k miles, I know the head gaskets have a tendency to let go around now.  I was thinking of doing it pre-emptively and tossing in some head studs.  Is that wise or should I just wait for it to fail on it's own.  What brand of head gasket should I use, I have access to Fel-Pro and Mahle at work or I can go to the local Cummins shop.  I would have the head checked and worked over while it's off as well.

 

2. I know I need injectors, I'm probably still on the original ones.  I have noticed my MPG's have dropped a bit in the last year and I am clouding the sky more that usual.  I am running the Edge Juice tuner so something that would play well would be preferred.  I've heard a lot about the RV275's I believe, would those work or should I look at something else.  

 

3. Turbo, I have a relatively new HY35 with the waste gate locked down.  Would have done something different when it went out but had no money at the time, had to borrow a bit just to get this one.  Would it enough to just swap in an HX35 or could I do a little better?  I would prefer something that bolts in though getting a different down pipe is not a deal breaker.   

 

I just want to make sure everything will play well with the Edge tuner.  I know the canned units are meant for stock stuff so I'm not trying to make big power or anything.  I've tried the Quad and it wasn't my cup of tea.  I don't have a blank check but also don't want the cheapest stuff I can find, that said I'm not even sure if I'm going to do the work myself.  I've managed to injure myself at work several times this year and I'm finally almost back to normal so I may not want to risk hurting myself pulling the head off.  Mike, what's your labor rate?

25 minutes ago, Sycostang67 said:

I was thinking of doing it pre-emptively and tossing in some head studs.

I'm from the school of "if it ain't brook don't fix it".

 

27 minutes ago, Sycostang67 said:

I've heard a lot about the RV275's

I put those in at 97k miles and they made a big change in power for the best.  The 50hp injectors are good low power increase  too.

The Edge tuner may not be able to control smoke with bigger injectors.

 

38 minutes ago, Sycostang67 said:

Would it enough to just swap in an HX35 or could I do a little better? 

Others would know more about that then me.  I have an HX35 and max out at 30 psi.  I can pull a 6% grade to 8K feet at 55 mph pulling a 9k lb trailer with a little power to spare.

 

58 minutes ago, Sycostang67 said:

Mike, what's your labor rate?

It's less than mine.   

I recommend the new genuine Bosch RV275 injectors. Since you tow, I also recommend an exhaust brake, Pac or BD. With this in mind, you will only find a few turbos that will work with the direct mount EB.  Make sure your cooling system is fresh/clean. On a hot day, towing heavy, level 2 or 3 is as high as you can go. Empty, you can use level 5, 400hp/900tq, to the ground.

 

https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/bosch-rv275-injectors-985-02-cummins

 

https://www.dieselpowerproducts.com/industrial-drop-in-turbo-94-02-cummins

For the head gasket I would not break the factory seal unless you have a reason to.  I would simply install ARP's per their directions and call it a day.  The factory seal if still good is about as good as you can get.  

 

Id go with 7 x .009's at a min and 7 x .010's then turn the edge down.   unless you deal with emissions then Rv's 

 

If I was building a 2nd gen these days I would run this for a turbo.  If price is too much then an hx35 and rv's

https://www.dieselautopower.com/dap-screaming-eagle-sxe-fmw-2nd-gen-fit-57-65-12-t3-gated-hx40

Ok, just dropping in the studs will save some cash and pain.  That screaming eagle is within the budget I quoted my wife for a turbo as well.  It needs an HX40 DP, is that larger than the HY35 DP?  I have a 4" DP on my 35 right now, but it necks down to attach to it.  It's an option with the SE turbo so that would make it easy.  

 

I do have emissions testing here in Idaho, but it's an OBD/snap test so my Edge has to be disabled to do it so I always pass with flying colors.  Would the 7x.009/.010's still be ok or should I stick with the RV's?

the turbo uses a true 4" downpipe from the flange at the turbo.  The hx downpipe is a 3" necked out to 4 " after the flange.  New dp is required. 

 

As for injectors I don't really know what a snap test entails, rv's are a safer bet, but the turbo would really respond nice to the 7 x .009's.  

@Me78569, snap test is a just that, snap the throttle wide open then back off.. i think CT does the average of three snaps. It kind of exposes the larger injector trucks better than the dyno run they used to do. You would have to play in zero boost fueling.

The Edge Juice w/ Attitude CS2 Dodge/Ram 5.9L 2001-2002 – 31401 is CARB legal

https://edgeproducts.com/50-state-legal-products/

 

If you're going to put an exhaust brake on check if it will bolt to the turbo and what is the size of the down pipe for it.  My exhaust brake, Pacbrake, bolted right to the back of the HX35 turbo and came out at 4".  You can also get it in a 3" down pipe version.

I would rather have the true 4" pipe, so that's a win.  The snap test is just stabbing the throttle to see how much smoke the truck makes, I believe it's also called an opacity test?  If the 7x.009's aren't going to be smoky with stock tuning then they should work fine.  

 

I would like an exhaust brake but it's not a necessity, most of my towing is local on flat terrain and the places I do go camping have few hills to contend with.  I did fine with the new camper just dropping it into 3rd on the down grades.  

 

The Edge may be smog legal but I have to unplug it from the OBD port so the test equipment can be plugged in.  I don't think it alters the tuning when it's unplugged as the truck feels like a slug when I do. 

My freshly installed 7x.0085's from DAP just passed emissions at 8 out of 40 (used to be 1 out of 40) in Ada with the Edge JWA CTS2 on 0. 

That's good to know, I can't imagine the 7x.009's being much worse then.  

 

I guess I will be getting the Screaming Eagle GXE turbo with the 4" HX40 DP, some 7x.009 injectors, new injector tubes, head studs and a new valve cover gasket.  

 

Is there anything else I should consider doing along with this other stuff?

Id think that'd be a pretty sweet 400hp setup for towing without ever having to look at egts.

 

 

If you are itching to spend more I would do valve springs and push rods but they aren't really "needed".

1 hour ago, Sycostang67 said:

That's good to know, I can't imagine the 7x.009's being much worse then.  

 

I guess I will be getting the Screaming Eagle GXE turbo with the 4" HX40 DP, some 7x.009 injectors, new injector tubes, head studs and a new valve cover gasket.  

 

Is there anything else I should consider doing along with this other stuff?

Gotta let me know how that GXE works out, that's the one DAP wanted to sell me but I keep looking at the ATS A3000 or a compound setup... I want instant throttle response vs the turd off the line.

That gxe will be hard to beat spool wise for a sub 450 hp truck.

 

I'd bet a 3000 compound setup would spool slower.

 

 

Really comes down to if you would be happy with 400 hp or if you want more.

I wonder what turbos all these guys are using on the trucks around here that scream boost at idle and instant acceleration even towing with no smoke at all? Thats what I'd like.

A3k i think was a 58/64/12 or 14, non wastegated.

 

@wh82, closest thing is an he351cw, or HX Super 9.

 

He351cw is a 60/60/9, spools as fast or faster than stock and flows more.

 

HX Super 9 is an HX35 with a (60/62/67)/67/9. Essentially an hx40 [or custom] compressor, with the super hx40 turbine (i think), [nope, 64mm is a super hx40] with the hy35 turbine housing, and an hx40 flange for the downpipe. 

 

Or you have to start into the world of vgt. Thats the only way to get boost at idle.

 

Besides a supercharger..

I had that truck

 

@Me78569 had a VGT retro fit on his truck. Worked super good. 

The turbo is coming with a new T3 manifold so I also decided to get some stainless studs for that as well.  

 

I need to get an estimate for some cement work and then I should be able to pull the money and get everything ordered.  

19 hours ago, Sycostang67 said:

The turbo is coming with a new T3 manifold so I also decided to get some stainless studs for that as well.  

 

I need to get an estimate for some cement work and then I should be able to pull the money and get everything ordered.  

Man cement is hard to find right now, I just got a guy to finally give me a quote, and he starts next week, but my project was tiny.

My injectors were $350 (I didn't do new, I did rebuilt Bosch bodies from DAP, I hope I don't regret that)

 

On 7/30/2021 at 7:21 AM, Mopar1973Man said:

@Me78569 had a VGT retro fit on his truck. Worked super good. 

I Desire more info! It's either that or the GXE... I don't plan on breaking 400hp, its a towing truck, I just don't like saying 'go' seeing a huge cloud of smoke and waiting for the turbo before I can even move, which somewhat went away with the new injectors.

 

Its a bit involved, and you need an adapter or a special flange if my memory serves for the manifold.