Mopar1973Man

Thanks. This knowledge came from the fact I lifted and put big tires on my old 1972 Dodge Powerwagon and end up destroying the front axle. I broke u-joints and tore up wheel bearing and busted 2 steering boxes. For what? Just to look cool. I end up running out of sources for parts to keep fixing the front axle and steering so I traded that train wreck for my 2002 Dodge and KNEW I would never make that mistake again. I didn't as you can see at nearly 333k miles and still got mostly OEM parts yet.

Unknown as of yet. I'm not sure what I'll get for the 315-320 bar range I'm wanting to try it. I'm just waiting for the weather to straighten out so I can down the Cummins for week or so and drive the old 1996 Dodge Ram 1500 back and forth for MoparMom's dialysis runs. I'm just not getting the consistent MPG number yet I bet the high pop will clear a bunch up for me including the light bit of smoke I'm getting yet.

No, absolutely not. Straight as an arrow and steering is still tight just like the day I bought the truck from the dealer Oct. 26, 2002. Ditched the stock 265's and lifted a whole 1mm with 235's. Yeah, 235's are 1mm taller than the 265's so they are 1 rev per mile different. They are only 1.1 inches narrower. Big bonus they are approximately 25 pounds per tire lighter way better on MPG's and less drag for the steering. Not to mention this is the stock one-ton size used. There is actually one size smaller the 225's used also on the one-ton trucks too. Your not the only one to say it... Don't worry about it. The truth is the bigger the tires the more wear and steering issues you will have. I'm proven without a doubt 235's will not create any wear or steering issues. I've only replaced 1 set of ball joints and 2 track bars now. Factory OEM tie rods, steering box and PS pump yet. Just can't kill it. Stock height and only 1mm of tire lift. If I want the truck leveled I just hitch up the trailer it sits dead leveled.

Originally yes. Now with what @Me78569 and other are learning about pop pressure and Quadzilla tuning that limit is not as bad anymore. Quadzilla allows for tunning below stock fuel rates to control excess fuel and smoke issues no other tuner can do this. Well The Smarty UDC could but its way more complex to tune. Stock pressure 310 bar (4,500 +/- 250 PSI) 293-327 Bar is stock range. This is all experimental yet so I'm also thinking like Nick suggested for me to be 315-320 bar for my own injectors.

No way to measure the current grid heater draw nor measure the new grid heater draw. No way to even prove that is actually the problem as of yet. My Fluke 75 can only measure up to 20 Amp draw so I'm screwed for the moment. @outlaw7 just sent me a link to a China made gauge that measures 500 Amp well its a solution but let's see where my finances go this month maybe.

With everything, Nick @Me78569 is learning about pop pressure my next set of injectors might be 100 or 150 HP injectors. Even my current injectors I'm going to have to pull them and re-pop to 315-320 bar to gain more MPG from these + 75 HP injectors.

Just consider this. I'm at nearly 333k miles on the clock and still haven't worn out the stock set of tie rods yet. Why upgrade if the stock steering works this good this long. The only time this does not apply is when you put larger tires on the truck now nothing holds true.

I wish I had the tools to just measure the current load on the grid heaters and see how much mine are drawing then at least know what is going on. Right now I'm on a tight budget with whats going on so tools like this just are not going to happen for me. Replacement without knowing is an expensive gamble too.

By George I think he's got it. That's what I wondering is happening is the grid heater pulling more amperage during it's on periods causing the alternator diodes to overheat and cause the diode failure. Which in turn creates the AC noise issues of the infamous torque converter lock and unlock or like in my case the wild cruise control. Like in this picture measuring 400 amp load and still heating those grids up. That just crazy high loads. But it would be the death of diodes very quickly.

Your right, but someone's truck having shorting issues with the grid heaters without popping the fusible links. Drawing 400 Amps... That is way more than 190 Amps and not burning the fusible links that is scary...

Now lets say that the load is now increased to 220 Amps. So 14 volts / 220 Amps DC (40 amp increase!) now has a ohms value of 0.0636 Ohms very small change but its possible that this small change is the cause of the increase loads on the alternator and creating more heat on the diodes? I've seen several trucks where the grid heaters shorted out and things get ugly fast. Here is something to ponder...

No. But it gives more paths to go. So when the alternator fails a negative side diode and creates a negative hole in the sinewave now it will travel out across the multiple ground straps. Typically in stock form, the warning sign is pretty obvious and noticeable. When people add extra grounds and modify wiring like moving the ground lead away from the alternator now the warning comes much later when AC noise level is critical and the ECM takes the hit. Typically the ECM fails before the owner even knows what happened because of all the wiring modifications. This why I do not suggest the extra grounds, noise filter, tinfoil, etc. it does mask the problem longer and now you get less warning about the actual problem and damage come sooner. Remember actually the power flows from the grounds (source of electrons) to the positive side (to where there is lack of electrons - like a vacuum). Like in every case my alternator failed it was an obvious surge in the cruise control very unsteady. When it got worse it would start to affect the throttle when you manually controlled it would surge beyond what was commanded. Never lost a single ECM or PCM. I've lost my ABS module and had it rebuilt by Module Masters. Actually, come to find out the ABS failed because of a bad tone ring but the was damage done by fighting the system with a bad tone ring. This is why I want to solve the alternator failure issue and not worry about modifying the truck being it worked for over 10 years without a single issue without any wiring modifications. Now, what do I have to fix to get back to that realm? Just like my 1996 Dodge still stock and no modification done to it still working just fine 22 years later. Same power cable ran with all the other stuff to PDC. Doesn't change. I know someone made a comment about the diodes and the source. I can tell you a Denso is manufactured in Japan. The diodes are also manufactured in Japan. Even the diodes I sell in the M73M store are manufactured in Japan. That is not going to go away. NJo matter where you go or who remanufactures a stock alternator its going to end up with Japanese diodes. From all my research sourcing out diodes for Denso alternators all come from overseas nothing is made in the USA. I've talked to several alternator shops and rebuilders and all say the same thing there is nothing wrong with the diodes it has to do with electrical loads that are causing the diodes to overheat. The only huge electrical load on my truck that is "live" during the time the alternator is charging is the grid heaters. Starter doesn't count because during cranking the alternator isn't energized nor is it charging till the tach signal comes up to idle speed. So back around the vicious circle. Back to the diodes overheating.

@W-T You still missing what I'm saying. Like right now I've got a good alternator very AC low noise. It will remain that way as long as the grid heaters are not hooked up. So all the noise filtering is a non-issue being there is none at this point. My problem is finding what causes the alternator to overheat the diodes and create the excessive AC noise. The only thing I can see is the grid heaters drawing more than they did when the truck was new. Like I said grid heater are unhooked no issues at all. But I know as soon as I hook them up again now I take the chances of kill the diodes again and creating the AC noise issues. @Dieselfuture Both of my truck are completely factory wiring and no extra grounds or anything added working just fine. Just without the extra ground, it notifies me sooner of the problem before the AC noise level gets excessive like guys with all the added grounds get the warning too late and the ECM gets cooked.

Updated the download area with my latest tune...

I've changed up my Daily tune some more I actually retard timing even more and still getting more gains yet. Little complicated to explain right now being I'm a bit tired but I'm running 18.2* to 18.5* at 2,000 RPM. Then also dropped the 1,500 RPM position another full 1 degree. The 2,000 RPM was only 0.5-degree drop. The 2500 RPM range is now plus 0.5 degree and the 3,000 is plus 1 degree more. I was finding that my low end RPM range was suffering the range was holding some high engine load numbers. So dropping the timing like I did now make the engine load lower for everything from 45 MPH up to 70 MPH which now I can hold clean 20-22% engine load at 65 MPH flat ground. I'm very pleased with the change so far but I'm going to monitor and see how the MPG numbers stack up.

More like going with a quality part than cheap part so you not damaging other things like your transmission.

Now twist that around some more... So why did my Dodge Cummins truck run the first 10 years without a single alternator problem and now I can keep an alternator long that about 4 months to a year with the grid heaters hooked up? This current alternator I left my grid heaters unhooked and replaced my block heater for cold morning starts. Now I'm looking for what has changed. Did the grid heater suddenly start drawing more current? I could have said that all my old light was a cause with sport headlights (4 x 60w) and (4 x 100w) driving light that's all gone and replaced by (2 x 35w) Morimoto HID headlights and (2 x 18w) PIAA driving lights. No boombox stereo. No 10,000-pound winch. I don't have tons of junk tied to the positive post of the battery like most do. (Quadzilla, AirDog, ACC to the cab inside the PDC). I just don't have any loads that would cause a diode overheat other than the grid heaters themselves. Here we are back to what has changed about the grid heaters in the last little bit of time that now has the strength to wipe out alternator diodes that weren't there 10 years ago?

Typically either on the inside of the hood or the inside of the glove box. You can get a build sheet from some Dodge websites by entering a VIN number.

Properly operating VP44 it should be right on the money but we all know that everything has an amount of error built into the pump, Quadzilla, etc. So I would say it darn close to being on the mark as long as everything shows to be working properly. Like in my experience when my last VP44 pump failed at 243k miles. I had a P0216 code but the Quadzilla still showed normal timing numbers but OMG! that VP44 was stuck in full advanced and that engine rattled something horrid. So bad the truck would barely roll along at 25-30 MPH. When the pump decided to function and time properly it would run like a scalded dog then something would pop in that pump and timing would go back to full advance. Still the whole time the Quadzilla still showed proper values.

No. There is no way to measure true timing. As far as what I understand of the Quadzilla it can only pick up the ECM signal for timing then modify the value then add a priority bit the communication to force the override of the timing value through. It just assumed that displayed timing is actual timing till there is a pump malfunction (P0216) then you know the timing number is no longer what is actual timing.

Quadzilla only displays what is commanded not what is actual timing is.

Depends. Now like Edge Comp or Edge Juice I would run it all the time because of the factor of the ECM advancing timing hard below 80*F. Now where the Quadzilla basically ignores the IAT temp completely once the Quadzilla is in RUN mode and warmed up.

You can run it year round if you wish no harm will come. Basically, if the IAT temp falls below 80*F then you need the MPG mode to keep the ECM from cranking up the timing excessively.

The dampener should run smooth an straight. There are two alignment tick marks on the front that should match and line up. The outer hub is wobbling a bit its time to replace the rubber is giving way.

There is a module in the same place as the central timer that controls the wiper delay and a few other functions in the truck. Not as many as the later 2nd gen 24V. Even my 96 has this module. Never bother to look up exactly what it all does for the early 2nd gens.