markrinker
New Member
Okay I know this is stepping into territory bound to raise spirited responses...before I even ask, I'll preface my questions with the following statement of knowledge:
"I have over 800K diesel powered highway towing miles to my credit, and understand the complex and delicate nature of additional fueling, boost, load, RPMs, etc. In those miles I have added additional fuel rates, adjusted mechanical wastegates and boost feedback loops, fumigated with propane. In those experiences, I have made gobs of additional power, saved thousands of dollars on otherwise wasted fuel, and learned the hard way about blown head gaskets, transmission slippage, and prematurely worn out more than a few sets of expensive Michelin tires that cost more than the fuel saved... therefore, I am done with diesel hotrodding, but am not afraid of fine tuning for best application performance."
Question: Anyone done any tuning to boost levels and/or additional fuel rates on a 3126? How about prop changes, in search of better fuel economy, quicker on plane performance, or higher cruise speeds?
Just got back from the Seattle Boat Show and had a great conversation with the prop folks at www.ACMEMarine.com - I know they are in the business of selling props - but it did get me thinking about what could be done to safely performance tune my CATs this season, with the following goals of:
I also have a very conservative hand on the throttle, and a watchful eye on the gauges. Having acceleration power in reserve that is never tapped for long range cruises is well within my knowledge and responsibility...
What say ye? Leave 'em alone!!! or dig in and save enough on fuel in the next two seasons to pay for a new set of wheels? If the latter - who are the go-to people for experienced tuning experience?
"I have over 800K diesel powered highway towing miles to my credit, and understand the complex and delicate nature of additional fueling, boost, load, RPMs, etc. In those miles I have added additional fuel rates, adjusted mechanical wastegates and boost feedback loops, fumigated with propane. In those experiences, I have made gobs of additional power, saved thousands of dollars on otherwise wasted fuel, and learned the hard way about blown head gaskets, transmission slippage, and prematurely worn out more than a few sets of expensive Michelin tires that cost more than the fuel saved... therefore, I am done with diesel hotrodding, but am not afraid of fine tuning for best application performance."
Question: Anyone done any tuning to boost levels and/or additional fuel rates on a 3126? How about prop changes, in search of better fuel economy, quicker on plane performance, or higher cruise speeds?
Just got back from the Seattle Boat Show and had a great conversation with the prop folks at www.ACMEMarine.com - I know they are in the business of selling props - but it did get me thinking about what could be done to safely performance tune my CATs this season, with the following goals of:
- Generating a set of spare props (my OEM factory takeoffs would become the ready spares)
- Better fuel economy (pays for new props over time)
- Lower or same EGTs
- Better on plane/cruise performance
I also have a very conservative hand on the throttle, and a watchful eye on the gauges. Having acceleration power in reserve that is never tapped for long range cruises is well within my knowledge and responsibility...
What say ye? Leave 'em alone!!! or dig in and save enough on fuel in the next two seasons to pay for a new set of wheels? If the latter - who are the go-to people for experienced tuning experience?
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