Truck mods

[MonacoMike]

Ya'll just need to upgrade... To this... an F450 6.4 liter Diesel...Pulls 20k like it's not there.

Not even tuned up..Yet!!!
She's lovely isn't she.???

I'd need a barn to park it in, and it wouldn't fit in the car wash or the office parking spots. It would be sweet to tow my boat.

MM

 

[JUST PULLIN MY DINGHY]

Another testament to this is that the published/estimated HP gains are typically the gains seen at high RPM's. This is simply due to the way that HP is calculated and that most engines make the most HP with high RPM's. This is of more importance to someone like a drag racer as the entire race is performed higher in the RPM band; plus the engines don't spend much time at that elevated RPM as the race is over quickly.

For those of us that are interested in towing a boat, the gains at a sustainable RPM are much more important (say somewhere in the 2500 to 3500 range for gassers). The gains that are seen in this lower RPM band are less than the published numbers.

The funny thing about HP is that, for trailer boaters, it doesn't really mean much. Torque is the key... how early the torque comes in and how flat the curve is. Now, this isn't quite apples to apples, but... my Suburban's engine only made 195HP (flywheel) in 1998 - probably about 150ish at the rear wheels. But, I'll out-tow gas engines making a lot more HP than that. With diesels (for those of you that don't already know that real trucks don't have spark plugs:smt001), the peak torque (which is also significantly more than a gasser) happens very early in the RPM band and then basically flattens out - it doesn't "spike" up and back down like a gasser.

Ditto... to Just Pullin's answer to Xravenx's question.

I agree here's a simple explanation torque moves mass or hauls heavy loads hp is where speed is the old saying no replacement for displacement aka big blocks, get moving off line with gobs of torque and hp takes down the end of the track. Can't beet diesel for towing or economy though.

 

[MonacoMike]

Mike, did the subsequent posts answer your questions?

Does the entire exhaust need to be replaced to get torque gains for towing, or are mufflers enough?

What is the life expectancy of my 05 exhaust system?

Thanks, Dennis

 

[Lazy Daze]

Does the entire exhaust need to be replaced to get torque gains for towing, or are mufflers enough?

What is the life expectancy of my 05 exhaust system?

Thanks, Dennis

Well, with gassers you're pretty much stuck with cat-back systems, for the most part (see "below"). And then it sort of depends on what the factory pipe (more importantly, the bends) is like (crinkle vs a good mandrel bend). Doing just the muffler will help a little, but typically a person would do a cat-back system, incorporating a larger diameter pipe, mandrel bends and free(r)-flowing muff. As with the other stuff, sticking with a name-brand is recommended.

"Below": If you really want to open up the engine and make it a bad-boy, put on some good headers along with a new, full, exhaust system. It can be done in your driveway and it'll feel (and sound) like an entirely different truck. Then, when you add a tuner, it'll again feel like a whole new truck.

Most newer exhaust systems are actually pretty good as far as longevity goes. I wouldn't be surprised if your stock exhaust lasts 10+ years. Certainly it could be less, but nowadays they're pretty good.

Check out Summit Racing - they've got a pretty good website and their technical help (phone) is usually quite good, too.

 

[MonacoMike]

If you really want to open up the engine and make it a bad-boy, put on some good headers along with a new, full, exhaust system. It can be done in your driveway and it'll feel (and sound) like an entirely different truck. Then, when you add a tuner, it'll again feel like a whole new truck.quote]

That would be nice, but the reason I do not have a bigger truck is the Suburban works for client purposes as well as fun. It must remain "professional" for client transport, so anything I do must be a sleeper mod.

MM

 

[Lazy Daze]

If you really want to open up the engine and make it a bad-boy, put on some good headers along with a new, full, exhaust system. It can be done in your driveway and it'll feel (and sound) like an entirely different truck. Then, when you add a tuner, it'll again feel like a whole new truck.quote]

That would be nice, but the reason I do not have a bigger truck is the Suburban works for client purposes as well as fun. It must remain "professional" for client transport, so anything I do must be a sleeper mod.

MM

It's always fun to spend someone else's money, but you can have both if you want. You can get a system for your Burb that is still cordial under light load (just a bit "throatier") but still gives good performance and fuel economy. It'll only really get louder when you really get on the skinny pedal.

When you have some time, call Summit and pick their brains a bit. They can give your more specifics than I can.