New Tricks For An Old Dog - Engine Mods 3.0

[Guest Post by: Chris Burandt]

Now we're talking!  Motor got put back into the truck with a fresh head gasket, ARP head studs and a sweet looking set of ATS manifolds and up-pipes.  Now the fun begins.  Over the next couple days the plan is to get the compound turbo kit installed.  For turbo's, ATS is going to be using the stock charger with their Aurora 7500 which will create awesome response on the bottom and tons of air up top to fix my high exhaust gas temperature (EGT) problem.  It was so frustrating to me with my previous set up that I had tons of power but no way to use it when pulling up the passes because of excessive EGT's.

With the lack of air we have up here in the Colorado high country I'm so excited about compounds!  All this talk of not being able to get a truck with compounds over 1200 degrees has got me smiling.  I've seen 2000 degrees on my current set up!!!  YIKES.  Bring on the air!!

Chris at ATS mounted up the Twin CP3 kit.  After talking with Clint Cannon, the owner of ATS, I really like what the twin CP3 kit brings to the table.  Even though we're going to be running stock injectors for this towing set up the extra fuel provided by the twin CP3 kit not only maintains desired rail pressure at all times but it also makes the truck run way smoother.  What I also like about this kit is it allows me the option to go bigger in the future with my injectors or a more aggressive EFI live tune as well.  Oh and that billet pulley that drives the second pump looks way cool too!

 

My wife actually told me I was pathetic when after I signed the papers on this truck. I only made it the 17 miles from the dealership to ATS's shop to get the first modification done.  I originally bought this white beauty with 80,000 miles on it and I new 2 things as soon as I drove it off the lot; One was that I couldn't leave it stock, and two was this poor truck would have a trailer behind it 75% of the time.  So it was a no-brainer to me to have the boys at ATS throw in one of their big bad purple transmissions with a Five Star Torque Converter and Co-pilot to handle any load or amount of power I could throw at this thing.  To date it has been the best modification I have ever done to the truck.  It's funny when I get in another diesel and drive it around, especially a modded one that doesn't have any tranny work, how much more solid mine feels than the stock ones.  What a difference!

Can't wait to see the compound turbos next!

Sounding A Sour Note - Utah's Congressional Bill To Ban Aftermarket Exhaust

Senator Patricia Jones from the Utah State Legislature recently introduced a bill (S.B. 106) this year which would effectively ban all aftermarket exhaust in the state. She must have missed her calling as a congressional rep in California..
The billed called for all vehicles to be equipped with an exhaust system that is “installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified; or meets specifications equivalent to the muffler installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle and is not modified.” Each time that members of congress attempt to enact such laws one has to wonder if they realize the damage that they are doing to the economy and our freedoms. Whatever the initial intention was of this bill, it would be a lethal blow to many aftermarket companies who produce upgraded vehicle exhaust systems. Such laws can be compared to the ridiculous recent ban of all youth ATVs and motorcycles due to lead-based paint which has damaged the income and livelihood of countless companies.
OEM manufacturers are constrained to producing vehicle components cheaply in order to compete for price points in the market. This causes them to use lesser materials for things like exhaust systems. In contrast to aftermarket exhaust systems which are often produced out of stainless steel, the OEM system will typically be aluminized material. This leads to materials deteriorating over time and the advent of rusted pipes and mufflers which do not work as efficiently as intended (or as effectively as the aftermarket solutions). Whatever the initial intention is of bills like this one, the end result is lower quality products for consumers and less competition to drive innovation.
As is typical with bills such as S.B. 106 much of the enforcement by law officials would be left to subjective judgment as to whether the exhaust was in violation.
Luckily, for anyone who values freedom, within the past couple of days S.B. 106 was terminated for the remainder of the 2010 legislative year. Perhaps this was due to an overwhelming landslide of complaints from constituents who heard the news about the plan. Whatever the cause for the 2010 cap of the bill, aftermarket enthusiasts can almost certainly count on it rearing it's head once again in the near future. Emailing and calling congress members will continue to be critical in ensuring that more power-grabs like this don't become law.