May 2013:
I am tired of the haze I have and the EGT’s are still a bit warm for my liking at times. And I still blow a lot of soot even though I am still stock injectors (9 mm not the 91+ 7mm) and only have timing set at 1.79 mm lift. And now that I have a real tranny capable of some more juice…. So research was done on a Super HX40 (not to be confused with a HX40…..totally different turbo…) designed for Cummins engines up to 10 liters. Spec for the one I got is a 60 inducer and I am running a 16 WG housing with 7 blade intake wheel. Although I have read conflicting reports, I believe the turbo is a 60/65/16. Boost is Holset spec’d for may of 52 psi and is actually a hybrid for spool up lag set somewhere between a HX35 and a HX40 (more info here: http://www.myholsetturbo.com/40appnotes.html ) . Well, after some monkeying around, a new turbo found its way into the truck. A resonator also finally found its way under the truck to muffle the pipes a bit as they are right behind my head and with more towing happening than in the past (and the fact that I am getting older and I want to hear when I am 90…. :D)
Also so everyone is aware, there is two Super HX40 part numbers for Dodge Rams. Only one of them actually works though!! LOL I know this as I ordered the wrong one despite what the Holset chart shows: http://www.myholsetturbo.com/images/holsetpartnumbers_2008.pdf
4027888 is what I ordered and it did not fit as the WG housing is in the wrong position. Truth be told, I cant see it working on any Dodge application but what do I know? I am just a dumb farm kid. 😀 It is a vertical vs 90 deg style. So what you need to order if you want one is 4031450. My cousin changed his order once we determined the PN issue and his bolted right in. Mine not so much….
Mine going in, the 888 number. You can see where the WG actuator hits the oil drain and almost the oil filter. I had to adjust the turbo arm to make it work. I would normally have sent it back but as it was trailer season and I had a job to haul 13,000 lbs of trailer and roofing supplies 400 miles the following morning; dad lent a hand and we got creative so I could make the delivery on time. Nothing like working under pressure! That morning that I departed on the drive was the first time I had actually started the truck with the new turbo on. After a quick 50 mile break in, I was on the road with the now loaded trailer. I did allow 100-150 miles before I tromped on it to allow proper break in.
Here is all three turbos that have lived in this truck: The factory 18cm H1C, the HX35 that used the 18 CM H1C non WG snail, and the new HX Super 40:
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You can see the new 40 is a bit taller:
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So, the HX35 comes out….
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Downpipe gets modified with a 4” adapter as the H1C was a 3.5”
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And now the test fitting and mods:
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Spacer block:
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This is the amount of gap in the truck when there is no mods to this 888 turbo with the oil drain interference:
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Spacer and welds complete:
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*&%$(@ 888 turbo. 🙁
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Its in! But a snug fit!
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Then I found the back cover was leaking so a new gasket had to be ordered…. This is what the back end of a HX Super 40 looks like:
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Failure is not an option. It is in!! Thanks Dad! 🙂
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So, the turbo was mounted and the towing season began! EGTs did drop 200 F and boost went up by 2 psi. HOWEVER, I learnt something while taking the bloody PA mountain hill again this summer.
This is what the correct 450 turbo looks like:
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June 2013:
Once again, it was the TDR Cummins gathering and we were back at the Cummins Engine Plant (CMEP) in Indianapolis. The truck again made the bi-annual trip down there. These are some pics from the event in no particular order:
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The red truck you see here is D001, the Dodge/Cummins prototype truck that Cummins recently restored.
The blue truck is the first Dodge/Cummins Ram off the assy line.
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And yes, the engineers were there at Cummins including Troy Simonson, John Keele, and Chris Wilkens. So I had them all sign my dashboard! 🙂
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Here Troy (head of the Dodge side of the project) tests the driver’s seat and observes the aircraft like cockpit of my truck:
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July 2013:
98 F ambient. Super humid. 7% grade 3 miles long. AC on full. 20,000 GCW. 72 MPH. 36 PSI @ WOT. Running 5th over (.78 OD of Gear Vendors on direct 1:1). Coolant. Progresses half way up hill…. 235 F coolant. EGT 1400.
So remember said turbo upgrade? Well seems my small little aftermarket intercooler can’t handle the volume of the Super 40 and is heat soaking! And with more power from the turbo, the rad is also heat soaking. For the first 1 minute it is fine but after that I need to let off. I replayed this heat soaking concert multiple times this summer while towing. Totally unacceptable. 😉 I am basically making more power with this new turbo but can’t use it!! This sucks like an angry Shop Vac set on full!!
So, parts have been ordered and now that the truck is down in the winter anyways, progression will begin shortly on a 2ng gen rad, IC, IC piping, Horton Fan, and cold air intake install on the truck. Also fabrication of a 5th wheel hidden rail system under the bed will also take place.
November 2013:
Yes, I know I need to be working on the crew cab. 😉 But I must have the 90 as priority as it must be on the road come May so it can haul the bacon home! So that will get first dibs over the crew sadly. And as the flat deck trailer will potentially be changing to a 5th wheel/gooseneck come spring, that will mean I have no way to tow it if this hitch doesn’t go in. That also means I can’t haul the crew cab to the shops it will need to go to get completed in the spring.
The hitch:
Progress has begun on the 1990 with the hitch taking the first efforts. The bed was removed from the frame so measurements could be taken and fabrication could begin.
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I started off with a 1994-02 Reese hidden hitch kit and then basically hacked it to pieces. 😀
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See, the gen 2 frame rail section where the hitch mounts is flat compared to the gen 1. So I had to cut the rails where it meets the frame C at a 10 deg angle but still low enough the hitch rails wont contact the bed floor. You can see the assembled hitch rails sitting at an angle when assembled as the instructions show. Also it sits above the top of the socket.
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And cleaned the crud off the frame I was surprised to find that the frame was not rusted (minus surface rust) and even some original paint is there!
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Before removing the bed I measured my distance between the frame and the bed floor so I rigged up this little test to ensure that I would fit. As long as the rails fit between this angle iron and frame, I am golden.
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They fit!!
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But that resulted in very skinny rail ends. Too weak for use. So the reinforcing began with a 2”x1.25” solid block of steel welded into the frame.
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Then cut on the ends to match the 10 deg slope on each of the 4 corners.
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And finally plunge cut to allow room for the hitch leg locking pucks to drop into. To give you an idea of time, each of these holes took 1.5 hours to plunge cut to correct depth! My thanks to a friend who assisted with that. As I needed to get this frame out before the Christmas holidays I was 1 week before deadline so he assisted with ensuring it got out in time. And yes it makes a mess!
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Then a test fit was done to ensure the slope was correct:
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Pucks now fit in after the plunge cutting:
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Hitch test also passed:
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Now that the hitch fits, its time to make this a bit more solid. So in went some reinforcements that will also help keep spacing:
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And the end plates were welded on:
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Resulting in this fine specimen of steel:
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And for good measure to ensure I don’t ever get a crack at the weakest point, some 3/8”x1” steel strips were welded in.
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And the external frame frame C channel reinforcing pieces that will further support this frame assy by taking weight off the hitch frames C ear by supporting directly under the hitch legs. When I install it will make more sense! 😀
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And how it looked when I picked it up on December 23rd:
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That now brings us current as of December 27, 2013. In total, there is 60 hours into this hitch and it still sits on the floor there for me to finish the frame holes and then clean up and paint the stripped section of frame.
And for what it is worth, this is 14,000 words, 55 pages in Word, and has taken 3 full days to find the pics, upload them, and type this all with my two fingers. 😀