This time I actually tried a search on the forum, but I still have a bunch of questions.

I bought a 2004 Ram 2500 5.9TD 6-Spd 4x4. It came with an Edge Attitude box, which at first I mistook for a digital gauge pod.

After reading up on it (and diesels in general) my jaw dropped! I had no idea that power tuning was so dang easy on this platform - coming from the rice-burning car racer world, this was quite a shock.

That said, I downloaded the book for the Edge Attitude and read it carefully. It seems that the mileage gains in large part are due to its manipulation of the auto tranny programming. As such, my truck being a stick, I am a bit confused and have a few questions:

#1 The booklet says to never use settings 4 and 5 on a stock truck due to possible tranny damage. My truck is stock - what would I need to upgrade to run the additional 80-100HP 200-250TQ? Also aren't the manual trannys stronger than autos?

#2 Is the +60HP +150TQ setting really safe for my stock truck?

#3 What is the best setting to get the best fuel mileage? Should I run the engine stock or one of the Edge modes? Does setting matter if I am just cruising down the freeway?

#4 The book advised that "Driving by the EGT" is a good way to gain the best fuel mileage - meaning that for a given speed I should experiment with gearing and settings to gain the lowest EGTs, which will yield the best fuel mileage. This would mean that higher revs (which move more air) are more efficient?

#5 The book talks about dangers of high EGT - 1300F not to be exceeded; 1600F being damaging. My truck usually runs around 400F on the freeway and earlier this week when towing about 5600lbs, it barely went over 600F. Does that sound right? In other notes, my pirometer proble is located about 6" downstream of my turbo; is this why I am getting such low EGT numbers? Should I relocate it to the header, and if so, can cast iron headers be safely tapped? In any case, 1300 sounds way too hot to me... Aluminum liquefies around 1200F and isn't that what pistons and compressor blades are made from?

#6 A few posts on this forum talk about the nessesety of a fuel pressure gauge. Where do I want to measure the pressure? What shoudl it be? Can someone recomend a good gauge?

 

let me get you over to the CTD section for more help

 

As far as the transmission questions. They say it can cause damage but on the maual six speed trucks the clutch can handle around 70-100 horsepower over stock depending on how you drive. Running the edge wide open will cause the clutch to slip and wear out faster. But in no way will it damage the transmission. I would buy a heavy duty south bend clutch when the stocker finally gives out. And yes the pyrometer being that far down stream is definitly going to lower the temp reading. You can easly drill and tap a hole in the manifold. just center punch where you want to drill then drill about half way through then start the engine and let it run put some grease on your drill bit and any metals shavings the grease doesnt catch will go out the exhaust side of the turbo and wont harm anything. And 1300 degrees is safe only for a matter of seconds any higher than that for an extended period time will definitly lead to melt down. And the aluminium parts of the turbo arent exposed to these temps. The turbine wheel is not aluminium only the compressor wheel and compressor housing. So dont worry too much about that.

 

Can I get a little secondary confirmation on the header drilling procedure? I certainly want to relocate the pyrometer, but am conserned about ruining the turbo.

Keeping the engine running while doing the second half... At idle insnt the wastegate closed? So debris would go right into the turbo... Or is the idea that at slow speed small shavings will just pass though. Many people do this with success?

 

when i drilled my 01's exhaust for the pyro guage I just unbolted the turbo an drilled the hole, the i stuck a shop vac in an cleaned out the filings. I did not take the turbo all the way off though