Have I been reading post to late at night or after to many drinks? I am pulling a 8500-9000lb travel trailer with my 06 CTD automatic. The trailer has dual axle brakes and my question is will the CTD compresion brake. In my old gasser I could put the automatic into a gear and help my brakes on steep grades. Now I plan to be in the CO and NM area maybe in some mountains. I thought I read somewhere that the diesels will not compression brake at all or not like the gasser. Help

 

I tow similar loads with my 2005, OD auto, 3.73 axle. I use the "Tow-Haul" button on long down grades or even exiting for off ramps. Flick it on at under 50 or so and it does a remarkable job of engine braking. There is about a half second that seems like free-wheel just before the downshift and it will spook you the first few times. Sure saves on brakes and I think this transmission is designed to take it. Much, much different "Tow-Haul" reaction than was on the Silverado gas that I traded in on the Dodge diesel.

 

Diesels don't compression brake, they can actually run away if you go down a hill with your foot off the throttle. The high compression of a diesel actually acts like a spring and causes the engine to continue to free wheel. By downshifting the gear reduction puts a drag on the engine making the engine work harder, thus slowing the vehicle, which is what you are feeling, not compression braking. The only way to get a diesel to engine brake is to put an Exhaust Brake on the engine.

 

It will hold you back in an automatic as long as you are turning greater than 1600 rpm when you let off, not exactly enginebraking per say...but will hold back some. A Pac-Brake or exhaust brake will do alot more.

 

it wasnt untill 06 that exhaust brakes could be installed on auto's, besides, with me towing about 8K even letting off the throttle going down hill I was still accelerating and I was doing 60mph(2000rpm) unloaded I will slow down mainly from drag but also due to engine compression, but a diesel works a bit different than a gasser, we dont have a butterfly in the intake to put a vacuum on the cylinders to slow us down.

 

Drew,
Is there an engine brake that those of us with 05 s can install that will NOT void the warrenty?

Iv seen something about the US Gear D-Celerator. How good is this unit as opposed to the Pac?

 

your 05 auto doesnt have the propper programming to keep the torque converter locked up while slowing down. in 06 a different computer was put onto the 48RE to enable this so an exhaust brake could be used.

installing either the US Gear or pac brake will not void the warranty, but it will be useless on your 05 since the torque conver unlocks when you take your foot off the throttle and begin slowing down.

I'm pretty sure you could talk to ATS, DTT or other tranny guys and see if there is by some way the 06 computer could be used on the 05's. I doubt it can but it is worth a shot if you realy need it but it wont be cheap

 

But don't they sell torque converter lock-up kits that work with the exhaust brake for the pre-'05s?

 

ATS makes an excellent Torque Converter (ATS Five Star) and they have a "Co Pilot" lockup controller, this will work great with the "PacBrake" exhaust brake. The stock Torque Converter will probably not stand up very long. There are probably several other options out there, but this converter setup is what I just had installed in my 98 3500 12 Valve Q-Cab. Dualie RWD, as the truck came with a PacBrake and an ATS Commander Lockup controller(older version of the "Co Pilot"). I also replaced the trans with an ATS trans. with the "billet" input shaft.(I bought the truck cheap because of Transmission problems, so I had to replace or rebuild the trans and torque converter anyway). The price is a bit high, but should be nearly bullet proof. The lockup controller for the torque converter will improve mileage, and is required for the exhaust brake to work. Now with the "Gear Vendor" Overdrive, I get right at 20.0 MPG @ 70 MPH on level ground @ 1,500 RPM (hand calc.) unloaded. I will be pulling 6,000-8,000 trailers 90% of the time 40,000 miles/year so I wanted a very heavy duty trans. setup, and will deffinately use the PacBrake.

Ralph

 

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thanks for clarification on that ralph. I thought that something did exist for it but wasnt sure. I do know in stock for the exh. brake wont work. I am more up on the manuals than the auto's anyway