Need your help

[ScottBryan]

Ok so have been on here reading for 2 months trying to learn from everyone and have been but still can use a lot of help. My truck is a completely stock 04 ccsb. My plans are to play on weekends at truck pulls and pull my trailer around about 5000lbs so here's my build with about 2000$ budget

#1 programmer after reading a lot sct but which one? On the fence with itsx simply because my understanding is it is a programmer with ability to monitor everything or do I go with CS or cts with normal handheld? This is my biggest concern because I have no experience with it. Saw mkm diesel has a combo sct and cts for 749.00. But the itsx calls to me because I use my iPad and iPhone and rarely on a computer.

#2 exhaust 5" turbo back no muffler( should I replace downpipe with larger diameter?) I've heard it's overkill but also heard it sounds great

#3 egr delete and replace oil cooler (truck has 93000 miles)

#4 coolant filter

The real problems are I just don't know enough and need a lot of help so I appreciate all your help.

[TooMuch03]

With a budget of about $2000, I hope you plan to do all the work yourself, because these things can get expensive. If your truck is bone stock, the first thing you should get is a monitor/gauges. Your options are Edge Insight CS or CTS (CS is cheaper but not touchscreen, big deal), scan gauge II, or dashdaq (which is expensive). You can use the iTSX, but I have heard there is some lag between real time parameters and what you see because it uses bluetooth. I prefer hardwires. If you get the insight, you will want to get the EAS expandable version and add and EGT probe and fuel pressure sensor. The other option is scan gauge II with separate EGT and Fuel Pressure gauges, this is probably least expensive.

Then add a coolant filter and, if your engine is healthy, switch to EC-1 coolant and you'r good to go. If its not healthy (i.e. EOT vs ECT delta larger than 15*) then you need to rebuild the oil cooler and delete or egr at that time.

If you want to get an exhaust, the larger downpipe will reduce back pressure and lower EGTs. A trubo back 4 or 5 inch will be under $500 usually. The final step after you are sure the engine is healthy is to tune it. An SCT X3 or SF3 with custom tunes is the way to go.

My last piece of advise is to read read read as much as you can and learn about the engine, so that you can recognize potential issues and make informed decisions.

[ScottBryan]

Thanks for the info. My plan was to delete egr and replace oil cooler but with what your saying is that is not nessasary unless the deltas are larger than 15? Or do I just do it? Planing a lot of work my self but have buddy that's a diesel tech at local garage that owes me one. So do I save my money if trucks running healthy and pass on egr and oil cooler till I monitor it?

[dhr05b]

I'll second what TooMuch03 said. Get yourself a decent monitor before you do anything. You may be just fine.

I bought the Edge Insight CTS recently (expandable), using the EGT probe and fuel pressure gauge. All said, for about $750 (expensive, I know), you'll have a very good system with the ability to tell you most everything you need to know about your motor.

If I were you, I wouldn't buy parts just yet. Get a monitor similar to the CTS, and check your delta first. I made the mistake of buying about $800 in parts I didn't need. They're now sitting on my workbench.

[TooMuch03]

Right. Get a monitoring system (gauges and/monitor) and find out what kind of shape your engine is in. Even if it is fine, deleting the EGR is still a good idea, just to keep the exhaust where it belongs--in the exhaust lol... If it's ntop healthy, then you can take steps to fix it. Once everything is good, then you can tune it