My question is, is it worth modifying to make the EBPV into a exhaust brake and what kind of risks are associated. I dont want to hurt the reliability of the truck
Or am I better off gutting it..
96 ZF5 with Centerforce 450 clutch, Diamond eye turbo back 4" exhaust going on next week and Tymar intake.. Primarily used for hauling.
Our Decel tune works exceptionally well, and it utilizes the EBPV as an exhaust brake.
Now if you just wire it up to shut it yourself, you can run into issues. Mainly because you do not know the backpressure, and you are doing nothing to the trans to account for the engine braking.
Our Decel tune does not let EBP get high enough to cause damage, and it applies pressure to the coast clutch in the trans so no damage occurs there.
So if it is done right, it works great with very little risk of damaging anything. If it is done wrong, you can run into problems.
I use the EBPV as an exhaust brake controlled with a simple switch because my F250 is dedicated to towing a trailer, and towing a trailer in the mountains is when an exhaust brake shines.
To make sure the exhaust back pressure does not go too high, I use an Edge Insight which can read the EBP via the OBD port, among many the other engine and tranny values. My personal EBP limit is 40psi, at which point I will apply some truck-and-trailer braking to relieve the pressure to 40 and under. This is easy to monitor and do. It does not usually reach that high on my outfit anyway.
I also put a switch so I can keep the tranny's torque converter locked when coming down the grade with the exhaust brake applied. This is needed to make sure the converter isn't uncoupled (which can happen when the brakes are applied), which subsequently can raise tranny temps through unneeded fluid churning. Also, an uncoupled torque converter can reduce or eliminate the value of engaging the exhaust brake.
For maybe 20 bucks in wiring and switches on the EBPV and the torque converter lock, I find it works very well. Of course the Edge Insight costs considerably more, but it also provides many other gauges to keep tabs on things, including any trouble codes that might come up and need addressing.
Regarding the possibility of an exhaust brake creating exhaust system leaks, I suppose this could happen to a marginal system, but a healthy exhaust system is designed to hold any reasonable pressure, and why it would leak at any given time would be the pertinent question. I might postulate that most exhaust system leaks develop on trucks that do not have exhaust brakes from the normal aging wear-and-tear process.
Thanks guys! Good info. Currently just battling to get the new down pipe in. Then its decision time on tunes and a monitor..
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