Stage 1's v. Stage 2's

[PSDprepper]

Hi everyone,

Recently my truck has started acting up. It is having a really hard time starting when it is cold. I have already checked and replaced the GPR, checked the batteries, the stater if fine, there is diesel in it! before the cold weather set in the engine would occasionaly lope once or twice then run like normal, it wasnt until a few days ago that it took almost 30 seconds to fire.

I might be wrong, this is my first diesel truck, but I think this means my injectors are going bad...

If that is the problem, I am going to be buyin new injectors.

SO, the question is do I get stage 1's or 2's? I would like more power, and better fuel mileage if possible (currently 16.5 highway 10 city). I do tow a travel trailer with it over the Sierra Nevadas twice a year.

I have been doing research on them and I know that stage 2's would require a bigger HPOP and possibly and intercooler? what else would I be required to run with stage 2's? I hear that it is better to get the 2's and tune them down until I put more supporting mods on, but with my use of the truck would I want to have stage 2's?

Thanks guys.

[BigFuel]

I do and love them. I pull a 12000+# horse trailer over the grape vine several times a year and enjoy every once of power. "Stage II's" kinda go as the seller calls them. I have 160/100 and to my recon, and backed by Cary, only Full Force Diesel makes these as they have bought up all the 100 over-sized nozzles. Swamps and the like will gladly sell you 160/80's or 180/30's ( I don't know the actual math between them) and those aught to be pretty similar. Can also get 238/30's that people on other sites claim to split hairs on the 160/100's. You can see my parts list below but with towing in mind I would highly recommend an IC, larger turbo, and E-Fuel. The injectors can be tamed until the larger HPOP comes along.

I know the Sierra's well as I am up there fishing all over every summer. If you would like to keep it cheep for a little while a 1.0 housing will squash your high altitude blues for a while.

[PSDprepper]

Thanks Big Fuel!

I also forgot to mention that my truck has 242,xxx miles on her. I don't know if bigger injectors will do anything to it. E40D rebuilt 40,000 ago... Will I blow the tranny up?

I also heard about head studs? Do I need those?

My biggest concern is money, I can afford the injectors and a few more things after that but my budget is about $2500.

[ol_Blue97]

Id do a compression test b4 u spend money on injectors to be sure...

With stage 2s u will NEED
- trubo
- HPOP.... t500
- intercooler
- efuel conversion (highly recommended)
- trans upgrade, tripple disk TC and a valve body at a minumium.
- custom tunes

May want to look into
- head studs, not needed but not a bad idea. If u stud a stock gasket it will hold more boost then if u pop it and put a new gasket it wont hold as much boost as the stock gasket studded without fire rings
-valve springs, right on the verge of needing

[BigFuel]

Without spending big money on the E4OD adding bigger injectors WILL increase your confidence tugging. With a stock rebuilt tranny behind the motor you probably will burn one or three up. The auto tranny can be very powerful if built right, and with your respect to the unit will have it lasting a long time. Out of the box, not so much. First mod that a lot of us would recommend to anyone is a set of gauges to monitor what you've got.

[PSDprepper]

Originally Posted by BigFuel

Without spending big money on the E4OD adding bigger injectors WILL increase your confidence tugging. With a stock rebuilt tranny behind the motor you probably will burn one or three up. The auto tranny can be very powerful if built right, and with your respect to the unit will have it lasting a long time. Out of the box, not so much. First mod that a lot of us would recommend to anyone is a set of gauges to monitor what you've got.

Thanks! I already have a pillar gauges (boost, tranny ,egt) and those are the best thing Ive done to my truck so far, especially when towing. My tranny was rebuilt 30,000 by PO. It doesnt look like he had it beefed up at all. All he added was a Diesel Site Transmission Filter system.

If I decide to go this route, would I be looking at triple disk TC and a valve body, anything else? Should I put a transcooler on right away just to be safe?

Or I could throw in a ZF5

Thanks guys!

[BigFuel]

The ZF5 is a cheaper but more time consuming MOD for handling that power. A well built Auto is stronger and quicker then a manual. That takes thousands of dollars though. Mine is moderately built (compared to a full BTS tranny) with a tough TC and valve body but not where it should be for my plans and towing (hence, 4th tranny). Be good to the truck and she'll bring you home.

[terryknight]

i have 2s, 160/100 from rosewood (matt i've not heard that about FFD and the nozzles), i tow and can upto 16K several times a year. I like the 2's though i am running them detuned until I get a D66 installed this winter. I also did e fuel, t500, and IC before i installed them. I am running TW tunes. go 2s and detune them. easier than getting 1s then wanting 2s

[BigFuel]

Yeah, I was talking to Cary a couple weeks ago and he was telling me how FFD bought up all he 100 over nozzles and that nobody else can sell them now. He had nothing against FFD but doesn't really buy from them either.

[terryknight]

so it is a recent thing?