-Quick story... Well I was on the verge of getting rid of my truck when the dealer offered me a trade in value of $8,500 to which I had to laugh and demand my keys back! So I made the agreement with the wife that I will keep my truck (she REALLY didn't want me to trade it in for a gas burner truck. I didn't want to get rid of it, but economically it was a better choice - until the low ball trade in value that is). So anyways the agreement consisted of me keeping my truck, but I get to make it the way I want to! So I've been catching up on some needed maintaining - rotated the tires and changed the fuel filters. I did what seems to be common by reading around and broke the secondary fuel filter cap and stripped the water seperator screw.
-Now I catch her on her own words... So I went ahead and ordered a billet cap and the fancy screw that everyone talks about that I guess I can remove with my hand now?? Both of them are from diesel manor. While I was on the ball and spending money I went ahead and got the coolant filter system from MKM Customs - pretty excited for all these to arrive and get installed! I'm also going to get my bed liner sprayed in finally (I have the money sitting aside for that just waiting on better weather and time off)
-Now for the questions... I'm going to order my EGR delete kit when I get a little more side cash, but what else do you recommend? I'm not trying to mess with the oil cooler for now unless you all think I should, but I'm hoping the filter will prevent that. I'm definatley wanting to do leveling kit with 33 or 35?? and throw some gauges on the pillar. Any other suggestions? Should I get all the fluids flushed and/or changed? Maybe delete the muffler? Head studs seem a little pricey for now so they are probably out of the question until they fail... Let me hear what you recommend

ScangaugeII or Insight to monitor the EOT and ECT first. The coolant filter might help clean the system, but it's not foolproof. I like the BPD EGR delete, mainly because it's like repacing the EGR cooler, except this one is plugged. I've heard stories of some EGR delete pipes leaking from not being supported in the right places. Never seen it, just heard of it. The cost isn't much different either

Thanks for the input.. The one I was looking at was recommended by a few people and only ran $150 for it - sounded better price than 3-400... As far as the Scangauge or Insight goes - whats the advantage in running them versus the pillar gauges? I like the look of the pillar gauges better, but also want whats best for the truck...

The advantage to the scangauge2 is the vast amount of information it can get from the truck. It can monitor alot of the existing sensors.
You would need those pillar gauges and some scanning software to get what that little thing can do. Scangauge costs about $165, that is only the cost of just one gauge.
You should have a fuel pressure gauge (need to add since there is no fuel pressure sensor on the truck), and if you want to fill out your pillar set, a pyrometer and a boost gauge.

I like the looks of the Insight better, but the SGII has a better price, haha. What all can they monitor or is there a link that will show it? I can't find a list of them. I like the fact the Insight can monitor 8 at a time and the SGII only shows 4. Seems that if I were going to only watch 4 I'd just get the pillar gauges... Also, I have an SCT programmer on the truck set to the canned performance tune - not sure if that will make a difference on anything..

Found a list of what they can monitor, but not have another question.. where do each of them mount? I have found some that mount on the RV Mirror, on the dash, etc, but haven't seen a pillar mount for either of them.. That's where I'd really like to mount them at - is it even possible? If so do they make one that I can put some gauges in as well as the monitor? Sorry for all the questions I'm new to this part of it - had my truck for 3 years almost, but never done anything like this so I'm pretty stoked and want to go into it and do it right.

I mounted my CTS here using the dash pod

Just saw that on Stealth's site Thanks.. I guess I'm starting to lean towards getting the CTS, but I still really like the looks of the pillar gauges.. Just seems more economical to get a CTS and be able to monitor a lot more...

You can do the CS too, the only difference being it's not a touchscreen

Another CHEAP option for EGR delete is 35mm freeze plugs, remove cooler, pound them into both sides, throw on a weld for extra security if desired, re-install cooler. Just make sure you get a new lenght of heater hose and clamps, that OEM stub piece and clamps are a joke. I bought my delete on Ebay for $125 and made sure the coolant re-route tube and EGR cap were welded together. Oh yeah, expect 12~16 hrs to delete EGR cooler. Oh yeah, don't sweat the EGR valve, the EGR cooler is the problem, I left mine in and hooked up, no issues.

What Edge, Scan Guage and Bully Dog Watch Dog don't tell you up front is that they DO NOT include an EGT probe. Cha-ching! I just bought a 2 5/8" Auto Meter EGT for $145 from Summit Racing, WITH a probe. The 2 1/16" will fit in pillar pod. Anyway, Edge wants $100 for non expandable EGT probe, $130 for expandable (if you want a back up camera or the other things a CTS can do. Bully Dog wants $150 for an EGT probe that can monitor 2 EGT sources (but they only give you supplies for one). I figure with the EGT gauge on the dash, it will free up a spot on whatever OBD II monitor I choose.

I don't need all of the 1/4 mile timers, mileage coaches (I'm on 35s what mileage!?!), etc these things offer, therefore, I'm thinking at a buck fifty, a Scan Gauge II is going into my truck.