Throttle Tinkering
Question:
In the August '10 Top Tech column there was a sentence or two about adjusting a Dodge's throttle cable to gain more travel, and I was wondering how that was accomplished. I have a '93 Ram with a Cummins, manual transmission, and the fuel screw turned in. I'd like to know how to get more travel out of the throttle pedal.
Larry Mann
Devine, Texas
| Figure A
Even with the high-idle screw backed all the way off (arrow), the stock throttle linkage still isn't even near its full potential as far as travel is concerned.
Answer:
The reason we didn't mention it more is because we've yet to come up with a final determination on how to best make it work on our truck. With our '89 Dodge, even after we removed the high-idle screw, our throttle linkage would only move so far, as travel was limited by our throttle cable and transmission kickdown assembly (figure A). Since Rust Bucket has an automatic, we had to make a plate that reengineered both the kickdown and throttle linkage angles to where the injection pump linkage is pulled farther back by the throttle cable at the fulcrum point (figure B). In our case, this was only worth a few extra horsepower, but about 500 extra rpm from the same governor spring. If you do this on your truck, you'll also have the option of buying different styles of rod ends and making it work, because you won't have to deal with the added complexity of a kickdown. No matter how you do it, your final goal should be to have the pump linkage wrap around until it hits the side of the pump. After you're finished, rev it up a few times in Neutral with a board handy to block off the turbo in case the added rpm causes the engine to run away, and you'll be good to go.
| With modified attachment points, we were able to get another 30 degrees of travel out of our Cummins' VE pump linkage, which increased our full-fueling rpm by another 500 rpm.
G56 vs. NV5600
Question:Do you have information on the strength of the G56 six-speed manual transmission used in Dodges? I was thinking of upgrading to a newer truck and want to know if they are as reliable as the NV5600 six-speed manual.
Kent Andersson
Via email
Answer:
Well, if you're talking about stock power levels, then yes, the G56s are just as reliable. The case of the G56 is made out of aluminum instead of the cast-iron used on the NV5600, which leads many people to think it isn't as reliable. The truth is, when you pump up the power, they're still as reliable as the NV5600s-up to a certain point. If you're planning on 700 or 800 hp to the wheels combined with sled pulling every weekend, both transmissions will require a heavy-duty multi-disc clutch, and it's a good idea to have many of the stock parts cryogenically treated for strength. We've heard of sled pullers busting both G56 transmissions and NV5600s, but the consensus is that the NV5600 transmissions are a bit stronger. For 99 percent of Dodge owners, the G56 will work just fine, and if you are the type of guy who likes to hammer really hard on things, you can always swap in a hot-rodded NV5600 into the later-model truck.
Hydro-Power Diesel
Question:
I don't recall seeing much about hydrogen generators and how well they work-or don't work. I'm specifically wondering what it would do for my stock (except for the Banks Ram-Air and Monster Dual exhaust) '07 Silverado. Which one of the kits is the right size for my application? Can you just use the biggest kit with no problems? Thanks for your input.
Mike Novak
Granbury, Texas
| Right now, the hydrogen generator that Feature Editor Jason Thompson purchased almost two years ago is being used as a paperweight. If anyone out there has one that actually works, drop us a line. We want this technology to work-but so far our experience tells us to be leery.
Answer:
We hate to burst your bubble, but we have a hydrogen generator sitting on our desk right now. It's proven to be a better paperweight than a fuel-economy improver. We've yet to see a single valid test that confirms that they increase fuel economy, although the hearsay continues to abound that they are, in fact, functional. What is known is that they actually do produce hydrogen, but the jury is out on whether they produce enough to make a difference, or if the increased drag on the alternator (to produce the power for the electrolysis reaction) will cancel out any fuel efficiency increase from the extra fuel. All this being said, if there's anyone out there who has a hydrogen system they want us to test, we'd be glad to put it through its paces. Just email Jason.thompson@sorc.com with all your contact information.
P-Pumped 6.0L
Question:
I own an '07 F-250 4x4 and would like more power. I am planning to add head studs, an intake, delete the EGR system, bolt on a 4-inch exhaust, and install a programmer to start with. However, when I was pricing out injectors, I realized just how much more expensive the 6.0L's HEUI injectors are. I've read articles on a 7.3L-powered sled puller with a mechanical injection P-pump. How hard would it be to change out the HEUI system for a P-pump on the 6.0L Power Stroke?
Chris Bender
Via email
| Billy Zimmer's P-pumped Power Stroke has been making the rounds on the pulling circuit for a few years. If you're going to tackle a project like this yourself, make sure you have a big wallet and a buddy who runs a machine shop.
Answer:
We do know of one guy trying to P-pump a 6.0L Power Stroke, and it looks like he will be successful. So far, he has about $14,000 in just the fueling side of the equation, but his engine should make stupid power once it is finished. Troika Performance sells complete P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke engines capable of 1,400 hp for $35,000, and it told us the swap required more than 100 unique parts to be made. If it were us, we wouldn't even think about P-pumping a Power Stroke unless we needed more than 1,000 hp. For most people, having a mild set of injectors and good tuning that brings their 6.0L up to 450 to 500 rhwp is good enough. With huge injectors and nitrous, we've seen more than one 6.0L truck break 1,000 hp at the wheels, but how long the engines will live at that power level is anyone's guess.
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Welcome to Top Tech Questions. Oftentimes, readers contact us with questions about articles, or to praise us on what a good job we are doing. But our favorite form of reader communication is tech questions. Our Top Tech section is a place where you ask what's on your mind, and we answer it. Got a trouble code? Wondering how to get your engine to make more power?
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