Basic questions re: "deleting," etc...

[Fivesense]

I'm exposing myself here as not particularly "technical," although I quite capable of learning and finding my way through technical info. I've always loved diesel power and have had 5 diesel trucks- one Duramax, two PowerStroke, one EcoDiesel, and now my Cummins (also a Mercedes ML 350 for my wife). I'm just not a gear head.

I read a lot about people "deleting" their diesel. I know this means the Diesel Particulate Filter, but I'd be grateful for any additional basic info, or direction to good resources to learn more. Is this a common practice for folks here? I'm interested in learning about real world performance and fuel economy gains.

Another area I read about is keeping RPM high to enjoy MPG gains. How do folks here accomplish that? With an automatic transmission, does that mean using the manual shift buttons consistently to achieve and hold an RPM range?

I'll be over here waiting in the corner with my dunce cap on!

 

[1500ram12]

"Deleting" a diesel truck includes (depending on year) egr, dpf and def systems. Which all require a capable tuner to trick the computer's into thinking that they are still in tact. With the recent epa crack downs a lot of companies stopped selling "race/off-road" exhaust system's and tuners (both the canned tune tuners and custom). So for now it has become more difficult to delete. Deleting is more than just allowing you to remove the emissions equipment for better sound it's actually better for the engine and can increase mpgs.

As far as running high rpms for better mpgs is something I've never heard of. Running higher rpms you are working the engine harder burning more fuel. So you would be loosing mpgs.


2018 2500 6.4L Tradesman

 

[DodgeDude1999]

I run a 5” turbo back with a 30” resonator, tuning is CTT (the best in the business for Cummins) and the tuner interface is EZ Lynk & a shift on the fly knob that lets me go from 0-200hp with a twist of a knob. The tuning also ups the line pressure in the trans which help it survive.
My EGR is disable but still intact.
CTT is out of Canada, EZ Lynk is head quartered out of Caribbean.

When the truck was bone stock I could get 23-24mpg (hand calc’d)highway, after the 35” tires I was 18-20, now on the +30hp setting I am back to the 23-24 highway. my oil is cleaner as well, & no issues of fuel dilution either since there is no regen to happen.

 

[Fivesense]

I run a 5” turbo back with a 30” resonator, tuning is CTT (the best in the business for Cummins) and the tuner interface is EZ Lynk & a shift on the fly knob that lets me go from 0-200hp with a twist of a knob. The tuning also ups the line pre

"Deleting" a diesel truck includes (depending on year) egr, dpf and def systems. Which all require a capable tuner to trick the computer's into thinking that they are still in tact. With the recent epa crack downs a lot of companies stopped selling "race/off-road" exhaust system's and tuners (both the canned tune tuners and custom). So for now it has become more difficult to delete. Deleting is more than just allowing you to remove the emissions equipment for better sound it's actually better for the engine and can increase mpgs.

As far as running high rpms for better mpgs is something I've never heard of. Running higher rpms you are working the engine harder burning more fuel. So you would be loosing mpgs.


2018 2500 6.4L Tradesman

I run a 5” turbo back with a 30” resonator, tuning is CTT (the best in the business for Cummins) and the tuner interface is EZ Lynk & a shift on the fly knob that lets me go from 0-200hp with a twist of a knob. The tuning also ups the line pressure in the trans which help it survive.
My EGR is disable but still intact.
CTT is out of Canada, EZ Lynk is head quartered out of Caribbean.

When the truck was bone stock I could get 23-24mpg (hand calc’d)highway, after the 35” tires I was 18-20, now on the +30hp setting I am back to the 23-24 highway. my oil is cleaner as well, & no issues of fuel dilution either since there is no regen to happen.

ssure in the trans which help it survive.
My EGR is disable but still intact.
CTT is out of Canada, EZ Lynk is head quartered out of Caribbean.

When the truck was bone stock I could get 23-24mpg (hand calc’d)highway, after the 35” tires I was 18-20, now on the +30hp setting I am back to the 23-24 highway. my oil is cleaner as well, & no issues of fuel dilution either since there is no regen to happen.

Thanks for both of these replies. I'm reading through a lot of stuff online and the general consensus of what I've been reading is "negative," as in "don't do it." I'm sure that's largely just to keep people informed of the potential consequences.

I'm past the point where I want to gain crazy horsepower or sound etc...- UNLESS it's to the benefit of the engine and overall functionality. I do want my engine to breathe and run most efficiently.

Deleting and tuning seem to accomplish that. I did have Ken Imler install a tuner on my '06 Duramax and the power increase was intoxicating. Fuel economy benefit was noticeable. But as far as I remember (at least in California then) '06 was the last year you could really tune up a diesel.

Now that I'm in Idaho, and have a 2018 Ram 2500 6.7, what would be other basic recommendations (and how much would they cost) for a simple delete and tune?

 

[DodgeDude1999]

If you have been told not to do it, you’re either talking to gasser or someone who doesn’t know WTF they’re talking about (or a shop that had gotten pinched).

the emissions warranty is 5/50k,52k miles I started having DPF issues. I don’t have to worry about that now.
That’s why I went that route.

yes the power is amazing & surprises a lot of people who think they’re gonna get the jump on you & get beat by a 4 ton rig.

I bought my exhaust on EBay when they had one of those discount code days. It was $500 shipped, the tuner I bought from a seller that’s near me, if you want their name PM. The EZ Lynk was $1200.

 

[MADDOG]

I fully deleted my 2017 6.7L truck because the DPF system would fail to regenerate and the truck would go into limp mode. Usually I was 14 miles North of NoWhere when this happened. It was in to three different dealers and at the end of the day, all they could figure out was to reset it and keep on driving.

So, after the third time it left me stranded near NoWhere, I resolved to deal with it myself and remove the offending system.

Understand that in some areas this is not legal and not passing an emissions ****** a risk to consider. You won't have a warranty on the emissions systems but, heck, no big deal. You just removed it. But, some dealers will use the fact that you modified your vehicle to attempt to waive on other powertrain parts if they fail.

On the upside, the truck responds to throttle inputs quickly, it has better power, the mods don't turn it into a rolling coal black smoke belcher and fuel mileage at cruise and unloaded has improved. It is a bit noisier now, though. The systems you end up removing are utilized not only to treat emissions but also to muffle engine exhaust noise. But that can be dealt with.

Lastly, since you have upped the performance of the engine, the transmission may be at risk. In reading about the failure modes associated with modified trucks, the most prevalent one is that the transmission valve body won't hold the pressures associated with the higher input power and the valve body is bypassed by the fluid, causing some pressure increase/decrease cycling. You could say it feels as if the transmission was stuttering. The most common failure mode, given a stuttering transmission. is a cracked transmission case. There are solutions to this problem as well.

So here is the list of mods done to my truck at around 3400 miles. I am very happy with the results.

Delete & Tune mods

Edge CTS-2 Insight monitor with Cummins unlock

13 – 17 EFI Live Dodge CSP4 tune package by PPEI / Kory Willis

13 – 17 EFI Live Dodge transmission tuning

Cummins tuning switch CSP4

EGR valve and cooler removal with block off plate

Throttle valve delete

Edge expandable EGT probe kit

Pillar pod mount for Edge CTS2​

Transmission mods

BD Diesel 68RFE valve body plate kit

Mag Hytec deep transmission pan

ATS 68RFE transmission case support brace​

Exhaust Upgrade

FloPro 4“ cat & DPF cannister delete pipe

4” – 6” black exhaust tip with rolled edge

Corsa 8004002 4” muffler – placed just downstream of down pipe​

 

[DodgeDude1999]

I’m pretty sure Kory got pinched, as states on PPEI he is only doing emissions intact times now.

With the EZ Lynk, you use your phone as you gauges now, some like that some don’t, I miss my Edge screen, but the phone app works just as good.

A performance valve body say from Revmax is around $700, my truck is lower mileage (53k) so I have a bonded separator plate, DNJ valve body half, Sonnax billet accumulators and plate that I will be installing.

 

[EdmundCA]

I had an issue where my DPF system failed to regenerate even after traveling at high speeds of 75 miles per hour. I am here to say that the below steps do work. I connected my 6,400 lb toy hauler and set my speed between 55-60 mph. Plenty of WHITE SMOKE was released and the system regenerated. I traveled approximately 5 minutes and had no issues thereafter. Who ever posted the following instructions, or if you know who it was, THANK YOU. This saved me a very expensive trip to the dealer.