The Five of the Most Common Diesel Engine Myths Busted

Misconceptions about diesel engines abound. From diesel pros and cons to the best (and worst) diesel performance parts and trucks, there are a lot of diesel engine articles and myths floating around. Diesel engine myths have tarnished diesels' reputation for years, and drivers deserve to know the truth. Here are five of the most popular diesel engine myths and misconceptions, along with a more accurate take on diesel performance, facts, and features:

1. Diesel Engines Are Too Loud

Much of the public still believes that diesel engines are all noisy, rumbling, smoke-belching monstrosities. While the earlier direct-injection diesel vehicles were indeed much more noisy, these days newer common-rail technology makes diesels nearly as quiet as gasoline engines.

2. Diesels Are Expensive to Repair and Maintain

This is a pervasive myth, but it's simply not true. The diesel engine's primary benefit is longevity. While a 300,000-mile engine might need a lift pump, a set of injectors, or even an injection pump, there rarely is a catastrophic failure. Diesel engines have very good fuel economy, especially while towing. Oil changes for diesels can be pricey, but 10,000-mile intervals are normal for newer models, so you'll pay for fewer of them.

3. Diesels Are Difficult to Start in Winter

While many believe that diesels don't start in cold weather as well as their gasoline counterparts, most modern diesels now come equipped with block heaters that bring them up to speed. Some users don’t take the time to utilize their block heaters in cold weather (or aren't aware they are an option), but this can make a big difference. Keeping your intake grid heater functioning properly, glow plugs and relay-optimal, and batteries charged, also helps significantly with cold-weather starts.

4. Propane Is Like Nitrous for a Diesel Engine

Not true -- in fact, these two fuel types are polar opposites. While both propane and nitrous are gases within an engine, adding propane is like burning an additional fuel, while the oxygen content of nitrous is tantamount to adding another turbo. Propane injection can result in a small surge of power and improve fuel economy, but nothing earth shattering. Doing this is best for unmodified engines. If used for horsepower gains, propane can ignite prematurely and lead to excess heat, holed or melted pistons, and corroded injector nozzles. Propane can be dangerous, as there's no way to regulate its ignition point. Nitrous is best used for competitions at high boost and high rpm, and it can add hundreds of hp.

5. Kerosene Is the Best Way to Keep Fuel from Gelling

No. It can help, but this requires adding quite a bit of it. You'll need a minimum of 30 percent kerosene to reduce fuel pour point by 15 degrees. Kerosene also doesn't help very much with fuel line freeze-ups. It will lower the cetane rating of diesel fuel, and fewer BTUs means less energy and lower fuel economy. It also decreases lubricity. To best prevent fuel from gelling up, use additives that are specifically made to do so.

Diesel engine myths have impacted perceptions about diesel vehicles for far too long. Drivers deserve to know the truth, and hopefully the general public will come around to a more accurate take on diesel performance parts and facts. From diesel performance misconceptions to the best diesel engine stories and diesel performance parts info, there's myth and then there's reality. Hopefully this article can help to bust some of the more insidious diesel engine myths floating around, and encourage you to not only use diesel, but to shop at Custom-Diesel.com for all of your diesel performance parts needs.

DIY- EGR Delete Install on 6.7 2007-2008 Dodge Ram Cummings Diesel

Here are some step by step instructions on how to install your 07-08 6.7 Cummins EGR delete.

1. Disconnect Batteries
2. Drain coolant
3. Remove 4 screws from plastic cover and remove cover
4. Loosen V-band clamps and remove cross-over pipe figure then unplug and disconnect intake valve.
5. Remove 4 screws and electrical plug from intake valve. Remove any existing gas ket material from intake manifold.
6. Unplug throttle valve located under intake elbow, top view of throttle valve.
7. Install Custom Diesel Inc intake plate with supplied bolts making sure o-rings are fully seated figure 5.0. Then remove heat shield from EGR bypass figure.
8. Remove 4 bolts to exhaust bypass.
9. Remove exhaust servo motor and exhaust bypass together.
10. Remove 4 EGR Cooler mounting bolts and disconnect all hoses.
11. Remove v-band clamp from front of EGR Cooler.
12. Pull EGR cooler up and out towards the front of the truck.
13. Unbolt EGR cooler mounting bracket by removing the 2 bolts that attach to the block.
14. Once bracket is removed, remove the exhaust crossover elbow, then remove the 4 bolts that hold the motor cover.
15. Install supplied stainless steel exhaust block off plates.
16. Next install new supplied coolant tube.
17. Attach the provided bracket to the mounting hole on the head where the egr cooler bracket was. Use the existing bolt and bolt hole that is directly behind vertical coolant line is.
18. Use the provided hardware to attach the dipstick tube and coolant line support bracket to the other end of the provided bracket.
19. Additional pictures for instructions are available online

Pros and Cons of an EGR Delete Kits

Deleting the EGR on a diesel engine creates several pros and cons.

Pros

• Elimination of harmful contaminates being reintroduced back into the engine.
• Warm exhaust gases being sent away from the engine through the vehicles exhaust system.
• Increase in the Diesel mpg. Some people experience gains of almost 5 mpg making this a very fuel efficient modification.
• Engine coolant will not be as warm because it doesn’t have to cool the exhaust like it did when the EGR was still on the vehicle.
• Increase in the longevity of the engine because it will be running cleaner and more efficiently.
• Depending on the truck one has you can experience faster turbo spool up.
• Coolant will flow faster through the engine because it will not be diverted by the EGR cooler.
• Less likely to have a blown head gasket.
• Examples of Custom Diesel EGR Delete Kits
  • Ford- http://www.custom-diesel.com/egr-delete-kits/ford-egr-delete-kits/6-0-egr-delete-kits
  • Dodge- http://www.custom-diesel.com/egr-delete-kits/dodge-egr-delete-kits/6-7-cummins

Cons

• Increase in EGT because the non oxygen containing exhaust is not being readmitted back into the cylinder to keep EGT’s low.
• Some of the cons would be created by the oil cooler on the 6.0 Powerstroke but they can be prevented by regular maintenance. Other Diesel engines may differ depending on design and year model.
  • Flush coolant
  • Change coolant filter
  • Some people install new oil coolers during EGR deletes to decrease chances of having a faulty cooler creating a leak and more down time because of engine repair.

As you can see the EGR delete definitely has more pros than cons. Custom Diesel makes EGR delete kits for your performance diesel truck to handle whatever you do whether it’s driving on the street or racing the ¼ mile. Order your EGR from www.custom-diesel.com

6.0 Powerstroke Diesel Performance

Do you own or are you considering the purchase of a 6.0 Powerstroke? If so Custom Diesel is the place to buy all the performance parts you need. As most people know the 6.0 Powerstroke has been plagued by problems from the factory however with a few modifications one can have quite possibly the most reliable truck on the road. These engines have been known for problems with their head gaskets because of overheating mainly because of the EGR system. Like most diesel owners we all want a little more power than we receive from the stock computer tunes this is where Custom Diesel can help for your 6.0 diesel solutions.

The first thing we recommend is the purchase of our Custom Diesel EGR delete. This delete package is one of the most critical parts to giving your 6.0 Powerstroke that lasting performance we all want from our diesel engines. The EGR system cools exhaust gases as it sends them back into the engine to reduce emissions. When the exhaust is sent back into the intake it gets clogged up with soot and other harmful diesel particulates. By installing this delete kit you will do many things to help your engine. Engine coolant will be cooler preventing the possibility of blowing a head gasket resulting in costly repairs. You will receive better fuel economy. Some customers have experienced gains of almost 5 mpg. The up pipe we manufacture can also increase turbo spool up resulting in quicker boost.

Next on the list would be the install of ARP head studs. If you want to have the added power from a tuner head studs are a must. With the added power from a tuner the factory head bolts can become stretched and result in a blown head gasket with high performance tunes. Head studs can handle large amounts of power that can be made with the 6.0 engine. If you are going to do a head stud install it is best to lift the cab so you will have more room to work with. We also offer head gaskets in some of our solution kits.

Now that we have the cooling and head gasket issue solved it is time to add the high performance parts. In order to get the most from a tuner your truck must breathe well and that means the addition of an exhaust and intake. At Custom Diesel you can order single or dual performance exhausts. It’s just personal preference from there. Factory air intake boxes are good for almost 500 horses in some cases but if you seek more horsepower than that I’d recommend an aftermarket intake. We offer several different tuner options like the SCT SF3 programmer. It has three preloaded tunes with power levels capable of up to 150 additional horsepower and even economy tunes of 75 horsepower. This tuner has the ability to upload custom tunes from the internet also.

Other performance options would be the addition of an aftermarket turbo as opposed to the stock turbo. One we offer is the Industrial Injection Garret Power Max Stage One. This Turbo will help increase spool up by maximize power output but keeping turbo speeds down for the same output. This turbo can support up to an additional 175 horsepower over stock and would be a good replacement for a stock one also. All of these products are available on our website and are ready for purchase at anytime. This setup has been proven over time to be reliable and make nice amounts of power also.