PART 7 - LEARNING TO LOVE YOUR COMMON RAIL DIESEL - PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS

PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENTS

Plug-In Power Chips

Power Chips typically increase fuel pump pressure and duration. In the end, they increase fuel delivery by one means or other to increase performance. Commonly gain 20% gain in Torque on the Standard engine. On some models, the settings can be changed to take advantage of any modifications already fitted, eg high flow exhaust, intercooler, snorkel. We recommend that you change the exhaust to a larger diameter to allow the increase of fuel and air being forced into the engine to be efficiently released, but it is not essential.

Typically cost under $1000 fitted.

Exhaust Replacement

Complete 3.0" Mandrel bent Hi-Flow Exhaust Kit, including dump pipe, replaces the complete exhaust, from the back of the turbo to the rear bumper. This will make quite a difference to fuel economy (10%+) as the turbo spools up much earlier in the RPM range, so brings the torque on earlier - equates to improved efficiency.

The turbine spins earlier due to the greater space for the hot exhaust gases to expand into. The hot gases expand as they cool (opposite of compressing them, the Law of Adiabatic).

The hotter the gases (more fuel load) or the larger the space (bigger exhaust pipe, limitation is some back pressure is required) the more rapidly those gases expand.

It’s the expansion of the gases that make the turbo spin, as they rush past the turbine into the greater space of the larger exhaust.

For lower down torque, better towing and safer overtaking, a 3” Mandrel bent exhaust (in coated mild steel or stainless) will make a noticeable difference, but not to the same extent as a Power Chip or ECU Re-Map.

ECU Re-Maps

LTG 4x4 specialises in CRD 4WD vehicles only, and are providing a custom user-specific tune. It is not a preset package tune from Russia or Europe (where air temperatures are vastly different to Australia), that is then downloaded into your ECU. Nor is it a "plug-in" or "solder-in" chip.

It’s about getting the optimum performance for the same or less fuel with a custom re-map, setup according to your use of the vehicle. You’ll need to advise what you use the vehicle for, and what you find lacking.

For example: Towing a Van occasionally, Towing a Heavy Tradie Trailer every day, carrying a Water or Fuel Tank for a Fire Unit there are so many uses, the tunes vary substantially.

The focus is drivability, widening the useful RPM range, to change the entire feel of the vehicle.

To achieve this, the ECU is interrogated to change hundred’s of tune settings – the relationship of fuel, air, timing sensors (MAS, MAP, Crank Angle, TPS, EGR, Boost, Cam Timing, Injector Timing and Pressure, AFR’s) – a myriad of networking that generates the factory tune.

Result: Fig 12

If you run down the graphs at the same RPM, you can see the red line is above the blue in the AFR's and all other specs: Power, Torque, Boost are up while Fuel Load is down, all the way to 2300rpm.

All happening at the same time. And even when the AFR’s drop below the standard setting, it’s not by much.

It’s not magic, it’s using the existing ECU and sensors, just changing how they interrelate to each other.

Ask LTG 4x4 for a cost for your specific application.

Thank you for reading the 6th installment of Learning to love your common rail diesel! New installments coming in the future! For more in-depth 4WD information head over to www.ltg4x4.com.au/blog

Cheers,

Tom from LTG 4x4