Articles by Greg

Written by Patrick Ellis If you are interested in maximizing the flow of your exhaust, the CDP 5" turbo back is for you! It provides maximum flow, for lower EGT's and those making power over 500 rwhp. The kit also combines the best in performance and price! We get lots of questions about how the exhaust installs, what modifications are necessary, etc. I recently installed this kit on my truck with the goal of helping our customers understand the installation process. If you have questions about removing your stock or 4" system, give us a call and we'll be happy to help. But for the purpose of this topic, I'll start with the exhaust already removed. You will notice that the packaging of this sytem is top-notch. Each piece of pipe comes wrapped in newspaper to protect it during shipment. The kit includes: - 5" downpipe - 5" middle section - 5" muffler delete pipe or muffler (depending on your choice) - 5" over the axle piece - 5" exit - Box containing all hangers and installation instructions Start by installing the downpipe. It helps to have someone on top of the truck line up the turbo and downpipe flanges. You'll also want them to install the clamp around the flanges and snug it down. Make sure they don't tighten it completely, as you may need to make adjustments to the downpipe. You just want the downpipe held in place at this point. Next, line up the middle section of the exhaust with the downpipe. At this point, you may find the downpipe needs to be rotated slightly to line up the exhaust straight out the back. Please note, this middle section will need to be cut if you have a quadcab shortbed truck. To make this cut accurately, assemble the rest of the exhaust and mock it up to determine where exactly it needs to be cut. Make the cut and install either the muffler delete pipe or muffler supplied with the kit. You will re-use the stock hangers already located on the truck. There is one in the middle section, two near the muffler and one over the axle. The kit comes with a downpipe hanger, but it will need modification to be installed. It hits the transmission cooler lines and this forces the hanger tip to not lineup with the hanger. I left this hanger off the truck, since the downpipe and remaining sections are properly supported. To make the supplied hanger fit the hanger over the axle, you will need to rotate the tip of the hanger slightly. I accomplished this by using a mallet and vice and tapping the tip until it rotated enough to fit the stock hanger. Overall, this installation is very straight-forward. If you have aptitude with basic handtools and understand the installation procedure, you can do it in 1-1.5 hours. This system requires no welding - unless you are running an Edge or PMT and need to run the O2 sensors. If so, you can purchase O2 bungs at an exhaust shop for around $4. Lineup these bungs with the stock O2 sensor location and install the bungs (or mark them for a muffler shop to weld). To recap, if you have a quadcab shortbed you will need to make a cut to the middle section of the exhaust. If you have a Megacab or longbed, no modification is necessary. Install all u-clamps where the pipe sections meet. A 9/16 socket or wrench will work fine. No welding is required, unless you are installing O2 bungs in the exhaust (Smarty and XRT owners don't have to worry about this). As a diesel enthusiast, I'm very happy with the fit and finish of this kit - and the sound is what I've been wanting since the beginning. The exhaust is fairly tame at cruising speed, but gets extremely loud and deep when you go WOT.

You HAVE to follow these instructions in order to gain a code free EGR / DPF delete and see the full power potential ! Using the EGR /DPF off option on a stock truck will result in severe engine and exhaust system damage! The late injection events ( formerly know as the 4th injection ) are turned OFF! Thus NO regeneration can take place even if the ECM commands it! The DPF will plug and result in excessive back pressure! The option to turn the DPF/EGR off is in the Revo options menu . Select “ 1 “ to turn the DPF and EGR off and eventually “0” should you want to return the truck back to stock conditions.. Required exhaust modifications : * The DPF and catalyst(s) need to be replaced with an after market exhaust system. * Starting from software revision “V:6.09A D:R12ME” the original exhaust gas temperature thermocouples are no longer needed! You can simply unplug them and seal the OEM connectors in the wiring harness with electrical tape. If you already use thermocouple simulators ( “SIMS” ) you can eventually leave them in place but we HIGHLY recommend to remove them! We have found a wide variety of problems caused by out of spec / faulty / false contacts SIMS. Thus it is best to remove them! * The oxygen sensors are not needed ( can be unplugged ) but if you have an exhaust system that already has the provision for these probes they can remain plugged in and used. * The exhaust differential pressure sensor ( on the top of the transmission, passenger side ) has to remain plugged into the factory harness but the rubber lines coming from the stock exhaust have the be unplugged from the sensor.

Written by John Cobb Certainly. Obviously MPG can vary from truck to truck due to environmental conditions such as altitude, humidity and temperature. Most customers see anywhere from a 2-7mpg increase in their fuel economy on normal driving after installing our tuning.

Written by Patrick Ellis If you are running this setup, there are a few things to remember. The first - and most important - is to make sure you set the Edge to clear codes on startup. This is important because the Edge does not "turn off" EGR and DPF codes. What will happen - if you start the truck and don't clear codes - is a series of codes will pop up. Typically, these are for the EGR servo motor being disconnected, the EGR being unplugged and the DPF codes. Not deleting these codes will result in overhead console messages (i.e. see dealer now) and possibly limp mode. So make sure to set this option during your initial Edge Juice setup. Cobbs Diesel Performance sells the sims needed for your exhaust system. These sims will tell the computer that the DPF pressure is within specification and prevent regeneration and codes. It is important to note, some later flashes from Dodge program the ECM to force a regeneration after so many miles. This is often referred to as a Regeneration Counter. When the counter is reached, regardless of the sims, the truck will go into regeneration. This regeneration will last for a pre-determined amount of time. If you experience this, take the truck for a drive and make sure to drive it hard (similar to how you would when it was stock and you were trying to get a complete regeneration). When the computer determines the regeneration has completed, the process will stop. The regeneration process can last 15-45 minutes.

Written by Patrick Ellis We get this question almost daily from customers. So let's start at the beginning. Regardless of which size you go with, you'll be getting better flow, less backpressure, and a better sounding exhaust. The 4" system is designed to be a quick, easy upgrade. Because the stock exhaust is 4 inches, you can re-use the rear half of the stock system and save time installing the aftermarket downpipe and DPF delete. The pipe just bolts up! As far as sound, the 4" is noticeably louder than stock and some drone exists in the mid rpm range. Whether this drone is unbearable varies by individual, but in my experience, is no louder than any other aftermarket system. If its too loud for your liking, a muffler can be added to quiet it down. The 5" system is louder - and deeper - than the 4" kit. It replaces the entire exhaust from the turbo flange to the tailpipe, so none of the stock exhaust is re-used. It allows for maximum flow and the lowest possible backpressure. Typically, the 5" system is purchased by those wanting the loudest sound and best flow - for high horsepower applications.

Written by Patrick Ellis This is the grand question facing us all! If you are just beginning to modify your diesel, we can offer you some tips before spending money. Where do you see your truck's performance going? Are you looking for a small amount of power to help with towing or are you looking to run low 12's in the 1/4 mile? Regardless of which path you choose, there are some basic principles guiding each stragety. Making power with a diesel involves improving airflow and fuel. Whether you want 40 more horsepower or 400, airflow and fuel is what it comes down to. Let's start by discussing some basic principles of making power with a diesel. Airflow Improving airflow is a crucial ingredient to making big power with a diesel. The first step to improving it is removing the restrictive factory air intake and replacing it with a high-flow cold air intake system. We sell a variety of air intakes to improve flow, sound and performance. Next, look towards the intercooler. The factory intercooler - especially if you have a 2008 or 2009 truck - leaves a lot to be desired. Its a noticeably thin intercooler (compared to a 2007.5 or 5.9 stock intercooler) and this was done on purpose. The factory wanted the truck to run hotter to aid in regeneration. Well, now that you are thinking about performance and not regeneration, that thin intercooler needs to go! Cobbs Diesel Performance can hook you up with a Banks, AFE or BD intercooler that will lower your EGT's, keep your intake air temps down and improve overall airflow between the turbo and intake. The factory boost tube from the intercooler to intake horn is 2.5" in diameter. Whereas the boost tube from the turbo to intercooler inlet is 3". Being performance enthusiasts, we can't let this restriction hamper our trucks! AFE and Shibby Engineering offer upgraded boost tubes with 3" diameters that improve air flow. Next, we have the factory intake horn. One look at it and anyone can see this intake horn was not designed for performance. For one, there is an EGR solenoid bolted on top - which disrupts the flow of air into the intake. This robs efficiency. Next, the outlet (or mouth) of the intake horn is relatively small. Upgrading this intake horn will improve the flow of air! Lastly, we have the turbo itself. The stock VGT turbo performs admirably up to a certain point. What we've seen is that the turbo performs well up to around 500 horsepower at the wheels. Beyond that, it is far outside its efficiency range. Upgrading the turbo will allow the truck to make CONSIDERABLY more power and torque. Each turbo has different characteristics and performance gains, so analyzing them in detail will help you meet your goals (i.e. you don't want a sled pulling turbo for a drag racing truck, and visa versa). Exiting the turbo are your exhaust gasses - and this leads us to the exhaus system. The stock system is restrictive by nature - there is a catalytic converter in the downpipe, a DPF filter, a Nox filter and a resonator near the rear of your truck. All of which (with the exception of the resonator) are restrictive. You can upgrade your exhaust to a 4" or 5" performance system and reduce backpressure and improve the flow of air. The process of improving airflow takes you from mild to wild. How far you take the rest of the options is up to your goals for the truck and budget. Fuel The stock fuel system performs well for a stock truck. But once you add a programmer, its seen very quickly the stock fuel system cannot keep up. A popular upgrade for the 6.7 Cummins is adding an aftermarket liftpump. Cobbs Diesel Performance sells a wide array of Air Dog lift pumps - ranging from 100 gph to 150 gph systems. I run an Air Dog 150 in my personal 6.7 Cummins. An aftermarket fuel system performs several functions. The first - and arguably most important - is that it filters water and air from diesel fuel. Ever heard of people getting a bad batch of diesel fuel and ruining their injectors and CP3? I've seen and read about several, and ask anyone how much the dealer charges to fix it - estimates range from $12,000 up to $20,000! And the factory doesn't warranty it, so the cost falls on either the fueling station or insurance company. Neither of which seems like a fun fight. An aftermarket fuel system filters the fuel prior to entering the CP3 and removes water and air before it can rob power or harm the motor. In my opinion, this is one of the most important upgrades every diesel owner should do - from a peace of mind standpoint. Second, these aftermarket fuel system use high-flow pumps and larger fuel lines to feed more fuel into the CP3. More fuel equals more power. If you are using a programmer or downloader - and use the higher settings - you may experience a surging at WOT. What is the surging? Its the fuel rail being drained because the stock fuel system cannot supply enough fuel. Not only is this annoying, but prolonged exposure to a drained fuel rail can cause internal engine damage. Again, not good. Aftermarket systems - like Air Dog - keeps the fuel flowing regardless of your power output, so you can rest assured, your truck is getting the fuel it needs. Injectors. Injectors play a large role in dumping more into your motor. There are a wide variety of injector nozzles available for your 6.7 Cummins - and they range from 40 horsepower to over 100 horsepower increases. Choosing the right injector depends on the goals for your truck. Running 130 horsepower injectors on a stock truck will cause excessive EGT's and can overburden the stock turbo. So the goal here isn't to throw the biggest set of injectors you can in the truck. Instead, the injector size needs to match your fueling upgrades and the airflow of your turbo. As a general rule, 40 hp nozzles will work on a stock truck. 80 hp will require an aftermarket fuel system. Anything over 80 hp needs an upgraded fuel system, CP3 and turbo. The CP3. The CP3 is the gatekeeper if your fueling needs. It takes the fuel from your liftpump and feeds the rail, which supplies the injectors. If the CP3 output doesn't match your other fueling upgrades, you will be losing out on power! Most companies offer stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 CP3's. A few even offer dual CP3's for high horsepower applications. A general rule is stage 1 adds 30% more fuel, stage 2 60% and stage 3 80%. The specific numbers will vary by manufacturer. As has been mentioned in this article, the stage should match the other fueling upgrades of the truck to maximize flow and performance. Using a stage 3 CP3 on a stock trucks is overkill. And using a stage 1 on a twin turbo truck means you aren't maximizing your fueling needs. Tuning Programmers and downloaders bring together all the components of making power with a diesel. Because they tend to cost less than fueling and airflow upgrades, they seem to be the first modifications done on a diesel truck. Below are some important factors about tuning options. 1) Not all programmers are equal. Some are designed for mild horsepower gains while others will shred your transmission or clutch right off the bat. Programmers make power by adding fuel and increasing timing. Other take it a step further and adjust the duration the injectors stay open. Some programmers plug into the OBD port and must be loaded to the truck and removed. Examples include the Bullydog PowerPup and Triple Dog, Superchips Flashpaq, PPE, XRT and Smarty. Others, like the Bullydog PMT and Edge Juice, offer a monitor that display EGT's, trans temp, boost, etc. These options are important because some users dont' want to buy and install mechanical guages - so the display monitor and programmer in one package work well for them. Others want the max power and tuning options available with the XRT or Smarty. Another set of tuning options include the TS Performance MP-8 and DiabloSport Extreme PowerPuck. These devices increase rail pressure and are a popular stack with the Edge Juice with Attitude and Bullydog PMT. They are NOT recommended for the Smarty or XRT since those units already increase rail pressure. 2) Buy the programmer that not only meets your needs now but in the future. We have found many people that come to us have already had two or three programmers in the past. This tells us their past purchases did not grow with the other modifications to their trucks. So whats important is stopping for a second, writing down your immediate needs for the truck (power, mileage, etc) and comparing them to the future goals of your truck. Matching the programmer with your needs can save you hundreds of dollars and headaches trying to sell a used unit in the future. 3) Because we are talking about clean diesel trucks, tuning is also tied dealing with the check engine lights from removing these systems. Unfortunately, you cannot just delete the DPF, cat and Nox filter and have a good sounding, good flowing exhaust with no adverse affects. And this is where tuning comes into play. You will need a programmer to clear or turn off the codes. Products like the Edge Juice and Bullydog PMT do not turn off the codes, they simply clear them each time you start the truck. The XRT and Smarty turn off the codes so there is never a check engine light for a deleted DPF or EGR. Furthermore, these tuners will reset the regeneration counter so you will never have a regeneration again (the Edge and PMT do not do this, so a regeneration is still possible depending on your truck's latest flash). Conclusion Okay, so you've spent the last 10 minutes reading this article and things may be clear as mud - and that's good. We don't want to sell you products you don't want, we want you to think about your modifications, plan them carefully, and enjoy the truck! John and I are both diesel enthusiasts and own the trucks we sell parts for. We know what its like to outgrow a programmer, have our fuel rails drained with a stock fuel system, wrench underneath our trucks installing an exhaust system, etc. So we are trying to help you build the truck you want, while being aware of how each part is related to another. When I first started modding my truck, a guy told me, "For every part you buy, you'll need two or three more to support it." And that's true. So if you are still confused about what parts you need, how they fit together, or need help putting a plan together to build your truck, give John or myself a call. We love talking about diesel performance and have the products you need to build the truck of your dreams.

Written by John Cobb To find your strategy code. From Gauges, select Exit. Next select Tuning, then select I Accept. Now select Vehicle Info. Turn the key to the on position, and select Ok. The strategy will be displayed as a complete number. The first part is the engine strategy, and the second is the transmission . Example: STRATEGY CODE 8C3A-14C204-JD 8C3A-14C337-AC Engine 8C3A-14C204-JD Transmission 8C3A-14C337-AC Make sure all the information you send in/post is correct. If you get one number wrong, your tunes will not load......

Written by John Cobb You will not have a copy of your stock file until you load your first tune. First, make sure the "sd" card is not locker, or write protected. Once you have selected to load the tune, your stock file will be copied to the "sd" card, then the tune will be uploaded to you vehicle. As soon as the tune has been uploaded successfully, power off your DashDAQ, remove the "sd" card and copy your entire transfer folder to your computer. Make sure your folder includes all your tunes. They will be something like 210.enc, and your stock file something like your Vin #.stk. Make backup copies, and burn the file to a cd/dvd for safe keeping. This is a must. Don't wait to find that you have a problem and discover that your stock file/transfer folder is missing.. Remember, just about everything for the DashDAQ goes into the transfer folder. Do not make sub-folders for your tunes/stock file. If you do, the DashDAQ will be unable to find your tunes/stock file....

Written by John Cobb These files will need to be unzipped/extracted from the included .zip file for use. You will need a program such as Winzip to extract the files. You can get a copy here: http://www.oldversion.com/WinZip.html I would suggest version 8.1 (1.7 MB). Once the program is downloaded, then you will have to install it. During the install process, you will be given two options, install with Winzip Classic, or Winzip Wizard. Select Winzip Classic, unless you are familiar with the program. Now double click on the file you downloaded from Spartan. Winzip should open automatically if it has been installed correctly. You should now be able to see your tunes. Next click the Extract button. You will have to specific the path (folder) where you want the files to be extracted too. Then click Extract. Once extracted, you will have to create a folder on the sd card named transfer . You must have a sd card reader/writer. You can not create the folder on the sd card via the DashDAQ. Do not misspell it, or place it inside another folder, other wise it will not be picked up by the DashDaq. Everything needed for the DashDaq should be placed in this folder, tunes, config file, themes, and splash screens. Note: You will not have a copy of your Stock File until after the first tune has been loaded. As soon as this process has been completed, power off the DashDaq. Remove the sd card and copy your stock file to your computer. Make sure you backup all your files, stock file, tunes, and config file. Burn them to a cd/dvd and put it in a safe location for safe keeping.

Written by John Cobb Certainly. Obviously MPG can vary from truck to truck due to environmental conditions such as altitude, humidity and temperature. Most customers see anywhere from a 2-5mpg increase in their fuel economy on normal driving after installing our tuning.