Bearmtnmartin
New member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2024
- Messages
- 1
I have a 1981 Bluebird Wanderlodge. It is a 33,000 pound front engine motorhome that had a 3208 Cat and 4 speed Allison. It was adequate in 1981 I guess but pulling 8 per cent grades in British Columbia it was very stressfull to drive. I dismantled a 2000 Freightliner Century and installed the ISM engine, 13 speed Roadranger transmission and driveline, and also the wiring harness and dash. I went from 210 hp to 425, so that part is all good. I can now cruise at 75 and go up hills with the cars instead of slower than every single loaded truck. But I have to fix a turbo problem and I thought you guys might be able to give me some advice here. The ISM should have had a wastegated turbo but a previous owner had replaced it with one without a wastegate, but otherwise correct Holset HX50. I blew that one up thanks to oiling issues so it now has a BW S400. What I am finding is that my EGT's are a little higher than they should be (1400 pre turbo happens pretty easily on a hard pull unless I keep the RPM's up over 2000) and that I get black smoke on initial acceleration off idle. It quickly clears and then nothing after that.
Three things other than the lack of a wastegate that are not stock: I had the injectors rebuild and the guy opened them up a bit, so they are over fueling for the stock tune. I have a CAC from a 14 liter motor, so bigger than it should be, and thanks to lack of space there is a long run from the CAC back to the intake. It goes from the lower left side outside the framerail (CAC is mounted upside down) across to the other side and up to the motor through a homemade elbow. All correctly sized but the elbow is square so probably interrupting flow a bit. The other thing that is different is that I moved the turbo to the outside of the frame rail because of lack of room, so it is about 10 inches from the engine. I used heavy wall pipe and the pipe and turbo are wrapped. Stock Freightliner air cleaner is only a few inches from the turbo.
So I want to get a Pittsburg Power tune for this thing. I have 425 hp and 1550 torque and I want to go to their 650 hp tune. I did all this work so I want every pony I can get. But I have to change the turbo first. The initial black smoke makes me think it is not spooling quick enough. I can live with that but I guess a tune will make the smoke worse, and if I go bigger on the turbo it will spool slower and also make the smoke worse. But once I am pulling a hill and the turbo is working, the EGT's come up so I guess I need more air, especially if I give it a tune.
-rebuild injectors
-fresh air filter
-new turbo
-overhead done
-engine was rebuilt just before I bought the truck it was in. I pulled the pan and scoped the head and it is in great shape.
Any opinions welcome.
Three things other than the lack of a wastegate that are not stock: I had the injectors rebuild and the guy opened them up a bit, so they are over fueling for the stock tune. I have a CAC from a 14 liter motor, so bigger than it should be, and thanks to lack of space there is a long run from the CAC back to the intake. It goes from the lower left side outside the framerail (CAC is mounted upside down) across to the other side and up to the motor through a homemade elbow. All correctly sized but the elbow is square so probably interrupting flow a bit. The other thing that is different is that I moved the turbo to the outside of the frame rail because of lack of room, so it is about 10 inches from the engine. I used heavy wall pipe and the pipe and turbo are wrapped. Stock Freightliner air cleaner is only a few inches from the turbo.
So I want to get a Pittsburg Power tune for this thing. I have 425 hp and 1550 torque and I want to go to their 650 hp tune. I did all this work so I want every pony I can get. But I have to change the turbo first. The initial black smoke makes me think it is not spooling quick enough. I can live with that but I guess a tune will make the smoke worse, and if I go bigger on the turbo it will spool slower and also make the smoke worse. But once I am pulling a hill and the turbo is working, the EGT's come up so I guess I need more air, especially if I give it a tune.
-rebuild injectors
-fresh air filter
-new turbo
-overhead done
-engine was rebuilt just before I bought the truck it was in. I pulled the pan and scoped the head and it is in great shape.
Any opinions welcome.
