After our kit was installed, we were thoroughly impressed with both the performance gain as well as the increased economy shown in our truck. The system worked flawlessly from the first time we used it and added substantial power to our already healthy Dodge. We tested the system with the truck both loaded and unloaded and were impressed with the improvement in acceleration. We initially programmed the system to give us 100-percent capacity at 5 pounds of boost and expected to feel the system's "hit" when the propane was added. The system operated seamlessly, however, and the only indication that it was working was the speedometer's rapid acceleration to not-quite-legal speeds. Even when only programmed to 50-percent capacity while towing our 10,000-pound, enclosed car trailer, we found we had power to spare. No matter what incline we climbed, simply rolling into the throttle produced not just sustained speed, but acceleration, with transmission downshifts now a thing of the past. Exhaust temperature was also noted to be some 50 degrees cooler for a given driving parameter. A quick trip down the eighth-mile showed an improvement of six-tenths of a second and 5 mph when using the propane, with traction now limiting how hard we could launch the truck. Amazingly, it also makes economical sense to use the system when driving daily.
As a function of the extra power on tap, the economy of our truck improved drastically. In a controlled test at 65 mph, our highway mileage in an unloaded truck with the propane shut off was 24 mpg, not bad for a heavy dualie. With the propane injection on and set to initiate at five pounds of boost and give 50 percent of the systems capacity, our mileage increased to an amazing 44 mpg (factoring the diesel fuel used only)! Over a 100-mile test, we used 6 pounds of propane from our 30-pound tank, which cost $18 to fill at the local propane supplier, so the propane used for the test cost $3.60. Diesel fuel for the 100 miles was 2.27 gallons at $3 per gallon for a total of $6.82 in diesel fuel. Added together we get a total of $10.42 for the 100-mile test using propane. Without propane, we used 4.17 gallons of diesel at $3 per gallon for a total of $12.50, so we saved over $2 on a 100-mile test using propane. In addition to the cost savings, the use of propane provided us added range, which allowed us to shop for fuel, saving additional money because we now could go to the next exit or even the next state to find cheaper fuel. Even better results were obtained when towing-we saw mileage increase from 14 mpg without propane to 24 mpg when using propane injection. Our truck's range now had no problem exceeding the endurance of our bladder, even while towing our car trailer. We can derive mathematically that it doesn't take too long for the system to pay for itself, especially when diesel fuel in our area is hovering around the $3-per-gallon mark.
What can we say? Easy installation, clean, safe power, improved economy, and a system that pays for itself adds up to one of the best improvements you could make to your diesel-powered truck.
With the air-inlet tube back...
With the air-inlet tube back in place, the propane-injection line can be routed from the regulator assembly to the discharge nozzle. Plenty of line was supplied with the kit. (You'll probably need to cut the line to fit as we did. Be sure to route this line away from potential heat sources and secure it to prevent chaffing.)
After using the supplied tee...
After using the supplied tee fitting to connect the factory waste gate hose to the Boost Pressure Port on the regulator, we connected the wiring to the regulator's fuel pressure switch and our regulator assembly installation is complete.
Following MSD's instructions,...
Following MSD's instructions, we mounted the system's ECU to the forward wall of the passenger-side battery tray. The controller can be mounted in any location, but should be kept away from potential sources of heat. Also consider the length of the wires in the supplied wiring harness. The location we chose works fine, but for ease of tuning you may consider lengthening some wires and mounting the ECU in the driver's compartment to more easily hook up a laptop computer.