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Exhaust brake or no?

2K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  redtopman 
#1 ·
Hi, I just bought a 2000 f450 to pull a 6 horse head to head trailer. I'm used to using a newer truck with exhaust brakes factory installed. Is it worth the added expense to install an aftermarket exhaust brake or will I be ok just towing with the overdrive off? I will be shipping across the country on the I-40 and south.
 
#2 ·
Can't speak for your F450, but a friend I haul with who pulls a 4 horse gooseneck put an aftermarket brake on his Dodge Cummins (about a 2006) and he said it was very effective.
 
#3 ·
I used to tow a fifth wheel with my 97 and I used the exhaust brake primarily for long descents. It seems I needed it because the tranny TC unlocks sometimes when you needed it the most so the exhaust brakes enables you to avoid hot brakes. Eventually I built a TC lock switch to engage with the exhaust brake. Never hauled horses though. What I did was convert my EBPV valve into an exhaust brake. Never used it for level driving.
 
#4 ·
I have a Banks exhaust brake on my F550.... ( look in my sig for that truck )
I tow all the time and love having that brake.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I did the DIY modification to engage the EBPV under the turbo (The proper name escapes me). Is it an honest-to-God Jacob's Brake? No. Does it help? Yes, if you have the engine RPMS up when you start to slow down. It wasn't difficult to do, and I think the most cost was for the 2 little lights I wired to the switch. All in, maybe $20. Not sure where the instructions are located these days.


It works best under load. Without, it helps a bit but mostly (according to my son) for entertainments' sake!
 
#7 ·
A set of instruction are on Steve Baz's site. I'm glad we got the owners of the forums here to host them on the site here so that we don't loose all of his information.

While the instructions are for a 94-97 truck they might be able to be modified for a 99-2003
 
#6 ·
Right, a Jacob Engine Brake has nothing to do with the exhaust system other than each Jake Brake solenoid under the valve cover triggers each exhaust valve at TDC compression stroke. But then you get pearls of wisdom like this, "Most all big rigs that have an exhaust brake on them have a blow off valve."
 
#8 ·
On my 97 I also installed a manual TC lock switch. Going down a 6% grade with my 10K fifth wheel and EBPV brake with TC lock activated my speed was 50mph without ever using my foot brake unless I was in heavy traffic. That way my brake linings were nice and cool if an emergency occurred.
 
#9 ·
Redtopman, years ago a mechanic I worked with had just bought a slightly used '92-'93 F250 with an auto trans. He took me for a ride in it and as you pointed out, the first thing he complained about was the converter unlocking when you let off the throttle at highway speeds. It felt like you'd pushed the selector lever into neutral until you hit the throttle again. Didn't make much sense since most people buy these trucks for towing and you need compression to slow you descending grades. I mentioned this a few months back and a former factory FoMoCo auto trans specialist said there had to be something wrong with his trans. I'm not an auto trans expert, but it seems to me that is not the case since quite a few other owners on this site including you have had to install the manual TC lockup mod. What say you?
 
#10 ·
All I know is with my EO4D on my 97 the TC unlocked when I removed my foot from the accelerator. I found that my EBPV brake was not effective without a TC lock method. Nothing wrong with the tranny. Not sure how the tranny works in my current truck and if I start towing again I will have to find out. I only used the exhaust brake for long descents or up and down hills. Going up my arrangement deactivated the brake then automatically activated on descents. Would not tow without one.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the reply, Redtopman, that was my impression too. Hopefully the Ford trans man (Mark Kovalsky) will respond as a matter of interest. He's always been helpful here on TDS.
 
#12 ·
I've converted my EBPV into an exhaust brake too, along with a switch to lock my torque converter at will. It works really well when towing in the mountains.

I believe my '96 E4OD unlocks when the brake is pressed, but I don't believe it unlocks just by releasing the accelerator. I've got an '03 Jeep Wrangler that unlocks when the accelerator is released, and it drives me nuts to see it disengaging and reengaging in traffic just because I have to back off the accelerator frequently.
 
#13 ·
Depends on your design setup. I had mine setup to engage by switch and come back open when I pressed the accelerator. To open when pressing on the brake defeats the purpose of an exhaust brake. My TC lock was switch controlled so I could use it anytime. Sometimes if the descent was not too steep just engaging the TC lock was enough. That was on my 97
 
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