Exhaust brake for Ford Powerstroke 6.XL

[Art-n-Marge]

I am asking for any member who has had success with the addition of an exhaust brake on a late model Ford with the 6.0L or the 6.4L engine.

I have not been able to find one, specifically for my 2006 F-250 with a 6.0L turbo diesel. For those of you familiar with Banks Engineering they only provide one for Chevy/GMC Duramax/Allison and not Ford or Dodge. The newer Dodge 6.7L provided by Cummins has one installed as standard on their 3500 and as an option on the 2500.

I would like to know if there is a Ford owner with a 6.0L or 6.4L that has found a suitable solution for an exhaust brake. Hopefully, it's been installed and they are happy with it.

Thanks!

[Art-n-Marge]

I might add, my product searches led me to "dieselpowerproducts.com" who claim to have the only solution for the Ford 6.0 & 6.4L engines, but there are no reviews on it. I am hoping there are others who may have used or heard stories on this and how viable this would be.

Any help will be appreciated.

[bigmurf]

Banks makes exhaust brakes for Dodge. I had one on my 2001.

Have you looked at Pac Brake?
http://www.pacbrake.com/uploads/Ford%202009.pdf

[Art-n-Marge]

thanks.... in my initial check of Pacbrake I did not find one. At last a second option since you found one. Thanks. BDdiesel is running over $1200 and Pacbrake is $1700.

I don't think Banks makes exh. brakes for new dodges or Fords, just Chevy/GMC/Cummins. Beside a new dodge with a 6.7L does offer a Dodge Exhaust brake now since 2007.

[stiles watson]

I find that with the tow haul command on my 2008 F350, I don't need an additional exhaust brake. The tow/haul command allows sufficient braking for down hill grades with very little assistance from getting on the brakes. The older diesels provided very little compression braking on deceleration, but at least the ford 6.7L does and it does it without making loud noise that have caused towns to post "NO ENGINE BRAKES" signs.

[greener]

There should be no need for an exhaust brake with the tow-haul mode and the engine braking it does.

[Kandharry]

I agree with Greener.
I have an '06 F250, 6.0 with tow/haul.
60k miles about half of it towing a 14k GVW 5th.
The tow/haul on the Ford auto tranny is far superior to SOB's.
My previous TV was a Dodge, their tow/haul is simply in or out of overdrive.
The tow/haul computer on the Ford uses the transmission and engine
RPM's to maximize the compression ratio and the gearing to help control downhill speed, regularly shifting down when conditions (or the driver) need it.
Dropped down a 7 mile 12% windy grade coming out of Yosemite
a couple months ago with no problem and not a lot of brake application. Stopped at the bottom to do a brake check and
there was no excessive heat.
Harry

[sreigle]

I agree an exhaust brake is not absolutely necessary on a truck with a good tow/haul. However, I do want to set the record straight. My Dodge is a 2007, so I have no personal knowledge of how the older ones with tow/haul worked. I was under the impression the older ones didn't have tow/haul but may (or may not) have had an overdrive lockout button. I want to make sure everyone understands the tow/haul on the Dodge with the 6.7L Cummins (2007 1/2 and later)does not just lock out overdrive. It functions the same as the Ford.

I have a Dodge and had two Ford 6.0L diesels. All three have tow/haul. The Dodge also has a standard factory exhaust brake. The Dodge tow/haul works exactly as did the Fords (2003 and 2005). Very well. The Dodge exhaust brake adds additional braking which I find to be very effective. I never felt the need for an exhaust brake since the tow/haul worked so well on all three trucks. But, I do find the additional braking is nice to have. Necessary? not really. Nice to have? Definitely. The combination of tow/haul and exhaust brake allows me to use even less brake pedal application on the steeper downgrades than with just tow/haul alone, Ford or Dodge. I hope this clears up a potential misconception.

[Art-n-Marge]

I need to point a few reasons why I am interested in an exhaust brake or something else provided by an MOCer. Here goes:

Introduction: I have a tow/haul mode capable vehicle, 2006 Ford F-250 and living in the Southern California bowl, there are steep, hilly Interstates coming and going in ALL directions (West, North, and East) except south. While south is not so bad, but there isn't much to visit to the south either so we go the other directions all the time.

1. I want to stay between 55-65mph. This can be difficult on long uphills, but I can live with that. On the flats or short ascents or descents I have no difficulty doing this. The downhills are my only concern since the weight of my TV/RV tends to slowly increase speed over time.
2. The Tow/Haul mode does improve the shifting and power except on a long downhill. I sometimes must tap the brake to get the Tow/Haul to downshift, sometimes more than once to prompt another downshift. While the speed will slow down, if the hill is real steep (like SR 101 at Camarillo) or the infamous "Grapevine" of I-5, the speed is reduced, but the RPMs are higher than they should be.
3. With Tow/Haul and going downhill, the RPMs can approach 3,000, but according to my manual I should not exceed 2500 even though the tachometer goes to 5000 (with no red line unlike my gasoline engine tachometers). But it's a diesel and should be better than that but I am trying to honor the manual.
4. Other forums have recommended an exhaust brake.
5. I have read in the past that unlike a gasoline engine, exceeding the RPMs on a diesel aren't so critical, but for how long and how high?
6. I hate using brakes on the downhill. Doing so wears them out so much quicker. If down-shifting is the answer like what Tow/Haul provides, but then the RPMs start going too high, I think an exhaust brake is a viable addition if I can find one for my vehicle combination.
7. Maybe I have a problem with my Tow/Haul that is it not operating at 100%.

I look forward to your comments.

[sreigle]

Art, I apologize if I came across as saying there's no reason for you to consider an exhaust brake. As I said above, I find it certainly does add additional braking.

I've towed US 101 a couple of times from where it junctions with 134 west of Glendale all the way up to San Juan Bautista, north of Salinas, and again, northbound, from north of San Francisco. Is that the road you are talking about? I'm afraid I don't recall much about the hills. The Grapevine is always fun. I've only towed that road a couple of times since we tend to prefer non-interstates.

On both my 6.0L Fords (2003 and 2005) the redline was right around 4200, if I recall. I seem to remember the marks and numbers were red rather than having a definite line for the redline, but I'm not positive about that. My Dodge is that way, but with 3200 redline, so maybe that's what I'm remembering. It's been awhile. I wonder why Ford changed it, assuming my memory is not faulty once again.

Until you get an exhaust brake, the only suggestion I can give you is to slow down before you start the downhill. Your normal technique might help keep speed, and thus rpm, down to a lower level.

[cmawendy]

We have a PACS on our Dodge and love it.

[jim n deb]

I have a 06 Ford with the 6.0L engine. I was reading the engine manual but could not find any thing on the rsd line for an automatic transmission. The manual transmission says to keep the RPM be low 3600 and not go higher than 4000 rpms. If I have been told correctly by the factory rep. for International that the ECM will not let the engine go past this point. I believe that the truck manual says that you will have to apply the brakes to engage the transmission brake . The harder you apply the brake the more it will apply the transmission brake. Jim

[richard66]

I have a 2006 Doodge tv and installed a Pac Brake exhaust brake unit. Do I absolutely need it, no. I sure feel much better about braking on long grades with the exhaust brake. The exhaust brake makes me feel more confident and I will tell you my service brakes will last longer and not be heated up and less effective than those without an exhaust brake during long grade towing. Would not be without one.

[Art-n-Marge]

I am saying I need it, because I am looking for what "richard66" gets from his exhaust brakes - saving brake pads, prevent brake glazing and getting the engine and tranny to so some of the work. While none of us absolutely needs it, I do think it will help enough to make a difference and would be worth the money now that I am hearing of the benefits. But I have not heard stories of anyone using this on a late model 6.0 or 6.4 & and Torqshift tranny.

"jim n deb" - my owner's manual does not provide specific RPM numbers. My tach does NOT have a red line and does go up to 5,000 RPMs but read that I shouldn't go higher than "straight up" or 2500 RPMs. I have never been higher than 3500 RPMS as my 10.5 to 11 tons descends a long hill, but I think the diesel should handle it. I will look around some more since we have the same vehicle and you found something for a Standard transmission. The automatic should have similar numbers. This is better than the "straight up" description.

Things are looking promising. I have seen posts for Dodge and Chevy and older Fords, so why not. So far, I am finally seeing (only) 2 solutions for an exhaust brake - Diesel Power Products and PacBrake.

[jim n deb]

You may want check to see if this will void your warrant. The information about the rpm is in the first ten pages of the engine book.

[Art-n-Marge]

The warranty just expired. Since I am not a hot-rodder I will probably do well with exhaust brakes and other diesel enhancements eventually. Too bad I don't have deep pockets so I have to choose my improvements slowly.

[sreigle]

I don't know how the newer ones work but for both my 2003 and 2005, with tow/haul engaged, it would downshift when OFF throttle and speed increased about 4 mph. If speed continued to increase, it would downshift again. HOWEVER, it would not downshift if doing so would put the engine above some predetermined rpm. I also could trigger a downshift by stepping on the brake when OFF throttle. The operative condition here is I had to be off throttle, no accelerator application at all, for it to downshift automatically.

Has anyone with a 6.0L Ford checked the tach to see if the tick marks change to red above a certain rpm? That's how the redline is indicated on my Dodge (3200 rpm) and I was thinking my Fords were that way, too, although I was thinking 4200 rpm. I know Art said his doesn't have a red line but I'm wondering about the numbers and tick marks.

[sreigle]

I think I just answered my own question. I found a couple of pictures on my computer. These are from our 2005 Ford 6.0L. The first shows NO red numbers or tick marks at all. The second, the night picture, shows a white 1 and 4 but I don't know if that means anything. It may have been caused by the camera or some lighting anomaly.

[8e3k0]

With our 09 DRW and also a SRW both with 6.4s which includes the tow haul, we see no need for the engine brake. My reason is the that the little 6.4 is not near the size and displacement of a Cats, Cummins or Detroits hat are in the Big Rigs so the effect gained by an engine brake above the tow haul would not be beneficial for us. The tow haul is very effective and yes will run the engine rpms up to 3000 plus, but as soon as your touch the brakes, (not riding them all the way down)the downhill momentom of the rig is decreased sufficiently to give control. I can buy a lot of brake pads; disks etc. for the price of a engine brake where our tow haul serves the same purpose but is loacted in a different area being the transmission. Even with tandem and tridem dual 5th wheels with combined weights of 35,000 lbs inclusive of the TV we have not had a downhill braking problem; and we live near the Rockies, so some of those inclines are steep and long. Just some of our experiences with pulling heavier loads than a 38 foot Monty and what we have reasoned-in for offseting the cost of an engine brake on each truck.
Simply, we have not been able to justify it at this point. On the large trucks, different story, the engine brake is standard equipment with an air braking system. IMHO Ellis

[Art-n-Marge]

Hey Steve! That's my dash on my 2006. Now that you mention it, the 1 and the 4 outlining are much thinner than the 0, 2, 3 and 5 on your pictures. Otherwise, there is NO redline marking, or indicator of any kind. I will have to look closer. As for the downshifting in Tow/Haul you've pretty much described how I engage by tapping the brake briefly but I don't want to have to do that and I think an exhaust brake is a good solution assuming I can find comments on current owners from Ford 6.0 or 6.4 users.