After getting rid of my codes and taking care of a few bugs and maintenance, I'm almost ready to start making some reliable power gains.

I'm going to start with the cheap/free mods and work my way up. I don't expect to end up with a powerhouse, just want to pep it up a bit and avoid some headaches in the future.

Any advice and/or criticism is appreciated.

1. 3" mandrel bent downpipe -> 3.5 - 4" exhaust w/ free flowing muffler
----current exhaust needs replacing, might as well do it right the first time.

2. Snorkel removal, gutted upper plenum, AFE style airbox w/ open element air filter.

3. Heath TM

4. Performance chip
----What brand do you guys recommend if I plan to remove the vacuum system?

5. Remove EGR and vacuum pump
----Pump works fine but after going through all the lines after getting a code 33, I'd rather remove the pump and not have to worry about the solenoids going in the future. From what I read, I just plug up the vacuum lines on the soleniods and cover the EGR mount with a gasket and a piece of plate. Does the same go for the firewall mounted baro sensor?

6. I'll be replacing the injectors at some point but the seem to be working fine at present.

Does this look like the right order or am I way off track?
Anything else I should be looking into first?



Thanks,
Andrew

I'd go with a Heath chip, but you NEED gauges before the chip.

Nick

Sorry, forgot to mention I have boost, EGT and trans temp guages and probes from previous projects - just need to decide where to mount or buy a pillar mount.

Also have a big tranny cooler ready to go in after I flush the old fluid.

Your list seems to be in good order with exception to #5 and #3. Those two should likely be combined to one number, where you put it is not a real big deal as long as it is not #1.

I almost allways do the exhaust first. The exhaust system is one of the very few improvements on these trucks that will eventually pay for itself in fuel mileage. I also feel that it does not make a whole lot of sense to throw a bunch more fuel, timing and air into the 6.5TD if you cant get it out of the engine efficiently.

Definately the gauges should be installed before the turbo master or the chip. But that order looks good. After you get #1 and #2 done,you will notice a big difference already. Good luck!

heres how i did mine.

1 - exhaust
2 - heath pmd isolator
3 - gauges
4 - TM /heath HP4
5 - vac pump removal

i definitely go with Heath, cause they reputation is good and they always stand behind there product

List looks good!!
Gauges a must before TM and chip.
Personally very happy with my chip from Heath.
Many here recommend getting airbox/round filter from 97+ truck at the junkyard. Cheaper than buying an AFE and still drawing air from outside the engine compartment. I plan to do this on mine but have not yet.
Once 1 through 4 are done, it will really wake up your truck!!

Once 1 through 4 are done, it will really wake up your truck!!

I'm a new guy to the 6.5, I'm curious how much wake up to expect if I did these mods. I think the stock 6.5 is rated 190 HP and 385 ft.-lb. torque, how much gain would these items give? How much seat of the pants improvement? Would mpg get better or worse?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys.

Looks like I should do the TM, HP4 and VP removal in one shot.
---should I leave the firewall mounted baro sensor connected and plug the vacuum line?
---aside from boost, will I need to make any other adjustments at this point, to take full advantage of the mods?

I go down to Seattle a couple of times a month anyways so I'll give Heath's a visit.

yikes - I'll look into the newer airbox. If it's close to the style I'm looking for, might as well go that route. I wasn't going to buy the AFE, as it's easy enough to build, with the tools/equipment I have access to. Just gonna have to bend up some light ga. aluminum and bastardize some ricer intakes for the bends. A bit of welding and some couplers and I should be good.

Dave - I'm sure the power difference would be quite noticeable and fuel economy equal to or better than stock - as long as you keep your foot out of it.

You know Heath is in Ellensburg right? East over the mountains.

Nick

I'm a new guy to the 6.5, I'm curious how much wake up to expect if I did these mods. I think the stock 6.5 is rated 190 HP and 385 ft.-lb. torque, how much gain would these items give? How much seat of the pants improvement? Would mpg get better or worse?

Thanks in advance.


seat of the pants for me was like night and day. if i stomp on it now if my cheap piece of $hit tires don't spin :mad: (stupid uniroyals)i get pushed into the seat a bit. don't get me wrong its no indy car but for a 7,000 lb(empty) truck it moves pretty quick. MPG didn't seem to change much. last check i was getting ~17 with my truck. still a bit on the low side but i've got a few things to check still. my truck stock was rated at 195 hp @3,400 rpm and i'm unsure of stock torque but i've read that it was 195hp/430tq. now i think it'd be a safe bet to say i've got ~250-270 flywheel horsepower. still want to dyno it to see however.

You know Heath is in Ellensburg right? East over the mountains.

Nick

Yup, maybe 45 mins from downtown or so - worth the trip for me. If they were in the Spokane area, I'd have to think twice.

I'm a new guy to the 6.5, I'm curious how much wake up to expect if I did these mods. I think the stock 6.5 is rated 190 HP and 385 ft.-lb. torque, how much gain would these items give? How much seat of the pants improvement? Would mpg get better or worse?

Thanks in advance.

In terms of real HP, Heath has some numbers on their site. Seat of the pants was quite noticeable for me. Mine is mostly used for towing so I really noticed the difference as soon as I could accelerate up hills with the trailer behind, could barely maintain cruising speed before. MPG pretty much stayed the same for me, perhaps a slight gain, however for the extra oommmph it was well worth it. Driving habits can also make a huge difference in mpg as well....I have a hard time keep my foot out of it...

5. Remove EGR and vacuum pump
----Pump works fine but after going through all the lines after getting a code 33, I'd rather remove the pump and not have to worry about the solenoids going in the future. From what I read, I just plug up the vacuum lines on the soleniods and cover the EGR mount with a gasket and a piece of plate. Does the same go for the firewall mounted baro sensor?



Can someone comment on this, I see andrew has asked about the baro sensor twice already. I'm running into the same issue. I'm getting code 33. My truck is a 95 1500 6.5td with no modifications thus far. I purchased a non EGR intake manifold (top and bottom) to eliminate the EGR. (not installed yet) I tried what andrew has mentioned about plugging up the vac lines for to the Egr sensor but when i do i still get error codes. I've already plugged the actual EGR line. Can a faulty egr solenoid be the cause of the 33 code. If so, what's going to happen to the sensors when the pump is disabled? wont they read low pressure?

:Dwhat about longevity with these mods?i have 200k on a 3500hd that im putting to work as a dump soon. she just got upfitted with the lift and frame and the body goes on monday. im not looking to make a ton more power and then kill the thing. she just had a tranny rebuild and upgrade last year so i think ill be ok in that respect. i have a 5.9 p pump cummins sitting on the side that i planed on putting in it over the winter if the 6.5 dies on me. so i guess my wuestion is which of those mods would work for me not against me. thanks:D

Can someone comment on this, I see andrew has asked about the baro sensor twice already. I'm running into the same issue. I'm getting code 33. My truck is a 95 1500 6.5td with no modifications thus far. I purchased a non EGR intake manifold (top and bottom) to eliminate the EGR. (not installed yet) I tried what andrew has mentioned about plugging up the vac lines for to the Egr sensor but when i do i still get error codes. I've already plugged the actual EGR line. Can a faulty egr solenoid be the cause of the 33 code. If so, what's going to happen to the sensors when the pump is disabled? wont they read low pressure?
Note that on an EGR equipped engine, you'll need Heath's HP4 chip in order for the computer to NOT read for vacuum. If you eliminate/plug all the vacuum lines but have the factory chip in there, the computer will throw a code.

If you already have the chip, I would recommend clearing the codes first. You can either disconnect the battery(s) for 20 minutes or turn the ignition to the ON (NOT START) position, jump the 2 connections on the OBD plug and floor the brake and accelerator simultaniously.

From what I've read, even if you have the chip and plugged the vacuum lines, the computer will still read the Baro sensor. In other words, it still has to function properly. Try searching "baro sensor" and see what guys, much wiser than me, have to say about it.

:Dwhat about longevity with these mods?i have 200k on a 3500hd that im putting to work as a dump soon. she just got upfitted with the lift and frame and the body goes on monday. im not looking to make a ton more power and then kill the thing. she just had a tranny rebuild and upgrade last year so i think ill be ok in that respect. i have a 5.9 p pump cummins sitting on the side that i planed on putting in it over the winter if the 6.5 dies on me. so i guess my wuestion is which of those mods would work for me not against me. thanks:D

The reasons I'm going this route are they're reliable, help with efficiency and longevity, add power and tune-ability and eliminate some quirks/headaches that came from the factory.

Think of it as freeing up power that gets lost in mass production and emission control devices.

Just remember, mods won't help much and/or will only mask existing problems (ie. tired injectors, clogged filters, etc). None of this stuff is going in until I replace my old injectors and I've done a full tuneup and know everything is up to snuff.