Hey, Mike, been following your odyssey, and YES, EGT is a major concern. Sustained loads at >1000F can easily melt pistons. And, just a few continuous minutes will do it.
The most obvious 'first step' in dealing with that issue is to impose an intercooler.
At that auction I was at last week, that L2550 was MOST tempting, as it offered up the D1402-DI motor to the world's turbocharging wisdom... <sigh>
Thanks,
-Paul
Throughout my research, it’s sustained combustion temperatures of 1,300 degrees that will begin degrading the pistons. If 1,000 degrees was the threshold for melting pistons, lots of L2501 operators in the high elevations would be experiencing engine damage since stock, unmodified D1703’s create 1,000 degree EGT’s due to the thin air and factory fuel settings. Shocking, yes!
Most folks don’t realize what thin air and factory fuel setting are capable of and why I also recommend folks modifying their tractors with a simple fuel adjustment should also monitor their EGT’s since they are effectively doing the same thing. High EGT’s are NOT just from Turbocharging!
Ironically, those L2501 operators in the high elevations buying this Turbo kit (and not modifying fuel settings) will see a significant power improvement and lower EGT’s.
That said, anyone installing this Turbo setup needs to be aware and constantly monitor their EGT’s. My L2501 has been ran over 1,000 degree EGT sustained for well over an hour on multiple occasions during testing. However, during normal operation, the tractor and Turbo system rarely sees EGT’s over 600 since it doesn’t need to work hard to accomplish the same tasks as before. It’s remarkable how much power is available with only a 20% load.
Regarding the intercooler. The effectiveness would be dependent on the type of intercooler that is used. An air to air would have a limited effect as air flow through the intercooler would be limited. An air/water intercooler would likely be the most effective setup but, would be a bit more complicated and expensive to install. The other option would be to use a water/meth injection system. This would be the cheapest solution and perhaps easiest to install. I’ve used water/meth systems in quite a few of my vehicles with amazing results with enormous reductions in air temperatures. Those kits have also worked extremely well on the racetrack. I may experiment with this option but, we really don’t expect too much of a performance improvement. Although, it should lower EGT’s in heavy, sustained load situations.
Mike
