(continued from posts #1-6)….
My testing parameters are flawed.
Luckily, a forum member reached out to me with a remedy. He suggested to run the tractor up to an unmovable object to create a heavy load on the tractor. Ahhh, that makes sense! He also suggested adding even more fuel. Done! In addition to his suggestions, I decided to add a new test too. Going up my hill in (H) gear carrying a load! Two new tests! Let’s see what we have now. The results came pouring in!
L2501 HST 4WD (LA525 Loader w/ 66” QA Bucket, Liquid Tire Ballast) - TURBO SYSTEM - 9 PSI - Fuel Setting, 2 Full Turns (64* ambient temperature).
Recorded EGT’s:
Idle = 250-300*
Traveling on flat ground (M) = 300-500*
Loader and grading work (M) = 500-680*
Traveling up hill carrying medium load (22* Slope, 40% grade) (M) = 500-640*
Traveling up hill carrying medium load (22* Slope, 40% grade) (H)= 500-779*
Immovable object = 985*
Peak EGT = 985*
More is better. I increased the fuel volume to 2 1/4 turn, counter clockwise. This setting resulted with 10 PSI peak and 8 PSI sustained boost pressure. There is some smoke observed at startup and a puff or two during operation, but there is no visible smoke under full load. In all seriousness, the tractor is begging for even more fuel. I swear there’s more boost pressure and more power to be unlocked. No doubt. However, we’re recording just over 1000 degrees peak EGT and that’s right where I want to be and that’s as far as I’m going (for now).
L2501 HST 4WD (LA525 Loader w/ 66” QA Bucket, Liquid Tire Ballast) - TURBO SYSTEM - 10 PSI - Fuel Setting, 2 1/4 Full Turns (78* ambient temperature).
Recorded EGT’s:
Idle = 250-300*
Traveling on flat ground (M) = 300-500*
Loader and grading work (M) = 500-730*
Traveling up hill carrying medium load (22* Slope, 40% grade) (M) = 500-650*
Traveling up hill carrying medium load (22* Slope, 40% grade) (H) = 500-812*
Immovable object = 1,033*
Peak EGT = 1,033*
Overall, I’m very pleased with this setting and the performance I’m feeling. The L2501 Turbo, is awesome!
Whatever bro. EGT measurements, testing and comparisons blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Are there any performance gains with the Turbo installed? Does the tractor work better? Can it do more stuff?
It’s gonna be a minute before I can get my tractor to a PTO dyno. However, I can share the perceived gains I’ve experienced with the Turbo system installed.
Initially, I was expecting more overall performance. I assumed the tractor would behave similar to a car or truck equipped with a Turbo and would produce additional power in all working conditions, even without a load. But, that’s obviously not the case as illustrated with the final EGT tests. The tractor has to be under heavy load for the Turbo to really function. So, while driving and operating the tractor in normal conditions, you really can’t feel any difference. Literally, 90% of the time doing minor tasks, it feels like a completely stock L2501, which isn’t a bad thing. But, when you need power, it’s there!
L2501 vs Hill.
First and foremost, having the ability to carry heavy loads up my big hill in (M) gear was an important consideration for improvement and a specific task my tractor continually struggled with incessantly. With the Turbo installed, the L2501 has zero issues carrying a heavy load up this hill in (M) gear. At 2,200 RPM the tractor maintains speed and boost pressure all the way up and over the hill. The RPM’s remain constant and the L2501 absolutely refuses to bog down regardless of the load it’s carrying. It’s a relief knowing I no longer have to crawl up this hill. With (M) gear functioning to my expectations, (L) gear is no longer needed. My L2501 Turbo has conquered the big hill and that makes me a very happy operator.
Pushing the envelope, I decided to run my tractor up my big hill carrying a load in (H) gear. In all seriousness, this was a stupid test (but necessary). The path up the hill isn’t made for speed. It’s uneven and rocky. Trying to go fast isn’t wise. But, I had to give it a shot. For the first time ever, the tractor was able to climb the hill in (H) gear. But, it wasn’t pretty, about halfway up the hill, the Turbo dropped boost pressure, the tractor bogged down and I lost speed and momentum. Regardless, the tractor didn’t give up and it made it to the top of the hill to deliver a load of large branches to my brush pile. In (H) gear? That’s a first! Nemesis no more! The L2501 Turbo is a beast!
Another important consideration was transportation speed in (H) gear. I’m pleased to report the L2501 Turbo can maintain ground speed on flat and hilly paved surfaces and I have full use of (H) gear for transportation purposes. The tractor hilariously takes off rapidly from a stop and accelerates to top speed almost instantly and continues to maintain speed without issue. The tractor shows no sign of bogging down. The Turbo will immediately deliver 9-10 PSI and slowly taper off to 5-6 PSI because the load drops off very quickly after take off. There’s just not enough load without doing actual work to sustain boost pressure.
The L2501 Turbo powers my wood chipper in heroic fashion. During my testing, the tractor didn’t bog down once and it chipped everything I could stuff down the shoot, including whole saplings. There’s some serious power coming from the PTO, it is performing exceptionally well.
Overall, I have not logged nearly enough time on the Turbo system to provide any full conclusions. So, those revelations will come in time. What I can say is that I added the Turbo system to produce more power in challenging conditions. It has in fact delivered.
I know at the end of the day, most of us aren’t in a hurry to get our tractor work done quickly. Our tractors and the work we do with them, is our therapy.
However, I know there are times, when I’ve been on the tractor all day long and it’s starting to get late. The sun is beginning to set and I only have a few more buckets of material to move, a couple more brush piles left to transfer, a small pile of branches left to chip, an acre left to mow, a half acre left to grade, or a quarter acre left to till, a little more power and a little more speed wouldn’t hurt.
Thankfully, I have an L2501 Turbo to do the job.
Sometime in the near future, when the opportunity presents itself, I will be putting my L2501 on the PTO dyno to finalize the results and testing of my L2501 Turbo system. Until then, we’ll continue discussing; the Tractor, the Comparison, the Modification and the Results.
Thank you for reading.
(Results - continued on page 5, post 85-87)
Mike
