Diesel tuning for a Monaco Diplomat Cummins

[evo124]

Hi .
We have recently bought us an used Monaco Diplomat 36 from 99.
Iam now looking around for tuning "chips" or "boxes"
to get some better milage out of the vehicle.
So is there anyone out there who have some good ideas , experinences , you are most welcome . regards
evo124

[H. Miller]

WELCOME to iRV2........
Will probably get more response if engine and transmission info are included.

[evo124]

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo124 Hi . We have recently bought us an used Monaco Diplomat 36 from 99. Iam now looking around for tuning "chips" or "boxes" to get some better milage out of the vehicle. So is there anyone out there who have some good ideas , experinences , you are most welcome . regards evo124

OK , thanks .
The cummins engine installed is The 5,9 ISB engine 275 hp and the transmision is the Allison MD3060 6 speed with an economy program.

[wheato22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo124 OK , thanks . The Cummins engine installed is The 5,9 ISB engine 275 hp and the transmission is the Allison MD3060 6 speed with an economy program.

Evo,
I have been researching the same topic now that diesel is $4+ here in California. My coach is a '94 Monaco 32' with a 5.9 B engine 230Hp engine mated with a Allison MD3060. Not quite as hi-tech as your engine. Your ISB engine has the electronic controls system introduced to the Cummins engine in 1998, while mine is the previous model mechanical 5.9L 12-valve without the ECM system.

Your post got me thinking. There have to to be hundreds of diesel pusher owners thinking the same thoughts. Sounds to me like a couple new threads, one for B engines and one for ISC engines, to assist owners understand what others are doing to increase Fuel Economy and performance... while preserving the reliability and serviceability of our RV's.

From my perspective I have discovered that diesels engines are very different from gas engines. In fact my mechanic says "a diesel is like a big air compressor that you put fuel into. The more fuel you put in the more torque and horsepower you get out." Less in... less out.

My 230Hp engine pushes my 29,000 pound RV OK. But it is no Maserati. When I put my 'foot through the grill' it moves... but takes awhile to get to freeway speeds. I know intuitively that my mileage goes to heck when I do that. So when pulling hills these days I pull to the right, turn on the blinkers, have my co-pilot get me a soda, and slow down. I manually put the tranny in a lower gear, slow down and hopefully conserve fuel while watching the pyrometer to make sure the engine exhaust gasses don't creep up too high.

So here is what I am doing to improve mileage on my '94 Dynasty:

1. Replace the air filter and investigated availability of low restriction air filters
2. Made sure tire are inflated correctly
3. Investigated adjusting the engine's injector pump to reduce fuel flow to engine when accelerating
4. Made sure the Pac Brake was working correctly
5. Investigated having an Allison specialist re-program the MD3060 Mode feature to change transmission ship points
6. Purchased RV with Aero Turbo muffler so thats OK
7. Installed ISSPRO Pyrometer
8. Scheduled mechanical check of engine for turbo and Inter-cooler air leaks
6. Investigated updating Pac Brake to new model to improve engine braking.
7. Installed "BrakeSwitch" module and removed old floor push button that activated the Pac Brake. My logic here was to improve braking and therefore eliminating 'jack rabbit' throttle action
8. Investigating Propane Injection systems to improve fuel combustion and therefore mileage.

I am working on topic #8 now. This is potentially the holy grail as some "experts" say. Apparently most diesels only burn 85% of the diesel injected into the engine. The other 15% goes out the tail pipe as soot/smoke. On newer engines that unburned fuel gets scrubbed by pollution control devices. Propane injection, just before the turbo, apparently helps the engine burn most of the 15% wasted diesel thus gaining effeciency. As I see it, If Propane were to be injected when I am passing slower traffic and climbing hills and is turned off most of the time, it might really help mileage. The rub is the cost of Propane.

I hear Canada is the place to buy Propane. All I need now is a long hose.


Larry

[Ray,IN]

If your engine is a 1998 model year, this works Banks Power | 93-98 Cummins - B5.9L & C8.3L>>PowerPack® System and this thread might be informative Banks system . Larry addressed the most important issue when considering upgrading HP, good after-market gauges so you know what your engine is doing and to prevent costly engine damage. One item you must determine is how much HP the Allison transmission will safely handle in stock form.This might tell: Allison Transmission
A good resource for the ISB 5.9 Cummins engine is Fritz's Dodge Ram Tech . Sure it's for Dodge Ram CTD ISB 5.9 engines, but still a wealth of information for the engine itself.

[Randy Landreth]

Guy's give us a call at 5 star. We carry TS modules for cats&cummins & can even help out those 12v cummins as well.

[evo124]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheato22 Evo, I have been researching the same topic now that diesel is $4+ here in California. My coach is a '94 Monaco 32' with a 5.9 B engine 230Hp engine mated with a Allison MD3060. Not quite as hi-tech as your engine. Your ISB engine has the electronic controls system introduced to the Cummins engine in 1998, while mine is the previous model mechanical 5.9L 12-valve without the ECM system. Your post got me thinking. There have to to be hundreds of diesel pusher owners thinking the same thoughts. Sounds to me like a couple new threads, one for B engines and one for ISC engines, to assist owners understand what others are doing to increase Fuel Economy and performance... while preserving the reliability and serviceability of our RV's. From my perspective I have discovered that diesels engines are very different from gas engines. In fact my mechanic says "a diesel is like a big air compressor that you put fuel into. The more fuel you put in the more torque and horsepower you get out." Less in... less out. My 230Hp engine pushes my 29,000 pound RV OK. But it is no Maserati. When I put my 'foot through the grill' it moves... but takes awhile to get to freeway speeds. I know intuitively that my mileage goes to heck when I do that. So when pulling hills these days I pull to the right, turn on the blinkers, have my co-pilot get me a soda, and slow down. I manually put the tranny in a lower gear, slow down and hopefully conserve fuel while watching the pyrometer to make sure the engine exhaust gasses don't creep up too high. So here is what I am doing to improve mileage on my '94 Dynasty: 1. Replace the air filter and investigated availability of low restriction air filters 2. Made sure tire are inflated correctly 3. Investigated adjusting the engine's injector pump to reduce fuel flow to engine when accelerating 4. Made sure the Pac Brake was working correctly 5. Investigated having an Allison specialist re-program the MD3060 Mode feature to change transmission ship points 6. Purchased RV with Aero Turbo muffler so thats OK 7. Installed ISSPRO Pyrometer 8. Scheduled mechanical check of engine for turbo and Inter-cooler air leaks 6. Investigated updating Pac Brake to new model to improve engine braking. 7. Installed "BrakeSwitch" module and removed old floor push button that activated the Pac Brake. My logic here was to improve braking and therefore eliminating 'jack rabbit' throttle action 8. Investigating Propane Injection systems to improve fuel combustion and therefore mileage. I am working on topic #8 now. This is potentially the holy grail as some "experts" say. Apparently most diesels only burn 85% of the diesel injected into the engine. The other 15% goes out the tail pipe as soot/smoke. On newer engines that unburned fuel gets scrubbed by pollution control devices. Propane injection, just before the turbo, apparently helps the engine burn most of the 15% wasted diesel thus gaining effeciency. As I see it, If Propane were to be injected when I am passing slower traffic and climbing hills and is turned off most of the time, it might really help mileage. The rub is the cost of Propane. I hear Canada is the place to buy Propane. All I need now is a long hose. Larry

Thanks a lot Larry .
You have really looked into this issue.
you say that the diesel price is going above 4 usd / gallon , we are paying equal to 7,6 usd/ gallaon over here in Europe, makes it more important to try to get the consumption down if possible.

I will make sure that i got these items you have listed in good condition.

I know that there are some solutions for the 12 valve engine and the 24 valve on the market and even more and better one for the later engines from 2003 and onwards that have the common rail injection system.
Most of them seams to be intended for use on the Dodge trucks who have the Cummins engine installed. The Bank power pack promises 275 hp and 660 ft/lbs in torques and thats what I got originally if the specs from Monaco is right.

I have found an Italian company that provides solutions for the Dodge Trucks, they have manage to lower the consumption with up to 20% on the later common rail engine. Mads Electronics - Smarty - Catcher - Products

Did ask them the question if the could do the Monaco installation as well.
Answer was that they only work with the Dodge trucks installation .

Makes me wonder if the ECM in the Monaco is the same as in the Dodge trucks .
If it is one should be able to use their products.

Need to get on to Cummins about this .

Regards
Evo.

got to ask Cummins about this and se what they say.

[evo124]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Landreth Guy's give us a call at 5 star. We carry TS modules for cats&cummins & can even help out those 12v cummins as well.

Hi Randy .
can you give me some more details and perhaps contacts for 5 star
regards
Evo

[Randy Landreth]

Give us a call at 843-250-0499. Talk to Mike or myself we would be glad to help you out.

[5star]

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo124 Hi Randy . can you give me some more details and perhaps contacts for 5 star regards Evo

Hi Evo
Give us a shout anytime myself or Randy will be happy to talk shop.
Contact info is
mike@5startuning.com
randy@5startuning.com
843.250.0499

[greystroke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by evo124 OK , thanks . The cummins engine installed is The 5,9 ISB engine 275 hp and the transmision is the Allison MD3060 6 speed with an economy program.

I have the same basic engine and mine is a 53 block. Be careful if you have one of these because the blocks are prone to cracking on the exhaust side. I love this engine and I treat it with care and I would not dream of chipping it since that will raise exhaust temp. So I try to drive at optimum. So I bought a VMSpc system to measure all the vitals such as Fuel rate, various gages of mpg, Turbo Boost, HP,Torque, Load, Intake manifold temp, coolant temps and more. I currently get 10.5 towing a 4000 lb toad. In addition the VMPpc throws diagnostic codes while driving.

You must maintain at least 5 psi from lift to the VP44 injection pump or it will be damaged. So I installed a fuel gage to make sure I am above that value even while accelerating.

Next is installation of a Fass Pump to insure efficient operation of the VP44.