ISM Ugly fix

[tom chelbana]

First travels with Ugly Fix on ISM (04)
1 Slight increase in fuel economy about .2/.3
2 Engine runs smoother with turbo boost not jumping between 20 and 40 with waste gate controler
3 Scan-D showing 425 rear wheel HP and the highest I had seen before was 405
4 2 to 3 mph on 6 plus % grades
5 Turbo boost with mechanical gauge about 3 psi higher (45)

[Mr_D]

Fun to watch the HP/torque figures but not very accurate since it's just interpolated from the specs.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by tom chelbana

First travels with Ugly Fix on ISM (04)
1 Slight increase in fuel economy about .2/.3
2 Engine runs smoother with turbo boost not jumping between 20 and 40 with waste gate controler
3 Scan-D showing 425 rear wheel HP and the highest I had seen before was 405
4 2 to 3 mph on 6 plus % grades
5 Turbo boost with mechanical gauge about 3 psi higher (45)

Tom,

Doesn't your ISM have the VG turbo rather than the pure waste gate? What is the highest boost you normally see.

[tom chelbana]

Steve Yes it has VG turbo but from what I have read the turbo does have waste gate for the EGR valve and when ECM calls for more exhaust back pressure it changes to allow more back pressure. When watching the turbo boost gauge many times the boost would go up to 30 plus boost and then drop to 20. Now the boost is not fluctuating and raise to has high as 45 on the mechanical gauge yet the computer output always never reads over 32 psi. The engine and power is smoother with not having boost swing from 20 to 40 plus.

[LoggedOff]

Any other feedback on the Ugly Fix? Getting ready to pull the trigger and buy one. We full-time, so the ISM500 in our rig gets worked quite regularly. Would love to hear some mileage and power experience so I know what to expect.

[tom chelbana]

Have a 04 Essex with 500 ISM which we bought new and have 125Kmiles on the coach. Have found a noticeable change in performance on 6 plus % grades. Traveling I-5 from southern California to Seattle which we have done many times and has many step grades in north California and Oregon, we have not been down below 50 mph on any grade at 51K weight. The turbo boost gauge which doesn't read off ECM is showing up to 45psi which is about a 5 psi change. There is at least a 5mph increase on step grades. Not seeing more then .2 to .4 increase in mpg but a slight increase. Noticeable increase in power.

[LoggedOff]

Very nice... I'd take the .4 mpg increase. We're only rolling at about 44k lbs GCW, so I have high hopes. EGR on every Cummins and Powerstroke I've owned over the years has given me a headache. May as well cut this one before it starts problems for me.

[hes4all]

Finally found where the Ugly fix goes on my ISL and have it installed. I have a 2 week trip coming up next month so I will report back!

[2-Nickels]

I had purchased The Ugly Fix for my 2004MH with an ISM. As I dove into the installation I discovered my ISM was an 08.2002 which did not have the EGR. (Mod edit)

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by 2-Nickels

I had purchased The Ugly Fix for my 2004MH with an ISM. As I dove into the installation I discovered my ISM was an 08.2002 which did not have the EGR.

I have a close twin to your coach. '03 Sig 40' which we have lived full time in for 9 years now. My engine was built in Sept '02. I think we are fortunate because the EGR had a high failure rate at first. Here is your engine:

http://www.rvtechlibrary.com/engine/ISM500_specs.pdf

[jo333]

Keep in mind that you are contributing to Mexico City or Beijing China type air pollution. Not to rain on your parade, but just saying.....

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by jo333

Keep in mind that you are contributing to Mexico City or Beijing China type air pollution. Not to rain on your parade, but just saying.....

I have a Diesel engine with none of the add ons mandated by the EPM. I'm thankful for my late '02 ISM every time I take a trouble free trip. I'm surprised that the Feds have let me live. I expect to be the victim of a drone strike any day. I believe I saw that you have a Navistar engine. Aren't most of those on the road because Navistar payed a fee to the EPA so they could sell engines that couldn't meet the emissions requirements? Just saying.

[jo333]

Didn't check with the EPA before I bought my RV. Not sure what your point is:
You don't want Feds setting pollution rules?
At least not for you?
We're over regulated?
Clean air is over rated?
Places I've seen with no pollution regulations aren't where I want to live. I still think this is a great country to live in. Just face the fact that these modifications cheat the rest of us with gross NOX pollution. I get that you don't care. Maybe check out what it does to the lungs.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by jo333

Didn't check with the EPA before I bought my RV. Not sure what your point is:
You don't want Feds setting pollution rules?
At least not for you?
We're over regulated?
Clean air is over rated?
Places I've seen with no pollution regulations aren't where I want to live. I still think this is a great country to live in. Just face the fact that these modifications cheat the rest of us with gross NOX pollution. I get that you don't care. Maybe check out what it does to the lungs.

My point is that regulators shouldn't be setting "cast in stone" levels with zero engineering input. The EGR system on Diesel engines was one of the first emissions devices. It has proven to be hands down the most problematic, costing owners many thousands of dollars in repairs.

Yes, we are over regulated in almost every facet of our lives.

Yes, clean air is good but the law of diminishing returns should also be respected. I'm sure that you love bio diesel and gasohol but it also has a cost in front end pollution, and repair costs. Also drives up the cost of feedstock.

Personally I no longer trust life long politicians and life long bureaucrats to make well reasoned decisions.

The EGR system on your Navistar engine has a very poor history. You may not feel quite so magnanimous if a malfunction costs you several thousand dollars or causes serious damage to the engine. For all that risk to the consumer, it still doesn't meet the '10 EPS standard.