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Old 07-12-2012, 02:55 PM   #1
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Exhaust Brake on 2011 Monaco Diplomat

We purchased a new 2011 Monaco Diplomat, 43 DFT. Has an 8.9 litre Cummins, 425 HP.

Love the engine, transmission, & coach. Handles nice, etc.

One problem. When we purchased the coach, we were told it had an engine brake (Jake Brake). The switch to turn the brake on is labelled "engine brake".

However, I was not satisfied with the performance of it, & upon further investigation , find that it is not an engine brake, but a "variable geometry turbo exhaust brake".

Has anyone had experience adding a Jake Brake, or do you have similar concerns with the Exhaust Brake vs Engine Brake?

The exh brake has about 50% of the braking power of the engine brake.

We have been misled by Monaco & the dealer.

Thanks,
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Old 07-12-2012, 03:01 PM   #2
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Hi and welcome to the forum.

I'm sure our experts will be along with advice soon but comparisons of exhaust/engine/Jake/compression brakes get over my head very quickly. We have a two stage engine brake and love it.

Best of luck.

Rick
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Old 07-12-2012, 03:44 PM   #3
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I think this is a case of "let the buyer beware". I looked up the Monaco brochure for your coach and it plainly states, "Variable Geometry Turbo" exhaust brake. This does not relieve the salesman of the obligation of telling you the truth. Because the brochure is a marketing tool not a owners manual there are plenty of motor home sales made with the buyers never seeing a brochure. The really sucky thing is that the ISL is available with a true Jake compression brake. Basically Monaco saved a few thousand and were able to offer an ISL in a market where an ISC is more common.

Since the compression brake is internal to the engine, and integrated with the transmission, they come from Cummins with or without. Few things are impossible but the cost to retrofit would be staggering. Monaco has been doing this for years. I remember looking at a Camelot back in 2004-05 with an ISL and exhaust brake.

I know it's a disappointment but otherwise it's a very nice coach.
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Old 07-12-2012, 03:58 PM   #4
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I think "Jake Brake" has become a generic term for any engine brake, be it an exhaust brake, engine/trans retarder, etc... Just the way we all use "Kleenex" to blow our nose. I'm sure if Monaco has that unit installed on its coaches, it must perform ok.
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Old 07-12-2012, 04:13 PM   #5
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I agree with the buyer beware - but we were sent a "build sheet" from the dealer, & nowhere did it mention an exhaust brake vs engine brake.
Also, the salesman & service tech both said it had an engine brake, which ususlly refers to compression brake.
The brake difinitely "does not" have enough braking power on grades more than 7%.

I will probably try to get a Jake Installed. Just talked to a Cummins rep in COburg, Or & he says they do quite alot of them. Cost in range of $8,000.
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Old 07-12-2012, 04:15 PM   #6
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They do preform adequately in fact they have excellent performance
On mine it will cause the coach to almost come to a complete stop on level ground and saves on brake extensively ( some brake lining will last 5 or more years ) and on steep grades (W. Vir. and Virginia) I almost never have to use the air brakes .

They are quieter than Jake brakes also and help the engine stay clean inside.

If one wants an outdated ( Jacobs) jake brake one can buy them for 1700 dollars and any truck stop but that would be like putting a carburetor on a car that has fuel injection

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAT-3406E-JA..._Parts&vxp=mtr
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Old 07-12-2012, 04:16 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donbos8 View Post
I agree with the buyer beware - but we were sent a "build sheet" from the dealer, & nowhere did it mention an exhaust brake vs engine brake.
Also, the salesman & service tech both said it had an engine brake, which ususlly refers to compression brake.
The brake difinitely "does not" have enough braking power on grades more than 7%.

I will probably try to get a Jake Installed. Just talked to a Cummins rep in COburg, Or & he says they do quite alot of them. Cost in range of $8,000.
8000 dollars or select a lower gear on your rig
I know what I would do
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Old 07-12-2012, 05:01 PM   #8
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I certainly understand your disappointment. The price is actually lower than I thought. If you are going to be traveling extensively, particularly in mountainous terrain and you are going to be in this coach for a while then it might be worth the $$$$. While the VGT is a better performer than an external exhaust brake, it will never be up to the level of a Jake.

The other direction is, as a previous poster said, adjust your driving style to accommodate dropping another gear when descending.
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Old 07-13-2012, 06:50 PM   #9
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Good luck
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Old 10-25-2012, 05:33 PM   #10
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Exhaust Brake on 2011 Monaco Diplomat

Hello. My question is for donbos8. We are considering purchasing a new 2013 Monaco Diplomat 43DFT in the spring. I know that Navistar has changed the 43DFT considerably since their takeover and the 2013 brochure now refers to the engine brake as "2 stage engine brake", instead of the "Variable Geometry Turbo Exhause brake" in the 2011 brochure. My concern is your reception at Monaco. If I am going to spend that much money, I certainly will not tolerate a " fence post attitude".

What have you done to correct the issue, and what happened with Monaco?
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