Big Power Without High EGT

Snow Performance’s New Comp-One System

As Benjamin Franklin once said of diesel truck performance in Poor Richard’s Almanac, “The honey is sweet, but the bee has a sting.” I know what you must be thinking: what the hell did a kite-flying Ben Franklin know about trucks and (more importantly) what exactly does a honey bee have to do with diesel performance? Okay, maybe big Ben wasn’t addressing diesel truck performance specifically in this famous quote, but that doesn’t make it any less appropriate.

The quote is about not letting something good tempt you since there’s always a price to pay. In the case of diesel performance, the extra power available through various forms of fuel augmentation is certainly enticing, but care must be taken since harmful exhaust gas temperature (EGT) is almost always a byproduct of extra fueling. Before we get to the cure, let’s take a look at not only the different forms of fueling, but a unique new method that combines them in one complete, effective, easy-to-use package and provides the necessary safety margin to keep EGT in check. Enter the new Comp-One system from Snow Performance.

There are a number of reasons why diesel owners choose diesels over their spark-ignited counterparts. Obviously, fuel mileage and engine life are tops on the list, but you have to include a diesel’s inherent performance capability. Given the add-fuel-and-stir recipe for increased performance, massive power gains are simply a matter of altered programming, increased fuel pressure or augmentation of a secondary fuel source. The power and torque gains available on the more popular diesel applications have the gas guys looking longingly over the fence.

When it comes to performance, the grass is indeed greener in the diesel pasture. Though performance is just extra fuel away, there are (as always) pitfalls associated with excessive fueling. This is especially true when towing your favorite sand toys, river rat or fifth-wheel trailer. While you might get away with high EGT running hard on the street or strip, combining the loads imposed by towing with extra power offered by programming can be a recipe for disaster. Note: hot tunes and towing do not normally mix. Run the EGT too high for too long and say goodbye to all that fantastic diesel performance and hello to a costly rebuild.

Diesel owners rely on a number of different methods of increased engine performance. The most common methods of fuel augmentation include (tuner) programming, enhanced fuel pressure (or flow) or adding a secondary source of fuel enrichment-water/methanol being the most common. These methods are obviously used individually, but are often stacked to combine the benefits of each. There are a couple of problems associated with stacking the different components, including compatibility, dash clutter and elevated EGT.

How well do the various systems work together and do the individual gains combine to produce a sum of their totals? Does adding the individual programmer require a separate boost and/or EGT gauge? Once you have added the various power-enhancing components, how did the extra power manifest itself in exhaust gas temps? Can the extra power and torque offered be used under real-world, long-term towing conditions? Extra power is all well and good, but not if it can only be used for a one-hit-wonder dyno pull.

What the performance diesel market really needed was one complete system that combined all the power and performance of stacking with proper instrumentation and the necessary safety precautions to monitor and regulate exhaust gas temperatures. Such a system would (by design) be very sophisticated, but so must it be user friendly, since what good is a system that takes a PhD to program?

According to Snow Performance, their new Comp-One system combines all these attributes with the integrated water/ methanol system that made Snow famous for providing the massive power gains we want with a margin of safety we need. The Snow Performance water/methanol injection has always been a natural upgrade for diesel owners looking to both enhance power and keep EGT in check. Working with Diablo Sport, the Snow water/ methanol system has been combined with a sophisticated one-touch tuner that includes instrumentation, diagnostic code reader and even built-in G-Tech (virtual drag strip/dyno).

“The Snow Performance water/methanol injection has always been a natural upgrade for diesel owners looking to both enhance power and keep EGT in check.”

This Comp-One system allows users to run even the hottest tunes without fear of excessive EGT. The new system has been shown to increase power by 250 hp and 500 lb/ft of torque (350 hp and 700 lb/ft with Power Puck) while reducing EGT by as much as 250-300 degrees. Every bit as important is the fact that the system can be used on 2007-up DPF-equipped vehicles without damaging DPF or harming fuel economy caused by running in constant regen mode. The water/meth system also reduces particulate matter (smoke signals) and NOx.

The Comp-One system was recently put to the test on a 2004 Dodge Cummins 3500. Mildly modified, the ’04 test vehicle was equipped with a set of 50-hp injectors and Switchblade variable-vane turbo before adding the Comp-One system from Snow Performance. Testing was performed at the Colorado Speed Company on the Superflow AutoDyn 30 (load-bearing) chassis dyno at 25% load. The Comp-One system was run with Boost Juice—a 50/50 mixture of water and methanol.

Run in baseline trim (no Comp-One activation), the Cummins diesel produced 268 hp at 2,869 rpm and 520 lb/ft of torque at 2,680 rpm with a peak boost reading of 44.2 psig. Test number two involved activation of the water-methanol component, which produced 349 hp at 3,186 rpm and 614 lb/ft of torque at 2,776 rpm, while peak boost was up to 50.9 psig. In this mode, the Comp-One increased the power output by 81 hp and 94 lb/ft of torque, and boost pressure by 6.7 psig.

Engaging the Tow tune on top of the water-methanol resulted in 362 hp at 3,210 rpm and 630 lb/ft of torque at 2,842 rpm, while the Performance tune brought 440 hp at 3,166 rpm and 745 lb/ft of torque at 3,015 rpm. The final run with the Extreme tune pushed boost to 52.7 psig (and resulted in 53.4 psig boost) and peak numbers of 492 hp at 3,289 rpm and 813 lb/ft of torque at 3,103 rpm. Despite the gains of 224 hp, using the new Comp-One system from Snow Performance, the EGT never exceeded 1,200 degrees. The honey is sweet indeed! DW

SOURCES:
Snow Performance
719-633-3811
www.snowperformance.net

Colorado Speed Co.
719-440-0535
www.coloradospeedcompany.com

Switchblade Turbo
Blaylock Turbochargers
800-782-0127
www.blaylock-turbo.com