Let me begin this article
by saying thank you to the folks at Edge Products for not only
donating the EZ box I have been testing, but for their technical
support and ideas on how one should go about adding power upgrades
to your vehicle.
Should I or shouldn't I?
I was a bit scared when I first decided to contact the folks over at
Edge about doing this article. I knew that many people on the
site were using their products, so I wanted to write something about
my experiences with them, but I was very nervous about what would
happen to my truck when I added a "box". I contacted
them, and asked them questions about transmissions, fueling, engine
wear, EGT's, dyno numbers and a host of other things. They were
able to answer all of my questions, and provide additional technical
information that helped in my decision.
Customer Service is a MUST!
I want to commend Edge Products on
their customer service. I'll be the first one to tell you when I
have a negative customer service experience, but the experience with
them has been nothing but excellent from the start. Everyone I
talked to seemed very interested in what I had to say, and they were
truely concerned about the well being of my truck. They went out of
their way to ensure that I was satisfied. That's not easy for a
person like me, since I tend to ask more questions as I get each
answer.
Will my truck break?!?!?!
One of my major worries was about my
transmission. Since I have a '99 automatic, my first thought was
about how I had already rebuilt the tranny once. I didn't want to do
it again. During the rebuild, the shop did put a
high-performance Torque Converter and Valve Body, but that didn't help
my nerves at first. I'll explain why my confidence built AFTER I
added the "box".. One thing I will recommend to
automatic transmission owners, bomb your tranny first!
I'm sure you will get differing
opinions on where you should start bombing. For the most part,
folks with 5 and 6 speed transmissions don't have to worry about it
until they reach 275 or more horsepower. Well, it's a different
story with automatics. That is a story in itself, and I'll leave
that alone for now. Like I said before, my opinion is that if
you're going to start adding power enhancements, take care of your
auto before anything else.
As for the axles etc. My
opinion is that those don't need to be upgraded unless you're planning
on making some serious power. Remember that the 3/4 ton Dodge
Ram has a Dana 70 (except the 80 in the 3/4 ton 5spd) and the 1 Ton has a Dana 80. Those things are
tough, and very hard to break. Not impossible, but not likely
with basic power enhancements.
Which one do I test?
The product I decided to test was
the Edge EZ. I did this because it is their basic product, and
the majority of our members are using it. I may
upgrade to a comp later, but we'll see. I have to bomb in
increments. If I don't, my wife will kick me out and I'll have
to live in the 5ver! Something I don't want to do. Well,
on second thought...
Edge describes the EZ by saying,
"The Power Edge EZ is a plug in module that maximizes engine
efficiency by monitoring the RPM, timing, turbo boost pressure and
fueling parameters to determine both fueling and timing enhancements
for the Bosch fuel injection pump. The Power Edge EZ was developed
with the towing application in mind."
This caught my interest because it
described my application exactly. I do a lot of towing, and the
Cummins definately does the job, but I wanted a little more power
without sacrificing fuel economy and drivetrain. I wanted to be
able to get up the hills without hammering the pedal. This
little gem will do that.
|
How does this
thing work?
From the Edge website, "The
re-mapping of the timing and fueling parameters is done via the
CAN-BUS communication system. The CAN-BUS protocol is used to
communicate between the Cummins Engine Control Module (ECM) and the
Bosch fuel injection pump. All data sent from the Power Edge EZ is
within the limits of the Bosch fuel injection pump. This enables
smooth and predictable power delivery with out comprimising integrity.
This increase in power does not cause an increase in exhaust smoke
from a stock engine. The Power Edge EZ will also allow maximum fueling
at full turbo boost. The Power Edge EZ provides an additional 65 rear
wheel horsepower, an additional 185 foot pounds of torque and installs
in minutes. Simply plug the Power Edge connectors into the ECM Data
Link connection and MAP sensor. There's no need to unplug the Bosch
fuel injection pump connector. The Power Edge EZ is completly
weatherproof and mounts under the hood."
How much power do you REALLY
get?
Well, as you can see in the
previous paragraph, Edge claims that adding the EZ will give you 65
additional rear wheel horsepower, and 185 foot pounds of torque.
My opinion is that they're very close in saying this. Each truck
will always be different, but mine was close.
I decided that if I was going to do this, I was going to check and see
how much I was getting out of it for real, so I dynoed the truck
before installing the EZ, and after.
My numbers before
adding the EZ, on two runs were 196 rwhp, and 383 foot lbs. of
torque. Not bad for a stock auto, but I wanted more. What
I wanted is what I received. After installing the EZ, my rwhp
went up to 225 and my torque went to 513. Quite a jump.
Not quite as much as their claim, but darn close!!!! I was very
impressed. The truck felt so much stronger! So what did I
get? Well, I received a 29hp gain, and a 130 ft. pound gain in
torque. This is exactly what I was looking for!
You'll notice that my
numbers were not quite what Edge claims, but you have to remember
again that each truck is different, and it was also my first time on a
dyno. I did make some mistakes during the runs, and you'll
notice that my results didn't show under 2100 rpms. Why?
Because I didn't do it right, and the truck was shifting when I didn't
want it to. No fault of the truck, it was purely operator
error.
See the numbers by
clicking the images:
 Before
 After
So, do they make what they claim? I say for most customers,
absolutely. Not only that, but my egt's were within safe limits
during all runs. Since I don't have any gauges yet, Cmns_Pwr had
to measure my egts with the use of a laser pointer. Getting the
temp off the manifold, and adding 450 degrees to it will give you a
close number on exhaust temps.
My first run, the truck was pushing
right about 1000 degrees egt. After the install, I saw up to
1200, but averaged 1100 during the runs. I'd say for the power
you receive, that's quite good!
Should I buy gauges or not?
I'll keep this one short and
simple. YES!!!! I am going to get Egt, Boost and
Transmission temp. If anything, you should get an EGT gauge!
Next
Page -->
|
