Hi all. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with a DPP Spectre Vgt? I tried using the search on the forum and didn't find anything. I even googled reviews on them and didn't get much that was of any help. Is anyone running one? More specifically the howitzer. As I upgrade things bit by bit and am figuring out what I want to do with my truck performance wise, I'm trying to get as much info as possible. DPP says to call them and order a specific turbo for "your" truck and what you're doing with it and what your goals are. In a perfect world, I would like to make 450-550 and be ultra reliable. This truck is driven daily, with some heavy towing. I must have an exhaust brake. This might seem like a radical statement because we got away without them for years, but there's snow where I live and nothing is better and safer for winter driving than an exhaust brake. Fuel economy is also a concern, so obviously, it doesn't make sense to spend $3G to save 15 bucks every two weeks, but to hang a brand new set of compounds or a larger paired with the stocker. Just fishing for people's thoughts and experiences. Thanks in advance.

 

I know my post won't be much help since I don't have experience with what you are asking. The reason I am posting is in regards to your statement about the engine brake. Winter driving with the engine brake on is definitely not safer then using the truck brakes... Not that you can't do it, just be smart. If you hit a slick spot and the engine brake engages, you will lose traction (I drifted my truck around the corner of an exit ramp after a light rain a couple years ago). It is best to save the engine brake for the dry roads. My EB is always on, but goes off when it rains or when there is potential for ice.

Depending on the turbo you get there is a chance you can wire it to come on with the factory EB switch. I believe it was forum member New2Diesel that mentioned he upgraded the stock turbo to a bigger VGT and was able to retain the use of the truck's EB switch.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

I have to say the same thing.

While we in Idaho don't get the snow like our friends up in Canada might get, but I never run my EB in the snow or rain.

I've hit black ice and slick spots, and even in wet weather running the EB makes for a "not so fun" ride when it kicks in.

 

Haha, so there must not actually be much info on these spectres. What larger vgt did your buddy switch to? How did that process go for installing it, tuning it/calibrating it? Did it bolt up directly?

Funny that you guys have had those experiences with your EBs like that, maybe it's because mine's a stick that the feeling and control are different.

 

I haven't seen much on them. I don't know what turbo N2D went with. He may have it in his signature if you look him up. I thought he just wired it up and it worked, but I really don't know.

It could be the difference between a manual and an auto, but as you know even with a manual you can lose traction if you down shift too soon, engine brake or not... Heck manually downshifting my auto has done that with the EB off. It's all in Newton's Law... And our trucks aren't light... Well, mine isn't lol.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

I did a search in the 4th Gen section and only one thread showed up for the Spectre:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=307324

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Yup, I inadvertently drifted a corner in the canyon with the exhaust brake on when I had my 2011. The roads were "dry" (no precip in a week), so I thought I'd be good coming down the canyon with the EB on. Unfortunately some snow had melted, ran across the road and re-froze in the corner. I let off the skinny pedal to slow down and the back end tried to trade places with the front.

Had to change my shorts when I got home, kids in the back seat though it was cool though.

 

Well this seems to have turned into a safe winter driving thread, lol. Ultimately I have another 5 grand to put into it before I start thinking about a turbo for real, so hopefully there will be some more real world info out there before that time comes around. Supposedly, they just wire up as the stocker would, same button and all. On the note of shifting etc, I've found that shifting up helps. Strange as that may be and sound, the engine just drops right out of the power band and the chances of spinning when you don't want to drop right along with it. Of course, now all the snow is gone from the roadways and I can't go out for a test run just to see exactly what it is that I'm doing in what circumstances. Learning to drive as a normal Canadian kid, snowy parking lot drift sessions are abound, so I got used to it pretty quickly. Thanks for the input, and if anyone else wants to chime in, please do.