We’re back from SEMA 2006!

We just stepped off the plane Sunday from this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas Nevada. Every year the show gets a little bit bigger and a little bit better, and for those of us in the diesel performance industry it holds even more true. The focus of this year’s show in the diesel performance industry was clearly digital display monitors. All key manufacture’s have something new and exciting on the way, with color displays, touch screens, higher resolutions and every other option imaginable. Some of the most exciting products were Diablo Sports Trinity, Edge Products PDA, BD-Powers X2 Digital LCD Monitor and Bully Dog’s Performance Management Tool. The products will be listed on our website as soon as they become available-so make sure you sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know.

The Air-Intake industry also has some very exciting products on the way. AFE is currently in the process of developing a dry filter (meaning you will not have to oil it). Volant will have a completely redesigned line of filters hitting the market, boasting the best filtration available today. AEM will be releasing a new line of intake systems entitled the Work Horse, that will feature one of the largest filter elements in the industry.

This year there was also plenty of talk about the Dodge 6.7L Cummins and the Ford 6.4L Twin Turbo Powerstroke both of which are coming out soon. Just about every manufacturer we asked had the same answer, we have one on order and as soon as we get it we’ll work on breaking the codes, fitting the exhaust and designing an intake. The big changes with vehicle manufacturers is sure to make next years SEMA show even more exciting with tons of new and redesigned products hitting the market.

Dan Stewart
Sales Manager
Xtreme Diesel Performance "Diesel Pickup Truck Power"

FREE MONEY! OK, now that we have your attention, we’d like to announce our newest contest. To kick off XtremeDiesel.com’s newest feature, we are giving away five $100 gift certificates. All you have to do is write a review on ANY product.

To enter, go to any product on our website that you have and wish to review.
Click on the “add product review” link under the product description
If you already have an account, “Login”
If you do not have an account, click the “Register” button
After you either Login or Create and account you will be automatically send to the “Rate this Product” page; fill out the form and click “Add”
You are now entered in the contest and will be contacted by 11/30/2006 if you are a winner.

Good Luck!

Over the past couple months we have been receiving a lot of great feedback. We at Xtreme Diesel truly appreciate all the support that we get from our customers (we know you have other options.) We just want to take the time to share with everyone what people are writing to us.

“Thanks. I got the chip yesterday. Thanks for the reply. You guys really got a good thing going here. I’m sure I’ll use you again soon,” from Kyle J.

“…This live help rocks…you guys are miles ahead!” from a visitor on our Live Help.

“Thanks for all your help. I will definitely keep my business with you. It’s not very often a company will go that extra mile to help somebody out after the sale. You guys are top notch in my book,” from Gary W.

Letters like these and the thousands others really make our job worthwhile, we strive to provide the best service around. As customers ourselves we always want to feel that we’re being taken care of, and if we have a question we can call and get an answer. That is why we make every effort to help our customers, and really appreciate all the great feedback

We want to bring your attention to our newest product line, Thermo-Tec. During hot summer days your trucks engine compartment really starts to heat up, especially when you have that ac cranked. Even if you have a cold-air intake and a performance intercooler your engine is still battling to get cool/dense air. This is why Thermo-Tec insulation products can be found in almost every major racing association on the planet; from NASCAR and the NHRA to Off-Road Racing. Thermo-Tec can also be found in many marine and aeronautical applications where heat is a major concern. Needless to say this stuff rocks! It’s not just head resistant tape; they have part specific wraps for turbos, intake tubes, and exhaust manifolds. If that isn’t enough there are even customizable mats and wraps to fit whatever or wherever you need to keep heat in, or out. Intake and exhaust wraps take two spots in Diesel Truck World’s “10 Ways to Stay Cool” article! Think about it, even during everyday driving your exhaust manifolds turn “red-hot,” here is a simple cost effective way to keep that heat in and away from your intake tube. We all know cool-dense air is necessary for optimum combustion (that’s why we buy expensive cold-air intake systems), so why would you just leave glowing hot exhaust manifolds exposed to turn you engine compartment into an oven? Check out our large selection of Thermo-Tec insulating products.

If you haven't noticed, we at Xtreme Diesel Performance have been adding new product lines around the clock. We want to know what you think. So we're going to start a forum type blog. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and let everyone know your opinion. So let's get the ball rolling!

Volant "Cool Air" Intake Systems...

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. It was bright, warm and sunny here on the east coast. Now that the warm weather is arriving, it’s time de-winterize your boat if you have one and head out to the water. Pulling a boat or any other decent sized load can put a real strain on your truck, especially going up-hill. You may notice your EGT’s going up. This is normal, but excessive temperatures can cause damage (as we discussed in the last blog entry.)

Enough of worrying already, let’s talk power! To really get that low end torque needed to haul your toy, you may want to consider a tuner, programmer, or downloader. These easy to install units are usually plug-and-play and come with a setting designed for towing. Our most requested units are the Edge Juice with Attitude Monitor and the Bully Dog Triple Dog with Outlook Monitor. In the tow setting gains are usually around 40 additional HP and between 60-95 ft lbs of torque. These units also come with monitors that replace most gauges that you will need. Both will automatically start to de-fuel when temperatures get to hot. Safety features are well worth the money when compared to replacing your transmission.

Now that your truck made it up the hill, you don’t want to go out of control going down it. A good way to control your speed when tackling a decline is an exhaust brake. These work by stopping the exhaust which leads to increased back pressure that slows your engine down. This will keep your speed in check without using your brakes. BD-Power makes a great exhaust brake that will automatically adjust to your truck’s highest recommended pressure. When the unit is not in use, the exhaust will flow freely without restricting exhaust, so you can keep you power up and your temperatures low.

Now that your truck can make it up the hill and stay in control down it, you’re ready for ultimate summer fun on the water or wherever your toys may lead you.

Diesel Pick-up Truck Transmissions

So you have your 150hp tuner, your AFE stage 2 intake system, the 5" exhaust and larger injectors. But what is all this doing to your transmission? Here we’re not only going to discuss what causes transmission failure, but also what you can do to prevent it.
Heat is one of the biggest causes of transmission failure. The fluid in your trans. can reach in excess of 250E. That kind of heat can damage your transmission in a short amount of time due to fluid breakdown. Normal operating temperature should be about 175E to 200E and will get well over 100,000mi out of your stock trans. Many high performance upgrades designed for towing and racing create large amounts of heat. Stock transmissions will usually start to slip around double the stock horsepower and torque rating.

Your stock torque converter and valve body is another weak point of your transmission. Stock components will not provide enough pressure to the clutches, bands, and other pressure components in modified and some stock applications. As the torque is increased above 550-600 lbs, the stock single disc converter will continue to slip until the fluid (between the clutch and lid) either overheats, or is gone. When this happens, the clutch material burns off and lodges itself in the trans and cooling lines. Over time this will shorten the life of your transmission. Companies like ATS, BD Power and Banks have greatly improved on stock design flaws by designing products that help your truck run more efficiently. For example, the five star torque converter designed by ATS houses a patented five-disc clutch that eliminates slippage without raising line pressure. Also, the valve bodies are redesigned with larger solenoids, 1st and 2nd gear lock ups, and increased line pressure to maximize load capacity. Companies such as ATS and BD offer units known as Trans-Command and Lockup Controller. These are designed with push button controls that allow the driver to select the speed at which the converter clutch will engage and disengage; this gives you total control over your transmission. Such products also offer better acceleration and cooler running, as well as allowing the user to brake or holdback (even without an exhaust brake). If an exhaust brake is in place, the ATS "Trans-Command" has the ability to automatically control the brake and converter clutch so power is not over-applied.

One of the smallest, yet most important improvements you can make to your transmission is changing to synthetic fluid. Simply by changing to synthetic you will not only lower your transmission temperatures, but also help find lost horsepower and torque. Synthetic fluids such as Royal Purple also help avoid cold temperature thickening, sludge and varnish formation, poor friction stability, and premature maintenance. A synthetic fluid will extend lubricant life up to six times and provide protection well beyond non-synthetics. Also, upgrading to a larger transmission pan such as a Mag-Hytech will help. These pans are designed to hold more fluid; this results in the transmission running cooler and lasting longer. Aftermarket trans pans are great for towing applications where high heat is a factor. Another advantage to an aftermarket pan is that it is already tapped for a temperature probe for vehicles that don’t have a trans temp gauge already.

Now lets talk monitoring. Keeping a watchful eye on your engine, transmission, EGT (exhaust gas temperature), and turbo can be most useful in not only short term, but also long term vehicle life. Choosing a chip/tuner that monitors your engine parameters is very important. You don’t want to choose a chip that just gives you tons of horsepower and torque. Although it might seem cool to tell your buddies that your chip/tuner gave you 220hp and 400 ft lbs, it’s not so cool to be stuck on the side of the road with a 30ft trailer because the system you chose didn’t de-fuel or warn you when your EGT was through the roof. Systems such as an Edge Juice w/Attitude or a Bully Dog Outlook monitor will not only notify you when a problem occurs, it will allow you to visually see where the problem is occurring.

Though your stock transmission will work great for some applications, improvements can always be made to ensure the safety of you and your vehicle. Remember to choose carefully when purchasing new parts. You may want to look for the unit with more monitoring features. It will prove to be the smarter decision in the long run for you and your truck.