FalcoColumbarius wrote:I have been driving my P25W (L300 Low Roof) for four years in many different applications (city; highway; forest service roads; off road) and have never needed a pyro,
How does ignorance make one an authority on a subject? You are making the same kind of causal fallacy as Bill O'Reilly who says that because the tides ebb and flow a divine power must be responsible.
Now before you get out your modhammer I want you to read my whole post. Positive contributions are enclosed.
When I first got the L300 I learned quickly about the serious overheating issues and responded promptly. It was expensive, but I knew that the alternative (complete engine failure) was too great a risk not to mitigate. I know a few people who refuse to open their wallets and instead promote the notion that "only aggressive drivers blow up their engines". I dislike it when people promote their self-delusion to new owners and make a point of calling them out on it. (For the record, Falco, I'm not saying that you are delusional. Read on.)
When you look at the aging L300s, there is a wide range of quality represented in the Lower Mainland. I've seen quite a lot of L300's in poor mechanical condition, whilst the owners proclaim "runs great!". Oh sweet delusion. The easiest way to get an accurate read on how bad the L300s are doing is to try buying one. Its a shame that a pretty L300 with low mileage and a lot of major mechanical coming due will go for more than one in excellent mechanical nick and a well-used interior. Now, Falco's van has been well cared for by him and the previous owner, is in consistently good nick, and he is a reasonable attentive driver so yes he has had a good experience sans pyro. I do not challenge that. However I would hesitate to draw conclusions based on a statistical sample of one.
Often neglected on L300s is the cooling system. This exacerbates a weak point in the engine, the cracking in the #3 cylinder caused by overheating. This is not only an expensive repair (i.e. a rebuild), it is an easily preventable one. You can confirm this fact easily by speaking with any qualified Mitsu diesel mechanic.
Now I probably have the most exposure to pyro stats here because for a time I was doing group buys of the venerable Auber gauges (which actually track peaks unlike every other gauge) and have installed a number of them on various vans. Obviously people share their results with me. I have discussed my findings with the mechanics we all trust and they have found the data consistent with the results they see in the shop. My personal experience has been driving very long distances in my L300 - regular road trips of over 1,500km in the mountains, as long as 20,000km in diverse conditions including desert in the peak of Summer. I've been running the pyro since early on, and through various upgrades and improvements to the vehicle, including the removal of the EGR (my pyro is post-turbo), new cooling system, new high perf exhaust, etc. The only one I haven't got data for is the snorkel. I also own an L400, on which I had installed the pyro a year before buying it and have data from before and after I bought it.
My opinion, based on substantial experience, is that
if you have a 4M40 and you are not pulling a load, you do not need a pyro. The temps are so far within tolerances that its really just "ambiance" as Falco says. I would recommend you spend your money on other things first.
However,
if you have a 4D56 engine you are playing with fire (so to speak) if you do not get a pyro installed. I would even go so far as to say that it is irresponsible to recommend that a pyro is unnecessary on the 4D56 and this is why I have crawled out of my hole to disagree with our feathered friend on this point.
In order to drive an L300 on North American highways, and climb long steep hills that are so common in our region, you need to drive the machine close to the maximum exhaust temperatures that it can tolerate. For example, at highway speed you can easily be at 1000F exhaust temp pre-turbo. At acceleration you will push it as high as 1300F for 30 seconds at a time. This is terribly close to 1500F which is when components begin to break down. And the problem with this is that you cannot judge temperature based solely on speed and RPMs. Even if you are very experienced with your ride and the noises it makes and how that relates to water temp a few minutes later (which is all the stock gauges will ever tell you - too late) you would be surprised at how imperceptible the impact of a slight headwind is on engine loads and the resulting EGT. This is why people blow up 4D56 engines time and again, heading east at speeds consistent with several days drive in the opposite direction. "It was running fine..." Delusion. On the drive back from Nova Scotia, I had to drop speed by as much as 15mph on flat land to maintain the same temps I was getting going west.
For the 4D56, the best preventative money you can spend on gauges, after you have done the recommended maintenance (cooling system!!), is a pyro. Post-turbo is generally better because it shows you the summary temperature instead of just #3 (EGR is only one cylinder, the hot one but just one all the same). Next would be oil pressure and temperature, a precision water temp gauge, etc. Turbo boost gauges are useless to the driver. You only need to check turbo pressure in the shop, not while you are driving. When I see these in Delicas I see a waste of money.
P.S. This isn't meant to be a plug but people are going to start emailing me about kits again so I better say something. There is a new deal: I order the kits, at discount from Auber, and I give them to Jay of TardisDeli fame to install. He charges for his time, will let you help, and enjoys fried chicken and pizza. I will of course honor the warranty as I have in the past and provide the usual tech support. This seems to be a better arrangement since Jay is far more reliable than I am, does great work, and has a space to work in. Cheers.
