First Mack And Disapointed With Power. Suggestions?

[gumbiegumbie]

I just got my first mack, its a 2001 ch with a 400 horse e7. My last truck had a 350 cummins and all i can say is mack must use smaller horses than cummins. I have a couple questions for some of you long time mack guys: first off from reading on here for days now i know the first thing many of you will say is check fuel and boost pressure and all that is fine, have new filters and all that, overall I think the truck is running fine as for running right or wrong its just feels weak to be labeled 400horse . I was very excited to hear about this blixxton module thing and then found out it fits older e7's than mine. My main questions are, what version ( v-mac II or III ) or whatever else its called would i have if my truck is a 2001 and does anyone offer something like the blixxton module or hotter injectors or turbo etc...... Also on my old cummins it made noticable difference when you ran the overhead. Is this something that needs to be done on this engine from time to time as well and will it make a performance difference difference or is it just a maintence/longevity issue? Overall I just want to turn it up as they used to say. I have read on these forums about e7's easily putting out power in the 550 range and hopeing someone could point me in the right direction on what to research and where to start.

Edited February 11, 2009 by gumbie

[BulldogVision]

Greetings and welcome to the group!!!!

What trans and rears do you have in your truck???? A lot of times gearing will fool you into thinking you have no power. Also, driving style will have a lot to do with it as well. The Mack will wind up, have a completely different RPM range and feel than the Cummins. I went from 435 Detroits into my 350 Mack and it took some getting used to but it wasn't too long till I was comfortable with it. Then I got my CX with a 427 in it and I had to do it all over again!!!!!!!!

[bts-4120]

http://www.rochesterfuel.com/products/dies...rs-c-48_65.html there is you a link for injectors they also have turbos I would start at mack to see what a uprate to 460p (487hp) would take if your geared to tall the truck will feel like a slug i run a 427 with 13-spd fuller 3.70's on short rubber, and do not have a hp problem

[Superdog]

I just got my first mack, its a 2001 ch with a 400 horse e7. My last truck had a 350 cummins and all i can say is mack must use smaller horses than cummins. I have a couple questions for some of you long time mack guys: first off from reading on here for days now i know the first thing many of you will say is check fuel and boost pressure and all that is fine, have new filters and all that, overall I think the truck is running fine as for running right or wrong its just feels weak to be labeled 400horse . I was very excited to hear about this blixxton module thing and then found out it fits older e7's than mine. My main questions are, what version ( v-mac II or III ) or whatever else its called would i have if my truck is a 2001 and does anyone offer something like the blixxton module or hotter injectors or turbo etc...... Also on my old cummins it made noticable difference when you ran the overhead. Is this something that needs to be done on this engine from time to time as well and will it make a performance difference difference or is it just a maintence/longevity issue? Overall I just want to turn it up as they used to say. I have read on these forums about e7's easily putting out power in the 550 range and hopeing someone could point me in the right direction on what to research and where to start.

First E7 I had was a E7-400 in a '91 CH.Had a 2130a and 4:17 rears behind it.It would walk all over a 425 Cat.

[Mackpro]

You can have it upgraded to a 427 or 460 HP. If its a 2001 and the engine is a CCRS style ETECH all it takes is the bigger turbo and injectors and a download for Mack. We do HP upgrades all the time. If its a 2000 or older with a regular style ETECH you have to change the camshaft keyway or it will overheat. We are a Mack dealer and when a customer wants to up the HP we fax a form to Mack with the truck info on it and what HP we want then Mack faxes us back with what parts and part#s to change. On the CCRS style ETECHs the injectors are the same on the 427 and 460 HPs. The turbo on the 427 is just a bigger one than you have now but the 460 HP usually call for a wastegate style turbo and is a few $$$ more. Most customers around here just do the 427 upgrade. Matter of fact we are doing one right now. Its a 2001 Cx613 vin 0142** with a 330-350 split HP that we are upgrading to a 427HP. Just a turbo, injectors and a download and its ready to go. Good Luck.

[b61mack]

I just got my first mack, its a 2001 ch with a 400 horse e7. My last truck had a 350 cummins and all i can say is mack must use smaller horses than cummins. I have a couple questions for some of you long time mack guys: first off from reading on here for days now i know the first thing many of you will say is check fuel and boost pressure and all that is fine, have new filters and all that, overall I think the truck is running fine as for running right or wrong its just feels weak to be labeled 400horse . I was very excited to hear about this blixxton module thing and then found out it fits older e7's than mine. My main questions are, what version ( v-mac II or III ) or whatever else its called would i have if my truck is a 2001 and does anyone offer something like the blixxton module or hotter injectors or turbo etc...... Also on my old cummins it made noticable difference when you ran the overhead. Is this something that needs to be done on this engine from time to time as well and will it make a performance difference difference or is it just a maintence/longevity issue? Overall I just want to turn it up as they used to say. I have read on these forums about e7's easily putting out power in the 550 range and hopeing someone could point me in the right direction on what to research and where to start.

Either you have a sick running 400 Mack or a good running 350 Cummins, i had a 76 R model with a 285hp 5 speed 3.87 gears. for having ony 672CID compared to 855 for a cummins i could run with a 350 cummins all day long, it didnt matter if i had 80,000 or 95,000.

[gumbiegumbie]

thanks for the link bts-4120, those injectors arent that bad. about 600 and my old ones will take care of them. and thanks mackpro-68 for all that info. my truck is a 2001 so by your info that makes it a ccrs right? what does ccrs mean anyway? When you say a download from mack, can someone with a handheld thing that sets top end limits and stuff do that (( like a friend at a trucking company running macks )) or is it something more technical than that. I street race cars and I do my own programming on cars with a laptop so I'm not a stranger to flashing a computer I just dont know if his programmer will go the depth needed to do what youre talking about. The reason I'm trying to advoid the mack dealership is because the one close to me isnt one of the cool ones thats into making things bigger better and faster, they are more like "" be glad you have 400 and go away "" so I need to be able to do most of this myself. The wastegated turbo you speak of, is the wastegate electronic or mechanical? Hopefully mechanical because once again thats easy. And the other replys about gears and trans, I have a fuller 9 spd. rtx14609 sittin on tall 24's and its not fast on top end only about 80mph tached out so im guessin its got lower geared rears but i havent looked at the tag yet. I want to swap the back box on the trans to make it a 13spd so maybe I can keep the tach higher in the upper gears. Mackpro-68, on the cars we download files and flash them to the computer but you said they fax you what you need so is it just some values to change in the computer or is it more complicated than that. I know I seem like a little kid that needs some riddlin but I'm just very excited to know that there is hope and it is something that the average person can do without having to give up half your savings account. The last six of my vin is 133939 if you could tell me more about what i have and maybe the part numbers for what injectors and the turbos you were recommending, normal and wastegated. Would the injectors bts-4120 linked me to be good ones? They say stage3, so what boost levels should I shoot for with those. Also will the bigger turbos breathe through the stock air cleaner canister? I'm very happy to find people that will shed light on this subject instead of just telling me to be happy with what I have. Thanks a million to everyone.

[Mackpro]

thanks for the link bts-4120, those injectors arent that bad. about 600 and my old ones will take care of them. and thanks mackpro-68 for all that info. my truck is a 2001 so by your info that makes it a ccrs right? what does ccrs mean anyway? When you say a download from mack, can someone with a handheld thing that sets top end limits and stuff do that (( like a friend at a trucking company running macks )) or is it something more technical than that. I street race cars and I do my own programming on cars with a laptop so I'm not a stranger to flashing a computer I just dont know if his programmer will go the depth needed to do what youre talking about. The reason I'm trying to advoid the mack dealership is because the one close to me isnt one of the cool ones thats into making things bigger better and faster, they are more like "" be glad you have 400 and go away "" so I need to be able to do most of this myself. The wastegated turbo you speak of, is the wastegate electronic or mechanical? Hopefully mechanical because once again thats easy. And the other replys about gears and trans, I have a fuller 9 spd. rtx14609 sittin on tall 24's and its not fast on top end only about 80mph tached out so im guessin its got lower geared rears but i havent looked at the tag yet. I want to swap the back box on the trans to make it a 13spd so maybe I can keep the tach higher in the upper gears. Mackpro-68, on the cars we download files and flash them to the computer but you said they fax you what you need so is it just some values to change in the computer or is it more complicated than that. I know I seem like a little kid that needs some riddlin but I'm just very excited to know that there is hope and it is something that the average person can do without having to give up half your savings account. The last six of my vin is 133939 if you could tell me more about what i have and maybe the part numbers for what injectors and the turbos you were recommending, normal and wastegated. Would the injectors bts-4120 linked me to be good ones? They say stage3, so what boost levels should I shoot for with those. Also will the bigger turbos breathe through the stock air cleaner canister? I'm very happy to find people that will shed light on this subject instead of just telling me to be happy with what I have. Thanks a million to everyone.

The reflashing and downloads have to be done by a dealer who is hooked direct to the Mack mainframe computer(pretty much every dealer is). I pulled up your truck and its not a CCRS engine, its just a regular ETECH, the bad thing about that is if you want to go any higher that a 400 HP you gotta pull the camshaft out and install an offset keyway on the cam gear or it will overheat bad in the summer time( we know cause we tried it). The good thing about the regular ETECH is to go to 460HP you dont need a wastegate turbo just a bigger regular style one . I first would run a hose (1/4" plastic) to the intake manifold (1/8 pipe plug port) and put a low pressure guage ( 0-50 psi) in the cab and pull a load and at full boost you should have 21-27 psi of turbo boost ( 25-30 would be great). We see alot of blown out intake manifold gaskets on these motors(around #1) Your truck was sold and was owned by someone close to our area.

[gumbiegumbie]

thanks for looking that up for me. I guess if you gain one thing ( cheaper turbo ) you lose something else ( cam key ). I almost would rather have bought the expensive turbo than have to go into the engine for something like that. I'm gonna put gauges on the manifold and fuel pressure this weekend and I'll post the numbers and see what you think. I havent even looked at how this engine comes apart. Can the cam gear be pulled off with the cam in the engine or maybe just pulled out a little ways so I dont have to take all the coolers off the front? So are the stories you hear about people making 550 with these engines just stories or is it possible. HEY since I have the older style etech does that mean that I can use that blixxton module?? I'm gonna go now before you get tired of me asking so many questions. thanks again for the great info.

[bts-4120]

thanks for looking that up for me. I guess if you gain one thing ( cheaper turbo ) you lose something else ( cam key ). I almost would rather have bought the expensive turbo than have to go into the engine for something like that. I'm gonna put gauges on the manifold and fuel pressure this weekend and I'll post the numbers and see what you think. I havent even looked at how this engine comes apart. Can the cam gear be pulled off with the cam in the engine or maybe just pulled out a little ways so I dont have to take all the coolers off the front? So are the stories you hear about people making 550 with these engines just stories or is it possible. HEY since I have the older style etech does that mean that I can use that blixxton module?? I'm gonna go now before you get tired of me asking so many questions. thanks again for the great info.

blixxton was made for the 98 and older e7's with the inline bosch pump 550 is possible there are marine versions rated at 750 the 460xt's was 490or so right from the factory but that program is no longer available if you dead set on making that much power from a 728ci motor you will need the turbo upgrade stage 3 injectors and engine profile tweeked if I was going to do anything to my 427 I would go with stage 2 and a hotter program that should put it in the 500-510 range but you never really know what you got till you put it on a dyno my truck pulls as stronger than the n-14 it replaced so I doubt if I would need the extra ponies

Edited February 14, 2009 by bts-4120

[Gambi80]

I've got a 97 427 you could buy if you don't want to tear that one apart.

I'd have to say I'm content with the power. It'll hang with most Mack 460's I've run with and outrun a couple 400-ish hp N-14's.

Unfortunately, there's no replacement for displacement. I'd like to score a C-16 600hp Cat some day.

[gumbiegumbie]

That would be wrong on several levels to bolt a cat up to a dog. ( LOL!) The link to rochester fuel has some injectors but the only turbos I seen there were stock replacements and one performance wastegate style turbo. Anyone have a link to somewhere that sells the bigger, non wastegate turbos? Thanks in advance for any and all help.