"Craig Freeman" wrote in message
om...
(Craig Freeman) wrote in message
. com...
"Bob Korves" wrote in message
...
"Craig Freeman" wrote in message


I am a parts person at an International Trucks (Navistar) dealer. We
are
full service dealers for International, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, and
Caterpillar engines. It is certainly possible to reprogram the ECU's
of
these diesels. We do it every day. Simple and easy enough for high
school
drop outs to do. I sell the software for reprogramming the engines.
Shrink
wrap stuff, just like at the computer store. That said, it would
probably
be possible to just replace the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor,
"electronic
foot pedal") with a microprocessor circuit and get the thing to do
what you
need. I am not a computer nerd, so I don't know the details...
-Bob Korves


I still hear too many stories from truck owners, (my company services
around 2000 trucks a month) that say after reprograming their rig at
the dealer something was not right and it had to be done again. Believe
me I understand that some of them don't even know what is under the
hood of their K Whopper or Petercar but some do know a great deal.
The excess of 100 years of experience which my store managers have,
all certified deisel mechanics and former shop foreman's and service
writers with one the big three engine manufacturers, say yes we can
reprogram but results vary engine to engine and the only way to
know exactly what you have is to put it on the dyno. It will
probably be close but maybe not close enough for this application.
Maybe the tractor pull guys have it all figured out.
I wish to redirect your attention to the original proposition.
"to come up with a design for a safe, reliable, and cost effective
winch, which could be built by a group of amateurs in the USA
using commercially available parts without a whole lot of
modifications". I think that is a worthwhile goal and in the near
future some US clubs might begin to take advantage of such a design.
By a show of hands is there anyone out there who might actually
build a winch if such a design were presented? If not, we should
probably just go flying. Come on down Bill, I'll bet you dinner
I can snap your head back in that big ole heavy glider you are
flying too. Be sure and bring a heavy link with you.

Craig-

After more investigation I have the following which may help
carify the engine reprogramming discussion. Cummins, at least,
does sell disks which allow the owner to reprogram the ECU's of
their engines. However these disks allow only for the setting of
the peimeters of the engine. Examples are, top idle speed, idle
shut down, auto jake brake, but not HP and torque. When you change
HP and torque outputs it's called "recallibration" and these codes
are locked up by the OEM's and are not sold. Now for the good
news, there are aftermarket hackers selling "recallibration" codes
available for late model midsize diesels. Motorhome and diesel
pickup owners looking for more power are driving this industry.
It voids any warrenty of course but what a small price to pay
when you could get a tire smokin' dually one ton four door. YeeeHaa!!
I have a connection with one rather large aftermarket designer and
retailer. We have posed the question to him if he could build a
platform of codes which could increase HP in say 5 to 10 percent
increments and be able to input quickly from a laptop. One concern
is to select a engine which is designed to perform within the hp
range needed. We don't need to soup up a engine just control it's
output. Trying to detune a very large diesel has its own complications.

Craig-

Craig, define "midsize diesel". Would a Cummins N14 qualify?

Bill Daniels