Hey guys, I have a few questions:
What is the low/high temp range for a stock deuce? ...
almost impossible to say. my baseline hi-temp (stock fuel setting) was about 1000°F max.
... What is the low/high temp range for a deuce with the fuel turned up? ...
this can vary. many folks on here believe that the instant you exceed 1200°F you will toast your engine. this is not true. 1250° is the 'accepted' max EGT range for
continuous operation. again -
continuous operation. intermitent operation can be higher for brief periods. example, if you hit 1400° for a few seconds, no worries - just don't pull that real long grade at that kind of temperature for 45+ seconds.
... What are safe ranges? ...
this can vary by what you mean 'safe'. as previously stated, 1250°F is 'accepted' for max continous. one method when turning up the fuel is adjust it so this is the max temp you can produce; then you won't have to worry about over-fueling on that long grade.
another method is to adjust to your power liking and monitor your temps - this is what i do. my truck will climb into 1350°F EGTs on a long grade on the hi-way; if i stay there, i will likely cause damage. rather, i periodically check the EGT guage, and back off accordingly. you don't have to stare at the guage, just check it periodically when you're in the go-pedal for a bit.
... Why do EGTs matter so much? ...
EGTs are a measure of how much fuel you are putting into the engine and how hard the engine is working with the air intake charge available.
Install a pyrometer before the turbo and adjust so temps stay below the melting point of aluminum pistons and turbo blades. ...
this is not necessary - AL can melt at far lower temps than the EGTs experienced. the pistons experience these temps very briefly and are cooled in other manners. the key is prolonged exposure to hi-EGTs.
... Also excessive black smoke is unburnt fuel. ( a sign you've gone too far.) ...
this is not true. black = burnt, white = unburnt, gray = mixture of the two. black is soot, which is present in idle exhaust. however, as fuel / load increases, the ratio of soot to other exhaust gases increases. heavy black smoke is a representation of this ratio and can also indicate a lack of air intake or less than adequate turbocharging performance for the fuel / load demands.
... Keep it under 1200°F to be safe.
if you would like.