SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY and the need for better fuel economy have contributed a significant boost to the image of the diesel engine. Now, auto industry analysts expect these hightorque, durable engines will continue to conquer the hearts and minds of truck buyers of all sorts. These include offroad enthusiasts who crave low-rpm power for both "wheeling and towing. None of this comes as a surprise to the Klassen brothers of Aberdeen, Idaho. Michael, Philip and Daryl Klassen grew up on the family farm with diesel fuel running through their veins. As kids, their avocation, bordering on passion, was coaxing more horsepower and better mileage out of the farm diesels. As anyone with more than a passing knowledge of rural life knows, more cost-effective vehicles help a hardworking farmer"s bottom line. Not only that, when you"re down on the farm, higher performance vehicles are a lot more fun to drive. In the mid-1990s, the Klassen clan came up with a propane injection kit that boosted horsepower and torque, improved mileage and increased the life of the engine. As demand for diesel pick-ups increased, so did the demand for their upgrade. By 1998, the Klassen brothers opted out of agriculture and into the automotive aftermarket, thus Bully Dog Technologies was born. Today, the company manufactures exhausts, injectors, intake systems, electronics, gauges and transmission upgrades for all domestic diesel light trucks. In addition to the original facility in Aberdeen, the company also has a warehouse and tech support/sales facility in the heart of pickup country, near Dallas, Texas.
BullyDog pays homage to its agricultural roots with an annual Dog Days of Summer gathering of dealers. "We use the event for product training and to introduce new features," explains Mike DeFord, Bully Dog"s spokesperson. "Then on the last day, we"d have a sled-pull competition." However, this past July, the sled pull - a true test of brute force and torque originally done with mules and draft horses - was replaced by dirt drag racing on an 1/8-mile track at the local fairgrounds. With 40 trucks competing, it was quite a show for more than 4,000 spectators.
Knowing firsthand how important it is for a product to work well in both competition and the real world, Bully Dog products go through Beta Testing before they are released to the consumer. "We want to make sure everything works flawlessly," says DeFord. "We put the product in the hands of the user, often shop owners and mechanics, and have them report back before our market launch."
Kinks can then be worked out of the tested product or, in some cases, user problems can be anticipated and the tech staff pre-armed with solutions. For example, DeFord recalls; "The Beta Testing turned up what seemed like a wiring issue with one of our products.The resolution was just a matter of tightening a connector. With that information, anyone who called in with a similar problem got an immediate, simple answer and we got them back on the road."
For our tour through the Bully Dog product line, we"ll start with the propane kit, an efficient boost to any tow vehicle. High-octane propane burns slower and longer than diesel, allowing the available diesel to burn more thoroughly. The kit includes a dual-stage regulator that draws propane vapors from a tank, fumigating the intake air. The result is a user-friendly, maintenancefree hike in horsepower, ranging from 50 to 200 hp, depending on the specific kit. Accessories include a remote-fill kit that allows for easy re-filling of the tank no matter where it"s mounted in the vehicle. The increase in exhaust gas temperature (EGT) is slight, and in some cases, actually lower, making Bully Dog propane kits one of the safest performance upgrades available.
The balance between engine-blowing EGTs and high performance can be a treacherous high-wire act. With Bully Dog"s Rapid Flow Exhaust though, diesel tow vehicles run stronger and cooler. The faster exhaust gases can blow out of the system, the cooler and more efficiently the engine runs.
Efficiency translates into horsepower. The Dog"s exhaust systems are designed with the absolute least degree of bend in the pipes, creating very low backpressure and allowing the turbo to push air freely through the power plant. Horsepower increases are in the 10 to 20 hp range and EGTs can be reduced by as much as 200 degrees.
the exhaust systems are available in 16-gauge aluminized steel, T-304 micro shine stainless steel or T-409 stainless for extra-tough, off-road applications. Truck owners also have a choice of sizes to match horsepower output: fourinch systems for less than 450 hp; five-inch systems, between 450 and 550 hp and the latest six-inch system for trucks with over 550 hp.
On the other end of the performance spectrum, Bully Dog"s Rapid Flow Induction (RFI) unit increases the airflow into the engine for more horsepower, torque, greater fuel economy and decreased EGTs. The RFI replaces the stock air box with a metal heat shield and conical air filter that maximizes the filtration surface. The lifetime, reusable filter incorporates four-inch layered cotton gauze and deep pleats for an unrestricted flow of clean air. For diesels equipped with computer module upgrades, the RFI system matches the increase in fuel flow with a compatible increase in airflow.
This brings us to the next major item in Bully Dog"s product line. The company offers a complete range of computer modules which allow diesel owners to customize their engine"s level of performance by changing its management parameters.
We"re all familiar with this concept: Today"s engines are set up at the factory for average driving conditions. Both towing and off-road applications aren"t within the scope of average, especially if a diesel pick-up is towing a 4x4 rig up the side of a mountain to the trailhead.
Bully Dog"s modules include four specific application settings: stock, towing, performance and extreme with horsepower increases up to 150. The feature that sets Bully Dog"s modules apart from the pack is the ability to adjust the power setting on the fly. Picture cruising along on the stock setting, stuck on a two-lane highway behind slower traffic going to your favorite "wheeling spot. You suddenly see one of those "passing lane ahead" signs and realize this is your one shot at passing a caravan of semi trucks. If you miss it, you"re stuck for another 50 miles. Flip the switch to "performance," and you can let those big rigs eat your dust.
"Bully Dog"s standards for its reprogrammers are performance, safety and efficiency," notes DeFord. The electronics react to increases in EGT or turbo boost pressure and defuel the engine to maintain safe operating conditions. The Outlook In-Cab Monitor, designed to work with the Triple Dog Downloader, even allows you to set your own EGT limiters. (The Monitor also displays and records engine functions.)
In terms of efficiency, users can realize increases between four and eight miles per gallon. If transmission durability is a top priority, the Rapid Power module is specifically designed for performance and towing safety with Tranny Smart software that protects against unnecessary damage.
To help keep track of how well your diesel is running, check out Bully Dog"s gauges which include a pyrometer to measure EGT, a turbo boost pressure gauge and a transmission oil temperature gauge. Available with either black or white faces, the Bully Dog gauges can be mounted on the windshield pillar, console or overhead pods, configured to hold from one to three gauges.
There are still more tricks in the Klassen brothers" bag. If your diesel"s transmission shifts aren"t up to par, Bully Dog"s tranny kits can increase line pressure which provides a firmer, quicker shift, and lowers temperatures by reducing torque converter and clutch slippage. You"ll really appreciate this upgrade if you"ve spent time climbing up grades and lost momentum while your tranny tried to figure out what gear it was supposed to be in.
Bully Dog also markets a transmission fluid called Rapid Power ATF. It reduces friction and metal-to-metal contact in the pump as well as lowers the temperature at which hydraulic oils will flow. Under Dyno testing, this ATF allows 50 more rear wheel horsepower to make it to the ground from a transmission that is slipping.
The Klassen brothers have managed to develop an amazing range of upgrades for diesel pick-ups in less than 10 short years, turning their avocation into a serious business. If that doesn"t make your diesel dog"s tail wag with excitement, nothing will.
