Before You Add HP and Torque to a Truck: 27-Point Checklist

1Ask the customer what work the truck does

You don't program an over-the-road truck the same as a dump truck, heavy haul, wrecker, log truck or RV conversion. Ask:

• What gross combination weight (GCW) does it pull?
• Is it over-the-road, vocational or heavy haul?
• What terrain and what grades?
• Does it start out loaded on a grade or on loose ground?
• Does it use PTO?
• How many hours a day does it work?
• What problem does the customer want to fix?

The goal isn't always the most HP possible. You'll use these answers to check the drivetrain and pick the rating.

2Identify the truck, the engine and its control modules

In this guide, ECM means the engine control module. On Detroit, starting with DDEC VI, it's called the MCM, and on Volvo and Mack, the EMS. Record:

• VIN
• Engine Serial Number (ESN)
• Engine model
• Engine model year: it's on the emissions label and may not match the truck's
• Engine family, on the emissions label
• Part number and serial number of each module, and whether any is a replacement or used unit
• Factory build sheet for the truck, by VIN or, on Volvo and Mack, by chassis ID
• Mileage and engine hours

Cummins

• Engine dataplate: ESN, CPL, model and factory HP

Don't go by what the owner says: confirm it on the dataplate, the label and the ECM. If the ESN stored in the ECM doesn't match the engine, that module came from another truck or was installed without being set up. Sort that out before you go on.

3Confirm the factory rating and what's loaded today

• HP and at what RPM
• Peak torque and at what RPM
• Governed RPM
• Software ID and Calibration ID of each module (on Cummins, the calibration code or ECM code)
• If the rating has two torque levels (Multi-Torque or Cruise Power on Detroit, SmartTorque on Cummins): in which gears or under what conditions the higher torque kicks in

Compare what's loaded against the dataplate or the factory spec. If they don't match, someone already programmed it: find out what was done before you touch anything.

4Check the internal configuration by make

Detroit Series 60 through 2006 (DDEC III, IV and V, single module)

• Model number (6067…): it tells you the displacement (11.1, 12.7 or 14.0 L) and whether it has EGR
• DDEC generation
• Injector part number: injector size changes with the rating
• Injector calibration codes, if that DDEC uses them (confirm in the software)
• Turbo that matches the rating

Detroit from DDEC VI on (2007 Series 60, DD13, DD15 and DD16)

• The rating's HP and torque are in the MCM calibration
• The CPC (the vehicle module) handles road speed, cruise, PTO and torque limits, and can cut torque even if the MCM has more
• From EPA10 (2010) on there's an ACM that runs the SCR and DEF, and its software has to match the MCM's. EPA07 engines have a DPF and no separate ACM

Cummins (N14 Celect, ISX and X15)

• CPL (Control Parts List): the list of parts that define the rating. Cummins uses it to know which calibrations fit that engine
• ECM generation (Celect, CM570, CM870, CM871, CM2250, CM2350…)
• Turbo, injectors and pistons: they must match the CPL

PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13

• ECM software and calibration
• Vehicle parameters: they're split between the ECM and the Kenworth or Peterbilt chassis module (CECU)

Volvo D11, D13, D16 and Mack MP7, MP8

• Chassis ID
• Software installed in the EMS, VECU, TECU (I-Shift or mDRIVE) and ACM

Two engines that look the same on the outside can have different turbos, injectors or pistons. On DDEC II or earlier, the process and tools are different: this guide doesn't cover them.

5Confirm the new rating exists and that you can load it

Before you promise the customer anything, confirm:

• That the manufacturer certified it for that engine family and model year
• That your OEM tool license covers that rating change. If it doesn't, the dealer does it
• That the ECM has no fleet password, or that the owner gives it to you
• What happens to the engine warranty and the emissions warranty: ask the manufacturer or dealer and get the answer in writing
• If the person bringing the truck isn't the owner (fleet, lease or financed), that the owner authorizes it in writing

How the rating is delivered, by make

• Detroit: it's requested from the manufacturer for that ESN and downloaded from their server. Some changes have a fee
• Cummins: the available calibrations depend on the CPL registered to that ESN
• Volvo and Mack: the rating is a software product tied to the chassis. It's ordered and downloaded online with Premium Tech Tool, and it can update several modules, not just the engine module
• PACCAR: only the ratings the manufacturer enabled for that ESN show up

If the manufacturer never offered that rating for that engine, or its tool doesn't offer it to you, it isn't certified. Don't load it some other way.

6Scan every module before you program

• Fault codes from every module, not just the engine: transmission, vehicle or chassis, and aftertreatment
• Active and inactive codes (the stored ones)
• Derates
• Sensors out of range
• History stored in the ECM: previous calibration changes, engine protection events, overspeed and overtemp

Detroit

• Pull the DDEC Report and save it: it has the history and incidents

Cummins

• Check the audit trail: it shows calibration and parameter changes made with Cummins tools. If it's clean but the Calibration ID doesn't match the dataplate, someone changed it some other way

Don't turn up the power to hide a mechanical or electronic problem.

7Confirm the emissions system is complete

• DPF, DOC, SCR and DEF, and EGR, depending on the engine
• All sensors connected and reading
• No pending emissions codes: SCR efficiency, DEF quality, NOx sensors, DPF

If the truck already has its emissions removed or a non-OEM calibration, don't program it. If it has emissions codes, those get repaired first.

8Record a baseline under load

Record a datalog of how the engine runs today, under load and in conditions you can repeat: same route or dyno, similar load and same gear. On the road, obey traffic laws: one person drives and another watches the laptop. Depending on the engine, include:

• Boost
• Fuel pressure
• Rail pressure (common rail only)
• Engine load
• Coolant temperature and intake manifold temperature
• Oil pressure
• EGT, if available
• VGT position, if it has a VGT
• EGR: valve position and flow, if it has EGR
• Requested vs. actual for boost, rail pressure and torque (actual torque is the one the ECM calculates)
• Aftertreatment, if equipped: soot load and DPF delta pressure. Also note the regen frequency stored in the ECM
• SCR, if equipped: inlet and outlet NOx, and DEF dosing

This is your reference. After programming you'll record the same signals under the same conditions.

9Check the mechanical condition

Before you ask for more power, verify:

• Blow-by
• Cylinder balance: cylinder cutout with the OEM tool, and a compression test if anything looks off
• Oil consumption
• Oil, coolant or fuel leaks
• Coolant loss with no visible leak

A worn-out engine at 400 HP doesn't get better because you bump the rating to 500 HP.

10Check the fuel system

• Injectors
• Transfer pump and, on common rail, the high-pressure pump
• Supply pressure and restriction
• Fuel filters
• Rail pressure, on common rail
• Injector return, on common rail

More power takes more fuel. If the system barely keeps up today, it won't keep up with the new rating.

11Check the turbo and air system

• Turbo model: it must be the one that matches the rating
• VGT and its actuator, if it has a VGT (other engines use a wastegate, fixed-geometry turbo or turbo compound)
• Actual boost
• CAC (intercooler) and charge-air hose leaks
• Air filter and intake restriction
• EGR and EGR cooler, if it has EGR
• Exhaust restriction and DPF condition

Don't ask for more fuel if the engine can't move the air it needs.

12Check the cooling system

• Radiator
• Fan and fan clutch
• Thermostats
• Coolant level and condition
• CAC (intercooler) clean on the outside, not blocking airflow to the radiator

More power means more heat. This is the step that gets skipped the most.

13Check the transmission

Don't just ask "how much HP can it take?". What matters is input torque. Identify:

• Exact model, from the tag
• Input torque capacity (lb-ft)
• Application and GCW it's approved for
• Transmission oil cooler, if the manufacturer requires one for that torque

Automated (DT12, Endurant, UltraShift, I-Shift, mDRIVE, PACCAR TX)

• They have a TCM and a clutch
• Confirm in the OEM software whether the TCM (TECU on Volvo and Mack) needs an update, recalibration or relearn for the new torque

Allison (automatic with torque converter, no clutch between engine and transmission)

• The TCM is calibrated to the engine: a rating change may require recalibrating it through an Allison distributor

Manual (Eaton Fuller and others)

• No TCM: the transmission and clutch torque capacity is what limits you
• The model on the tag gives you a clue, but confirm the number in the manufacturer's spec

A transmission can handle the HP and still come up short on torque. If the OEM software won't offer that rating with that transmission, don't force it.

14Check the clutch and driveline

Applies to manuals and automateds: both have a clutch between the engine and transmission (Allison uses a torque converter). Driveline means the driveshaft, U-joints and differentials.

• Clutch torque capacity (lb-ft)
• Driveshaft: series, center bearing and angles
• U-joints and yokes
• Differentials: capacity and ratio
• Inter-axle differential (power divider)
• Axle shafts
• Torque rods and bushings

The weakest part sets the limit. If the clutch can't handle the new torque, neither can the truck, even if the engine can.

15Check the vehicle parameters

Depending on the make, they live in the ECM, the CPC (Detroit), the VECU (Volvo and Mack) or split with the CECU (Kenworth and Peterbilt). From the rear axle ratio, tires and transmission, the module calculates road speed and what gear it's in. Check:

• Rear axle ratio and tire revs/mile, matching the real ones
• Transmission type, number of gears and ratios
• Per-gear or transmission torque limits, if any (the name varies by make)
• Gear-down protection: max road speed when not in top gear. It does not limit torque
• Max road speed and cruise
• PTO limits
• Engine brake
• Idle shutdown

If the programmed axle ratio or tires aren't the real ones, the module figures the gear wrong and the per-gear limits stop protecting. On trucks from roughly 2014 on, max road speed and idle shutdown may be part of the GHG certification: only change them within what the manufacturer allows.

16Pick the rating by its torque, not just its HP

The customer says "I want 600 HP". Among the ratings the manufacturer offers for that engine, compare each one's curve:

• HP and at what RPM
• Peak torque and at what RPM
• If it has two torque levels (Multi-Torque, Cruise Power, SmartTorque): the higher one only kicks in in certain gears or conditions (usually the top gears or on cruise). Confirm it on the rating sheet
• Torque available in the low gears
• Whether there are ratings with the same HP and different torque

In the low gears the transmission multiplies engine torque much more, and that's where the driveshaft, U-joints and differentials take the most abuse. The clutch sees engine torque without multiplication, but it heats up and takes a beating when starting out loaded. What usually breaks them is shock load: dumping the clutch loaded or a tire that spins and then grabs. With the work and weight from step 1, pick the rating the drivetrain can handle, not the one with the biggest number.

17Decide whether the job can be done

Compare what you found in steps 2 through 15 against what the new rating requires:

• Turbo, injectors and fuel system
• Pistons and internal components, when the rating calls for them
• Cooling
• Transmission, clutch and driveline
• Mechanical condition and pending codes

Cummins

• If the new rating is on a different CPL, swapping parts isn't enough: the engine's CPL also has to be updated with Cummins (check with a distributor)

If anything falls short, the job stops here. Either the hardware gets corrected first with the parts the manufacturer specifies for that rating, or it doesn't get done. A "higher-flow" turbo or injectors that aren't from that configuration take the engine out of its certification. Tell the customer in writing.

18Use only the manufacturer's calibration for that engine

The calibration comes from the manufacturer's software or server, for that ESN or that chassis. Before you accept it, confirm it matches:

• The module and its software level
• The engine family and model year
• The ESN, the CPL or the chassis ID
• The displacement
• The hardware: turbo, injectors and fuel system
• The emissions architecture
• The rating you asked for: it has to be the one on the screen

A file from another truck, from the internet or an edited file is not a certified calibration, no matter what HP it says. It doesn't get loaded.

19Don't weaken the engine protections

Some protections are programmable parameters: warning only, derate or shutdown. Leave them at factory settings or as they were in the backup from step 21, whichever is stricter. Never weaker, for:

• Coolant temperature and level
• Oil pressure
• Overspeed
• EGT and turbo protection
• Fuel pressure and rail pressure (common rail)
• Crankcase pressure, if the engine measures it
• Emissions derates and warnings (DEF, NOx, DPF)

Don't change shutdown protection to warning only so the truck won't derate. That doesn't remove the problem: it removes the protection. If an emissions derate shows up, fix the cause.

20Get the customer's signed authorization

Before programming, on the work order signed by the owner or fleet:

• Current rating and new rating (HP, torque and RPM), with the current Calibration ID
• What was checked and what was found
• What hardware was recommended for replacement
• That the truck leaves with the manufacturer's calibration and a complete emissions system
• That the risks and the warranty impact were explained
• Date of the follow-up check and who does it

If something fails six months from now, that paper is what protects you.

21Save everything before you program

At a minimum:

• Software ID and Calibration ID of each module
• All customer parameters: road speed, cruise, PTO, idle shutdown, engine brake, tires and rear axle ratio
• Injector codes, when applicable
• Fault codes
• Whatever backup your tool allows. It's almost never the full calibration: it's the image or the parameter report
• Screenshots

By make

• Detroit: DDEC Report
• Cummins: INSITE ECM Image and features and parameters report
• Volvo, Mack and PACCAR: parameter report and software numbers for each module

A flash can reset parameters to factory values: that's why you write them down first. Name the backup VIN_ESN_DATE_ORIGINAL, keep a copy off the laptop (cloud or USB) and never save anything over that backup.

22Get the truck and equipment ready for the flash

A flash that cuts out halfway can leave the module unable to boot:

• Parking brake set and wheels chocked
• No active regen
• Stable voltage: a programming power supply with enough amperage (12 V or 24 V, depending on the truck) or healthy, charged batteries. A battery maintainer or small charger won't cut it
• An adapter the manufacturer approves for its software (RP1210, or its own, like VOCOM on Volvo and Mack), with the cable in good shape
• That the adapter and software version support that module and its datalink: J1708/J1587 on older ones, J1939 on newer ones. On the N14 Celect, confirm your INSITE supports that version (Celect or Celect Plus)
• Laptop charged and plugged in, with no sleep mode or updates
• Stable internet, if programming online
• Loads off: lights, A/C, inverters
• Key and engine as the software asks (usually key ON, engine off)

When a module won't boot after a flash, a lot of the time it wasn't the calibration: it was voltage or the connection.

23Load the calibration

Follow the OEM software's on-screen steps one by one:

• Nobody touches the key unless the software asks
• If the software says to key off and wait, wait the full time: the module is saving
• Don't open other programs or unplug the cable, even if the screen looks frozen
• If the progress bar stops or you get an error, don't pull the cable or the key. Retry as the software says or call the manufacturer's support

Detroit from DDEC VI on, Volvo and Mack

• The process may program several modules in a row: don't disconnect anything until the tool says it's all done

24Verify what got loaded

• Loaded rating: HP, torque and RPM
• New Software ID and Calibration ID for each module, and that they're OEM
• Correct ESN in the ECM
• Customer parameters, compared against the backup from step 21
• That the injector codes are still loaded
• Any service routines the software requires after programming
• Tool report saved, with the new IDs
• If the manufacturer requires it, the engine dataplate updated with the new rating
• Any learn procedures the manufacturer requires (clutch or TCM), before the load test

The other modules, by make

• If it has a TCM or TECU (automateds and Allison): no torque codes or engine communication codes
• Detroit from DDEC VI on: CPC and ACM (if equipped) matching the MCM
• Volvo and Mack: VECU, TECU and ACM updated, if the change touched them
• Kenworth and Peterbilt: CECU parameters

A finished flash doesn't mean everything got set up right.

25Run the load test and record the second datalog

Don't judge a programming job by revving the truck while parked. Test on a chassis dyno or on the road with a real load, obeying traffic laws. One person drives and another watches the laptop.

• Record the same signals from step 8, under the same conditions: route or dyno, load and gear
• Compare signal by signal against the baseline: boost, rail pressure, EGT, temperatures and the gap between requested and actual
• Smoke: on engines without a DPF, there should be no black smoke under load. With a healthy DPF there should be no smoke; watch that soot load doesn't climb faster than in the baseline
• Clutch: no slipping at full load (RPM goes up and road speed doesn't)
• Transmission: clean shifts, no clunks and no gear hunting
• Driveshaft vibration when starting out loaded

If anything climbs more than you expected, stop and find out why before you release the truck.

26Scan again after the test

• Active codes in every module
• New inactive codes
• Derates
• Engine protection events
• Parameters out of range

If something shows up that wasn't there before, it has to be investigated.

27Release the truck and follow up

Some problems show up days later, not during the test.

• Give the customer the before and after (rating and datalog) and the parameters that changed
• Explain what they'll notice (response, fuel economy, shifting), what lights or changes to report, and to whom
• Check it again on the date written on the work order: codes, temperatures and fuel economy
• Check the DPF regen frequency
• If it's a fleet truck, ask for an oil analysis

The job is done when the truck has been working right for weeks, not when the flash finishes.