Power increasing precautions.

Q A customer is interested in increasing the power output of his recent-model, naturally aspirated diesel tractor. He asks how practical is it to add a turbocharger or an LP-gas "power fueling" arrangement. Other than giving him the easy answer, "don't do it," is there some realistic guidance in this situation?

A The manufacturers of add-on turbochargers or of LP-gas power-fueling arrangements insist that increased output can be obtained without significant decrease in engine or tractor life. Tractor manufacturers are equally insistent that any such power increasing modifications should be avoided and further point out that any tractor warrantees are voided by such a procedure.

In practice, the results probably lie somewhere between the rosy claims of improved performance by add-on manufacturers and the dire predictions of failure voiced by tractor manufacturers. Usually, if any significant increase in power output is obtained, fuel consumption in terms of gallons per horsepower-hr is also increased somewhat. The customer should be prepared to accept some reduction in engine life and/or increases in repair expenses by such power increasing.

The exact effect will depend somewhat on the way the increased power is used. If it is used to pull existing implements at a slightly higher speed, the tractor drive-train components will be less severely affected than if the additional power is used to pull wider implements a the same speed. He may find that the necessary field speed to use the additional power may exceed practical limits for the implements he presently has available. Furthermore, this approach assumes that his tractor has the necessary transmission gear ratios to provide the necessary relative small increase in operating speed beyond his present-speed gear ratios.