Uncorking a Tractor

[HawkinsHollow]

I have ridden motorcycles most of my adult life. Most newer motorcycles come into this country with restricted air intakes and exhausts and numerous "SMOG" reducing devices to meet the EPA emission standards. The first thing most people do to those motorcycles is to open up the airbox and exhaust and remove those pesky devices. This allows the motor to breath a bit better and gives a few horsepower increase. Motorcycle people call this uncorking. I am not saying I want to do this to my new Branson, but it this something that people do to tractors? Is it something that would help? I know these brands that have multiple HP tractors of the same type just use the same engine and add performance upgrades to up the HP. I was just thinking about that the other day and I thought I would ask the experts. A search of "uncorking a tractor" came up empty, so here I am.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

We have multiple discussion threads about the exhaust (DPF) filter on the Bransons. The slang term for the Branson units is "soot cooker". If you search either of those terms, in this forum, you should get hours of reading fun.

As for me, as soon as I find a local exhaust shop that remembers how to do exhaust work, mine is coming off. I'll put a standard tractor muffler in it's place. Only things holding me up is finding a shop, and deciding how I want to run my pipe (either stay at stock location, or relocate up and out via a stack).

Meant to add, search in the Branson sub forum too.

 

[LouNY]

If your 3015 has a DPF you can search for particulate filter removal and find considerable comments on the practice.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Thanks for the responses gentlemen! I will take a look at those posts!

 

[ericm979]

It's uncertain what performance increase would result from removing the Branson's DOC+DPF. With motorcycles a lot of guys will put on a loud pipe and the noise makes them think there's more power but the dyno shows there's only a small difference, and often less power over much of the rpm range.

I asked my dealer what the difference was between the 3725 and 4225 engine and he said it's the fuel injectors. With a mechanical FI system and the power difference not being much, I could see that being the case. Something similar may be true of the A1700 in your 3015 since there are naturally aspirated models with higher HP.

The injection timing may be a compromise for emissions. It's possible that changing it would make a little more power. I'd only do that if the DOC+DPF was removed. You'd need to test it on a dyno to know.

I like how the exhaust from the Branson isn't stinky and never smokes. My old Kubota would fill the barn with diesel yuck if I let it idle while changing implements. The Branson doesn't do that. I have modified many motorcycles and car exhausts but I'm leaving the DOC+DPF on. The only time I could use more power is when chipping large material with the PTO chipper. It makes plenty of power for everything else. Unlike with a motorcycle, more power isn't going to make driving a tractor any more fun. If I keep chipping large stuff and the 4225 injectors aren't too expensive (and I can verify that they're the difference) I might put those in once the warranty's run out. But probably not.

 

[ruffdog]

I did my share of "uncorking" motorcycles in my time too but real HP gains came with real ($$$) changes like high compression pistons, high lift cams, smooth bore carbs, etc. I also spent a few years as a service tech working on customer's "uncorked" bikes that were nothing more than noise makers that had some drive-ability issues. The engine may have severe flat spots in the power curve, idle poorly, or not rev out smoothly. Changing the air-box may give you a bunch of intake noise but that complements the noise from the exhaust, I guess. In most cases, the quick and cheap giant HP gain is a myth.

 

[tmcj]

I did my share of "uncorking" motorcycles in my time too but real HP gains came with real ($$$) changes like high compression pistons, high lift cams, smooth bore carbs, etc. I also spent a few years as a service tech working on customer's "uncorked" bikes that were nothing more than noise makers that had some drive-ability issues. The engine may have severe flat spots in the power curve, idle poorly, or not rev out smoothly. Changing the air-box may give you a bunch of intake noise but that complements the noise from the exhaust, I guess. In most cases, the quick and cheap giant HP gain is a myth.

I agree. I have modified 2 stroke set ups more than anything and exhaust, fuel flow and airflow are always the beginning step. Then it's a land slide of other things that compliment each other as each mod is added. Minimal gains from each mod accumulate and get you where you want to be with a well rounded, high performance set up. However, I don't think I would do that to my tractor. At least not as long as there are other higher HP models out there to be had instead. I mean, my Yamaha Banshee has always kind of been on the top of the market for 2 stroke sport atv's, but mod's to make it better are endless, and I have a lot into mine. My Yamaha R1, for those who don't know is a 1000cc sport bike, which is also on the top end of the true race style bikes, has some basic mods like exhaust, intake, smog kit, power commander etc. My point is that I wasn't going to try to make my 200cc Blaster into a Banshee level machine, or my CBR600 into an R1 level ride. Just buy the bigger and badder machine and go from there. So if I wanted more out of a tractor I would simply upgrade. It would probably be worth more to a dealer on a trade with all original equipment anyway vs modified and glorified. I never really even thought about a "high performance" xxxx model tractor other than competitive pulling or racing. If you need more tractor, simply go bigger. I know that my little Max26XL is FAR from being out of options to go bigger, lol.

 

[skipples]

Those "pesky devices" are there to enable your children, grandchildren and theirs to breathe without respirators in a hundred or two hundred years so decide now how you want to be remembered by them, Mr Uncorked

 

[aczlan]

Those "pesky devices" are there to enable your children, grandchildren and theirs to breathe without respirators in a hundred or two hundred years so decide now how you want to be remembered by them, Mr Uncorked

While I agree (generally speaking) with leaving emissions controls in place, before you get too comfortable on your high horse please remember that the brilliant souls at CARB who made the exhaust filter mandatory justified it by overstating the amount of particle reduction by over 100 times what it would actually have been.
The majority of the gains in air quality could have been achieved at a significantly lower price and with much less complications without the filter and by making the engines more efficient and eliminating the sulfur from the diesel fuel...

Aaron Z

 

[finn1]

BS.

My career was Diesel emissions in an R&D environment for three decades.

Particulate matter is nasty stuff, and I have lung scarring to show for it, living around Diesels running in a forty test cell dyno lab every day.

A significant percentage of the people that worked in that facility died prematurely from cancer related health issues, and I am not including the smokers.

The original bus garage studies back in the sixties led to the initial correlation between diesel PM and lung disease has never been refuted, despite what some politically right leaning organizations would have you believe.