So just for everyones informatin my 4 horse gooseneck is not a living quarter trailer so it is quite a bit lighter than a big ole living quarter trailer.  In that case a better more expensive exaust brake might be in order, but for my med sized trailer the electronically controlled wastegate exaust brake works great for my application.

Terry

I guess I missed something here....  You are saying that trucks with the particulate filter and egr equipment  is what causes significant engine braking????

My 2007.5 Dodge Ram 3500 which has the 6.7L  Cummins engine, automatic tranny along with the factory EB and now has a 106-k miles.  I bought this truck new and at 20-k miles every single part of the emissionscontrol mess was deleted from this truck!  The DPF, egr valve and the egr cooler too.  After all of the crap was deleted my braking power from the factory EB increased a bunch....

The back pressure the emission systems put on a modern engine are very small in comparison to the pressure needed to produce any braking.

There are several factors involved in how much braking you get from your diesel engine. And there really is no comparison between the engine brakes you see on class 8 semi trucks to what we can do with our pickups. Class 8 trucks are using 14L engines vs our pickups using 6.7L engines( or similar size depending on your make and year) The class 8 engines run in the 1200-2000 rpm range, Our smaller pickup truck engines are able to run up to 4000 rpm depending on your engine. So each type of truck really is dealing with different technology.

As far as exhaust braking, as mention there are various ways to create the back pressure. You can do it by closing down the vanes in an adjustable vane turbo. You can do it with butterfly valve down stream in the exhaust. It really doesn't matter how you do it, What matters is how effective the method of restricting the exhaust gases is. 

If you get too effective of a restriction you can cause problems,  Hence most systems have some type of "waste gate" that will vent off any back pressure above a certain pressure point.  This pressure point is usually determined by other components upstream of the restriction device.  And usually it is the Valve springs.  If the back pressure becomes to high, it creates more pressure than the valve springs have the strength to operate against. If the pressure is sufficient the valves won't close and we get valve float.

Traditionally the Ford Powerstroke engines have used softer valve springs than the competition. On the Ford 6.0L engines ( used from 2003 to 2007) The valve springs were rated at 40psi. Meanwhile the Duramax springs were 50 psi and the Cummins were 60 psi.  So on the Ford engines, if you develop more than 40 psi of back pressure, The waste gate would open and dump the excess pressure. So having a downstream butterfly valve is kinda of a waste since the turbo vanes can create that much pressure. The 6.0L Ford engines can create 180 ft/lbs of braking. And the competition can create more because of their stronger valve springs.

In addition to creating back pressure, your powertrain needs to be able to use it.  On the older 7.3L Ford engine with automatic trannys, having a exhaust brake is only a small improvement, Since the torque convertors usually unlock when every you are not pressing the fuel pedal. This coasting effect was designed in to help with fuel mileage. Those of you with a manual 6speed get better braking than those with automatic transmission. But manual transmission are a thing of the past. Ford no longer offers a manual.  The manufactures have found they sold so few of them as to not to practical to keep them in the parts supply. In the past manual trannys offered better mileage and were often seen as simpler and stronger. But modern automatics now offer equal or better fuel mileage. At the same time helping manufactures meet EPA guidelines.

One of the consideration of getting exhaust braking in a diesel truck is getting the torque convertor to stay locked.  All torque convertors lock and unlock at certain condition. If they did not unlock, you would stall your engine every time to came to stop sign or red light.  On the Ford 6.0L engines this was better performed by module that intercepted the signals from all the sensors and the PCM. This module would insert new commands to keep the Torque Convertor locked up when engine braking was needed. But they usually released around 25 mph.  The advantage of the newest engine/trannys is that this programing logic is already in the trucks PCM.

The current system on 6.7L Fords is totally transparent to the driver.  Push Tow/Haul and you get the exhaust braking as programed by the Ford engineers. Don't select Tow/Haul and there is no exhaust braking. The current system does not do a great job of slowing a truck from a fast speed to slower speed.  It does do a great job of holding a set speed. If I top a grade and either force the tranny to lower gear (+/- buttons) or just set the cruise control and let it choose the gear.  For example I can start down I-80 at 50 mph at the summit, 7% grade with my 13,000 lbs trailer and it will hold 3rd gear at 3000-3400 rpms and 50-55 mph speed. But if I crest the summit at 75 mph and ask for a downshift and think the exhaust brake is going to slow me to 50 mph, I'm dreaming.