Getting started with a 2005 Volvo with the ISX.

[superbug]

Hi everyone,
Finally on the road with this truck making some money and have real info to add.
Long process getting out here. Last thing I had to do was have the hood replaced. Was doing some work I needed under the hood and went to close it and the left hinge area on the hood broke completely out. Come to find out Volvo uses a torsion assist system to help open the hood and it is under lots of tension when the hood is closed. Rough roads do damage bouncing against the stress on the hinge area.
Anyway had a Jones brand aftermarket put on and its all good now.
The pyrometer and boost gauges make a huge difference in running the truck.
Looks like 34 pounds of boost is the normal top end and having the pyrometer probe pre turbo is a good thing.
If you run any more than 20lbs of boost it will consistently put the exhaust temp in the red and I'm finding there is no reason to do that as the engine pulls almost as well at 20lbs as it does at 30lbs. I was running a load the other day trying to do the Rawze thing at 10lbs but it doesn't work well with just a 10 speed. Running some rolling hills on I-80 I did better at easing up to 20lbs just to crest the hill without the downshift and I could keep the lie-o-meter at the same mpg over the day's run.
Right now just finished an 850 mile run at 78800 and got a hand calculated 6mpg. I'm not running as slow as I should so it's not great but I think not bad with no fairing on top of the tractor yet and no belly fairing on the trailer. Hood replacement killed those additions for now.
Overall real happy with the engine at the 435 HP setting. Just need to get some final adjustments from Unilevers whenever we can set up a time to have him remote in to my laptop after I figure out the correct items to do a stealth de-mandate on it.
I'm wondering if there isn't 1mpg lost just in the mandate stuff and maybe another five tenths in the fairings to be had. If I could get this truck to 7.5 mpg loaded to full weight I'd be real happy.