I finished installing my new BTS transmission a little over 2 weeks ago. I finished it up on a Tuesday evening and went on vacation that Friday pulling the 5th wheel. Pulling the 5th wheel accounted for about 2400 miles. I would say it was a good test.

It simply worked and worked well. It's shifts firm, but not hard. It pulls hard. I didn't realize how worn out my stock 230,000 mile transmission was until I drove the truck with the BTS. Coupled with the 6.0 cooler my trans temps were as cool as I have ever seen when towing. My max temp was 195* and my low was operating temp was 165*. I reached 195* in 3 locations. 1 Colorado mountain pass, I-40 in New Mexico (ambient was 105*) and Texas Panhandle (wind was a solid 30 mph with 40mph gusts, didn't check ambient temp as I just wanted it to stay on the road).

My truck currently has 3.73's with 35 inch tall tires. It needs gears, but pulls like a freight train at 80 mph. I'm not particularly fond of cruising 80 mph with the 5th wheel so I will probably regear in the future. Gonna have to install the 38r and see what effect that has on it first.

Overall it performed great. Considering the 3000 miles took us through a hail storm, wind storm, wild fires, tornado, sleet, 2 near miss wrecks, seeing a girl get run over by a truck (she is okay), and a bear sighting...I'm just glad to be back home in one piece. It sure was nice to not have to worry about the transmission the whole way.

Kyle

 

Good to hear all is well. I did 1200 miles last weekend and worked my BTS pretty hard. That thing just wants to pull.

 

Hey man, sounds good. Glad you're enjoying the BTS.

I do want to open up a bit of discussion. I really think you should consider regearing before the 38r. I think you are hoping for something out of the 38r that probably isnt going to happen. I am in the same boat you are, just not as extreme. I have 3.73 gears also and the truck just can't get into its powerband for pulling unless I drive 75mph. Your's is exxagerated because of the larger tires (I'm running 33's). This is my 2cents only, but I have been fighting similar issues for almost 3 years.

 

Yikes ...I think you passed me on I-10...I was that blue Kenworth doing 65 in the right lane!

 

Don't get me wrong. I DID NOT cruise 80mph with the 5th wheel. I just tried to feel it out and find it's powerband in 3rd and OD. 80mph was awesome, but too fast for me (I must be getting old). The speed limit was 75mph and the constant up and down hills and wind on I40 caused me a little bit of frustration. I just let the truck do it's thing and tried to throttle it when I could. It seemed fine and my temps didn't spike at all. If I needed to I just took it out of OD and slowed down.

I'm not hoping for a cure from the 38r. Honestly I talked myself into it due to turbo surge and EGTs. I don't like spending money twice, so I went ahead and purchased the 38r. I could have used a surge cure on this trip, but time didn't allow for installation. Either gearing or smaller tires will surely cure my problem. I just want my tow speed to be back around 2000-2100 rpm in OD. It tows great there.

 

I am set with stock tires and 4.10's and I cruise at 62 mph at 2000 rpm.

 

What do you mean by 'Powerband'?
We have no roads around here to be able to drive at those speeds (with out getting a ticket) and I was wondering what this is 'about'


Answered own question....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_band

 

This is between about 1600-2200 rpm on the 7.3...where maximum torque is produced.

 

I promised the wife and kids (and God) that I would not drive that fast anymore..

 

Fast??? How fast does your truck go at 2000 rpm? Mine is doing 62 mph at 2000 rpm (auto w/ 4.10's).

 

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" itxtNodeId="1329" itxtHarvested="0"><TBODY itxtNodeId="1331" itxtHarvested="0"><TR itxtNodeId="1332" itxtHarvested="0"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2 itxtNodeId="1333" itxtHarvested="0">Originally Posted by Brother Les
I promised the wife and kids (and God) that I would not drive that fast anymore..
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>At 2,000 rpms it is right at 70mph.

What I meant about fast.... was driving at 75-80mph pulling a camper. I would (did) put the truck on cruise control and run hundreds of miles at a time (we go on long vacations). The rpms at those speeds would be around 2,200-300. In alluding to the 'powerband', I never felt that I had come to a 'drop-off' point at 2,300pm -80mph.......

I did end up burning up most of my gears in my tranny (BTS said that the OD was gone the most) and at several different times I had blown out tires on my trialer (If you look in your mirror at the right time and see a trailer tire explode... it is not something that you will never soon forget) do to the heat (we have 'SpringBreaked' several times in South Texas) I have more than enough 'Power' to pull anything that I want and know by the Grace of God go I , I need to keep my speeds down for the Safety of Me and my Family and anyone else caught up in my fast driving. I have a great toy with this PowerStroke, but with that comes great Responsibility

 

i agree with Bob, regear befor the 38r, i am running 37" tires and with 3.73 gears, the rig didnt like towing at all, went with 4.56 gearing,the rig now tows wonderful..With a digatal tach (scanguage II) @1960 rpms @68mph,and never slows down...not to mention the added pulling power!!!

 

I suggested regearing before the 38r prior to learning that Kyle had already purchased the 38r. But I do think he will still need to regear to be happy.

 

I'm with you Les ...I drive at 2000 rpm - 62 mph when I am towing anything. You are absolutely correct in the issue of being responsible. With your gears (3.73?) you can drive at reasonable speeds, but at even lower rpm than me...and you get better fuel mileage too! If you want to see something scary, watch a tire disintegrate on the rear of a 53' refer trailer at 65 mph...it would destroy a car/truck that is drafting.

 

I didn't know this would turn into a thread about responsibility. I guess I should have stated it more clearly. I did not cruise at 80 mph. Just found that the truck pulls the trailer great at that speed when I was "trying things out", in fact I should have said "the truck pulls great at 2000 rpm in OD". You can rest assured that I cruised 70 mph most of the time. Even though 70 mph on my truck equates to an anemic 1700 rpm or so. I'm extremely careful when carrying my family. There is more to responsibility than driving slower than everyone else.

Don't take a single sighting of 80 mph in my posting and run with it like I am some sort of kamikaze driver with a death wish. I drove 3000 miles this week and wished I could have driven 80, but the father/husband/son in me told me to be responsible. I simply wanted to point out that it pulls great at 80 mph and that is why I will be regearing so that it will pull like that at 70 mph. I'm looking to put the truck right at 2k rpms in OD. That seems to be optimal pulling my trailer.

If it makes you guys feel better, my irresponsibilty cost me 2 tickets. 54 mph in a 45 mph zone. I was the 3rd vehicle in a line of a dozen or more vehicles. Two tractor trailers in front of me. And for "passing in the right lane" on a road that widened to two lanes and then narrowed within 1/8th of a mile (do you know how impossible it is to pass with a 5th hooked on in that short span). I was simply moving back over into the left lane, but because nobody else moved over he thought I was passing when he saw me come back over behind the semi. It's quite difficult explaining what was going on to Navajo Nation Police officer with Texas plates on my truck in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. Then he made me walk around the truck/trailer with him while he looked for other violations. Like I said, I'm glad to be back home.