Just got my 06 F450 4x4 V10 Manual, Have a qustion? What rpms or mph do you usually shift at per each gear?Do you start in L or 1st? Did have 97 GMC 350 5speed,This monster is a little diffrent form the old GMC

 

Hey strapper, I've never owned or driven a V10/6speed, but I've driven plenty of 7.3/6peed tow trucks and also have driven a few 6.0/6speeds owned by some friends in my industry, with the PSD you almost never use low gear - even with fully loaded utility bodies. I imagine this is also true of the V10.

The 6speed does take some getting used to however. When I first drove one I was in constant fear of accidentally starting off in reverse by mistake the whole day, but it's just not possible. Once you acquire a feel for the 6speed theres just no way of being in reverse and not knowing it. The 6speed will start out much notchier than the NV4500 your used to in the GMC (also a very good transmission btw), but will become much smoother as you put the miles on.

You should make it a point to use low during all your shifts for the first couple weeks to break the entire transmission in a bit. This is no small task, low gear is meant for towing heavy and only offers more shifting with less legs.

For the 7.3 diesels I've driven, shifting would be around 1700 RPM with or without a load for first (not low) and second gears. For the 6.0 it's right around 2000 rpm in these same gears. I imagine the V10 could be a bit more, but maybe not. If I owned a V10/6speed I would probably drive it the same way I drove the 6.0 - I mean with 400+ lbft at 2k rpm, I doubt I'd need to rev any higher.

The 6speed is as bullet proof as you can make a transmission - but there are trade offs, it comes at a price. It will never be a slick shifting T56 no matter how good you become with it. It will make noises and chatter, gear whine becomes a regular part of the overall driving experience, sometimes you'll get a banging sound going into reverse from a foward gear when stopped. So many people going through this wonder "what's wrong?"...well, it's a heavy duty transmission. Some people are just used to more refinement and it's a true brute.

 

For the '04 and earlier V10's, the rule people used was shift at 2000RPM to get the best fuel economy.

At least, that's what I've heard here for the last few years

If I try to get my auto to shift at 2K, well, I can't stay off the go-pedal long enough... but I can generally live at less than 2500RPM ...

We'll see what the 3-valve people have to say after a year or more of experience...

 

Thanks for the quick responses. It is a lot notchier than the old GMC stick(130,000 miles ).Drove the old truck out of the warehouse today to make room for the new Ford O6 F450,The 97 GMC felt like a automatic.I only have 200 miles on truck so I will be patient and use low once in a while to give my leg more exercise during break in period.