Ideas
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Mount Airy, Md
Ideas
Just had a friend take my truck to check out what I think is a low power issue. He has a buddy that is a really good diesel tech. at a local Ford dealer. They scoped it and found nothing wrong. Injectors fine, glow plugs fine, fuel pressure fine. Maybe I'm just expecting more from this truck than it has. I have seen others here say that they can pull a heavy 5ver at 70 with power to spare. I have only pulled an open trailer until this past summer when we bought a travel trailer. Pulling it up the road it doesn't seem like I can go much over 65 or 70 without the pedal being to the floor. Now I have talked to a few guys that say the same as me. Slow going with a stock truck and a travel trailer. The up side of this is that I can now call Clay and order an AE and a set of gauges. When warmer weather gets here I will start checking all the little things and start playing with the AE. I would give anything to have a garage big enough to get my truck into!!
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,325
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From: Blaine, TN
Could possibly be uppipe/exhaust leak, or boost leak, which wouldn't show up on any scanner, that would have to be monitored with a boost and egt gauge to compare to known good numbers for your setup on your truck.
When we hauled our horse trailer 2100 miles to Montana with my dads truck it was a late 99 crewcab srw with 3.73, 4wd, auto, completely bone stock, not even intake and exh. That truck with all of us, our gear, trailer and all weighed in at 24,xxx lbs and out west on some of the 7-8% grades we would start at 70mph and be down to 50-55mph at the top, and there was nothing wrong with that truck what so ever, it got about 17-18 mpg unloaded.
But with you having 4.10 gears you shouldn't have much of a problem toting 14k or so down the road at 70mph.
When we hauled our horse trailer 2100 miles to Montana with my dads truck it was a late 99 crewcab srw with 3.73, 4wd, auto, completely bone stock, not even intake and exh. That truck with all of us, our gear, trailer and all weighed in at 24,xxx lbs and out west on some of the 7-8% grades we would start at 70mph and be down to 50-55mph at the top, and there was nothing wrong with that truck what so ever, it got about 17-18 mpg unloaded.
But with you having 4.10 gears you shouldn't have much of a problem toting 14k or so down the road at 70mph.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: West Tx
Hmmm. Well for a stock truck, mine would pull lights loads of 8k lbs with a minor boost leak at 65 with a lot of pedal. If I wanted to go faster, pedal on the floor and I didn't see a limit just took a while. That is stock. If you have a need to go much over 70mph pulling hills that seems excessive, but if you aren't pulling really heavy loads and can only go 70mph, I would check for boost leaks, up pipe leaks, check all fluids, check air filter etc.
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2005
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I agree that something seems wrong. Even in stock form I could pull my 5er at 70mph and above without issue. With 4.10's you should be at high enough RPMs at 70mph to be getting good boost and be able to cruise up decent sized hills without even needing to downshift. If you don't already have gauges, it sounds like you should start there.
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From: Mount Airy, Md
Gauges and an AE are the first things on the list to buy. I would LOVED to have had a boost gauge when I was having what I percieved as a lack of power. Thanks for the replies guys. You have confirmed what I have been thinking. Just have to wait for warm weather to check it out. Need a bigger garage.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,549
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From: Payson, AZ
One thing you can try is removing the red pressure line on the waste gate actuator and see if there is an improvement. Push the red line onto one of the t-bolt clamp bolts to keep it plugged. Sometimes the biasing spring gets weak or the rod is not adjusted properly and the waste gate opens to early. Only takes a couple of minutes.
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: Mount Airy, Md
Air filter & fuel filter were the first things I changed. Also my truck sits more than it is driven. It only has 70K on it and it's 11 years old. I know not good for it either but I only work 1/2 mile from where I live, so I don't want to drive it that 1/2 mile. I do drive it every weekend wherever I am going so it gets up to operating temps.
Joe28443
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,163
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From: Hampstead NC
That's got me curious if I have a boost leak, I can haul about 55mph and when I slowly press the pedal to get to 60-65 I hear a lot of air moving, this is my first diesel so I would not know what a boost leak or what the truck supposed to sound like under load if it slapped me in the face!!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 25,090
Likes: 1,112
From: Rio Rico, AZ.
Just had a friend take my truck to check out what I think is a low power issue. He has a buddy that is a really good diesel tech. at a local Ford dealer. They scoped it and found nothing wrong. Injectors fine, glow plugs fine, fuel pressure fine. Maybe I'm just expecting more from this truck than it has. I have seen others here say that they can pull a heavy 5ver at 70 with power to spare. I have only pulled an open trailer until this past summer when we bought a travel trailer. Pulling it up the road it doesn't seem like I can go much over 65 or 70 without the pedal being to the floor. Now I have talked to a few guys that say the same as me. Slow going with a stock truck and a travel trailer. The up side of this is that I can now call Clay and order an AE and a set of gauges. When warmer weather gets here I will start checking all the little things and start playing with the AE. I would give anything to have a garage big enough to get my truck into!!
That problem will make itself known when towing and fuel demand is high.
Truck will run fine all day long, empty.
But as soon as you hook up a heavy trailer and start to climb a hill, the power drops way off because the engine is now using more fuel than the pump can provide because of those clogged fuel pickup screens.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 9,399
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From: Norco,CA
I don't know why you want to go more then 70mph with a 5th wheel but that said I think Dan is on the right track completly. One thought to is order a new PCM from dptuner with there 40t and you won't believe the difference. I have an F5 with many tunes but if you are just towing with that truck and not useing it much there is a really big change with that tune.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 25,090
Likes: 1,112
From: Rio Rico, AZ.
Total vehicle weight for me is around 24-25k and I can do 80 all day long if necessary and that is in stock tune.
Doing that will "reward" me with 6 mpg and some speeding tickets, however, so I limit myself to 65-70 and get closer to 9mpg with no speeding tickets.
Point is, these trucks in stock form are more than adequite for pulling very heavy loads as long as the supporting systems are up to snuff.
No chip can overcome lack of fuel!!!!!