THE BEST UPGRADE FOR A V10 IS:
#1
11-08-2018, 09:41 AM
THE BEST UPGRADE FOR A V10 IS:
So, after alot of thought and $$ I have come to the conclusion that the best upgrade for a 2V V10 is a specific built transmission. Not a new unit not a rebuilt or refurbished unit, a custom built one.
custom valve bodies, vehicle specific torque converter, top of the line clutches, and better PCM transmission tune.
These upgrades will make the V10 shine and are way more cost effective than headers, high flow intakes, exhausts ect.
I once owned a 7.3 diesel truck, and it was really good.... i loved it. Then I drove a duramax that had less hp and torque than my 7.3. The dmax felt much more powerful. It was not, but the Allison transmission made it feel that way.
If I could put an Allison transmission behind my V10 I would. Best I can do now is try to mimic the allison. If I can do that I will be very happy.
custom valve bodies, vehicle specific torque converter, top of the line clutches, and better PCM transmission tune.
These upgrades will make the V10 shine and are way more cost effective than headers, high flow intakes, exhausts ect.
I once owned a 7.3 diesel truck, and it was really good.... i loved it. Then I drove a duramax that had less hp and torque than my 7.3. The dmax felt much more powerful. It was not, but the Allison transmission made it feel that way.
If I could put an Allison transmission behind my V10 I would. Best I can do now is try to mimic the allison. If I can do that I will be very happy.
#2
11-08-2018, 12:37 PM
Based on what I have read from many others that have done it, final drive ratio has been the favored upgrade by far.
This will likely be much cheaper than a custom transmission especially in long term reliability and ease of maintenance.
Not to say that the 4R100 can't be improved, but the per dollar result in observed driveability improvement is reported to be greater with more rear gear.
This will likely be much cheaper than a custom transmission especially in long term reliability and ease of maintenance.
Not to say that the 4R100 can't be improved, but the per dollar result in observed driveability improvement is reported to be greater with more rear gear.
#3
11-08-2018, 01:28 PM
Yah lower gears do help, but the soft, anemic, slipping transmission even makes lower rear gears seem tame.
A good well built and sized torque converter $1000 or so. A custom valve body and accumulater probably $500 or so. Good clutches probably $500 or so. Add what ever 5 star charges for their tune and your 99% done.
if your ever lucky enough to drive a 5 speed V10 than you can see how much a good auto transmission would do.
A good well built and sized torque converter $1000 or so. A custom valve body and accumulater probably $500 or so. Good clutches probably $500 or so. Add what ever 5 star charges for their tune and your 99% done.
if your ever lucky enough to drive a 5 speed V10 than you can see how much a good auto transmission would do.
#4
11-08-2018, 01:45 PM
With that said, would a built transmission from a Ford Lightning work? They share the 4R100 and the performance valve bodies (punisher I heard is insane) and parts are all for Lightning's. Could one work in our trucks?
I had mine rebuilt two years ago with transgo shift kit and it's kinda cool but still lacks much umph. What converters would work as well? I have a rebuilt stocker.
I had mine rebuilt two years ago with transgo shift kit and it's kinda cool but still lacks much umph. What converters would work as well? I have a rebuilt stocker.
#5
11-08-2018, 01:55 PM
Yes the lightning valve bodies will work, but I would not use a lightning torque converter as those trucks were alot lighter vehicles.
My excursion weighs 8000 lbs and I like low rpm torque. So, my torque converter would be a little different than a pick up which is lighter.
Best to contact a torque converter supplier and give them your truck/SUV details. Like gear ratio, cam specs, truck weight, towing weights etc.
My excursion weighs 8000 lbs and I like low rpm torque. So, my torque converter would be a little different than a pick up which is lighter.
Best to contact a torque converter supplier and give them your truck/SUV details. Like gear ratio, cam specs, truck weight, towing weights etc.
#7
11-09-2018, 10:27 AM
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I think the 4R100 is fine, it just needs the 5-Star tune. The performance tune has my transmission shifting so hard at WOT that I fear the u-joints will give out. I don't run it in performance that often. I mostly keep it in the economy tune which still gives the good engine upgrades but a much more livable transmission shift.
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#8
11-09-2018, 10:48 AM
Personally I agree that the 5 star tune is good but my main issue is not shifting. It's how soft the transmission pulls while in a gear. I can be driving along at 2000 rpm give it a little gas and rpms jump to 2300 rpm in same gear and I have very little acceleration if any.
Feels like alot of slip or sluggish behavior.
I actually found a adapter to put an Allison transmission behind a 7.3 diesel. Too bad the bell housing is different for a V10.
Example: In the winter if I drive my highly worn out excursion (260,000 miles) home and a typical winter day say 35 degrees. I park in a few inches of snow and by morning my tires are frozen to ground.
I put it in gear and have to put it in 4LO to get it busted free. If I left it in 4Hi I could floor the accelerator pedal and not move.
Maybe my transmission is just worn out.
Feels like alot of slip or sluggish behavior.
I actually found a adapter to put an Allison transmission behind a 7.3 diesel. Too bad the bell housing is different for a V10.
Example: In the winter if I drive my highly worn out excursion (260,000 miles) home and a typical winter day say 35 degrees. I park in a few inches of snow and by morning my tires are frozen to ground.
I put it in gear and have to put it in 4LO to get it busted free. If I left it in 4Hi I could floor the accelerator pedal and not move.
Maybe my transmission is just worn out.
#9
11-09-2018, 04:43 PM
I won't argue that a custom TC, valve bodies and internals wouldn't be a sweet upgrade to a 4R100 but yeah, it sounds like your well worn EX has a very well worn trans. 
I consider my 120K mile EX to still have a pretty tight trans in it, I don't feel that its sloppy, slippy or soft in any real way. Nearly all of my rig's miles are towing at over 19,000lbs combined and it gets that work done with no complaints here. I'm sure there is room for improvement with the mods you suggested but it's good and solid as-is. Nearly every stock/stock-ish auto trans that I've ever driven has some amount of RPM vs speed slip like you described, I wonder if reliability might suffer if it were to be too direct and tight.
As I have stated here many times my mods in order of improvements have been gears first, tunes second and my headers third. And the deeper gears weren't just a little better, they made the EX feel like a completely different truck! I've run and towed with 3.73s, 4.88s and 4.30s all on the same rig towing the same load and nothing else compares to the gears, the deeper the better!
I consider my 120K mile EX to still have a pretty tight trans in it, I don't feel that its sloppy, slippy or soft in any real way. Nearly all of my rig's miles are towing at over 19,000lbs combined and it gets that work done with no complaints here. I'm sure there is room for improvement with the mods you suggested but it's good and solid as-is. Nearly every stock/stock-ish auto trans that I've ever driven has some amount of RPM vs speed slip like you described, I wonder if reliability might suffer if it were to be too direct and tight.
As I have stated here many times my mods in order of improvements have been gears first, tunes second and my headers third. And the deeper gears weren't just a little better, they made the EX feel like a completely different truck! I've run and towed with 3.73s, 4.88s and 4.30s all on the same rig towing the same load and nothing else compares to the gears, the deeper the better!
#10
11-09-2018, 05:17 PM
#11
11-09-2018, 10:32 PM
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Doesn't running anything deeper than 3.73s have a massively negative impact on fuel economy? I know these things aren't a bunch of Prius's, but getting anything worse than 11 really sucks.
#12
11-12-2018, 08:06 AM
I thought that as well, however after my swap I have improved fuel mileage both empty and towing by at least 1-2mpg's. I am averaging around 15mpg on hwy at 65mph and around 12mpg city. Towing went from a miserable 7mpg to 9+mpg with ~10k loaded TT.
#13
11-12-2018, 09:21 AM
I once put 3.73's in my '96 T-bird, originally was 3.27's. MPG actually went up on the highway. I used to do a consulting run into New Jersey from Long Island with that T-bird. I got about 22-23MPG on the round trip which was usually around 11AM on the outbound side, and 2-3PM on the inbound side so it wasn't a lot of traffic. After the axle swap, it peaked at 26MPG. Hand-calculated, GPS distance.
Don't expect that from a Superduty with a V10 though, but you get the idea. Depending on what you do, a rear gear swap will either have no change, or a slight improvement, and when towing it makes a world of difference.
#15
11-12-2018, 09:25 PM
