Towing question
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Joined: Jan 2002
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Towing question
I'm told not to tow a heavy load in overdrive. I tow a 6500# boat/trailer. (is that heavy?) If I don't use overdrive the revs are so high, I can't go very fast. To go 60mph I'm turning 2900 rpm and using 3/4 throttle. Now it is obvious that on level ground, or down hill, overdrive is fine for both the engine and tranny, but if I click it off for every hill, I am going add alot of shift cycles to the transmission, under load. And if I don't, is 2000 rpm going to "lug" the engine going uphill? Others that I have asked talk about avoiding the tranny "hunting", but don't address the high load at lower rpm concequences on the engine, when at the bottom of the torque curve.
'96 F350 PSD 4.10 axel
'96 F350 PSD 4.10 axel
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Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Indianapolis
Towing question
Peak torque occures somewhere between 1600 and 2200 RPM so you aren't hurting the engine (I doubt you'd hurt the engine at any speed above 1000 RPM). I am assuming you have an automatic transmission, so if you're cycling in and out of overdrive or locking and unlocking the torque converter too much, you may want to consider installing a chip in the computer. The chip will revise the transmission shift points which will actually make the transmission live longer. 2900 RPM is too high to run the engine over long periods of time (it probably won't hurt the engine but it should NOT be necessary to run the engine that fast to maintain a reasonable speed). If your engine won't pull the load at peak torque in overdrive then it has something wrong with it. A truck equipped with a Power Stroke diesel should be capable of pulling the load on flat land or moderate hills in overdrive with the cruise control set without dropping out of overdrive or unlocking the torque converter. If it is not, then your engine is not making the power it made when it left the factory and you need to find out why.
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Towing question
"so if you're cycling in and out of overdrive or locking and unlocking the torque converter too much"
What do you mean by 'unlocking the torque converter'?
I'm not real happy with the way my '01 F250 PDS ****fs either. When it down shifts from OD it goes strait to 3rd which is too low. Any chance of this transmission going from OD into strait 4th gear?
Is there a chip that only affects the transmission? I'd like to keep the engine stock because it has plenty of power for my needs and I'd like it to last to 200k and beyond. You said that the transmission chip may even extend the life of the transmission. Now I'm interested. Can you tell me more or point me to more info?
Thank you
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Joined: Sep 2001
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Towing question
Monsta,
I'm no mechanic so no claims of expertice. However, I just took her out again to check the number of shifts. If I have OD off she appears to shift 3 times. I then put OD back on and I get another shift into OD.
I'm no mechanic so no claims of expertice. However, I just took her out again to check the number of shifts. If I have OD off she appears to shift 3 times. I then put OD back on and I get another shift into OD.
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 18,308
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From: Washington State
Towing question
> However, I just took her out again to check the number of shifts. If I have OD off she appears to shift 3 times. I then put OD back on
>and I get another shift into OD.
I know. I know. Mine does it too. It's gotta have somethin' to do with the TC. I'm not the guy to ask about that stuff, which is why I didn't reply to your earlier question about it. I think all automatic transmission are PFM. All I know is that the 4R100 is a 4 speed transmission.
>and I get another shift into OD.
I know. I know. Mine does it too. It's gotta have somethin' to do with the TC. I'm not the guy to ask about that stuff, which is why I didn't reply to your earlier question about it. I think all automatic transmission are PFM. All I know is that the 4R100 is a 4 speed transmission.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 654
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From: Michigan
Towing question
Sgiraud;
I tow an 8000lb 5-er with my truck. Now I have never pulled in the mountians but for normal pulling I ALWAYS use OD. Up and down hills is no problem. If the trans starts to hunt between OD and Drive than I push the button to turn it off. I haven't had to do it to often. Hope this helps.
Jim
I tow an 8000lb 5-er with my truck. Now I have never pulled in the mountians but for normal pulling I ALWAYS use OD. Up and down hills is no problem. If the trans starts to hunt between OD and Drive than I push the button to turn it off. I haven't had to do it to often. Hope this helps.
Jim
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New User
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Towing question
I have a 99 F250 psd and I pull a 8000lb trailer, I use overdrive and cruise control. I have no problems unless going down a steep hill, I then downshift manually. The dealer told me this is the way to pull any trailer, if the truck needs to shift it will.This will not cause any damage to the transmition or engine.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2001
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From: Indianapolis
Towing question
Your automatic transmission will shift from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th (which is overdrive) and then it will feel like it shifts again which is your torque converter locking up.
As far as I know, nobody makes a chip just for the transmission shift points. I know one guy who tows a goose neck horse trailer on I 64 across southern Indiana and he says his cruise control would kick out as he neared the tops of some of the hills until he installed a chip. Now he says the chip improved the shift points of his transmission, he can run I 64 without the cruise control dropping out and he gained about 1.5 miles per gallon on his fuel economy.
As far as I know, nobody makes a chip just for the transmission shift points. I know one guy who tows a goose neck horse trailer on I 64 across southern Indiana and he says his cruise control would kick out as he neared the tops of some of the hills until he installed a chip. Now he says the chip improved the shift points of his transmission, he can run I 64 without the cruise control dropping out and he gained about 1.5 miles per gallon on his fuel economy.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2002
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Towing question
I had the same problem using cruise control and running in OD with my V10. The trick is to run faster downhill, and then "coast" uphill maintaining enough speed to stay in OD. I run up to 75 on downhills and coast down to 65 on uphills. If I can't maintain 65 uphill, I come off the gas (I know that's a bad word on this forum) for a second, press the OD Off button and go up the rest of the hill at 60 in 3rd gear. My towing MPG went from 7.5 to 10.5 doing this compared to the trans shifting out of OD on every little hill.