gear change lower operating temps
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From: Colorado Springs, CO
gear change lower operating temps
Since the RPMs would be higher if I geared my truck ower, whould the fluids be cycled faster, therfore bringing down temperatures? Just one of my questions before I regear or re-engine. Thanks
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If you're really working your engine now with the high gears, the low gears may bring your engine temps down a little since your engine wont be working so hard to pull the load. If you change to lower gears and then try to fly down the freeway at high speed, your temps will go up, because of the higher rpms. My truck runs cooler and gets better mileage at speeds below 60 mph. At 65 and over, it starts running hot and sucking up gas.
I have 4.56 gears and 33" tires with a C6 trans (no overdrive and no lock-up torque converter). If my trans had an overdrive gear, I would be ok at speeds up to about 75mph. An overdrive with a lock-up converter (an E4OD trans) would probably gain an extra 5mph over a non-locking converter at the same engine rpm.
What gear ratio do you have in the truck now and what size tires are you running?
I have 4.56 gears and 33" tires with a C6 trans (no overdrive and no lock-up torque converter). If my trans had an overdrive gear, I would be ok at speeds up to about 75mph. An overdrive with a lock-up converter (an E4OD trans) would probably gain an extra 5mph over a non-locking converter at the same engine rpm.
What gear ratio do you have in the truck now and what size tires are you running?
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I've got 3.55s and 235/85/R16s behind a 351/E4OD. Engine lags in OD, and I would like to work my truck like I bought it for, pulling my fence materials between 5-9K. I dint' think I'll ever get bigger tires, so I was thinking 4.10s, with a locker in the rear for plowing. Of course, I think my engine is headed south, jsut has no guts, so I might swap that out for a 460 as well. But my pocket says one thing at a time. Thanks SoCal
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Demian, the 4.10's will do what you want them to do, and a noticeable improvement over the 3.55's. Since you have overdrive, you could go lower than 4.10 if you're willing to give up some top speed. Sadly, 4.30's are not available for our rear axles, so the choice is either 4.10 or 4.56.
I know just how you feel about having no power with that 351 and 3.55 axle ratio. That's just what my truck had when I bought it. It was a 'gutless wonder'... The 4.56's definitely woke up that little 351 and now the truck pulls MUCH better. Of course, still not like a 460, but hey, I gotta deal with what I got for now. If money were no obstacle, I'd swap in a 24-valve Cummins diesel and a Gear Vendors OD...
I also put a locker in my rear axle: a Powertrax LockRight. It's a DEFINITE improvement over the stock open differential and, next to the gear change, the 2nd best thing I've done to that truck so far
Im very happy with it. It cost $325 and is worth every penny. More info about it at: www.powertrax.com . I would like to have put in a Detroit Locker (www.tractech.com), but the Detroit was almost twice the price and this does the same job...
I know just how you feel about having no power with that 351 and 3.55 axle ratio. That's just what my truck had when I bought it. It was a 'gutless wonder'... The 4.56's definitely woke up that little 351 and now the truck pulls MUCH better. Of course, still not like a 460, but hey, I gotta deal with what I got for now. If money were no obstacle, I'd swap in a 24-valve Cummins diesel and a Gear Vendors OD...
I also put a locker in my rear axle: a Powertrax LockRight. It's a DEFINITE improvement over the stock open differential and, next to the gear change, the 2nd best thing I've done to that truck so far
Im very happy with it. It cost $325 and is worth every penny. More info about it at: www.powertrax.com . I would like to have put in a Detroit Locker (www.tractech.com), but the Detroit was almost twice the price and this does the same job...
Last edited by SoCalDesertRider; Aug 18, 2004 at 10:52 PM.
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Thanks for the info Socal. I wouldn't mind the extra oomph of the 4.56s, as I don't really do much highway driving. Actually, though, I'm gonna look at a couple of mid 80s diesels. I would really jsut like to fix my truck up, as I know what it's quirks are, but since it's a 4x4 it would cost only slightly more for one of these trucks then regearing. of course, they could be POS, and I may just regear, but it's nice to have options. Thanks agian for the wisdom.
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Anytime Demian. As long as you're looking at diesels, check out the later-model trucks, if you can at all swing the extra cash. The mid-'90's and newer diesels are quite an improvement over the old '80's diesels. The Powerstrokes came out in mid-'94.
