2 valve V10
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Howard Lake, Minnesota
I got the 87 oct economey, prefprmance, and tow. I tried the preformance but I'm not much of a hot rodder and it made the truck go like a bat out of ....... I leave the economey tune all the time execept when I hook up the 5th wheel. Love the difference it makes. econ gives me a little better milage, but it drives smoother than the stock tune, that's what I like.... I guess that comes from being an old fart.
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Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Darien
Every time I drive a truck with better gears it makes me hate 3.73's for anything besides commuting. You can do all you want to the tune of the truck freeing up some hidden power with exhaust changes and so forth, but all and all it don't come close to comparing the overall gain of gearing alone.
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 259
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From: SPARKS NEVADA
In 2004 I purchased a new F350, V10 4X4 3.73 automatic crew 8'box. My goal was to pull a 5th wheel trailer after retirement. This truck only has 30,000 miles on it and I am now approaching retirement. The 5th wheel I'm planning to buy will weigh around 10,000 lbs. Now I'm learning that my truck won't pull this much weight very well at all.
Have any of you pulled this amount of weight with a 2 valve V10? Please share you experiences. I can't afford to buy a new truck and trailer too and now it looks like that is exactly what I'll have to do. I'd appreciate any and all ideas of how I could get my truck to pull 10,000 lbs. Thanks.
Have any of you pulled this amount of weight with a 2 valve V10? Please share you experiences. I can't afford to buy a new truck and trailer too and now it looks like that is exactly what I'll have to do. I'd appreciate any and all ideas of how I could get my truck to pull 10,000 lbs. Thanks.
Thats almost the exact setup I purchased in 2004, except mine is a 6' box. I towed a TT for a while that weighed 7,200 lbs. It towed ok and could handle going over the Sierra with very little speed lost on the grades.
Then got a 10,000 lb 5th wheel and still had the 3.73 gears, which was fine until I hit a hill, any hill would kill the mph. I changed the gears out to 4.30's and kept the stock size tires and the truck tows like a champ. I also did a couple of other mods. New Voliant CAI, y-pipe and keep the fuel filter changed. I had the truck and 5th weighed once at a truck scale off I-80 and weighed in at 19,700 total, minus me!
The truck tows up 8% grades with little problem and can maintain 55 to 60 mph. If I throw the 4 speed into 2nd gear as I start up a steep hill I can easily accelerate up any hill.
Change the gears, but think about going with 4.56, I'm happy with the 4.30's, but wish I'd gone with the 4.56's or even higher. The milage and higher rpms wasn't even worth concerning myself over after all was said and done.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2010
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Thats almost the exact setup I purchased in 2004, except mine is a 6' box. I towed a TT for a while that weighed 7,200 lbs. It towed ok and could handle going over the Sierra with very little speed lost on the grades.
Then got a 10,000 lb 5th wheel and still had the 3.73 gears, which was fine until I hit a hill, any hill would kill the mph. I changed the gears out to 4.30's and kept the stock size tires and the truck tows like a champ. I also did a couple of other mods. New Voliant CAI, y-pipe and keep the fuel filter changed. I had the truck and 5th weighed once at a truck scale off I-80 and weighed in at 19,700 total, minus me!
The truck tows up 8% grades with little problem and can maintain 55 to 60 mph. If I throw the 4 speed into 2nd gear as I start up a steep hill I can easily accelerate up any hill.
Change the gears, but think about going with 4.56, I'm happy with the 4.30's, but wish I'd gone with the 4.56's or even higher. The milage and higher rpms wasn't even worth concerning myself over after all was said and done.
Then got a 10,000 lb 5th wheel and still had the 3.73 gears, which was fine until I hit a hill, any hill would kill the mph. I changed the gears out to 4.30's and kept the stock size tires and the truck tows like a champ. I also did a couple of other mods. New Voliant CAI, y-pipe and keep the fuel filter changed. I had the truck and 5th weighed once at a truck scale off I-80 and weighed in at 19,700 total, minus me!
The truck tows up 8% grades with little problem and can maintain 55 to 60 mph. If I throw the 4 speed into 2nd gear as I start up a steep hill I can easily accelerate up any hill.
Change the gears, but think about going with 4.56, I'm happy with the 4.30's, but wish I'd gone with the 4.56's or even higher. The milage and higher rpms wasn't even worth concerning myself over after all was said and done.
How much did it cost you to change gears to 4.30? I was quoted 3500.00 from the local ford garage. I don't have enough experience with this to know what is a fair price.
Thanks,
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Joined: Oct 2005
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From: SPARKS NEVADA
The swap was worth every penny. I do a lot of towing over the Sierra's with the highest pass about 9,000 ft. The 3.73's were fine if I wasn't in any hurry. The 4.30's are much better but I should have gone to the 4.56's if I had to do it over. If your going to spend the money you might as well go with more the rpm change wasn't that much, If I remember the chart I kept the rpms increased 1,200 out of overdrive and 750 in OD.
Last edited by wfof250v10; Mar 10, 2010 at 02:08 PM. Reason: add to text
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Howard Lake, Minnesota
It cost me $1400 to have the front and back switched, plus an $80 oil change after 2,500 miles on the new gears. It was a local drivetrain/driveline and gear shop. We have a large number of semi's and trucking industry here, so there are a lot of truck shop that specilize in service.
The swap was worth every penny. I do a lot of towing over the Sierra's with the highest pass about 9,000 ft. The 3.73's were fine if I wasn't in any hurry. The 4.30's are much better but I should have gone to the 4.56's if I had to do it over. If your going to spend the money you might as well go with more the rpm change wasn't that much, If I remember the chart I kept the rpms increased 1,200 out of overdrive and 750 in OD.
The swap was worth every penny. I do a lot of towing over the Sierra's with the highest pass about 9,000 ft. The 3.73's were fine if I wasn't in any hurry. The 4.30's are much better but I should have gone to the 4.56's if I had to do it over. If your going to spend the money you might as well go with more the rpm change wasn't that much, If I remember the chart I kept the rpms increased 1,200 out of overdrive and 750 in OD.
I have been thinking about it also. Is 750 rpm increase correct? Sounds like alot, but have no idea.
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 259
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From: SPARKS NEVADA
here's the chart I made to keep track of the changes.....
TOWING OVERDRIVE OFF
3.73's ..............................4.30's
50mph 2,000 rpms............50 mph 2,250 rpms
55 mph 2,250 rpms............55 mph 2,500 rpms
60 mph 2,500 rpms............60 mph 2,750 rpms
65 mph 2,750 rpms............65 mph 3,000 rpms
TOWING OVERDRIVE ON
3.73's ..............................4.30's
50mph 1,250 rpms...........50 mph 1,500 rpms
55 mph 1,500 rpms...........55 mph 1,750 rpms
60 mph 1,750 rpms...........60 mph 2,000 rpms
65 mph 2,000 rpms...........65 mph 2,250 rpms
NOT TOWING OVERDRIVE ON
3.73's ..............................4.30's
50mph 1,125 rpms...........50 mph 1,375 rpms
55 mph 1,3758 rpms.........55 mph 1,625 rpms
60 mph 1,625 rpms...........60 mph 1,875 rpms
65 mph 1,875 rpms...........65 mph 2,125 rpms
Hope this helps in your choice....
Greg
Last edited by wfof250v10; Mar 10, 2010 at 04:31 PM. Reason: change format of chart
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
Likes: 40
From: Pa
Your towing and non towing rpms should not change with the same gears at the same mph. That tells me your torque converter is not locking up and throwing tons of heat into your trans fluid and transmission. With my 3.73s I'm running just at 2k rpm at 70mph in OD with the TQ locked both towing and empty.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 259
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From: SPARKS NEVADA
Your towing and non towing rpms should not change with the same gears at the same mph. That tells me your torque converter is not locking up and throwing tons of heat into your trans fluid and transmission. With my 3.73s I'm running just at 2k rpm at 70mph in OD with the TQ locked both towing and empty.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 259
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From: SPARKS NEVADA
I'm towing 12,000 lb 5th wheel..
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 10,101
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From: Pa
When your pulling up a slight grade on on the throttle with the trailer in tow I can see the TQ unlocking but when your at low throttle situations the TQ should lockup. There is a noticable difference in rpm vs a locked and unlocked TQ. I don't tow the weights you do but the variation in rpm seems odd to me.
Are you running a non stock tune?
The Scangauge II has an Xgauge code to monitor the Converter Speed Ratio (in to out) Never tried using it but it may be able to show when the converter is locked and unlocked.
Are you running a non stock tune?
The Scangauge II has an Xgauge code to monitor the Converter Speed Ratio (in to out) Never tried using it but it may be able to show when the converter is locked and unlocked.