mustangracer

I pull a 26' enclosed car trailer (about 8500 lbs loaded) with my '97 auto. Can I pull in overdrive or will this cause premature damage to the tranny? I don't have a temp gauge on the tranny... yet. Thanks for the help.

Chris

NukleusX

I dont tow much of anything, but I would recommend if you dont have gauges, get yourself the pyro/boost/trans temp to begin with, and watch your EGTs and trans temp while towing with OD off, record them, and then try towing with OD on, and watch the temps. If they go out of reasonable temp range, you have an answer for your question right there.

chop342

fill in your sig it would help but if it is a stock auto on a stock engine it will hold but towing with a stock auto on a stock engine will still shorten its life. just not enough line pressure, shift pressures and times and lube pressures will be the fall of your trans under heavy towing, but 8500 if not to terrible so OD would not be the end of the world but not recommended.

Chris

mustangracer

Thanks for the replies.

Rhino

If your RPM's are high enough you can tow in OD.

mustangracer

Is this to turn the pump in the tranny fast enough to keep line pressure up? What is "high enough"? Around 2000 rpms? The reason why I am asking this inthe first place is because I can only get about 60 mph out of the old girl before it tachs out when overdrive is turned off.

Thanks Again.

TIMMY22

join the club, sounds like the engine is comming out of the hood!


"I hear a train a commin..."

Forrest Nearing

you can tow in OD just fine

cumminsdriver635

You will be just fine in overdrive as long as you arent slipping the transmission.

Eric

mustangracer

Thanks again for the feedback.

uglyscout

Related question...

Why does it seem like turning the OD off kicks me down 2 gears, not just out of OD.

If I am really in 3rd you'd think I could keep the rpm's down enough to cruise around at 65... But it really wants to go 55-60 without the OD.

I'm just an idiot so if I am missing something let me know.

cumminsdriver635

It probably feels as if you are going down 2 gears because the TC is unlocking, and the tranny is going to 3rd. With the TC locked in 3rd with the 3k GSK I can run up to about 78mph in 3rd gear @ 3k rpm's. Maybe a lockup switch so you could keep the converter locked while in 3rd would be good for you.

Eric

garretch

is this because the peak torque is around 1500rpm and tapers off the farther up the rpm range?

i just figured it out!! that's why they say lugging the engine is not good for the tranny huh????

Racer9

I lock out the O/D when running under 45-50mph, stop and go driving. Once on the interstate, kick it in and go. A set of gauges are really reccomended though, to keep yourself out of trouble.

Rhino

It is to make sure the pump in the tranny is moving more fluid and the pressures are greater.