What are your ideal mods for towing??
 

I have read and read and read all the posts over the last few years about turning the timing up, "a few turns on teh fuel screw" and going to various size turbos, all with the intent of increasing power.... but there hasnt been a clear thread soley about setting one of these up for towing an average(8Kto 12K) trailer and wanting to be able to keep up with traffic without going hog-wild on mods.

so lets say you were starting with a bone-stock truck, and had a budget of say...$500 dollars...
How would you spend it and what would you do?

I'll start, just to test myself and see if I have learned this stuff correctly...

1) Pyro Gauge, about $200 installed.
2) 1 1/2 turns on teh fuel screw
3) bump up the pump timing about 1/8th inch from the index mark
4) tranny cooler and temp gauge( if auto tranny) $150
5) relay the trailer running lights...$25
6) BHAF and old smokey mount for more air $50 total

and next wold be getting the exhaust opened up a bit....

Ok so what would YOU do???[coffee]

BHAF and Old Smokey mount ~ $50
Stage IV Turbo ~ $275
Pyro ~ $200
Turn the screw all the way till runaway then back off 1 turn
366 spring ~$25
The look of other diesel "trucks" ~ priceless :D

A little over I know BUT this is what I would do.

Jon

$500 budget.
$150 pyrometer (self installed)
$125 4" exhaust (2-90* elbows, 6' pipe to get to back of cab, and one elbow to turn out)
$25 BHAF (material for intake and mount on hand)
$0 2-3 turns on fuel screw
$0 Again, 1/8' bump on timing
$150 Craigslist HX35 (I got mine for taht, no play)
$0 Ground fuel pin.
$0 Trailer brakes (pulled controller off a parked hay truck)

This is pretty much what I have done and I can tow like a champ with no temp problems. (Especially once my Getrag kicks this 727 out of the way)

with stock injectors i wouldn't bump the timing (even though it's a free mod). it removes some bottom end that you would like to have for towing.

now that said...
bhaf...50.00

pyro...130.00-150.00 (just mount it in the dash- no need to by a pillar mount- saves about 30.00)
trans temp guage...30.00-40.00 (if auto)

366 spring...20.00 (the best money you'll spend)

pump adjustments...free (fuel screw and afc adjustments to make the most power available with the heat in check while towing)

valve adjustment...free

used hx35...150.00-200.00 (you'de get better results with a stg iv and 16 housing on the turbo you have but those 2 alone will break the budget)

if you have the capability you could knock together an exhaust system under budget, but if not any of the aftermarket systems are financially out of reach (when combined with above money already spent)

that leave you a 100.00 or so to work with. i bought my 185's used for 190.00 to my door. as for upgading cooling and electrical. it can be done kinda as you go so the initial expense is lower. once you assess what you have you can tell what repairs or upgrades will be critical. none of this assumes repairs to bring the truck to general road worthiness (belts,hoses,coolant flush,brakes,lamps,tires). that's always the 1st expense.

my truck is set up close to this and pulls very well (i'm not building a dyno queen, it pulls a car trailer and camper). i have more than that in upgrades (dollar wise) but i feel the above will make a nice start for a towing rig.

daryl

I'd put a temp gauge on any trans for heavy towing. The Getrag runs pretty hot in 5th. I've hit the case on mine with the laser gun and seen temps around 200 running empty at 70 in hot weather. If the outside of the case is 200, the oil inside is hotter.

Auto trans trucks all need a better TC and a big fan cooled cooler under the bed.

3200 RPM spring on any truck.

Add fuel to get the EGT you are happy with. A valet switch is a nice tool for this.

check out my [director] [director] ( SIG ) pulls a load great !! & not much smoke [nonono] [nonono]

You asked what "I" would do!!!
 

"I" would hook the trailer to the hitch and passing the bank, put the 500 bucks in there for a rainy day!!! Unless your pulling one mother of a loaded trailer,,,she should do fine. IF your pulling that much load,,,that often,,better go buy a semi tractor that is made for THAT job!! But thats me,,,your milage may vary!!![duhhh]

QIK2D-- thats an intersting take on bumping the timing...but do yo urealy feel it looses enough to be noticable?

wahts the diff between teh "366" spring and teh "3200 RPM " spring?


Wanna-- doing a search on valet switch , found install instructions and its talked about a bit, but could you describe what it actually does?

Nothing. The 3200 RPM springs have "366" stenciled on them.

It blocks the boost to the AFC housing, which keeps you from getting any AFC fuel at all. It's a way to have a play truck with too small a turbo and still be able to work it hard when you need to without having one eye glued on the pyro.

THANKS!
It seems everyone is pretty much in agreement on what mods to do.....

IF and When I ever get my new truck, I'll have an idea what to do and be ready:cool:

I couldnt disagree more, I didnt tow all the time, but I did tow, and heavy on maybe 3 occasions. (18K gross)
I had more then enough bottom end, on a getrag at that. When we (Greg and I) installed the 366 spring we gave it enough, n then a slight nudge further, to keep it from cutting out, or breaking up at WOT, in neutral/park. (no load)
What killed it was the stock H1C.

Now, for towing mods on a budget:
Pyro&mount: $200 installed by self
366 spring: $20 installed by self
BHAF: $50
4" DP: $150
Exhaust by u: depends on how u wanna run it $100
Tranny temp guage: $20-$50

Adjusting your VE settings is really all on you, folks can suggest a setup, or tell ya their setup, but each truck is defferent, as is each persons tastes.
Thats what I would purchase for a towing setup, or anything really for us. Your really looking around 600 on that list with small price variables like shipping, n parts.

On an automatic, I wouldnt be so concerned with the turbo, unless its a 92 with the 21cm housing, then a 16cm is almost nessecary.

on mine with stock injectors and pump adjustments i could drop the clutch in 3rd gear at an idle and without giving any fuel the truck would move and accelerate up to 12 mph or so. with no other mods other than advancing the pump 1/8 the same manuever produces a stumble and attempt to die. thats the bottom end i'm talking about. it's not a great difference but it's there.

and before ya'll say when would you use that, theres been many a morning waiting to get into the track (with the car on the trailer) or just moving in traffic at 2 mph and i like being able to put her in 1st and let the truck idle along with my foot of the pedal. beats the heck of constantly pushing the clutch in and out to go 10 ft then stop. my truck would do that with stock timing and will do it now with the 185's and 1/8 bump. it would not with the stock injectors and the 1/8 bump.

your results may vary:cool:

daryl

Yes, your results may vary, indeed. I have had trucks move right into the 1.5-1./6mm range at 1/8" on the flange; others were approaching 2.0 at the same bump. It is best to go to ebay and get the $50 dial indicator, and set it right, and KNOW where you are at. Mine is at 1.55, but I also have the =.020HG, so that changes things a little.

Towing only 6-8K is what the truck was designed for. A stock truck is overkill for that.

I towed GCVW 20-24K consistently with stock injectors, 12cm housing, 1.5-2 turns on full fuel screw, and a 1/16" bump on timing. Stock exhaust, stock sir filter. Got 13-15mpg, and had no EGT issues. I didnt break any speed records (60-65 in 5th), but got there nonetheless.

If the budget allowed, I'd get some 190s, a 16cm housing, impellar upgrade (HX35/40 or HT hybridizing) and 4" exhaust. BHAF if I had the left over, but it isnt necessary 90% of the time.

Daniel

I hope your right DP!

My brother & I are heading out Wed. *early* AM (mainly to beat the heat as I have no idea how the truck will react to the heat + towed load) to East TN. with the Jeep in tow...

Guesstimating:

Jeep = 4200#
Trailer = 2200#
Asst. Parts (spares, fluids, & for sale items) = 1000#
Camping/Personal Gear (2 adults x 1 week) = 500#

Should put me right at the 8000# mark. I haven't done anything to the truck outside of gauges, 366 spring, and 1/8 turn of the fuel pin (from centered towards deep)... everything else is in the stock position. Without time to test how it's gonna react, I was afraid too much "tuning" might come back to bit me pulling the grades in the Smokies. Hopefully, the 366 spring will allow me to drop out of OD *IF* the tranny temps dictate and still be able to maintain the speed limit (65-70 most of the way... I-77, I-81, I-40)

My buddy had a 93 5 speed with the following mods

Gauges
K&N filter
12cm housing
366 spring(best mod)
fuel screw turned as far as possible
straight exhaust

The truck made 233hp/618tq on the dyno. I drove the truck half way back to KY from Colorado pulling about 6k lbs, and it did great. Never really had any EGT issues, and didnt have any problem what so ever keeping up with traffic wether it was stop and go, or hills. It was a good running truck, and about right for towing in my opinion. Only things I would have changed for strictly towing would be a 4 inch exhaust, and 16cm housing because you could get it to 1400* or so if you really held in it for a while. I'm sure advancing the timing would help too

Eric