cohocoal

I'm on the road and want to use the torque converter lock out for additional braking. Will I damage anything on my automatic (46re I believe) by doing this? Still have a braking issue and want to minimize their usage. Pulling a 5th wheel at about 10,000 lbs.

AlpineRAM

You mean torque converter lockup.
And you do not want to do it. The pressure that holds the torque converter lockup applied is depending on the throttle position. Therefore with the loud pedal in the air there is extremely low pressure to keep the converter lock applied.
Some folks get away with it for a time, but with an exhaust brake you will overpower the lockup clutch.

Some time ago there was a kit that pulled the trhrottle valve cable for you when using an exhaust brake- this should go in the right direction for what you want.

KATOOM

If you want the advantage of an exhaust brake with those auto's then I'd suggest going with at least a new torque converter and valve body, as well as finding the right lock up kit.

cohocoal

Thanks I will not use anything except my brakes. I don't need to open the transmission to possible problems at this point. Sounds like an exhaust brake may also prove challenging to find. That will come this fall..

KATOOM

I feel like I left you uninformed by not also telling you how important an exhaust brake is while towing. My opinion is it should be required to have an exhaust brake while towing with a diesel. So the advantage is well worth going through the trouble to install one and make sure the transmission can handle the retarding pressure. You'll be amazed how well they work while towing downhills.

Robert Rausch

Big ditto to that!!

SIXSLUG

Exhaust brake is definitely on my list for heavy towing.

AlpineRAM

Yep, an EB is really worth having, especially when you tow or haul.

But: It is an extremely bad idea to just install one (about 700-100 US$ AFAIK) and then not to adapt your automatic transmission correctly.
OK, this costs another bundle, but it will avoid you having the tranny give up right in the middle of a descent and free-wheeling down the mountain and then having to order a tow truck.
The system I meant was really rather primitive, it was a small pneumatic cylinder that pushed the throttle valve lever on the tranny in the same direction it is pulled when you step on the go pedal.
The tranny uses this information to regulate itself to cope with the torque the engine delivers- low throttle low torque, open throttle high torque. The tranny does not care in which direction the torque is applied. (power or braking).
(I have built such a "thing" with parts sourced locally for a friend who tows his excavator over here in the alps- I just teed it into the air line that activates the exhaust brake- which came from a scrapyard and fit right into the 4" exhaust)