I finally hooked my trailer up and drove about 400 miles with it yesterday. The first 200 miles were empty and the trip back I had a racecar in it with no engine/trans. Trailer weighs about 4800lb and the car maybe weighed 2500lb tops.
So, it seems to take way too much pedal just to get it moving from a stop. Once I'm rolling it pulls and shifts just fine but the converter seems really loose off the line. There is no shutter or anything though. I got about 12-13 mpg empty at 65-70 mph most of the way down and on the way back I slowed to 60mph and with the car in there I still was getting 13-14mpg. Trailer is a 26' enclosed V-Nose.
Question is, can I up the line pressure and maybe help lock the converter up tighter so it leaves the line better? Or will I need to start saving up for a new VB and TC? Other than the "Off the line" issue the trans works perfectly.....
I am ecstatic about the mileage I am getting with this truck. I have consistently been getting 16-17 mpg running around town with no real highway miles.
Before everybody here tells me to buy a new trans, please keep in mind that I will NOT, at least for the next couple years, be able to spend a ton of $$$ on my truck so I really want to know if upping the LP will help me. Honestly, if I can't do that without hurting it, then I will just deal with it as is....

Did I mention that I like the mileage I am getting?

 

It's a 305/555, of course your going to like the milage your getting, (LOL) I love mine....

 

I'm no expert but here is my .02. The higher revs and peddle to leave the lights with a trailer is probably due to inefficiency in the fluid coupling of the converter. The only way to change this is to change the internals of the converter. Boosting the line pressures will help the clutches hold more power without slippage. I just had my trans and converter done and the converter is tighter on the fluid coupling and it makes a nice difference for in-town driving and in-town mileage increased noticeably.

 

Thanks.

 

The line pressure does not effect the way the TC transfers the power, no easy fix there.

You will need to swap the TC to get better acceleration with less pedal.

 

Alright. I guess I will have to deal with it for now.

 

Mine does the same thing. I have to push hard on the pedal just to get the rear tires over the lip backing into the garage. I am saving up for upgrades.

 

And I am sad to report that my mileage estimates I stated in the first post are incorrect. My OH is almost always 1 mpg lower than actual. If it tells me 15 then when I hand calc I always have 16 etc. Well, apparently this does not hold true when I am towing. My true average mileage on this trip was right at 12mpg. Still not bad but not as good as I claimed.

 

I'm certainly far from a trans expert. But, I wonder if one of these transgo kits might help your situation. I have wondered about these myself. But, I still have some time left on my powertrain warranty and don't want to jeopardize it. Here is what the advertiser says about them . . .

"NEW TransGo SK48RE Reprogramming kit for 2003-2006 4 Speed 48RE HO Diesel & V10 transmissions. Competition, Off Road and Pro-Street. Will hold 1st, 2nd, or 3rd to any rpm. Backshifts to 3rd, 2nd and 1st at any rpm. Reduces converter slip. Has Hi-Temperature Low Shrink Rings. Comes with separator plate. Contact me at orders@missiontrans.com with any questions."

 

No...................

 

I still have my powertrain warranty too so I'm not messing with mine either. If I could have bumped the LP up a bit I would do that. If that's not gonna help then I will just deal with it as is since it seems to be "normal"....

 

More line pressure is a mixed bag with a stock transmission. The higher the pre pressure the more the OEM pieces leak in the weal areas and it sometimes gains nothing but weird shifting.

The same for the stock TC. The more pressure it runs the faster it will warp the front cover and start potential slipping, etc.

It can be done with some good results if you are seeing slipping problems but don't expect to be a cure all, just a bandaid. The underlying problem will eventually need to be addressed.

 

This trans shifts very very nicely so I don't want to risk having that go south. I have definitely decided to not touch it. If I have any issues I cannot bear then I will exercise my warranty........

Thanks for all the input...

 

The stock converters just plain stink. Way too loose, I noticed it the day I drove it home. Like you, my tranny shifts good, and I still have a warrenty. For now it's not a big deal, but I will be changing it in the future.

 

New converter, you won't regret it.

Tobin