I have my Smarty set to SW3 with everything on default. My wife will be making a 7 hour trip alone with a 4-horse gooseneck trailer containing 2 full-grown horses and a 2-month-old colt. This is just a wild guess, but I would say the total is about 8,000 lbs. Anyway, I don't have gauges installed in the truck yet (I know, I know...no lectures please) so my question is will it be ok? Should I back the Smarty off a little, set it to stock, or just leave it? There are 2 pretty good-sized hills on the way and the rest of the trip is pretty much FLAT. I have the guages but won't have time to install them before the trip.

 

Forgot to mention that the software is the standard Revo.

 

If she drives crazy back down to sw1, otherwise she should be fine.

 

You must trust her driving abilities or you probably wouldn't even be considering letting her take the truck alone.I don't think she will have any problems as long as she's smart enough not to be lugging 6th gear at 45mph up those 2 grades you mentioned.Now as for my girlfriend,I would be more concerned with which dually fender she would rip off trying to go through the drive-thru at Micky D's!

 

I would set it back to stock and not pull any hills towing until you get the gauges installed. Anytime you add power you are adding fuel which = heat and you need to be aware how much.

Chances are you have nothing to worry about but if it were my wife I would not put her in the position of possibly breaking something just because you do not have gauges installed yet.

Not worth hurting her feelings and your truck over in my opinion

 

I agree..put it on stock that way you have nothing to worry about...then put in the guages and teach her what to watch for so in the future you could leave it on a higher setting for her....

my 2 cents.

 

On the side of caution, I agree with Lary and TX Diesel.


But if you can make sure she keeps the rpms around 2000 rpms on level ground and say 2300-2500 pulling the hills..........it should be running plenty cool enough. And obviously make sure she cools the truck before shutting it off to help the turbo.

..

 

Thanks for the input guys. Homewrecker, you are correct, I DO trust her. She made trips like this with her dad's 4-door, long bed, 6-speed F-350 and a horse trailer by herself when she was in high school, long before I met her. I consider myself pretty lucky to have a wife that can drive big trucks and trailers like she can. She claims she can back a trailer too, but I've never seen her do it because she always makes me do it.

 

I would set it to stock so you don't have to worry. If it gets too hot and you lose a piston then you'll wish you had returned it to stock.
Just my opinion.
Will

 

The thing I think of is, the Smarty used with the timing programs can actually keep temps cooler while adding more fuel, the advanced timing really helps out on these trucks. I've known that many stock dodges run hot egts from the get-go. I think something like sw1 would be beneficial mileage wise.

 

I'm with Rip, sw1 is nothing but timing and should help in economy and run cooler.

MikeyB

 

My truck runs cooler with the Smarty than it did stock. Stock it would hit 1400 deg very easy pulling hills, with the Smarty on SW2 I have not seen it above 1300 deg.

 

Since all trucks are different and you have no idea what temps stock. Unless it is lugged like crazy stock, can't have a problem. I couldn't believe how much my temps climbed over some hills with BDTD, a good 300F over stock. Gear selection is huge. As long as she can drive, you'd probably be ok but not worth the risk. Can hit 1600 pretty easy with a programmer and some load on the engine.

It's good if she knows how to drive, i've driven with people who can't drive a stick at all and it's theirs! I cringe when I hear the engine lug, 15 MPH in 4th with a load makes kittens cry

 

Stock it doesn't come with gauges and this trucks are meant to tow......no idea how high EGT's got.
Stock with gauges easily climbed over 1400*.....until I got my foot out of it
Smarty Jr. Sw2,default,default...hard time getting over 1250*
This is all while towing heavy.......22,000#(+)

She knows how to drive.....trust her. Then put them gauges in when she gets back.

 

No gauges, forget it. Set it back to stock, I would even if you were driving pulling a load.