I am towing a 4000 pound trailer. on a hill that my buddy with a 2000 Ford can pull 80 MPH with this trailer, I can only manage 70 MPH. His remark to me was that he can go as fast as he wants up this hill.My truck is a 99 Quad cab 4X4 with an AFE intake, 4inch exhaust and a super chips chip set on the tow-perf mode. The truck has an Automatic transmision with a billiet steel heavy duty torque converter in it. I had the lift pump checked out and it is fine. The fuel filter is about 5K away from needing to be replaced. Why am I down on power? Oh yeah his Ford has the same chip with the stock exhaust and stock air filter. Help me out. I am eating alot of crow on this. His parting remark was that I could probably get $50.00 for it if I put it in the paper.

 

sounds like you need some guages and a comp box. thatll show him

 

Something doesn't sound right, you should be able to go faster than that with only 4000lbs. I tow my 10,000lb trailer up hills as fast as that if I want(too fast and dangerous). Check for any codes,change fuel filter, is your torque converter slipping(how's the oil)? Is he taking a long hard run gaining speed BEFORE he gets to hill, where you aren't tromping on it until 1/2 way up? This will make a big difference if he is, and you aren't. You should outpull him quite handily.

 

The fuel filter is clean and the torque converter is a new billit unit that is shuddering a bit at lock up but not slipping after that. It is not throwing any codes. I returned the trailer to the Ford owner. Went west bound on U.S. 285 to conifer in CO. the truck did O.K. but still did not run that well and the temps climbed to the mark between the 190 and 240 markings. I may have a fan clutch going too. Any suggestions on a brand would be great.

 

That doesn't make any sense. 4k lbs is nothing. I tow 10k+ up a 5% grade and can accelerate up over 70mph. Although that's in 2nd gear at 5k+rpm, it does it. If you have 3.55 ratio, are you locking out O/D and running the Cummins on up to peak HP? Even if you have 4.10s and can't run in 3rd at 70mph, you should be able to run up the hill towing 4k lbs in O/D like the Ford at whatever speed you want. I'd try a fuel filter first. All four of mine seemed to get sluggish long before the scheduled change. And get a boost and pyro gauge. They'll tell you a lot about what's going right or wrong. Good boost with low EGT on a hill could be a weak injector that's only noticeable under load and so forth...

 

That hill on windy point is a killer, with my 7k TT I can only keep about 35-40 mph. Now from 285 and 470 up past red rocks was no problem, 65+ until the curves. What were your speeds on those 2 hills, do you remember?

Bill.

 

I agree here

Make him eat his words...

Tx

 

hey Bill I am glad to hear from someone that knows that area.I mannaged over 55MPH up that hill. The trailer ways 4490 lbs. On wndy point I keep it at 60 with the overdrive off. but the running temps started to climb over the 220 mark. Can you give me the name of a good fan clutch? I also went across the scales at the truck stop and 44th and Ward Rd at 12,600 lbs. Truck and trailer. I am thinking that the truck should have done that with the O/D left on. Am I wrong.

 

Thanks for the information. I do not have the gauge set yet. I did put a boost gauge on the truck just, temporarily, to see what I was getting. I could not get anything over 19lbs of boost. I even plugged the wastegate line and still cold not get over 19lbs. I did not have a EGT gauge. Is there any other way to check the injector pumps. I hade the lift pump checked out and it put out 12lbs at WOT. after the filter. I also pulled the codes and got none. Does the 99 have any kind of boost limiter in the computer?

 

Checked fuel pressure? I'd be concerned about the lift pump.

 

You need a boost fooler of some type to get more boost, either thru a MAD ECM or comp or similiar box. But you'll also need more fuel to go with it, and of course gauges. Do lots of reading thru search function to find the combo you're looking for.

 

I wish I could but I'm a noob on these trucks. My stocker clutch is working just fine though.

Bill.

 

The lift pump is fine. 12lbs at WOT. That was my first concern. I think a COMP box and gauges are in my future. I can't have this Ford out running me. especially with a load. I bought this truck for towing.

 

If you have been off road or on dusty roads very much, clean your radiator from the back side before you spend money for a clutch. It dropped my temps by at least 10* when empty.
I use this:

 

I took the radiator out in August and it was plugged with oily dirt int several places. That looks like a great tool to maintain the radiator so that it does not have to come out again. I got the truck to heat up and turn the fan clutch on. but how do you know if it is losing grip? I could still rotate it but it was stiffer than when it is not as warm. do you know how much effort it should take to rotate the fan when the clutch is hot and engaged?