John H

[quote author=Sierra Phil link=board=11;threadid=6898;start=15#67628 date=1037426176]<br>SeaRay88, The Lake Havasu story, some people may call them &quot;gas stations&quot;, however that is an incorrect term for any liquid fuel. &quot;Filling Station&quot;, &quot;Service Station&quot;, or &quot;Fueling Station&quot; are correct terms. Gas is the vapor state not a liquid fuel. True not all fueling stations sell liquid petrol called Diesel or Fuel Oil, as not all stations sell liquid petrol the liquid motor vehicle fuel you call gasoline. Some are limited to selling LPG as a motor vehicle fuel. Other are limited to selling CNG as a motor vehicle fuel. If a fueling station chooses to limit the products they sell, that is their business, however, they should post the products they sell in a visible manner for drivers to see. Frankly I prefer to fuel at a large Travel Center as their product is fresh.<br><br>John H, Towing at 70 in the mountains is risky business, not so much going up but coming down. Speed limit when towing in OR and CA is 55. In CA you won't be served a ticket if you don't go over 60 mph. You can tell when &quot;Smokey Bear&quot; is on the prowl, most 18 wheelers going right at 60 mph. It doesn't matter how good a driver you are its the other guy you can't count on. Hunter had a close encounter with a little old lady, if he had been towin no telling what would have happened. :'(<br>[/quote]<br>Sierra Phil, Thanks for the reminder, I keep forgetting that some states have lower speed limits when towing. I'm not used to towing the bigger stuff (coming off small trailers and boats, which don't get that much attention), so I hope I'll learn before I get caught.<br>I was extra careful to make sure that while towing at 70 mph, that when I came over the top of the worst of the West Virginia TP 5% grades, I could take my foot off the throttle and without using brakes could actually slow down on engine braking alone (and that's not much). Up to then I'd had a certain amount of trepidation about that (being new to diesels), but that kind of settled my mind. I'm now looking forward to finding steeper hills.<br>However, you're right about the other guy though, they scare me more than I scare my wife, and that's saying something. After riding motorcycles for many years, in snow and ice, I always leave a lot of room for &quot;unforeseen circumstances&quot;, but I know there's always the odd-ball out there with my number on his bumper. I just hope mine's stronger than his.<br><br>Thanks<br>John

pwabbott

The sign posted in Calif are very clear, &quot;55mph speed Limit for trucks and autos towing trailers&quot;. If a sign is posted for trucks it usually applies to trailers being towed. In 97 traveled through 22 states in two months. The speed limit for towing trailers varied almost as much as the states we traveled. Some we never figured out. Check in Woodalls or Trailer Life directories of RV Parks. They both have a section &quot;Rules of the Road&quot;. It gives rules for each state and province regarding towing restrictions.

greatwhite

Hi. The way to be sure what your tranny temp is is to install a temp guage. Tranny temp guages get pricey, but tempguages don't care which fluid temp they are measuring. I bought an electric water temp guage kit and installed the sender into the fitting in my return line ( not all trucks have them, but mine did) . I shift out of overdrive when tranny temp hits 200*F. Maybe too soon, but trannies are exspensive. BTW my truck has 3.54 gear and will only run 105kph 65 mph in direct. Th th th thats all folks. No more. Searay 88 if you are getting 22mpg empty with that 4.6 you should be very quiet because ford wants it back. Never yet talked with anyone who doesn't moan about poor fuel mileage from their ford v-8. OH by the by I get 17 mpg towing my 27' 5ver at 65. And 22-24 on winter fuel 27-28 on summer fuel. And the best part is... I don't have to be seen in a Ford!

SeaRay88

Here is a chart from Transmission Exhange Co. Don't know who they are, but I thank them for this info. It's a good chart to keep next to your temp gage. My Ford 4.6L auto 4.10 never exceeds 180 towing 8000 pound trailer. Runs 125-150 on the flats, 175-180 in the hills. 8)

If'n you're running 200F, I'd think about an external oil cooler or a bigger on if you already have one. 8) Cooer is better.

Stevie G

SeaRay, <br>Thanks for the Tranny temp info. Very helpful.<br><br>As for your Diesel dilema, here is something that may help with your decision. I am planning on rebuilding my Cummins when it hits 500K miles (End of next year ;D). How long is that 4.6L going to take the punishment you are dishing out? ???

dan239

[quote author=Stevie G link=board=11;threadid=6898;start=30#68289 date=1037560007]
SeaRay,
Thanks for the Tranny temp info. Very helpful.

As for your Diesel dilema, here is something that may help with your decision. I am planning on rebuilding my Cummins when it hits 500K miles (End of next year ;D). How long is that 4.6L going to take the punishment you are dishing out? ???
[/quote]

Just wondering why you would rebuild a Cummins at 500,000 miles. I have heard of several over 1,000,000 miles and the engine never gone into.

The best I have ever heard was recently from a salesman at a local Dodge dealership. He told me he was trying to trade for a Dodge-Cummins that had 1,600,000 miles with no major engine repair. He said the owner claimed that it still was not using oil. The owner was a hotshot hauler and was about ready for a new truck.

Dan

RATTLINRAM

[quote author=SeaRay88 link=board=11;threadid=6898;start=30#68283 date=1037557516]<br>Here is a chart from Transmission Exhange Co. Don't know who they are, but I thank them for this info. It's a good chart to keep next to your temp gage. My Ford 4.6L auto 4.10 never exceeds 180 towing 8000 pound trailer. Runs 125-150 on the flats, 175-180 in the hills. 8)<br><br>If'n you're running 200F, I'd think about an external oil cooler or a bigger on if you already have one. 8) Cooer is better.<br>[/quote]<br>SeaRay88,<br> Just curious as to where your temp probe is mounted. I have mine mounted in the line leaving the trans on its way to the cooler. My temps run about 150-165 on the flats and the mountains as long as I keep the torque convertor locked up. I have seen the temp rise to 220 briefly when unlocked as I reached the top of a long climb on Black Mtn. I-40 @ 90* outside temp. This was pulling 10,000lb+ 5er. However, this is reading temp before the cooler and not the temp of the fluid in the pan.

SeaRay88

I put one of these in the line from the tranny as close as possible to the output. I also have a BIG external cooler in line after the factory cooler. Seems to do the job.

So far, so good. Engine has 104k miles on it and uses no oil. Tranny still shifts like new. I'm happy with it. Once the dealer put in the 4.10 gears, I've had no complaints pulling my 8k trailer. (I know, it's too heavy, unsafe, overloaded, yadda yadda yadda). I drive nice.

pwabbott

Greatwhite, Installing temp sender in return line doesn't tell you anything until it's too late, after the fluid has been cooled by the coolers. Installing in perssure line from trasnny to cooler tells you the max temp fluid is getting. That determines when the oil is about to fry your tranny. You have a chance to take corrective action before damage is done. <br><br>I purchased a tranny temp gauge and sending unit for $30 recently. Why go with a water temp gauge?

greatwhite

Terminology problem. [undecided] It is in the line from the tranny to the cooler, not from cooler to tranny. But I thank you for the heads up. I was told by a tranny shop I deal with that temps in the out line are typically 20*-30*F hotter than those measured in the pan. Every tranny guage I looked at was $59-$89 so I went with the regular electric temp guage. Dang those Scottish roots.

SeaRay88

I'd watch the temps coming out of the line at the tranny. The temp of the oil is the most important thing to watch. It breaks down at a certain temp and will destroy the tranny. If I see it approaching 175, I back off and slow down. Fortunately this doesn't happen often. Getting someplace 10 minutes late is a small price to pay. A new tranny at $1500-2500 is a BIG price to pay. 8)

pwabbott

Greatwhite, I've got Scottish Roots too, Macnab Clan, Descendants of the Cleric. Your $59.95 loonies, about $38.25 yankies. I hate not getting a good deal. Years ago I bargained with a dealer and got his price down to what he said was lowest possible. Went to another dealer and bought for 3% lower, below invoice. I made a copy of Sales Contract and sent it to first dealer. (he had told me I couldn't buy under his price.) A week later I receivead a certificate from them &quot;Voted Chisler of the Month by Sales Department&quot;. Every person with scottish blood in their veins would be proud of that honor.<br><br>Sea Ray88 my 98 towed in lockup at 150-170 degrees. As soon as it came out of lockup the temp would rise to 205 degrees. On a steady 6% grade with ambient temp below 80 degrees tranny temp would continue to rise when converter not locked up. This was with a D-C factory remanufactured tranny. <br><br>I went to 5 speed on my 2003 because I have one mile of 14% grade getting to my house. Because of a 270 degree curve at the start of the grade I am going no more that 10 mph. On this pull the tranny temperature was up to 250 degrees at the summit. Tranny temp warnind light comes on at about 260 degrees. Tranny fluid at 250 degrees is good for about 3000 miles. Too close for comfort for an automatic under these conditions.<br><br>Tranny fluid at 215 degrees is good for about 15,000 miles. At 190 degrees tranny fluid is good for 75,000. Without tranny temp gauge you are playing &quot;Russian Roulette with Your Tranny&quot; . Lock it out of overdrive unless you can't maintain minimum speed of 60 while in overdrive. [undecided]

SeaRay88

Put these in. Red backlight for tranny, green for coolant. A-Pillar pod. Looks good and the gauges are close to you. Not too costly. Paid about $100 for the gauges and pod. Thanks to Martel Bros and Autometer for the picture.

Grampaw

Hi All,<br>Is there any standard rule of thumb as to when I should hit the O/D button? Do I have to be at an even speed? Can I be climbing a hill? I'm very new to this diesel world!<br>Thanks<br>Bill : :-[

dan239

[quote author=Grampaw link=board=11;threadid=6898;start=30#69233 date=1037719395]<br>Hi All,<br>Is there any standard rule of thumb as to when I should hit the O/D button? Do I have to be at an even speed? Can I be climbing a hill? I'm very new to this diesel world!<br>Thanks<br>Bill : :-[<br>[/quote]<br><br>You should let off of the accelerator before you take it out of O/D so that it shifts easy. The basic rule for when, is to take it out of O/D when you can no longer accelerate and you are loosing speed.<br><br>Dan