Of course - the only thing more fun than fabbing parts is making Tools!

 

I've been busy myself.. Amy and I just closed on a piece of property on the north side of Richland Chambers. We are pretty excited about it... Truck(s) have taken a far back seat on spending for a while!! lol


Have some auto trans questions for some of you guys... Been making ol red work seeing that I dont have the funds to rip her apart. Had her loaded quite heavy this past weekend, emm probably in the 30-35k range, I know just a little load... Dang 4240 is heavy, add attachments and it doesn't get lighter for some reason.

Anyways dang thing is a PITA to drive! Truck is great, dually is definitely more stable and have much less worries about tires going bye bye. Plenty of power, temps are very stable. BUT, I need some dang control over that dang trans! The jumps between gears are so big the only way for me to accelerate is to literally rev to 2800-2900 1st to 2nd and then to 3rd... Once in 3rd I have to time things just right and let off before it hits lockup in 3rd. The drop is enough to shake a tooth loose, bark the turbo, and snap an axle if I dont back out 'just right'... no 4th gear with all that weight 55mph max.

I think I need a 'no-lockup switch' right next to the lock up switch... Not sure and haven't done much research but a lockup switch sends a (-) signal to the trans regardless of what the computer wants right? SO can I put a NC momentary switch inline? So I could push and hold the button while in 3rd until I'm ready to get off the throttle in 3rd and let it lockup? Would that work?

If I dont get some control of this dang thing, it is worthless!! Really sucks, because I like the stability! and the 2wd stance when heavy...

 

Both the converter & overdrive solenoids switch to ground, so you can use any of a variety of control schemes to do it manually... used a 3-position rocker in the '98, but can't remember exactly how it's supposed to work (right now gotta engage the OD solenoid with the rocker to complete the starter circuit... might have something to do with all the coolant in the ATF making a pretty good conductor )






Congrats on the real estate - hopefully it's a home so you can spend the $8K tax credit on truck ****!

 

Almost forgot - IIRC, need to pull the trans relay in the PDC and install a jumper so solenoids are always hot.

 

Mike - Did some checking on that, since we discussed it last week. No special di-electric additives in ATF.
ATF being almost totally ashless, is NOT a good electrical conductor!

Brian - Don't quite understand your problem...as you describe it, but, no way I know to stay unlocked. Maybe Dave would know.
Lock up should only drop 200 rpm, max. You say you get much more?

RJ

 

And that's why I prefer to be "shifty" over "shiftless" Plus the 6 gears really helps out too...

Congrats on the new property! Stuff like that does tend to put a crimp on the mod budget.

 

If I can just interupt the lockup signal going to the trans, same way you force a lockup with a switch Then I 'think' I can have total control over it... Wait no such thing as total control with an auto...

Lockup is normally about a 200RPM drop when empty. Pulling heavy and with some power I guess the amount of slip allowed is greater? Makes sense to me anyways... Thinking hitting lockup while loaded may hit 300-400RPM... Drops into lock up so hard and immediate it WILL destroy something in the driveline.

 

Brian, PM sent.

 

Mine drops 75 rpm empty. Can't say I ever noticed bigger drop when heavy... up to 10,000 lbs GVW.
But never pulled at 30,000 lbs either.

Did you try winding it out in 2nd, backoff for shift to 3rd, hit lockup switch when it shifts and hit the throttle?
With 4.10's that might work at 55 mph??

RJ

 

2003, SLT, Leather, QC, 4x4, man. trans, sprayed bedliner, B&W hitch, AirLift bags, Ranch hand bumpers and step, AEM intake, Autometer gauges, MBRP exhaust and Prodigy brake controller.
Older MT wheels and Procomp xtreme AT tires 305-65-17

 

I'm probably being nice to myself at 30k gross as well, I really dont like to calc the real weight

Yes tried winding 2nd and backing off hitting lockup in 3rd right away. Problem there is I get jumpy at the lower RPMs of 3rd lockup right after 2nd gear. Only way I can get rid of the jumps is to get higher in the RPM band... Only way for me to do that is unlock the converter in 3rd until I get up to a better speed and then lock it back in...

I can unlock the converter by lightly applying brakes, but it is a PITA two footing with that weght... little bouncy with that much tractor in the bed!

 

Basically need more gears! A narrow RPM band and a 4 speed is STUPID!

 

Calculating the weight...

 

Lets see 6k for the truck + 9k for the trailer + a 2wd JD 4240 weighs 14,000 mine is a 4wd + Koyker 585 loader ?? 3k? 4k? Justin what you think? + 1,000lb box blade + 500-1000 for the forks and caryall = too dang much

See told ya... Not good to add!

 

Nice truck Wayne!