Diesel Trucks

JATO_RaT · Dec 18, 2002

Thanks Richard and Bob. I checked out Suncoast, they look pretty deluxe and worthy of consideration if I felt my truck was a long time truck for me. Its hard to think about keeping it forever when the advances in the diesel have been so huge in the last 9 or 10 years. I would probably do as Bob said and ask a friend with a auto repair shop to order a factory rebuilt. He has said much the same thing as you Bob. Thanks again, Rat...

dmccarty · Dec 18, 2002

Rat,

Also check out <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.thedieselstop.com>http://www.thedieselstop.com</A>. It used to
be www.forddiesel.com but Ford went after the site since
they where using Ford's name. There is more info over there
about Fords than you could ever want to know. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I had to change my fuel filter yesterday and could not decide
where to get the filter so I went to the site and read some
search results. One of the filters I was going to get has had
problems according to the site so I took a different path.
Ford wanted $54 for a fuel filter! International had the exact
same filter for $27. I bought two. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

BTS, which I think stands for Brian's Transmission Shop, gets
lots of praise on the site for rebuilt trannys. Cowboydoc
listed the other company's that have a good rep.

Search the site for the companies in question as well as the
issues with your tranny. Get a case of beer and a long night
to finish reading the results! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The Diesel Stop is to Ford Trucks what TBN is to Tractors.
/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif For the non Ford drivers there are Chevy and Dodge
sites but I don't know off hand their address.

Later,
Dan McCarty

RobertN · Dec 18, 2002

A sales manager, previously a service manager, who has known me and worked for Dodge sisnce I was a little kid said that Dodge was originally in the running for the Allison 5-speed, and lost the conract deal to GM. I have not heard this elsewhere, so don't know if it is true.

A lot of cards usedBorg Warner T5 fspeed trannies; why wouldn't Allison share thiers in pickup trucks. They share with a lot of big truck, fire engine chassis manufacturers.

I agree that Dodge HAS to come up to the plate with a 5 or 6 speed auto.

I have not had any problems with the auto in my 2001 Ram. From talking to my Dad, who has worked a Dodge parts counter for decades, they do not see many problems at his shop. Not to say the tranny doesn't see problems though... For towing, my daul axle trailer and little B8200 Kubota don't amount to much load.

My only beef with the Dodge auto so far, 26k miles, is it has a big jump from 3rd into OD. It shouldn't have that big of a gear spread, IMHO. That, and I did not not need 4.11 gears(my original choosing, would go 3.55 if did it agian, which won't happen for a LONG time).

JATO_RaT · Dec 19, 2002

Robert, the jump from 3rd to OD does seem huge on the Dodge automatic transmissions. It took me a little by surprise when using my brother in laws. The jump and finally the lock up torque converter certainly knocked the RPM's down. The torque converter locking up almost made it seem like a 5th gear. Rat...

cowboydoc · Dec 19, 2002

Ford 4r100 has the same problem. In the newest program they ease that off a bit. I'm going to pick mine up today and I'll let you know if it made any difference. My main problem was towing it really made the tranny temps. jump alot.

RobertN · Dec 19, 2002

How did you add your tranny temp sensor? Did it drill and tap into the pan, or? Seems like a good thing to have in any pickup with a slush-box.

Have you found any particular driving style or load that really sent tranny temps up?

cowboydoc · Dec 19, 2002

Robert,

On the Fords there is a plug you can take out on the side that lets you just screw the sensor right in. Mine is an ISSPRO. When mine got hot was mostly twoing up long grades and it was hunting gears. Ford says to let the transmission decide but I have to lock it out of 4th to not let the temps get high. It will also get hot in stop and go traffic. That's why I added auxillary cooler.

Go to this site http://www.dieselpage.com/gitt.htm. It's alot more complicated to add the tranny temp. gauge for the dodge and chevy.

wroughtn_harv · Dec 20, 2002

My Chevy came with the temperature gauge. I do have a problem with the lighting of that particular gauge though.

I thought it wasn't working. They did a test, loaded the tranny, and it works fine. I just haven't carried the kind of load in the kind of heat that makes it hot I guess.

cowboydoc · Dec 20, 2002

Harv,

The Fords come with one too but they are basically what I call idiot gauges. They only read on or off. They are not a true temp. gauge. I'm not sure on the Chevy's but on the Fords they don't show hot unless it's at 220-230 degrees. Here it goes into the yellow. When it goes into the red you are at 240-260. Most of the transmission articles that I've read say you shorten the life of your transmission to only about 12-24k if that happens. I try to never get mine above 210. That's why I went to a real gauge.

Anonymous Poster · Dec 21, 2002

I once knew a guy that worked in Ford's trans engineering dep't. He told me about those temp guages and said that once they indicated 'hot' it was too late. Guess I'll keep on keepin' on with my clutch. That ATF looks too much like blood on my shop floor. On second thought, maybe it is.

cowboydoc · Dec 21, 2002

I agree totally splitfire. In my opinion the manual is the only way to go with one of these diesel engines. Even with that new allison from Chevy they are having problems with it. Not until they go with a real auto will they be fit for towing behind these high hp and torque diesels.

jtn · Dec 21, 2002

Why is that? What is the difference in "feel" between the two?

Bob,

The same things that make a diesel better for towing make it better for driving light IMHO. For one thing I have plenty of torque and never have to downshift climbing hills and can get decent acceleration in any gear. Also the diesel has much better engine braking; if I let off on the accelerator I slow down, even going down hill. I guess maybe I have just gotten used to it and like the way it handles now. I also find the accelerator much easier to modulate as the diesel has a slower response than a gasser. Last, and certainly not least, the purring of the engine puts my wife to sleep on long road trips so I can go 80 mph without getting nagged!

JT

jtn · Dec 21, 2002

cowboydoc,

Going to post a picture of your new wheels? Did you get the 7.3 or the 6.0 engine? I forgot if I mentioned it earlier but I test drove a truck with the 6.0 and liked it. Of course I was not towing anything which is the real test. The 5 speed auto seemed to shift well but I am definetly getting the manual in my next truck.

JT

jtn · Dec 21, 2002

Rat,

I just blew the E40D tranny in my truck a couple of months ago. I got a rebuilt from my Ford dealer. It had a 50000 mile warranty and was reasonably priced. I also have heard good things about Jasper, but the local place that installs Jasper wanted twice as much for labor as my Ford dealer.

I heard from a Ford engineer that with the 7.3 you should add a second tranny cooler in series with the one form the factory and change the trans fluid every 10000 miles.

JT

Trev · Dec 21, 2002

Sounds good, JT!

I also find the accelerator much easier to modulate as the diesel has a slower response than a gasser.

This would be great for me. I have a weird neurological condition called "Benign Essential Tremor." It means my hands and feet shake a bit. Not really wanting brain surgery, I just live with it. But on a lot of cars, I have trouble accelerating smoothly.. the right foot shakes a bit and sometimes that means a rather "rapid" and jerky start from stoplights. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif The diesel might be just the ticket.

 Last, and certainly not least, the purring of the engine puts my wife to sleep on long road trips so I can go 80 mph without getting nagged!

I'm lucky in that regard.. my wife says I'm the only driver she has ever ridden with that she feels comfortable enough with to go to sleep while I'm driving. Her ex was a maniac, drove a BMW 740i, and wanted to prove to everybody that he could out-drive them. I'm more the sort who says, okay, you want to pass me.. go for it. What do I care? /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

I'll probably start test-driving some diesels soon. In the old days, I didn't want the noise, but I gather they've gotten around that problem somehow.

Thanks for the info!

Bob

RedDog · Dec 21, 2002

I didn't read all 4 pages of this thread, so maybe somebody already mentioned this.

You may want to check out www.pickuptruck.com

They had a nice article about all of the big3 diesels. Tested them loaded and head to head with manual trannies!!

Very good article, the best I have seen.

RedDog 97 Chevy Crewcab Dually 4x4,, SUPERCHARGED 454!!

Kiohio · Dec 23, 2002

Reddog, I can see you behind the wheel of one of those new Fords already. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Dec 23, 2002

Cowboydoc, the main problem with auto trannies in these trucks is that people use them like they are Kenworths. 30,000# with the trans hunting for gears and 520 ft/lbs making it go don't add up to longevity. GM isn't doing themselves any PR favors with the way they are pushing that "allison" trans for towing. It may have been drawn up by allison, but by the time Chevy lightened it up for thier specs, it's a stretch to call it that anymore. Probably less of a problem than those aluminum heads will be in the long run though.

cowboydoc · Dec 23, 2002

I agree completely but why not make a transmission that will hold up? Guys would pay for it. I know of hundreds of guys that are willing to take a brand new truck and get a real transmission or upgrade theirs to one that will tow and not break down. If you offered guys a choice between a beefed up six speed auto or the pos that they put in them guys would pay for it.

BTW it's not just the guys towing a bunch that they go out on. There are alot of trucks that haven't towed anything or have only towed well below the recommended levels and still had the tranny's go out. My truck only had 3000 miles on it and the tranny went out. It had never even towed anything up to that point.

Anonymous Poster · Dec 23, 2002

Two reasons autos have not held up to this point..cost and size. A real Allison is big and heavy. Expensive, too.
I drive a new Dodge gas for work (have to hold my nose every time I get in), it constantly shifts up and down on the slightest grade at highway speeds with nothing behind it. That has got to create tons of heat, which is the main enemy of automatics. It drives me nuts and makes me wonder how people can stand to tow with 'em.