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GEAR VENDOR UNIT

6K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  txgp17 
#1 ·
I just finished installing a Gear Vendor unit in my 2000 F250 6 speed manual 3.73 diff---In a nutshell, the unit seems to be
very good. I go from 1800 rpm to 1450 at 60 mph--nice and quiet
and plenty of power in an empty truck. However, if and when you buy a unit, ask that they send a case of toilet paper instead of the
instructions; you'll get more out of the TP.
My instructions were dated 1998. IKEA has better instructions
than Gear Vendors. I would give them an F-. Mis direction,
incomplete, non applicable would be a few words in which to describe
the instruction pamphlet. I really think you would be better off just
sorting through all the parts and figuring it out on your own.
Me=moderately mechanically inclined. My working mechanic=30
years of cars and light trucks. Neither one of us could believe the
lack of detail or sophistication in these instructions. The savior
was their customer service which I would rate as B+. It might be
that the CS reps were caught in the middle. I'm sure they had heard
these same questions a million times but had to answer them over and over again. At the same time though, I felt at times that I
knew more about the kit then they did. One example: the kit and instructions were getting Z & L brackets all mixed up. We figured it out and then
the CS rep said, "Ya, that's right". It seemed obvious that if a
company mechanic would have sat down, he could have corrected
90% of these errors in short order. I just got the feeling that it
wasn't important to management.
Again,I think the unit is very good. Up shifting is fine and
smooth, though shifting from, let's say, 4 high to 4 low, there's
a good size "CLUNK" and CS had no answer other than to say,
"shift into neutral, depress the splitter button to drop out of overdrive, and then shift back into 4th". Well, ya........
 
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#2 ·
So this is the most recent post on this topic using the search function...4 gears just ain't enough for all towing situations with a 4 speed auto. At least six would be ideal IMO.
Is there any recent feedback on these units?
I gather that US Gear is out of the picture.
 
#3 ·
Search the "ancient" archives. There was a Canadian forum member who had extensive experience with the Gear Vendor unit on a PSD he used in his business. He was in either a towing or hauling business and shared his experiences with everyone here.
 
#4 ·
I tried but could not find...any recent experience here?
 
#5 ·
Pat Dolan from Saskatoon, SK is the gentleman I was referring to. I just searched and found posts back as far as the early 2000's, did not specifically search under Pat's name but there is a wealth of information posted that should answer most of your questions.
 
#6 ·
A link or 2 would be nice Fleetman. I sent him a pm, but no response yet.
Any recent experiences on this forum, anyone?
 
#7 ·
I am currently running one, what questions do u have?
 
#8 ·
Hi blackout2,
How was the install, any issues or tips?
What are you towing and is this upgrade totally worth it?
How does it work while driving? Is it automatic or does it require a lot of attention?
Thanks in advance.
 
#9 ·
Sorry for the tardy response.
Install was easy except for the driveline angles. Make sure you have all the correct parts from gear vendors, I was missing one seal. Also need your oil.
Have your new driveshaft ready. Be ready to adjust your driveline angles as now you have 2 joints instead of 3.
Would I do it again, yes. It is sweet on the highway in DOD.

It is picky about oil changes, I would recommend every oil change for engien, do GV too.
I have mine set to manual. I shift into OD over 60 mph or so and then leave it until I know I'm exiting the hwy and slowing down.
As far as towing, I have used it going up steep grades to split gears, but it is tricky.

The other thing I've done is remove the TC lockup control from GV because the GV unlocks on up and down shifts. I manually unlock only on downshifts because I don't want the TC to slip when upshifting.
 

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#10 ·
Thanks for the info!
 
#11 ·
Update- I now suggest a pushbutton to keep the TC locked when upshifting. The GV will unlock on all shifts (GV). My current manual solution takes some getting used to and is too difficult for my wife. So next is to re-install the GV trans cable and manually ground the TC lock wire with a pushbutton when upshifting. If i'm not driving it will unlock automatically and no harm and the wife doesn't have to mess with another button.
 
#15 ·
Double OD is so sweet on the highway, EOT is lower vs Factory OD only at same speed. I love my GV and BTS transmission combination.
 
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