Help, I live in the mountains

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by M.L.S.C.

LMJD, that's why me and many others go with the manual switch for the lockup, it can literally be a life-saver on long steep downgrades. I do agree with you on the odd TC control logic tho, for comparison most GM trucks will keep the converter locked even in off-throttle conditions and will open it only when you step on the brakes or your vehicle speed drops below certain limit. The E4OD can do that too, but it needs an aftermarket controller for it, from what I've read on the intrawebs the factory PCM cannot be reprogrammed to work in that manner.

I just got remimded of the T/C lock-up mod I started in Az. in July on our road trip.. I may just finish it up one of these days. I tucked the switch up under the dash behind the prodigy and forgot about it, wires are still installed just not hooked up...WOW am I really getting that old

[LMJD]

WOW am I really getting that old

Aren't we all----or at least some of us.
By some adds years ago, like you and M.S.L.C. say, I did see where there was an aftermarket change to prevent the free-wheeling but I wonder why Ford designed it that way to begin with. With the manual 5spd trans the 7.3 provides a tremendous amount of engine braking coming down long grades with a trailer behind you.

[M.L.S.C.]

LMJD, I seem to recall a member here (David 85) saying the E4OD being designed as a transmission that not only handles loads, but also provides good fuel economy, as such it would sorta make sense for it to freewheel when throttle is let off... Still tho, I'd think there should have been a "tow" mode, which keeps the converter locked to provide engine braking in at least OD and 3rd gear.

[lunas jackel]

About 3 month's ago I towed my 6,500 lb travel trailer down from Montana to Texas. I went threw alot of steep grades over the trip ,and I tell you what I have never pushed a truck so hard in my life and she worked great. 89 f-350 2 wheel drive e4od. I think it has a shift kit because it shifts strong . I have the overdrive button to turn it off . The best thing that ended the best for me is to gain a little momentom before the hill ,and when my speed hits 45 I would push the overdrive button off and then just pull. And would have the black smoke sometimes pretty heavy when I was really pushing it. I seem to have just a little more power at sea lev. than Montana. I get about 22 mpg . A turbo would be nice but with my stock setup ecept the shift kit It pulled pretty good without turbo. 2,800 hundred miles and 750 dollers in gas $ was not to bad for the load. I have over 400,000 miles on my truck and have had it for four years no trouble with tranny.
The propane and n.o.s sound interesting for the little extra umpf on the steep grades instead of 3,000 $ for the turbo. What about just upgrading the exhaust would that be worth the $ for the power?

[LMJD]

... Still tho, I'd think there should have been a "tow" mode, which keeps the converter locked to provide engine braking in at least OD and 3rd gear.

I bet the newer Fords have Tow Mode now. I bought a new 1/2 ton (foreign breed--not a Ford) a couple years ago with a 5 speed auto and it not only has a Tow Mode, but in regular mode if you're coming down a steep hill and apply some braking, the computers detect that the brake application pressure isn't matching the slowdown speed of the truck so it automatically downshifts a couple gears on it's own to provide some added engine braking---clever stuff.

[lunas jackel]

That's what I'am tlking about my 89 has a overdrive button on the dash that you press when going downhill with a load,and it will kick it down to the apropriate gear. It came stock with my truck.

[M.L.S.C.]

LMJD, was that in a Nissan Titan? We took a few of those for development testing down in Death Valley a few years back, there are several very good hills around there and I remember the guys driving the Titans (I had the service truck, Ram 3500 dually with Cummins and exhaust brake) reporting exactly that kind of behavior from the Nissans...

Lunas Jacket, 3rd gear (OD cancel) is nice, but not what we're taking about - I can descend hills in OD and not touch the brakes, which is great when driving on snow-covered or slippery-wet roads. Also in 3rd gear you will get even more engine braking than what you have now

[LMJD]

was that in a Nissan Titan?

Negative, mine's a Toyota, 381 HP and with the variable DO valve timing it has a WIDE torque curve of 400 Ft.Lbs. That baby really scoots. Even though it's only 500lbs lighter than my F250, according to C&D they turn a little over 94 in the 1/4 mile.

A friend of mine had a Duramax and the way he was describing it, I think the Allisons do the clever auto downshifting too.

[M.L.S.C.]

Them Allisons do shifts nice automatically, but something typical for the GM vehicles is a slightly delayed response to manual upshift/downshift commands, it's not something most folks would be worried about but to me it does get a bit annoying - in case of a D-max truck the upshift delay is actually good for some 200 rpms, I learned that real quick when I had to drive this one D-max with a plugged DPF through three towns in rush hour - she would fall flat on her face over 2100 rpms, and she needed lots of throttle to just move, so I had to floor her nearly all the time and then manually upshift at 1800 rpms so I can get into the next gear before she goes much past 2000 and loses power, cause once that happened I had to drop her down two gears and do the whole dance again...

[LMJD]

I wonder if yours had a computer problem. A friend of mine bought a used one over a year ago and he's never mentioned anything like that. His son owns a local trucking company and he's had one for years, uses it pretty hard running up to Mt. for parts, etc, and his dad never said anything about odd shifting with his either.

[M.L.S.C.]

I dunno, then again this is something most folks probably won't notice, I was watching them things like a hawk cause it was my job, for regular driving I'm sure it's okay.