Couple questions and comments

[duaneboggs]

I just came from western Oklahoma up to northeastern Utah with my recently converted dually. I towed a trailer and the total weight was about 10000lbs.

Going over the mountains west of Denver on I-70, specifically Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail pass, both of which are over 10000ft elevation, I was going slow needless to say and running at about 2700 rpm with no more throttle than necessary. I was careful to feather the throttle so I didn't smoke too much.

I started realizing that the truck was starving for fuel, not at full power, but when I would back out of the pedal partway. It did this to the point where I thought it was going to die. As soon as the rpm dropped below 2000 the stumble and miss went away and all was good. I guess it boils down to this: Full throttle smoke like hell runs fine. Part throttle, avoid smoking and overheating and it stumbles and misses above 2000 rpm.

I am going to replace the fuel filter and air filter tomorrow just as a precaution, but the fuel filter was replaced less than 2 months ago and air filter doesn't look plugged.

Now I have loaded the flatbed I towed up here with a tractor and my loaded weight is 20140lbs. I will no doubt be down in 1st gear pulling the mountains on the way home and in fact am taking a different route with lower passes. But what effect is there going to be running the transmission in first gear for an extended period of time. I have an auxillary cooler on it, but the converter doesn't lock up in 1st gear does it? I have a feeling I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't but i have no choice.

Unfortunately I don't have a trans temp gauge or a pyrometer yet. Truck is non turbo. Didn't have any problems with coolant overheating although I have no clue how it will do with this much weight.

I'm going to bed and will check for answers tomorrow. Thanks fellers for the help and opinions.

Duane

 

[rhkcommander]

At high elevations the ratio of air to fuel changes since the same amount of fuel comes out but there is less air, essentially overfueling the RATIO. Thus the smoke.

At low elevations there is more air to the same fuel. More air to complete the burn. Turbos help at higher altitude..

As for your tranny it depends on which you have, t18, t19, zf5? First is nonsyncro on the t18 while all four are syncoed on the t19 iirc

Just take it slow (not like you have a choice) on the inclines...

 

[Diesel Max]

Looks like according to his sig, he has the E40D automatic........

 

[Rot Box]

Unfortunately I don't have a trans temp gauge or a pyrometer yet. Truck is non turbo.

Thank god you don't have a pyro--seriously! I've been there a couple of times and you DO NOT want to know what the pyro would read in that situation trust me

Seriously though I'm very familiar with the route you took and I know what its like to tow with a n/a IDI in the Rocky Mountains. First and foremost make sure your lift pump is in good condition. If it is a few years old I would replace it with a new one. Change your filter and make sure you are not leaking fuel from the return lines. Towing in first gear shouldn't hurt anything and what choice do you have anyway? I would stay high in the RPM's--really I would not be afraid to sit right on the governor. Like you said if you see any black smoke at WOT you need to back off a bit. If backing off means lugging it I would pull over often and let things cool down and take your time. You will pretty much have to drive by the tachometer and the coolant temp gauge. Its been said that 2500+ rpms are what keeps an IDI happy (coolant temp and egt's) when pulling a lot of weight at a slower speed.

Hope this helps, Hopefully others will chime in with more advise.

 

[duaneboggs]

I apologize, I forgot to post I have the E4OD.

I knew that all the excess smoke was caused by the higher elevations and that that would translate to high exhaust temps. That is why I was backing out of the throttle.

Rot Box, I don't know the condition of the lift pump, I don't know if I can even get one on a Sunday where I am at. Can't hurt to try though. Any idea why it would miss and stumble at part throttle instead of full throttle though?

I'll keep everyone posted on how this goes when I get home Tuesday. At least if I toast the trans I know where I can get a complete ZF5 and all the parts for a conversion...lol

Duane

 

[funnyman06]

How old is your fuel system in the truck? It could be an injector or IP issue if they are getting old.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Don't sweat it. Just shift down manually as need be to keep from lugging. Watch your coolant temp, tranny temp will be about the same with an aux cooler. Keep your RPM's at 2K or above by down shifting. Stop at the down hill brake check and let things cool off, keep the engine running there.

 

[duaneboggs]

How old is your fuel system in the truck? It could be an injector or IP issue if they are getting old.

I don't know, my guess is that the IP is original with about 100K. Injectors probably the same, but the return caps and lines had been replaced before I gor the truck.

I have played with it some more today with no load on truck and it is doing it even then, but just at that one spot at part throttle and high rpm. I think maybe the IP is causing the problem and hopefully it will survive until I get home. Going to be a workout for the old girl regardless.

Duane

 

[duaneboggs]

Stop at the down hill brake check and let things cool off, keep the engine running there.

I'll probably go slower down Douglas pass than I go up it. At least I replaced all the brakes when I did the dually conversion and I've got good brakes on the trailer. I've been over that pass many times in a big truck but never in a pickup with this much weight. Wish me luck.

Duane

 

[trackspeeder]

You will have no converter lockup in M1. No biggie. It's just fuel. ;p Manual shift away.

The big thing is tranny temp. Try to keep it cool as possible. Heat is the killer of this monster.

 

[MR.T]

I have played with it some more today with no load on truck and it is doing it even then, but just at that one spot at part throttle and high rpm. I think maybe the IP is causing the problem and hopefully it will survive until I get home. Going to be a workout for the old girl regardless.
Duane

Yes, it sounds like it could be an IP issue. Suggest looking at the face cam that rotates with the throttle on the driver's side -- see if the roller is rolling, clean, lube, the usual stuff. Adding a big dose of injector cleaner wouldn't hurt. Might help to check the air filter and vacuum out the dirt; need all the air you can get at that altitude.

Best of luck on the mountain.

 

[duaneboggs]

Mr. T, I will go check that right now. Thanks for that suggestion. I replaced the air filter earlier today, it didn't look terribly dirty but quite a bit of dirt came out of it when i knocked it against the bumper.

Duane

 

[Black dawg]

yep, no converter lockup in manual first. get a big cooler and letr rip. Trackspeeder is there any way to get lockup in m1 other than a converter switch?

 

[trackspeeder]

yep, no converter lockup in manual first. get a big cooler and letr rip. Trackspeeder is there any way to get lockup in m1 other than a converter switch?

Converter lock up mod only.