Driving Advice

[Mikes91]

I'm 3 weeks away from a cross country move, towing a loaded open car trailer and some junq from Monterey, CA to Sumter, SC. Stopping in Lead Hill, AR for some work on the truck.

I'm having the cooling system thoroughly serviced next week because of heating issues over the long grades out of CA and AZ when we moved out here 22 months ago. Hoping that the water pump and fan clutch will pass muster, putting new thermostat in after system flush. Refilling with NAPA coolant and appropriate SCA, plus a little Water Wetter for good measure. Of course, will check hoses.

Does anyone have info on where I can get the upgraded fan clutch for our trucks if mine is bad?

Can anyone suggest proper driving technique for the long hills we'll encounter? With the stock Banks turbo, what are my EGT limits? How can I keep those down, aside from backing off the pedal?

Any remedy for dealing with ******* the water temp gauge? Seems I recall it is best to run high RPMs and back off the throttle to keep EGTs low.


Thank you,
Mike

 

[stiesel]

i may have an easy mod that may help. get a 9"x 30" piece of sheet metal. put a 40 degree bend about an 1 1/2" to 2" down the 9" side. so the bend runs all the way down the long way. bolt this to the underside of the radiator support. you may have to change the measurments to fit your support. the objective is to get an 1" or 2" of the sheetmetal below the front bumper. good luck. oh yea and if the temp gets to high on a hill, turn on the heat full blast.

 

[82fordtruck]

I shift mine down a gear and run about 2800 rpm up the hill. I don't usually go over 3/4 throttle, and always somehow make it up. Is yours turned up?

 

[OkieGringo]

i may have an easy mod that may help. get a 9"x 30" piece of sheet metal. put a 40 degree bend about an 1 1/2" to 2" down the 9" side. so the bend runs all the way down the long way. bolt this to the underside of the radiator support. you may have to change the measurments to fit your support. the objective is to get an 1" or 2" of the sheetmetal below the front bumper. good luck. oh yea and if the temp gets to high on a hill, turn on the heat full blast.

I cut a piece of 4" dia ABS plastic pipe in half (table saw), long ways, and attached it below the rad to "scoop air" up to the rad. OG

 

[Mikes91]

i may have an easy mod that may help. get a 9"x 30" piece of sheet metal. put a 40 degree bend about an 1 1/2" to 2" down the 9" side. so the bend runs all the way down the long way. bolt this to the underside of the radiator support. you may have to change the measurments to fit your support. the objective is to get an 1" or 2" of the sheetmetal below the front bumper. good luck. oh yea and if the temp gets to high on a hill, turn on the heat full blast.

Stiesel,

What are we doing here? Smoothing airflow so the rad fan can do its job better? Thank you guys for the suggestions.

The truck is turned up a bit. Banks turbo, upgraded injector pump. I can't recall what my EGT limit is with the factory Banks sensor mounting location... Seems I get over 1000 easily, but can't recall since it has been so long since I've towed.


Mike

 

[stiesel]

Stiesel,

What are we doing here? Smoothing airflow so the rad fan can do its job better? Thank you guys for the suggestions.

The truck is turned up a bit. Banks turbo, upgraded injector pump. I can't recall what my EGT limit is with the factory Banks sensor mounting location... Seems I get over 1000 easily, but can't recall since it has been so long since I've towed.


Mike

i don't know about smoothing the air flow. it just increases the amount of air going through the radiator. i could be wrong but i was under the impression the fan stopped helping with cooling at a relatively slow speed. i've used this homemade air scoop and both times i've seen a noticable change on the temp gauge.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I cut a piece of 4" dia ABS plastic pipe in half (table saw), long ways, and attached it below the rad to "scoop air" up to the rad. OG

Use a band-saw, if you are not an old hand at the table-saw.

You will lose less fingers.

 

[Mikes91]

i don't know about smoothing the air flow. it just increases the amount of air going through the radiator. i could be wrong but i was under the impression the fan stopped helping with cooling at a relatively slow speed. i've used this homemade air scoop and both times i've seen a noticable change on the temp gauge.

Awesome... Of course, since I'm stopping through Lead Hill to get my transmission checked at BTS, I could ask Brian to mod my front bumper for more airflow...



Hmmmm....

 

[Nickbf2504x4]

Ya back in my IDI days, once I realized that these motors could rev, I never had EGT problems. My truck would pull the grades on I-70 here in Colo at 75 with out EGT trouble. In 4th (on my zf-5, which is direct) at 2500-2600 RPMS.

My second piece of advice would be to take the 5 south to the 10 and take that cross - country, ITS FLAT! dont come through here, if you can avoid it.
Good Luck and GodSpeed

 

[Mikes91]

Heheheh. Well, I gotta head out on I-40. I guess after only 3000 miles in the past 22 months, the truck needs a workout now...

 

[RLDSL]

Rule of thumb we used to have on these engines in a fleet of busses is if you have to use more than 2/3 throttle while climbing a hill, it's lugging, and drop a gear and let it wind up . That used to keep the temps civilized.

If you're going out I40, look carefully on the calif map. Just out of Barstow a way, there is an old highway that criss crosses around I 40 all the way to the town at the AZ border. It's a few miles longer , but it's almost flat the whole way instead of going over all those long steep pulls on I-40.
I used to have to take that way regularly in a semi in the summer when heavily loaded, easier on the engine ( and tires, brakes etc ), and used less fuel.

---------Robert

 

[Mikes91]

Thank you, Robert. I'll have a look at the map. Those hills were terrible coming out here. Flagstaff was another toughie... but not too bad.


Mike

 

[Mikes91]

Can anyone comment on the maximum EGT for those of us with the standard Banks thermocouple installation location?

Seems I've run 1100... can't remember for sure, and don't believe I want to go higher than that.


Thank you,
Mike

 

[Guntherx]

I pulled 23,000 in th eform of a very high 5'er loaded down moving a friend out to CO this past year in August. I have a pyro and am NA. I did have to back out of the throttle at times to keep it below 1200, and depending on the pull down shift. I do have a 2 speed Us Gear unit though with 4:10's and a C6. You will pull the hills, just slower thatn everyhing else onthe road, and you will proably not have the same top speed. I averaged 52 mph accross the country on I-70.

 

[Joe Mc]

When I lived in Memphis I use to run a semi out to LA. I-40 is about 100 miles shorter than the I-10, I-20, I-30 to I-40 (meets at Little Rock) route, the I- 40 route would take me 2 hours longer and burn more fuel than the southern route. From Little Rock you could run north to Lead Hill. It would be a little out of the way, but it would be an easier run.

Enjoy the trip.