Truck performance--manual transmission

[Mikes91]

My truck is a 5 speed and right now doesn't have the turbo on, I have hauled a 36 ft Featherlite with 7 good sized horses on it to Tennesee without it lugging down to bad. My usual rig is an aluminum Silver Star trailer with LQ, usually 4 on board.... We aren't setting land speed records but I'm able to maintain at least the speed limit ( that was my last trip last weekend going towards Birmingham from Atlanta, then to NW Georgia in the hills up there). Granted, I rode in 3rd and 4th alot ( Darrin remind me to hug you again next time I see you) but we got to where we were going in a reasonable time frame with not terrible (for my truck) fuel mileage. ( I averaged about 10-12 mpg).

Free hugs!?!!?! Heheheheh.

I can't do anything about a truck till late this year, so I have plenty of time to think about this. In Iraq right now. I can't believe you were able to pull 7 horses with that truck in the hills--my usual rig when I lived in Georgia was my '91 with a 3-horse Silver Star gooseneck, loaded with 3 horses, but no living quarters. I could pull in OD at 70, but the slightest hill would throw me out of OD. Any sizeable hill would put the truck on its ****. New injectors and turbo, so I don't know what the problem was.

The fellow who bought the truck from me found a couple bad injectors, so it is possible a couple went bad OR were bad from the start. I put all new injectors in it a couple years before I sold it, and never noted any particular loss of power during the time I had the truck.

Maybe the extra gear and the manual transmission make that big a difference...

I'm pretty strict with regard to trucks... would want perfect fit/finish and good paint on any truck I buy. Hard to find trucks like that... I put a lot of work into my '91 while I had it and still wasn't satisfied with the interior. The '91 F-150 I had was quiet, with no rattles or squeaks from the interior.

Guess the F-350 had a rougher life before I bought her.


Mike

 

[GaPchNCrm]

Free hugs!?!!?! Heheheheh.

I can't do anything about a truck till late this year, so I have plenty of time to think about this. In Iraq right now. I can't believe you were able to pull 7 horses with that truck in the hills--my usual rig when I lived in Georgia was my '91 with a 3-horse Silver Star gooseneck, loaded with 3 horses, but no living quarters. I could pull in OD at 70, but the slightest hill would throw me out of OD. Any sizeable hill would put the truck on its ****. New injectors and turbo, so I don't know what the problem was.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I spent a considerable amount of time in lower gears and at a slower speed, but we got there. I wasn't cruising 70 up those hills lol And my trailer is a 3H Silver Star ( LQ is pretty much a weekender type deal, no tanks but its got alot longer body than just a front tack- 6 ft short wall) but without the dividers I can put 4 in. Actually last night I hauled 4 in it from south of Carrollton to Villa Rica ( not sure what part of the state you know) and I was able to cruise along at 65 when traffic would allow. There were a few places I had to slow down going up some hills, but I really didn't have to much issue. When I hauled those 7 it was from Douglasville up to Cleveland, TN, straight up 411. And thinking back I'm pretty sure the turbo was on then....

 

[oldmisterbill]

When payments are considered versus power, I agree with Big Rig Tech.I loaded 3 new 20-30 Hp Chinese made tractors 1 time in Mousouri.The owner of the shop that sell them had 3 on his P STroke,and we both had misc impliments packed around the tractors,which by the way had big exhaust and a couple other mods.We were were going to have lunch just East of St Louis (approx 200 miles).He got there and waited for me. When we left I thought he was waiting for me,I was wrong he was "getting it on"He pulled away from me but slower then I expected. He told me he had been waiting about 15 minutes at the truck stop.So that is roughly a 15 minute gain in over 200 miles. How much are we willing to pay to save 15 minutes here & there? That is the question "Watson"

 

[Mikes91]

When payments are considered versus power, I agree with Big Rig Tech.I loaded 3 new 20-30 Hp Chinese made tractors 1 time in Mousouri.The owner of the shop that sell them had 3 on his P STroke,and we both had misc impliments packed around the tractors,which by the way had big exhaust and a couple other mods.We were were going to have lunch just East of St Louis (approx 200 miles).He got there and waited for me. When we left I thought he was waiting for me,I was wrong he was "getting it on"He pulled away from me but slower then I expected. He told me he had been waiting about 15 minutes at the truck stop.So that is roughly a 15 minute gain in over 200 miles. How much are we willing to pay to save 15 minutes here & there? That is the question "Watson"

For me it came down to some fit/finish issues and lack of available time to fix some little things that I felt needed my attention. Had some trouble with a BTS transmission... smoking heavily and stalling in reverse... took it by BTS on my way thru AR and we thought we'd fixed it, but no. Also had significant turbo rub, and frequently had to take the truck in to my turbo shop for that. Little chassis annoyances, too (had to weld the crossbeams under the transmission due to popping that attracted lots of attention at horse races). Finally had sending unit problems in the tanks. Turns out, dropping tanks isn't as bad as I'd thought (had to do it to my wife's '98 C2500 several months ago.) I don't mind driving an old truck, but I wanted one a little tighter than the '91 F-350 I had. Like I said before, the '91 F-150 it replaced had nary a rattle. Doors shut solid, no chassis issues/vibrations, etc. Its all in how well you take care of 'em...

Yes, my standards are too high...

Mike

 

[92F350CC]

Rattles give it character

 

[towcat]

5/15/08....3am...
after spending a few hours convincing a cranky Bobcat 753 to start up after the operator ran it dry on fuel, I hooked up to the 10k 2 axle trash trailer that it was filling and headed back to the shop. It was loaded poorly and was biased to the tail. As far as acceleration goes, I felt it behind me a little, stopped fine, but it was wanting to fight with me a little every time I hit a bump. Not a uncontrollable feel though. Back at the shop area, I hit my favorite scales..... truck weight 9k(normally 8k), so roughly 1k on the tongue, combined gross of 16k. Max boost of 5psi, 800 deg on the pyro. Remember, the truck does get loaned out to those who don't watch gauges, so I need to be conservative with my settings. From Santa Cruz to SJ with the load, 55mph coming up over the ca17 summit in 4th direct. imho, not bad performance at all

 

[87F250]

mike-
It has come "full circle" hasn't it?
here's a suggestion, since the truck isn't used for much, cramming the kids in the back of a supercab for the trips isn't going to kill them. Why am I saying this? Here in Kali...yes Kali...there's a f250 4x4 with the Cummins already installed and happily humming along that's for sale. He's even a lurking member here. I saw his Ad in CL this last weekend again, so it's a good bet it's still for sale. You're no stranger to Kali truck bodies, so convincing you to get on a plane and drive one home shouldn't be too difficult.
Just food for thought

Cool! Towcat is pimpin my truck on Oilburners again! I used this truck mainly for hauling my toys around the western U.S. From 2001 to 2004 with the Banks turbo'd 6.9, 2004 to present with the Cummins. It has been a good truck either way.