Turbo Manager questions, help me beat a dead horse.

[great white]

So, I think I'm pulling back a bit from spending hords of cash.

I took the trailer out today to put it in storage (selling house, looks better without another house int eh driveway) and changed my driving style.

Now, I have to admit, the scary day with egt's on the highway happened with me driving in "D" and not "3" and I was allowing cruise to do it's thing.

Today, I hammered the truck but shifted it manually from "1" to "3" and never went into "D".

EGT's couldn't be driven over 900/950 even with very, VERY hard acceleration.

The truck even performed better.

I kept it arounbd 2000 rpm and shifted anywhere between 2000 and 2500.

I dunno, maybe that's the way everyone tows with a 6.5 and I just stumbled across it now. GEaring down on down hills are a no brainer for me, I guess maybe a 6.5 needs to be run up through the gears also. Maybe I need to look a little closer at the trans shift tables. Maybe a lot of guys are reading this and thinking I should be going "D'OH" right now.....:mad2:

So now I'm thinking of still doing a 4 inch stainless exhaust, finishing the WI but staying with the stock PCM and vac system.

That's going to save me somewhere around 5-600 bucks.

That's money that I can put towards some firestone bags for the rear so I don't try and break my legs or fire the handle through the next trailer everytime I have to take the equilizer bars off. I can air up the bags to unload the bars and pop them off.

 

[NVW]

I never tow with the cruise on. I like to feel the truck.

 

[JiFaire]

2 things, BJ... Cruise is stupid. Use it on the level, but in the hills use the stick. Find the sweet spot your truck will pull at, and let it do so... Trying to make it into a dmax with your foot just won't work.

Second, eq bars... Set the trailer on the ball, latch it down, then use the crank to re-level things. Put the eq bars on and tighten them up, then un-crank the jack and raise the stand.

 

[great white]

2 things, BJ... Cruise is stupid. Use it on the level, but in the hills use the stick. Find the sweet spot your truck will pull at, and let it do so... Trying to make it into a dmax with your foot just won't work.

Second, eq bars... Set the trailer on the ball, latch it down, then use the crank to re-level things. Put the eq bars on and tighten them up, then un-crank the jack and raise the stand.

Hi Jim.

Yup, even a dip in the road seemed to give it fits. I'm thinking I'll be crossing the continent in "3".

It's been a long time since I wished I had a manual trans, that column shift is a major PITA on the auto when forcing the gearing. I wish I could get a tap shifter like the allison trucks...

I've got a power tongue jack. I use it to unload the bars now, but I cringe everytime I use it to lift the rear of the truck to hook the bars on. The thought of burning that sucker out and being stuck just insn't a good scenario. I thought of using a bottle jack under my drop shank, but if I can just install some air bags and be done with it I think that's how I'll go.

After seeing the lift on David's firestones, for 280 bucks (local purchase) it looks like the best way to go...

 

[Edzzed]

I'm wondering just how hard you are cranking those bars. A longer handle would help or get a pipe to fit over the handle you are using. I don't have to pull hard on my equalizer bars but I have a dually and tongue weight is only a measly 600 lbs.

 

[great white]

I'm wondering just how hard you are cranking those bars. A longer handle would help or get a pipe to fit over the handle you are using. I don't have to pull hard on my equalizer bars but I have a dually and tongue weight is only a measly 600 lbs.

Getting them on isn't a problem.

Goes on pretty easy with the lever tool.

Comming off is a different story.....

 

[JiFaire]

I used cruise to tow a lot of the time, after I got my TM, chip, and had Bill tune it Also towed in OD-(TCC locked) on the flat. Before that, no. 3 all the time. PITA.

Once I got into hills, I needed to manage the TCC, shifting, and foot-feed to keep things running smooth... but like I said, a high-front 5er is harder to pull on the level, and I think mine weighed more overall, too. I still think the tune and the higher boost made it better.

About cruise... I wasn't saying YOU were stupid, or that I was, for using cruise... just that CRUISE itself is sort of brainless... it will suck the pedal all the way down without shifting and without paying attention to EGTs. If you don't pay attention to it, you get behind the curve and can't catch up until it's too late, and you end up going up a hill at 50 kmh.

About unloading the bars... how much is your hitch weight? I agree, the electric jack makes that a little scarier...

 

[great white]

I used cruise to tow a lot of the time, after I got my TM, chip, and had Bill tune it Also towed in OD-(TCC locked) on the flat. Before that, no. 3 all the time. PITA....

I'm thinking I'm gonna be in 3 all the time myself. Well, at least until I hit the plains. I sure wouldn't mind pulling OD on the flats for a few more MPG though. I've got to cut the funding off somewhere though, I've only got so much credit!

Once I got into hills, I needed to manage the TCC, shifting, and foot-feed to keep things running smooth...

Any tips on driving style you can pass on for towing these type of rigs with the ol' 6.5?

I've towed before, and heavy, but this big of a TT is new to me. Especially since it's like pulling 9x7 foot sail...

but like I said, a high-front 5er is harder to pull on the level, and I think mine weighed more overall, too. I still think the tune and the higher boost made it better. ...

Probably were heavier. That's why I'd like to pick your brain for driving tips....

About cruise... I wasn't saying YOU were stupid, or that I was, for using cruise... just that CRUISE itself is sort of brainless... it will suck the pedal all the way down without shifting and without paying attention to EGTs. If you don't pay attention to it, you get behind the curve and can't catch up until it's too late, and you end up going up a hill at 50 kmh. ...

No problem Jim, I knew what you were getting at.

About unloading the bars... how much is your hitch weight? I agree, the electric jack makes that a little scarier...

Not sure, still waiting for my scale to show up. It's rigged so the truck squats about 3/4 inch and the trailer sits level. Set it up as per the manufacturers instructions.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to slap on a set of ride rite bags and use that to jack up the rear when installing bars.

I was goingt o pick up a bottle jack to throw under the drop hitch and jack that way, but bags sound like so much less hassle. PLus, I get on board air....

 

[NVW]

I tow in OD almost all the time, I don't mind losing some speed on the small hills. On the harder pulls I use 3rd.

 

[great white]

I've discovered that the truck prefers to be held in a lower gear until about 2200-2400 before the upshift when towing our TT.

Keeps the speed building and the EGT's low.

That's on a few small bumps I've gone over locally.

Getting ideas for an obdII "tow tune" now.

No, it's not all fueling and timing....those couple tunes where I was barking tires on the 1-2 upshift were a good learning experince, even if it wasn't good for the truck



Probably won't get it done in time for the trip though.

I don't just throw these things together.

I'd rather have a stock proggy in the PCM instead of one I don't have fully sorted.

It may suck getting there, but at least I will get there.....

 

[JiFaire]

I'd rather have a stock proggy in the PCM instead of one I don't have fully sorted.

It may suck getting there, but at least I will get there.....

Sorry, amigo, but I disagree. Totally. My truck was the biggest pig out there as soon as it saw a hill or a 3/4 front wind. After the new program, Bill's tuning and TM, completely different unit. COMPLETELY.

I would not have survived going where I went that summer without it. Well, I might have. The truck wouldn't have. Now, you're going to take on some smaller hills, but getting through the rockies ain't gonna be fun, stock or anywhere close to stock. Seattle to Ellensburg will be ok, but Spokane to Bozeman might be awful interesting. Both of them are gonna be 'way more fun than taking Highway 1, or the Coquihalla.

My thoughts, worth what you paid for 'em...

 

[Turbine Doc]

I tow exclusively in OD, but I have deep trans pan, shift kit & hd clutch pack, and 25K# rated additional trans cooler/fan with electric stat control, & while mostly flat where I pull when I reflashed even with GM-8 & TM hills not even a challenge when pulling 18K of backhoe & trailer in OD.

As for rear load management; I'm still convinced www.activesuspension.com is superior to air bags in installation and set & forget dependability (yup I said it again ) & no no commission checks from RM people.

That was also with the IC, & GM8, this summer I'll be pulling that weight 1st time with the ATT which is what you really need for big grunt pulling. I pulled a DMax dually rolling chassis Fl to Ms no issues in OD with the ATT no wmi or IC.

I did a Fancy gap pull (big long grade pull in Va) with 3K# in a 8x12 enclosed trailer no issues, and I also pulled 7K# in a 8X16 enclosed trailer in OD MS to Southern Ohio with some rather steep grades no issues there with the GM-8/IC/TM hogged down for 17 psi boost but running to 14 psi.

BJ even though you have factory trans cooler I'd look at a trans cooler kit with fan, mine was $139 US at Summit, my trans temp never gets over 200F (most time I'm running 160ishF), on 100F+OAT days

 

[great white]

Running out of money (well, credit) pretty fast guys. I'm thinking the exhaust and then I'm done.

Good suggestions all, but cash is running out....