Bowtie Brody's Namesake 96 454

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BNielsen

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Just my 2 cents on gears - My 5.7 k2500 with 4.10 gears (265 tires) hauls the camper nicely in 3rd gear. It won't stay in OD while pulling, doesn't seem to have enough grunt. I assumed your 7.4 would be enough to make 4.10's the answer, but maybe not? You were stating that you couldn't pull those pallets over 50 mph? I have gone well north of 80 mph (pulling the camper) to pass with my 5.7.

If you are planning/hoping to be able to pull in OD - maybe 4.88 (or lower) is better?

I'm banking on my power issue being a lack of fuel pressure, I'd probably only pull in 4th on flat ground with Tow/Haul on but the rest of the time would be in 3rd depending on load size. I'll just have to see how the truck behaves once I get a massive tune-up and a couple little upgrades done.
 

Mangonesailor

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What’s the logic behind preventing lockup in 4th?

If the TC can hand the power in 3rd without slipping surely it can handle it just as well in 4th? Maybe less lock-unlock cycles? I think all just boils down to common sense. If you’re in a situation where it is going to be a lot of shifting over rolling hills or whatever, drop down into 3rd. Flat ground, easy pull, I like the freedom to run in OD locked up.

Sometimes I just want an override switch that allows me to lock up and unlock whenever the heck I want to!

****, told ya wrong. Tow-haul will lock up all the down to 2nd on the std lextech tune. It'll lock up in 2nd in normal mode too... which intrigues me.

If I did do a turbski I'd probably go with something Holset flavored, but that's a slippery slope, and if there's any slippery slope I would throw myself down is a Cummins swap;


Yeah I'm hoping 4.10s will add some grunt, it's definitely moving up the list very rapidly.



I have no clue, I'm sure @Mangonesailor knows which one I have.
You have the 12212156 OS just like he does. I upgraded mine to do the real-time tuning thing... but VCM scanner keeps locking up. Not sure why. Oh well.

I'm banking on my power issue being a lack of fuel pressure, I'd probably only pull in 4th on flat ground with Tow/Haul on but the rest of the time would be in 3rd depending on load size. I'll just have to see how the truck behaves once I get a massive tune-up and a couple little upgrades done.

Damn it. Forgot about that. Yeah, you need to fix that one.
 

Supercharged111

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I'm banking on my power issue being a lack of fuel pressure, I'd probably only pull in 4th on flat ground with Tow/Haul on but the rest of the time would be in 3rd depending on load size. I'll just have to see how the truck behaves once I get a massive tune-up and a couple little upgrades done.

A good flowing exhaust and a nice aggressive timing curve should be the answer. I mean if my 1500 can pull my enclosed trailer close to 9000# in CO you must be missing something simple. Again, I cannot understate the shittiness of the shifting/locking in stock form. When the thing lets you into the loud pedal without a downshift you're getting somewhere.
 

Christian Steffen

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Damn I missed a lot. Lol

My thoughts, 100% gears. Timing and exhaust definitely will help but I think gears are going to be a big difference. I believe @Mangonesailor referenced timing tables I did for someone else with a stock truck on 87? The stock cam really doesn't let it take a lot, but 91 does make a difference.

Boost would negate the need for gears lol

Side note, I thought 2nd gear tcc lockup was I'll advised for some reason? Maybe I imagined that.
 

BNielsen

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Damn I missed a lot. Lol

My thoughts, 100% gears. Timing and exhaust definitely will help but I think gears are going to be a big difference. I believe @Mangonesailor referenced timing tables I did for someone else with a stock truck on 87? The stock cam really doesn't let it take a lot, but 91 does make a difference.

Boost would negate the need for gears lol

Side note, I thought 2nd gear tcc lockup was I'll advised for some reason? Maybe I imagined that.

I run 89 and a fuel additive in it now, it makes it feel a little bit more responsive, at least I think it does.

Gears definitely. I'm trying to get my front diff situation figured out but I may price out a ring and pinion set to roll into my rear axle.
Also toyed around with a 454HO cam swap for now until I build a long block up for it, but it wasn't any sort of serious thinking.
 

Christian Steffen

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I keep forgetting about fuel when I tote timing as the end all be all. I run 91 in mine and will bump my head on KR when piling it in.

I also always run 91, I tried 87 a few years ago after i had tuned at 91, and it was throwing kr spikes in high load areas.

I run 89 and a fuel additive in it now, it makes it feel a little bit more responsive, at least I think it does.

Gears definitely. I'm trying to get my front diff situation figured out but I may price out a ring and pinion set to roll into my rear axle.
Also toyed around with a 454HO cam swap for now until I build a long block up for it, but it wasn't any sort of serious thinking.

I would recommend retuning on 91 and adding timing until it starts to throw kr. I realize this isn't the best way to tune, but i doubt that 91 would get these past MBT without KR.

A cam swap plus exhaust might get close to evening things out..

Just some food for thought. Your 285s over stock are 7.5% larger, so thats about a 31 lb-ft loss. Then when comparing a stock tire 4.10 gear truck to yours, its ~ a 16% difference ( 66 ft-lb loss). That's quite a bit of torque to lose.. 4.56 gear set would be a 22% torque increase over 3.73

Realistically, 66 ft-lbs should be attainable with mods though, perhaps even just tuning.
 
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BNielsen

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I also always run 91, I tried 87 a few years ago after i had tuned at 91, and it was throwing kr spikes in high load areas.



I would recommend retuning on 91 and adding timing until it starts to throw kr. I realize this isn't the best way to tune, but i doubt that 91 would get these past MBT without KR.

A cam swap plus exhaust might get close to evening things out..

Just some food for thought. Your 285s over stock are 7.5% larger, so thats about a 31 lb-ft loss. Then when comparing a stock tire 4.10 gear truck to yours, its ~ a 16% difference ( 66 ft-lb loss). That's quite a bit of torque to lose.. 4.56 gear set would be a 22% torque increase over 3.73

Realistically, 66 ft-lbs should be attainable with mods though, perhaps even just tuning.

My only concern with going to 4.56 instead of 4.10s is my highway cruising speeds. Would the power band suffer trying to run 70-80?
Plus it's easier to find a 4.10 front diff than a 4.56; at least as far as my searching has gone.
 

98chevy2500SS

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If you plan on going back to 265s, then 4.10s will be fine. :waytogo: I have to admit, I kinda miss my 265s whenever I'm towing something with my 98.
 
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