HELP!!Mod to 2001 1500 Quadcab for towing 22' motorboat

"TranSurgeon" wrote in news:%ryte.87958$xm3.85275@attbi_s21:

You have alot of nerve trying to introduce fact, into this argument/disagreement :)

PS - Is it OK to call it a "Trans"?

I know what your original response was and that is why I called you an ass since you are arguing nothing more than semantics and is now becomming circular as well

Ok, here is a quick question for you. If more torque is comming out of a unit than is going in, is it not producing torque and if not, what exactly is it doing? Now before you try to use the term converting, remember that an engine does nothing more than convert liquid fuel into heat and mechanical energy so that argument will not hold up.

True.

Yes it does, just like the transmission but what does this have to do with anything?

But by doing that you ARE producing more torque at the cost of RPM so by your own definition, a trasnsmission can produce torque or at least produce MORE torque. Remember Gary, produce and create are two different words.

There is never a free lunch. At least on this we can agree.

Now you have spun so fast that you have lost me. What exactly are you asking me?

Create is only one definition of produce. Another definition happens to be "To bring forth"

is exactly what the TC and transmission do as far as torque goes.

The only ammo you are getting is being generated in your own mind. First you say that a transmission cannot produce torque and then proceed to prove that it can, LOL.

Tbone I do take exception to the deeper gears killing MPG. A big truck with a small motor and OD needs to rev up a bit to get in its power band and nearer its torque peak because it is at and around torque peak that a engines VE (Volumetric Efficency) is it highest and it is also when it uses the least amount of fuel per HP hour produced. Even with a 4.56 in OD it will turn about 2200 RPM at 65 give or take. Lower RPM does not alway equal better MPG and usually mean bad performance too in a truck. A diesel can do well at low RPM because its Peak VE is at a much lower RPM than a gas engine. I have a 89 4x4 burb with stock 29 inch tires and 3.73 gears which should murder MPG. It consistantly gets 17 to 18 MPG on highway even with A/C on and it has a 40 gallon tank that I run down pretty far before I fill it on a trip so the numbers are not from a top off on a short trip. My 2000 K3500 with a 5.7 and 4.10 gears will do between 16 and 17mpg on hiway with A/C on too and I know it would not be better with taller gears either.

You know the difference? Great, then tell us which one is attached to what shaft.

Does Tbone ever shut up and just let things go when he is wrong? Stay tuned....

yeah, well, it's a dirty, thanklessjob, but somebody's gotta do it

if you wish (sigh)

Too bad it isn't you now answer my questions :-)

The impeller is connected to the engine (actually part of the TC housing) while the turbine and stator are each on their own shafts and go to the transmission. The stator shaft is held in a fixed position while the turbine shaft drives the trans.

nope

are you enjoying this as much as I am ?

transmission,

Hey, I love a good fight as much as the next guy, but please, for the sake of all us spectators (even those of us that occasionally throw an empty beer into the ring :), can you guys PLEASE start trimming your posts? Do you know how annoying it is to scroll down through quote after quote after quote, just to get to the, "I know you are, but what am I?" meat of the post?

C'mon... think about the fans a little bit, will ya?

I just read a post in another place were a guy had a Dodge 1500 Crew Cab with a 4.7 and stock 3.55 gears and it was so gutless towing at speed he traded it off for one with a 360 in it. As this thread started, no way I would rely on a 4.7 powered Crew Cab to pull my 22 foot boat with stock gears in it. It could be very embarassing at times. Family sedans in the 60?s and early 70?s had more tow power than that setup does and it is suposed to be a truck too. .

I doubt that since I have 3.55 gears and run around that level at 65.

4.10 is quite a bit different from 4.56 like you suggested for the owner of the quad cab. As has been said in here already, there is no free lunch and if those very low gears would give more power, faster acceleration, and no loss in mileage, then a free lunch is exactly what it would be and they would come that way stock. I would think that the truck comes with these gears to maintain the companies CAFE standards and that they know a little bit more about their vehicles than either you or I do.

I agree that his truck may not be up to the job and if not, then he should either trade it for one that is or just get another one specifically for this type of work. Making changes like you suggested will hurt the mileage for little benefit considering the small amount of towing he intends to do.

But it is like a 2.40 in OD which is really too tall and puts engine well below its VE range in a big heavy vehical.

But you are only looking at one side of the equation, the acceleration side. The other side of the equation that you need to look at is the cruise side of the equation. When cruising, you simply don't need maximum HP or have the engine in its VE range and gearing for it will do nothing more than require the engine to turn faster than necessary and waste fuel doing it.

It should actually increase it because the engine is laboring now with tha truck especailly in OD and even is well below its peak VE speed and at its VE RPM (torque peak) it uses the least amount of fuel per HP hour produced.

Sure am.

Wow, musta got out the book. If thats the case, keep reading, and you'll see where Gary is correct in what he's been telling you.

If this were true, why didn't the factory install these gears as stock? A mileage and power improvement at NO cost... Like I said, there is no free lunch and the vehicle is already optimized for normal driving conditions. Dropping the gearing that low will maximize it for heavy towing at the cost of mileage and increased engine wear.