Community Forums

vroom_vroom · 01-20-2021, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corn18

Thanks for the recommendation! I just sent him an email.

Nice! He is a cool dude. Been doing it a very long time. The shift points towing are indefinitely better and makes all the difference.

2upServant · 01-20-2021, 03:05 PM

My old 2003 Ford F-350 would pull anything motor wise. however my tranny was an old C-6 which I blew up pulling the 5th wheel with the programmer I got about 6 miles to the gallon. loved the old truck hated the c-6 tranny.

Dave Pelletier · 01-20-2021, 04:04 PM

Only tranny problems I ever had;

- 1996 GMC 6.5TD auto; tranny pooched at 120,000

- 2006 Ram 3500 CTD G56 dual mass flywheel failure (not really a tranny problem but...)

- 2004 CTD NV5600 failure - complete meltdown after the shop failed to refill the tranny fluid after service.....the truck drove around for over a month with no fluid in the tranny at all! Still have two of these - strongest and most reliable transmission ever installed in a pickup truck IMO.

Dave

bross · 01-20-2021, 07:02 PM

Back to the original question. I tow 6000lbs with my 2016 F-150, 3.5Ecoboost, max tow, supercab, 8' bed, 3.55 rear axle and 1717lb payload. Love this setup.

IC2 · 01-21-2021, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2upServant

My old 2003 Ford F-350 would pull anything motor wise. however my tranny was an old C-6 which I blew up pulling the 5th wheel with the programmer I got about 6 miles to the gallon. loved the old truck hated the c-6 tranny.

A 2003 F350 would have had an 4R100 not a C6. The C6 was replaced in 1989 by the E4OD and that by 4R100 in 1998 through 2004.

I doubt a reasonable size 5th wheel could hurt the completely mechanical C6. Ours never did in 135,000 miles with well over half those miles pulling a 5er. I had a '92 F350 with an E4OD - and hated every minute I owned that truck due to that transmission and the rear only ABS.

Jshopes81 · 01-21-2021, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IC2

A 2003 F350 would have had an 4R100 not a C6. The C6 was replaced in 1989 by the E4OD and that by 4R100 in 1998 through 2004.

I doubt a reasonable size 5th wheel could hurt the completely mechanical C6. Ours never did in 135,000 miles with well over half those miles pulling a 5er. I had a '92 F350 with an E4OD - and hated every minute I owned that truck due to that transmission and the rear only ABS.

The first couple bigfoot monster trucks ran the c6. It sucks up alot of hp to run it, but its an extremely durable transmission.

2upServant · 01-22-2021, 07:23 AM

Well whatever transmission was in that truck it came apart at about 130,000 miles. Now whether the 5th wheel I pulled was reasonable is certainly up for debate. it was a 48 foot toybox that weighed in at 21,000 pounds. I also had a 40 foot flatbed trailer when loaded with a load of hay it could max at 34,000 pounds. that is why I upgraded to our current truck. Which is a freightliner sport chassis M2-112, 450 hp and 1650 pounds of torque at 1100 rpm. I was also very concerned about stopping all that weight with a 9000 pound truck. the freightliner weighs almost 18000 pounds the way it is built and full of fuel. My current trailer is 49 feet X 102 X 13.6 weighs in at 24,000 pounds loaded. connected to my truck we weigh in at over 42,000 pounds and 71 feet front to rear.

corn18 · 01-26-2021, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vroom_vroom

Nice! He is a cool dude. Been doing it a very long time. The shift points towing are indefinitely better and makes all the difference.

Just got the custom tune in. My butt dyno is not very good, but I drove the same route I have driven hundreds of times (including this morning) and the tires were chirping and the traction control was kicking in where it never has before. I have a pedal box on so I didn't have to floor it all the time to get it moving and now it seems like that won't be needed. I'll get the 150 miles on it and the WOT data log to him and then hook up the 5er. That's what matters to me.

consolenut · 01-27-2021, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdauto

Unless it is modified or running an aftermarket tune you are wasting $$$ by using premium. Those engines run well on regular and may even use more fuel with premium, although I doubt you could measure it without scientific methods and parameters.

Unladen my best MPG highway was 16.4 MPG, but I was driving between 55 to 60 MPH for hours. It would drop to 14.8 MPG at 65-70 MPH. I attribute that to extra width and 6 tires.

You can't count city driving with these beasts. Moving almost 4 tons (in my case) from a stop every few hundred meters kills any cance of decent MPG.

I used an RDS tank and self-installed at my shop. It paid for itself a few times already.

Premium or better yet non ethanol is good for 2-3mpg more empty and maybe 1-2 towing. Non ethanol by far best though. 4 tons i wish mine only weighed 4 im north of 6 tons.

tuffr2 · 01-27-2021, 08:06 AM

Some areas do not sell non ethanol gasoline. I happen to live in an area that does and I do see a gain in MPG when I use it but it also cost more so I still lose a little $$$ by using it.

I see about 1.5 mpg increase in my trunk driving solo.

Non ethanol gas, as far as I can tell, is sold where there are a lot of ocean type boats.

kdauto · 01-27-2021, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by consolenut

Premium or better yet non ethanol is good for 2-3mpg more empty and maybe 1-2 towing. Non ethanol by far best though. 4 tons i wish mine only weighed 4 im north of 6 tons.

Premium won't change a thing on my 6.0 gasser, in fact, in theory, it would cause a MPG loss, probably difficult to measure though.

It will cause an increase in MPG on a 6.2 GM gas engine but they are for the light duty market. I doubt you'd see an increase in MPG on a 7.4 or 8.1 GM gas engine.

I have only seen ethanol free fuel maybe twice on our travels. I doubt there are any places that sell it locally, although possibly some marinas do for high performance boats and such. I suspect the price difference is substantial.

tuffr2 · 01-27-2021, 01:16 PM

I just bought non ethanol gas today at my local WaWa. The Race Track gas station does not sell non ethanol. Anyway 87 octane regular gasoline was $2.34/gallon and non ethanol was $3.07/gallon. Like I said I lose $$$.

The non ethanol cost 30% more and I gain about 10% better mpg

Gordon Dewald · 01-28-2021, 08:17 AM

I fail to understand how premium fuel can deliver better mileage in the same engine than regular fuel.

You are replacing combustible material in regular fuel with compounds that resist burning.

bross · 01-28-2021, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

I fail to understand how premium fuel can deliver better mileage in the same engine than regular fuel.

You are replacing combustible material in regular fuel with compounds that resist burning.

It doesn't, there is absolutely no reason to use premium in a motor designed to run regular fuel.

But, it gets fuzzy when you bring ethanol into the equation. I can see using premium if you are trying to stay away from ethanol. Most premium sold in Canada is ethanol free, while both regular and mid-grade contain ethanol.

We still have two motorcycles that are carburated and I have always been very careful to keep fresh fuel in them during the riding season and making sure I only keep stabilized fuel in them over the winter. This has worked well for the past 14 years until last year, when I had to tear the carbs apart to clean the crap out and replace jets.

Doing some research I came across "Project Farm"'s take on ethanol and stabilizers etc.

Project Farm Fuel Stabilizers

I trust this guy and based on his tests will be running nothing but premium in my 14 year old carb'd bikes from now on, not for some perceived mileage boost but simply so I don't have to do a yearly carb rebuild.