Has anyone run a Torque converter lockup controller like the BD TorqLoc or the done the torque converter lockup mod? If so how did you like it? when did it work best? The reason for asking is I have built my trans with  a SunCoast stage 3 kit and when I'm driving around town or say under 50mph i leave the Overdrive off and everything feels good. But when I'm getting on the highway to go over 50 I turn the overdrive on and it feels like I will hit the overdrive gear at about 45 and my EGT's climb while the boost falls off. Im just trying to figure out if the torque converter I bought isn't doing what it should or if the trans is having an issue holding the gears or if maybe I need to the torque converter to lockup and hold the gears longer???

Michael has been doing it for years. His is still the same gasket. To me, so long as you do regular coolant changes, T-stat too, keep your cylinder pressure down, you should never have a head gasket issue, no matter what (Within limits) RPM you run.

Ed

What do you mean by keeping cylinder pressure down?

We were discussing in another thread that you could run these trucks at 2,200 RPM's all day. Now what's up with a different concept. I've changed my driving habits to run higher RPM's on hills based on earlier discussion. Now you guys are talking about blowing head gaskets by doing so. What gives?

We were discussing in another thread that you could run these trucks at 2,200 RPM's all day. Now what's up with a different concept. I've changed my driving habits to run higher RPM's on hills based on earlier discussion. Now you guys are talking about blowing head gaskets by doing so. What gives?

2200 rpm is nothing for these engines. Cummins designed them to run full throttle continuously and I have seen them run that way in many applications. We have several cranes at work with well over 10k hours and they get set at 24-2600 rpm for hours on end. Still running strong.

It is actually easier on an engine to downshift a gear when under a load and run a little higher rpm than to try and lug an engine At lower rpm.

2200 rpm is nothing for these engines. Cummins designed them to run full throttle continuously and I have seen them run that way in many applications. We have several cranes at work with well over 10k hours and they get set at 24-2600 rpm for hours on end. Still running strong.

It is actually easier on an engine to downshift a gear when under a load and run a little higher rpm than to try and lug an engine At lower rpm.

That's what I'm talkin about.

2200 rpm is nothing for these engines. Cummins designed them to run full throttle continuously and I have seen them run that way in many applications. We have several cranes at work with well over 10k hours and they get set at 24-2600 rpm for hours on end. Still running strong.

It is actually easier on an engine to downshift a gear when under a load and run a little higher rpm than to try and lug an engine At lower rpm.

I agree, they are designed to run up against the governor all day long, but the problem (the way I see it anyhow) with the water pump over pressurizing the 12V block is because on industrial engines there is a water outlet on the back of the block that had to be removed for installation in the trucks.

Hey Tom, I was not aware of that. Aren't the blocks essentially the same between the 12v and 24v? As far as the actual casting? I realize things like cams and pistons changed, I wonder how they corrected that issue with the 24v engines.

Seems like you'd be blowing radiators instead of head gaskets.

If the thermostat is shut it blocks the flow to the radiator, so it does not 'see' the pressure. I had a good discussion about the 12V thermostat here in this thread: http://dieseltrucksite.com/showthread.php?t=997

A guy told me the trick to running a two cycle Detroit was to slam your fingers in the door and then do it again so you are real mad. I ran a 6V92 for a week and it drove me up a wall.....

 

 

LOL.  Exact same story I got too.  Except I was in an 8V71 series.  At least some of the 8V92's ran pretty well but not the 6v's.

LOL.  Exact same story I got too.  Except I was in an 8V71 series.  At least some of the 8V92's ran pretty well but not the 6v's.

Yea...... 17 MPH up a 6% grade and it still wanted to overheat...... They remind me of some people I used to work with. They make a lot of noise but don't do much.

Hey, how did this thread go from a torque converter controller to Detroit Diesels???

Cylinder pressure is a relationship between static compression, injection timing, boost,quality of intake/exhause flow & fuel.

They all interreact to produce cylinder pressure.

Someone can run the exact same setup, load, RPM & have 1 thing different & there you have your difference in CP.

 

Ed

I agree, they are designed to run up against the governor all day long, but the problem (the way I see it anyhow) with the water pump over pressurizing the 12V block is because on industrial engines there is a water outlet on the back of the block that had to be removed for installation in the trucks.

 

Never heard of water pump blowing the plus except on pulling trucks running 5k rpm. They sell block of plates for it.

 

 

Cylinder pressure is a relationship between static compression, injection timing, boost,quality of intake/exhause flow & fuel.

They all interreact to produce cylinder pressure.

Someone can run the exact same setup, load, RPM & have 1 thing different & there you have your difference in CP.

 

Ed

 

Think for most people on a vp44 - your making power at the 1700-2200 rpm range. As long as your not excessive on boost or timing (hard to do with a VP44) then you should be fine in almost any scenario. Always exceptions ..........  cylinder pressure can't be measured so only really can look at drive pressure .......

If you want to pull at those speeds I would look into the lockup switch. That should do all you want. It'll lock the TC at almost any speed. It helped me when towing. I tow a 15k 5er in drive with the switch it's awesome at helping egt's, trans temp. It's a simple 15 min install. Run a ground wire to a switch, then other pole of switch to the wiring harness behind the air box, I'm sorry j don't have the pin or exact wire. But it's simple.

 

 

http://www.tstproducts.com/Torque%20Converter%20Lockup%20Switch.pdf

This is the TC mod I was talking about. Before I go and hook this up is there anything I need to worry about breaking? Trans, torque converter, drive line?

 

On that diagram (Depending on the year) you may want to leave the relay in place & add a resistor inline from the switch to ground. I know my 01 needs it that way & with the switch off, it works perfectly fine. Of course, yours being a 99, it may work as written up. When I tried it that way, I got a code.

Ed

I think it will work the way the diagram is written for my truck, I may just go buy the switch and hook it up   

 

We were discussing in another thread that you could run these trucks at 2,200 RPM's all day. Now what's up with a different concept. I've changed my driving habits to run higher RPM's on hills based on earlier discussion. Now you guys are talking about blowing head gaskets by doing so. What gives?

These engines were designed to run in higher rpm's "STOCK" but when we start modifing them and we increase the load range that's where we run into issues. Most of these engines run forever at 2600 rpms with there stock settings and load ranges.

If you get a trans code, look up "47re lock up switch resistor " & put the relay back, add the resistor from the switch to ground. There is a break year. Might be the 00-01 break.

As for timing, on my Quad, I can introduce loads of timing real quick with the custom tuning. That is why I stated that 2 identical trucks with 1 thing different can change the cylinder pressure.

Ed

Johnfak, I did a search for "cummins 12 valve headgasket leaking antifreeze" and got about 551,000 results on Google. There is a reason why guys that run higher RPMs clip two fins off the water pump.

Yea...... 17 MPH up a 6% grade and it still wanted to overheat...... They remind me of some people I used to work with. They make a lot of noise but don't do much.

Hey, how did this thread go from a torque converter controller to Detroit Diesels???

 

 

Musta been sumptin' somebody said.     

Mulcher

I did the TC lockup switch and I don't have any special parts in my tranny. Been running it for a couple years with no issues. In fact I wouldn't be without it and I do some serious heavy towing in the summer. If you are careful not to flip it on under load you should have no issues.

Thanks for the info Volkswagon I'm leaning towards the mod and just try it out to see how it works pulling the trailer. I kind of figured get it moving along and then kick it in but I just don't want to start destroying $$$

Yup, it is for keeping the TC locked up once locked. Some use it for racing purposes, but trans mods are needed.

 

Ed

Just make sure you don't do any shifts with the converter locked because this is where you will do some real damage in short order. If you get to the point you need to let the transmission shift turn the switch off before allowing it to shift.

In the future, there may be much better control over the whole 3rd gear & up on our transmissions. O am working on it.

 

Ed