looking at a 09 superduty 6.4L powerstroke

[not2old]

Not possible and keep the ability your big dog has. It is what it is, a pulling machine. :licking:

What I really want to see and have been waiting on for years is a tranny system that is computer controlled with a 6-8 speed auto backed up with a computer controlled high low rear end. Something like a final drive ratio of 6.50 and 3.00 That mated with a diesel engine should yield 30 mpg day in and day out on the highway unloaded and still be able to pull loads of 25,000# with no effort.

Years ago Gear Vendors made something like that for 2 wheel drive trucks that were popular in Dodge and older GM diesels. It would only fit on long bed trucks and mounted in place of the carrier bearing and gave you 2 speed ranges, much like a transfer case, to aid in pulling big loads. It was aftermarket and popular with the 454 big block guys and early Cummins trucks pulling 5th wheel campers. I have not seen one in years.

Chris

I have a Gear Vendors in my 1990 F250 supercab, 8800 gvw, 4x4, 460, E4OD, with 410 gears. Towing about 16,000 gross, through the mountains, I get an additional 100KM (60 miles) out of every fill up (about $150) and 2nd over is a fantastic gear for pulling the hills.

 

[Egon]

Used to drive Internationals, Fords and Chevys with 5 speed trans and 2 speed rear axles.

Many also had hi/low range transmissions. Made for shifting fun!:thumbsup:

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yea, I have drive many 5 speed GM and Ford Class 6 and 7 trucks around the farms here, dump trucks and grain truck, with split rear ends. Just like what you are talking about Soundguy and JESSE1. Very interesting. Oh yea, there was also that old Ford with the Brazilian Diesel that I drove at the lumber yard I worked at in College. I can not remember but I think it had a split rear end also.

Chris

 

[Dargo]

you sure about that 4-5mpg figure?

my 99 f450 with 7.3l PSD and 4.88 rear end wound up turning near 3000 rpm down the interstate doing 75mph towing a gooseneck loaded to 12000# gets 4.5 mpg.... drop down to 67mph and It goes to near 8-9 mpg

soundguy

LOL, isn't that the truth! My coach does have a 6 speed Allison (oooh! LOL) in front of an 8.8 liter Cat C9 engine and my highway speed makes a HUGE difference in the economy. My coach is a bit of a larger one and weighs somewhere around 30k I think. If I drive it like a huge vehicle, slower starts and running at or just under the speed limit, I can get about 10 mpg with that huge thing. Driving it like a car and towing a single car enclosed trailer hitting top speeds of 104 mph (seriously, the GPS literally showed I hit 104 MPH when my lane was ending and nobody would let me over) I got about 4.5 mpg. Filling a 100 gallon tank, that hurt!

Driving characteristics and highway speed does make a big difference. At 65 mph, I think that coach is only turning around 1200 RPM. With 4:30 gears in my crew cab 4X4 F350 dually I'm probably turning 2000 RPM or more at that speed. I think 55 to 60 mph is the 'sweet spot' for the gearing with that truck. There again, I bought it to be towing nearly every time it moves, so the 4:30 gearing works great for me.

 

[Dargo]

There's a posting on another forum about a few owners that installed the Gear Vendors on F-450 trucks. One truck had 4.88 gears and with the GV engaged it dropped his RPM's to 2000 at 70 mph. These were installed on 4x4 F-450 pickups. You'd have to drive a lot of miles to get a return on your investment.

I looked into a Gear Vendors setup to allow me to drive my '62 Biscayne with a 572ci, 700 hp big block in it on the highway and it was just going to be waaaay too expensive. The transmission is basically a Turbo 400 transmission built by Frank Lupo's Dynamic Converter shop with a 5000 stall. It's pretty well bullet proof and I'd describe it's launch as "violent" when hooked up right, but driving 30 miles out the highway you spend 29 miles wanting to shift to another gear. That extra gear could be made by Gear Vendors, but with my setup, I was quoted around $6k to get that extra gear; and that was with me installing the parts. It would be super nice, but I gotta draw a line somewhere.

 

[not2old]

I looked into a Gear Vendors setup to allow me to drive my '62 Biscayne with a 572ci, 700 hp big block in it on the highway and it was just going to be waaaay too expensive. The transmission is basically a Turbo 400 transmission built by Frank Lupo's Dynamic Converter shop with a 5000 stall. It's pretty well bullet proof and I'd describe it's launch as "violent" when hooked up right, but driving 30 miles out the highway you spend 29 miles wanting to shift to another gear. That extra gear could be made by Gear Vendors, but with my setup, I was quoted around $6k to get that extra gear; and that was with me installing the parts. It would be super nice, but I gotta draw a line somewhere.

I bought mine used from another Ford 4x4. Installed myself with all new electronics and new one-piece driveshaft cost me a little under $1000.00.

 

[Dargo]

I bought mine used from another Ford 4x4. Installed myself with all new electronics and new one-piece driveshaft cost me a little under $1000.00.

Oh, not all are as expensive as what I was quoted. I seriously doubt yours would hold well over 700 hp either. Still, anything Gear Vendors that works for under a grand is a good deal.

 

[Soundguy]

yep.. I have an aux transfer technologies tank in my bed.. can hold 70g og juice. that for sure hurts to fill! unless at a truck stop where you can get more than 20-30 gallons on a fill up befor ethe pump cuts off.. otherwise I have had to runt he card 3x to get full.. some stations limit you to two runs..

yep.. on mine it has a 4.88 rear and I turn 2750-2800 to make 75.. if I ease off to about 2500 i can make 67-70 and near DOUBLE my economy. weird.. also makes the turbo run 100'f cooler too!

: Filling a 100 gallon tank, that hurt!

Driving characteristics and highway speed does make a big difference. At 65 mph, I think that coach is only turning around 1200 RPM. With 4:30 gears in my crew cab 4X4 F350 dually I'm probably turning 2000 RPM or more at that speed. I think 55 to 60 mph is the 'sweet spot' for the gearing with that truck. There again, I bought it to be towing nearly every time it moves, so the 4:30 gearing works great for me.

 

[not2old]

Oh, not all are as expensive as what I was quoted. I seriously doubt yours would hold well over 700 hp either. Still, anything Gear Vendors that works for under a grand is a good deal.

They are all the same unit, only the electronics and adapters change. Mine is on the end of the transfer case and cannot be used in 4 wheel drive but I've never had the need either.

 

[PoorMansCat]

There are some things that I would be concerned about with buying a 6.4L Ford. The complexity of replacing injectors (cab removal is necessary for this procedure) and apparently a failry common failure. Every time I take my company truck in for service, there are atleast two 6.4L with the cabs removed for injector issues.
Another issue would be since Ford has their new baby (the 6.7L) out on the market, they will be hard pressed to make any sort of revisions or updates to the 6.4L platform.. remember, Ford and Navistar got divorced and aren't talking or sharing Christmas photos anymore.. Even getting warranty consideration may be an issue, dealers will be more inclined to just deny warranty coverage rather than deal with Ford about getting reimbursed.
Its tough to get a solid built, well rounded complete truck anymore... NONE of them are worth what we are paying for them, every one of them are incomplete designs with significant flaws in one way or another...
If anything ever happens to my current truck, I will go back to a gas engine and just take the mileage penalty on fuel... but the way its going with the cost of fuel, decreased fuel economy, increased maintenance costs.... the gasser may be the way to go...