Programmer question
#11
02-09-2016, 01:06 PM
#12
02-13-2016, 11:35 AM
I know you don't plan on a "built" trans... but you're going to end up finding out the hard way you need one.
Unless you never tow anything and just use your truck as a car, with mild driving style, the stock 47RE auto trans is THE weak link in these trucks. It's not a deal-breaker, it can be fixed to be terrific, but adding extra power to a stock one rarely ends well.
$3500 to $5500 will buy you a nice stout trans that holds up under power and will make your truck feel 1.4 million times better than the mushy, inefficient stock one.
I know, it's too much money... I couldn't afford it either... but you're gonna have to.
Putting a tuner on it first is gonna bring it on sooner.
As for what trans to buy, that's a whole hotly debated topic, but all I've got to say is you can search high and low, far and wide, and find NO ONE with anything but high praise for Firepunk. Goerend was a favorite but they stopped building transmissions, only sell parts. Suncoast has a good reputation, and ATS is a biggie but there are an awful lot of negative stories about them. I can find ZERO reports of anyone being less than thrilled with Firepunk.
The owner is a great guy, and runs a Cummins race truck that wins events.
First thing you should do is get a fuel pressure gauge and a good lift pump. The stock lift pump is garbage, and if/when it fails your injector pump will fail too. You don't want that.
Even if the stock one doesn't fail, it doesn't make enough pressure to keep your injector pump cool and happy.
It sucks, you have to spend a bunch of money on stuff that doesn't give you any fun first (well, the trans will make it feel like a different, better truck) before you can add power.
I'm not even talking about "bombing" the truck into a hot rod, I'm only talking about what it takes to make it live with just mild extra power for regular daily use and maybe a little towing/hauling.
So: with a 24 valve VP44 truck, generally those are your first things. Transmission and lift pump + fuel pressure gauge. After that pain, then the fun can start.
Unless you never tow anything and just use your truck as a car, with mild driving style, the stock 47RE auto trans is THE weak link in these trucks. It's not a deal-breaker, it can be fixed to be terrific, but adding extra power to a stock one rarely ends well.
$3500 to $5500 will buy you a nice stout trans that holds up under power and will make your truck feel 1.4 million times better than the mushy, inefficient stock one.
I know, it's too much money... I couldn't afford it either... but you're gonna have to.
Putting a tuner on it first is gonna bring it on sooner.
As for what trans to buy, that's a whole hotly debated topic, but all I've got to say is you can search high and low, far and wide, and find NO ONE with anything but high praise for Firepunk. Goerend was a favorite but they stopped building transmissions, only sell parts. Suncoast has a good reputation, and ATS is a biggie but there are an awful lot of negative stories about them. I can find ZERO reports of anyone being less than thrilled with Firepunk.
The owner is a great guy, and runs a Cummins race truck that wins events.
First thing you should do is get a fuel pressure gauge and a good lift pump. The stock lift pump is garbage, and if/when it fails your injector pump will fail too. You don't want that.
Even if the stock one doesn't fail, it doesn't make enough pressure to keep your injector pump cool and happy.
It sucks, you have to spend a bunch of money on stuff that doesn't give you any fun first (well, the trans will make it feel like a different, better truck) before you can add power.
I'm not even talking about "bombing" the truck into a hot rod, I'm only talking about what it takes to make it live with just mild extra power for regular daily use and maybe a little towing/hauling.
So: with a 24 valve VP44 truck, generally those are your first things. Transmission and lift pump + fuel pressure gauge. After that pain, then the fun can start.
