towing with smarty
 

Hey everyone im going to be making a trip up the mountain here in a couple weeks pulling a trailer roughly 8k but i have to climb a really steep switchback so im wondering would be safe turning my smarty down to the 30 hp tune or should i just put it back to stock

Do you have guages #3 should be fine if your stock otherwise.

Yes I do and my transmission has had some work to

Then your fine just watch the guages 1300 ok and coolant if it gets hot drop out of overdrive.

What transmission temps are acceptable the other day I when up there empty I was running on the #5 tune and my transmission temp was 190

trans temp can hit 220 on a hard climb that's fine 250 driving slow while towing in town is common. I run two aux coolers with fans. and sit at 180.

Synthetic ATF will also help keep your trans happy. Like dangerous1965, I too run an auxilliary trans cooler with an electric fan mounted to it. The whole assembly is bolted to the frame, near the trans, via fabricated brackets. Towing, my 10k travel trailer, my trans temps never go over 180. Pulling hills or mountain passes, I will switch on the fan, and that helps to keep the temp in check.:c:

thanks for the input bigg redd how do you like the wtr/meth kit I was looking into those just wasn't sure if it would be worth the money

The 190 temp is perfectly fine. Even a little higher in extreme condtions is not going to hurt. As long as it stays around 190 with the TC locked it is good.

As long as you can run 25-30 mph on the switch backs most of the time just select a gear appropriate for the speed your running to keep the TC. If you don't the TC will unlock and get things really hot. Don't be afraid to downshift and use some rpms, everything will stay cooler.

:U: Yep. I second that! Water/meth kit is the way to go. Its cheap insurance against cooking your turbo, adds hp and tq, keeps EGTs in check when towing or "street play". It can add up to 70hp or more depending on your set-up and concentration of water meth mix. I use below-0 winter windshield washer fluid. It has a 50/50 mix of water and meth. The newer multi-stage versions, with the control box, an can be tailored to your driving style and /or needs. Mine uses a boost reference switch to activate my system. I have mine set to come in at 15 pounds of boost. I mainly use it when towing my 10k travel trailer (sometimes during "street play.") It comes on when Im getting on the freeway while towing my trailer, and when going up hills and mountain passes while towing. When boost levels come down below 15 psi, it will automatically shut off and remain on stand-by until the need arises again. Before I had a w/m kit, my trans would hunt for gears while climbing hills or mtn passes. Now, with the extra hp and tq, it no longer hunts for gears. Smooth sailing with no issues. Ive had this same kit on two other trucks within the past 8 years. Well worth the money IMO.:pca1:

On the flip side, water\meth is just a bandaid for poor design and substandard parts. It is like putting a bandaid on and amputation, it offers some relief but the efficacy is highly questionable.

It does nothing for the turbo and only lowers observed EGT's. The problem with lower observed EGT's is that difference has not disappeared, laws of energy don't get broken. All that extra temp has gone into the piston and ultimatey the oil and cooling system, sometimes with disastrous results.

Most of the perceived HP gain is not a gain but rather more complete combustion of the available fuel. That is a double edged sword in a diesel engine. The higher efficiency of the combustion event translates to higher cylinder pressures and more heat soak in the cylinder. Trying to change that absorbtion rate in a deep spray bowl has it drawbacks.

The introduction of alcohol into a diesel engine on a regular basis is like playing with fire. Alcohol does not react well with diesel to begin with, and, with the added heat of combustion it produces some nasty caustic compounds that are not good for the engine or exhaust system.

It is not all sunshine and roses, there is a darker side to the water\meth scenario. :)

Be it as it may, Ive used a w/m kit for many years with no negative effects. The mix use is quite diluted. I have a 10 gallon tank mounted in the bed. My primary tank fill up is with 5 gals of 0* winshield washer fluid, and another 5 gals of distilled water to top it off. Im not sure what that brings the dilution %age to, but it works for my needs. Ive heard of other guys using a 70% meth/30% water mix. As far as Im concerned, "Good luck to them!"
Hell, Im even running a w/m kit on my other dually with a supercharged big block. It works really well on that beast. :pca1:

Yes, there are uses for water meth injection, but, it has to be used with an eye towards what one is trying to solve.

Water\meth on a gas engine with half the compression and a third the cylinder pressures and temps is an entirely different deal. In that case it is being used as a combustion inhibitor.

In a diesel engine it acts as a combustion catalyst in scenarios where it is used which is radically different than what happens in a gas engine.

Yes, percentage of alcohol makes a difference in the results and the only way to know what is going on is oil analysis. The problem is it is used as a stop gap measure for too much fuel and\or lack of air and a cheap power adder. That is totally different than using it to manage charge air density\temp which is what it is meant for.

There is no cheap power adder, the price will be paid somewhere. All I am saying is there is a lot more to water\meth injection than ever gets exposed or discussed or weighed in the consideration of it. Everyone can do a they like, not saying don't do it. Just painting the whole picture that frequently gets ignored.

Off hand, I can think of a dozen instances towing where water\meth was used in conjunction with certain power mods, and, even though observed EGT's never exceeded the standard 1300 degree limit melted pistons were still the result. The root cause of the faiures was undenaibly heat soak in the piston.

Cerberus60, I must clarify my statement about running a w/m kit on my supercharged big block dually. After reading it again, it implies that Im running a water/meth mix, when in fact Im running only distilled water. My bad! ( I really need to run a progressive kit on that one.
Anyway, my oil analysis has always shown favorable results. Nothing really that would cause me any real concern. Maybe b/c I run such a low %age of meth I guess. My set-up consists of two 150cc nozzles pushed by 200 psi pump pressure @ 15psi of boost. Most of the time it doesnt come on until I see steep hills or mtn grades, or merging onto the fwy. I had my truck dynoed at a friend's shop just over a year ago. We did two runs, one without the w/m kit, and one run with the w/m kit. There was only a 37 hp difference, which to me was rather conservative. Im happy with that, and i have no desire to change it. Ya know?