New guy here, plz help!!

wildcat767676 · 07-31-2008, 10:06 PM

Ok, first off, I want to apologize if these are all answered somewhere else. I have been reading and searching and just not finding the exact user feedback I was looking for. So, here goes my newbie questions:

1) I have a 2004 Duramax crew 2X4, short bed, with 245\75\16's on it, bullydog programmer, banks monster exhaust, Air raid intake, leveling kit, and 90K on it. First tank I got about 14 mpg, second tank I was really easy on it, lots of 65 mph runs, got about 18 MPG. Question is, I want to get a larger tire, like a 285\75, but I also am looking to hit the 20 MPG mark somehow. Does anyone here have larger tires like 285 or 315 and get over 18 MPG? If so, what exactly would you change\did you change?

2) Sometimes my truck feels super fast and shifts hard but then sometimes is feels slow to shift, more sluggish, much more "fan" sound coming from the engine. Do you think my programmer is to blame?? P.S. It also gets a misfire type idle occasionally too. The dealer says they can't duplicate though.......of course! Try a different tuner? Disconnect battery? Ideas? Anyone else have this inconsistency?

3) I'd like to eventually get a new programmer and was wondering how much horsepower you guys have run without having any transmission issues? Please let me know the tire size you ran with that tune and the HP\MPG numbers too. Trying to compile real world data.

Thanks again, this forum is fantastic so far!!!

Mclovin1414 · 07-31-2008, 10:46 PM

1st- Ive got 285/75, and look at my signature for my other upgrades... I've gotten up to 19 MPG, thats on long flat hauls with cruise set @ 115 km/hr and no wind. I noticed a HUGE difference when I put my intercooler on.Cold air intake is good, but your intercooler is restrictive, and the "cold" air that is brought in is just heated up agian when it goes through your 820 F turbo. Putting the banks techni-cooler in cooles the air right before it gets into the intake.

2nd- Define "sometimes" and what your doing.... More details please

3rd- EVERYBODY is going to tell you PPE, thats what i see alot of guys here have. I have a ottomind6, and it works for me, pulling trailers. 100 HP gain, gets a little tranny slip, sometimes. If i had the money to start again, Id get a banks six gun with the PDA. (Definately get the PDA if you get it.) Its got lots of safety features so you dont cook anything. Where i live, nobody gets anything but banks, so i cant really say what PPE is like...

wildcat767676 · 07-31-2008, 11:39 PM

[quote=

2nd- Define "sometimes" and what your doing.... More details please

Well, its just random. Sometimes it just runs great, then all the sudden the next time I drive it, it doesn't shift quite so quickly or downshift at the right time. Also, the engine fan seems to be on all the time usually during these times too if that helps.....

3rd- EVERYBODY is going to tell you PPE, thats what i see alot of guys here have. I have a ottomind6, and it works for me, pulling trailers. 100 HP gain, gets a little tranny slip, sometimes. If i had the money to start again, Id get a banks six gun with the PDA. (Definately get the PDA if you get it.) Its got lots of safety features so you dont cook anything. Where i live, nobody gets anything but banks, so i cant really say what PPE is like...[/QUOTE]

What does the tranny slip feel like? How quickly does the slip ruin the trans??

Thanks again!

**Tow Master** · 08-01-2008, 12:12 AM

1. Its really hard to get good mileage out of larger tires like the 285. I went from 245-285 and it killed the MPG inmy truck a 265 is a happy medium where you still get decent mileage.

2. Your lose of power could be the fan engauging. Depending on where you live with how hot its been the fan could come on alot.

3. The trans are kinda easy to mess up. Like Mclovin said if you add over 100HP with most tuners your asking for trouble! The real downside is you dont have any warning when they go. When they slip it will burn the clutches and put th truck into limp mode. Then the clutches are already burnt do it will go into limp easiar each time!

4. The trans slipping is kinda like if you ever drove a car and the tires spun between gears. When your accelerating the truck will shift and the RPM's will raise but the truck wont go anywhere!

Mclovin1414 · 08-01-2008, 12:21 AM

I cant help with the shift thing, its never happend to me yet.

As for tranny slip.... Slight tranny slip feels like when you drive over the shoulder rumble stips, but while on smooth pavment. Severe tranny slip.... thats like driving 100 miles a hour with all four tires severly out of balance... It turns your truck into a big vibrator. the best word to describe it would be a violent "shutter". If you get a banks ottomind6 or six gun with PDA (palm pilot), it displays tranny slip and how bad it is. and if it gets to bad, it will shut you down automatically. Im not sure if other tuners do that....maybe.

How fast does it ruin clutches? The allison can probably handle some, but its the same as riding the clutch on a standard, never a GOOD thing. Im not 100 % on this, im sure a guy who knows for sure will let you know

**BigRedChevy** · 08-01-2008, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mclovin1414

I cant help with the shift thing, its never happend to me yet.

As for tranny slip.... Slight tranny slip feels like when you drive over the shoulder rumble stips, but while on smooth pavment. Severe tranny slip.... thats like driving 100 miles a hour with all four tires severly out of balance... It turns your truck into a big vibrator. the best word to describe it would be a violent "shutter". If you get a banks ottomind6 or six gun with PDA (palm pilot), it displays tranny slip and how bad it is. and if it gets to bad, it will shut you down automatically. Im not sure if other tuners do that....maybe.

How fast does it ruin clutches? The allison can probably handle some, but its the same as riding the clutch on a standard, never a GOOD thing. Im not 100 % on this, im sure a guy who knows for sure will let you know

The tranny slip you are speaking of is actually the Torque coverter slipping. Also the meter on the PDA is giving you T/C slippage, not clutch slippage. IF you ever slip the clutches in the tranny they will be glaze and will be easier to do the next time.

wildcat767676 · 08-01-2008, 09:36 AM

Wow! You guys are the best! Thanks for the quick replies.

I guess maybe a TC upgrade is in order then? Stick with a 265 tire size as a happy medium, and keep whatever programmer(bully dog?) was in my truck when I bought it?

OR..........find someone making biodiesel cheap and then I can mash the gas all the time getting a big discount on fuel!! Ha!

**BigRedChevy** · 08-01-2008, 10:04 AM

IMO if you are gonna pull the tranny for a T/C, you might as well do a tranny kit while your there.

wildcat767676 · 08-01-2008, 10:35 AM

Is it fairly expensive to add on the full tranny?

Also, just checked my vin and I guess I have a 2004.5 LLY. Does that change anything we've been discussing here?? Sorry guys!!!!

**gr8shot** · 08-01-2008, 03:00 PM

If its an LLY, that means that you can easily fix the fan problem. Look up Killerbee, and read the papers that are in his signature. they deal with that problem. It doesn't take much to fix it. Mainly just isolate your intake box from the engine compartment. Your intake sucks in hot air from the engine compartment, and when the fan turns on, your sucking in REALLY hot air = no power and overheating truck. Using some insulation and cutting some holes in the right spots of your airbox will fix that, and also rounding out the inside of the turbo mouthpiece. It's all explained in those papers of his.