I put my Edge Juice/exhaust/intake on at about 1500 miles...at about 6000 miles, I added the Puck and got the Hot unlock code for the Edge...been driving around for about 25,000 since the Hot and Puck without any issues. If I gun it at a red light, I can feel some slippage between gears...I have done two boosted launches EVER in it (once just to see how it felt and the second to race my buddy in his 96' Cobra (which I beat till I got to about 80-90mph by the way and I think had I had a TC and VB, would have beaten him BAD). I have pulled anywhere between 2,000lbs and 10,100lbs and when I am towing, I turn the boxes down (Edge on 2 and Puck on the 60hp setting) and have yet to feel any slippage if I am driving like I have some sense). Normal daily driving it's Edge on 5 and Puck on 90hp. I have found that I get the best mileage that way. Does my tranny hate me as a person...YES. Will it eventually die sometime...DEFINITELY. But until then, it shifts proper and gets the job done...BUT, and here is the big disclaimer, I have had $6,000 in my "Tranny Replacement ONLY Fund" for a WHILE now...nothing better than keeping that extra paper around for the inevitable because if that tranny blows out and you're not prepared, who knows how long it could take for you to be back up and running in what could POSSIBLY be MOST folk's daily driver...just my two cents.

P.S. My hp/tq numbers are on a Mustang and from what I hear they are LOW (dyno operator said that my numbers should be closer to 475ish/950ish. That and I dyno'd in Overdrive rather than just drive (1 to 1 ratio on the load dyno)...course I will never know since I haven't been to a Dynojet and don't plan on spending the scrilla to do so until I NEED to later on down the road after a few more upgrades.

 

I don't abuse my truck very often but I do run a Smarty on level 9 and MP-8 at 40 percent daily. But I have romped on it some...and have drag raced it with 35'' tires. I also tow heavy from time to time and don't change any settings. My trans is all stock except for a MH Double Deep pan and trans temp gauge.

With 85,000 on the ticker, I can't tell that my trans is any different today than the day I bought the truck. The inefficient torque converter sux. It always has. But my trans isn't slipping or showing any signs of failure! Yet.

I have been expecting some sort of problem from it for the past 35,000 miles. My savings account is just waiting for me to pull the trigger now for a built trans!

..

 

And, for the win. Here you go.

I'm 100% convinced that you can run 500hp through a stock transmission but you're going to have to be smart about it. You probably won't get to enjoy it much either.

I've literally been in a truck when a guy burned up his transmission towing a small tractor, half ton truck 115K miles pulling around 6-7K. Kept saying dang I feel sorry for your transmission with the way you're driving. I was paying for gas so he was keeping the cruise control at 75 and letting it search for gears at will. Guy was oblivious, had no idea till the dang thing boiled over and started slipping. He thought I was saying that because I didn't want to pay for 6mpg... Hardhead
I still get a kick out of thinking about that story but it's a good example of not listening to what your car is telling you (or your buddy in the passenger seat ).

 

Also.... do any of you guys feel there is a good benefit of adding just a valve body? The guy at a local diesel shop (highly recommended) said that's what he'd advise me to do for now running not a lot of extra power since I'm planning on smarty jr or XZT.

If I really wanted to add real power he said do a converter, input shaft, valve body and a couple other little things and it would hold up ok.

 

Valve body alone will help some but not a whole lot. Torque converter is the worst part in the stock tranny so it will gain you the most benefit to upgrade it. However - an upgraded valve body is almost necessary with a tighter converter to increase the pressure to hold the converter and clutches.

 

I really appreciate it but, I live near L.A. Thanks

 

X2.....................and don't forget the flex plate if you are making big power. I have heard that the added torque can easily spin the center section right out of the stock unit. BD Performance has a real nice billet unit that will support just about any power you can throw at it. They also offer TowLoc, which gives you even more control over the converter clutch for more efficient transfer of power and less heat in the transmission. Give them a call, they have all the pieces you need that were discussed on this thread. Questions don't cost a thing.

 

Thanks for the dyno suggestion RG, Hadn't been in the right place with enough time. I am just going on the seat of my 50+ year old pants and what friends have dynoed with the same setup, minus the boost fooler. Average gain with tuner in Performance was=137.9hp and 282.8ftlbs at the wheels temperature corrected. Trucks were less than a year old at the time. I don't know what the 2006 stock 5.9 will actually put on the ground but I would guess at least 270 hp. Just doing the math........

 

You are right about the stock '06 5.9L CTD 325/610....................270 RWHP is correct. I have witnessed a lot of dyno runs at different "Dyno Days" events and 400 RWHP is a big number and not easily attained. You may indeed have hit the magic combo........but it is pretty tough with the stock turbo. All that being said, 360 to 370 RWHP is huge and feels like a ton! Before I retired, I drove a lot of Class VIII trucks that didn't make that kind of power and got the job done. Of coarse, we had several gears to work with.

 

Hello I have almost same set up as you , this is my first diesel, its 06 big horn quad cab, 4x4 has superchip on 130 setting and quad-boost fooler, max-air k&n filter system and banks exhaust, everything else is stock, need to know where to get set of gauges and what do you recommend, want transmission, and egr and not sure if I should get boost gauge also, your help would be greatly appreciated, thanks Lucky57 in Arkansas..... Also does anyone know of a good shop near Memphis, Tn, or near Forrest City Ar, I can have work done on my truck, like installing gauges, beefing up transmision some, etc .......

 

Here are mine. They are Autometer, done by my speedshop. They work great. You definitely need to get Pyrometer, Boost & Tranny temp. You will be amazed at what you have been putting your engine & transmission through if you are running the same setup.

 

If that is all the power you are adding a good shift kit and a few other parts should suffice. Add a moderately priced converter to that and it will be a new truck.

 

What gauges are those so I get an idea.... I'm going to run an overhead like that too.

 

Do you mean 500hp with a stock charger, etc? I hit 396hp on the Mustang dyno I was on with JUST the Edge Hot Juice to the wheels...threw the Puck into the equation and put up the numbers in my signature. I have been consistently hearing for a couple YEARS now that Dynojet (inertia dynos) put our drastically higher numbers than "brutally honest" Mustangs (load dynos) do...From what I am hearing, dyno'ing on a Mustang should be done in drive with OD locked out so that you get a good one to one ratio too...so my numbers even on a Mustang might be a bit low, but from what I have been hearing, I should be more so at 475ish/950ish if I were to load up on a Dynojet...I have $1800 TOTAL in upgrades on my truck...not to shabby to have gained approx 200hp/425lbs to the wheels. (My stock dyno was 274hp/524tq)

 

I'm not a diesel expert, but you have got to get rid of that KN intake. Go with the AFE stage 2. On diesels, the KN intakes are not too eficient and let stuff go into the engine. The KN filters are not built to handle the amount of air a diesel engine requires.