I've owned my truck for 3.5 yrs. In that time I have replaced lots of parts (all front end components, seal between vac pump and ps pump, oil cooler, water pump, axle seals, tappet cover gasket, heater core, dash, door seals, booster, master cylinder). 188k current miles. I have also replaced 47re with a napa rebuilt 3k miles ago. As of right now its my daily driver. I put at least 50miles a day on this truck and tow heavy several times a yr(cattle & hay).

In the next few months I plan to purchase a 1/2ton gasser that will become my daily driver and plan to keep the truck above as a ranch truck.

This is where I am stuck. It seems like it takes this truck everything it has to haul what I do most of the time but it does get the job done. I hauled a horse and 4 steers a while back for 35miles of interstate and I couldn't wait to get off. I have read just about every thread I could find when it comes to adding a 65hp box(all brands) to this truck. Truck does have a Fass lift pump with Fuel pressure gauge.

I did forget to mention, my father in law owns a napa which my wife manages. I get parts at cost which is usually a major discount.


Here are options I have thought about.

1. Add a 65hp box to the truck with the stock trans with 3kmiles on it. 72k miles 2.5yrs left on warranty. Test my luck with it for next 2.5yrs.

2. Remove $4k Flatbed and Front replacement bumper replacing with stock bed and bumpers(which I do have). Sale and find Identical truck with equivalent mileage and manual trans. That will most likely need half the stuff that's worn which I have already replaced on my truck.

3. Run stock trans as long as possible then replace with built or do a manual swap.

4. Keep it like it is and put up with lack of power and constant downshifts at hwy speeds.

Im in now way interested in huge gains in hp in the future, smoke, or racing. Just trying to fig out best way to go with utilizing what I have and not spend an extra fortune.

 

I think if it were me I'd probably go for option 2. I'm a manual transmission guy though.

If you prefer the auto though, I'd work on the transmission first--a valve body and torque converter with a lower stall speed will probably help hugely and shouldn't be too expensive.

If you end up doing #1 or #2, you're definitely going to want a transmission fluid temp gauge.

 

In stock form these trucks can be sluggish, however it should have no problem hauling what you are hauling. Makes me wonder if the transmission is not putting the power to the ground. Does it pull better if you shut the overdrive off?

 

It does pull but to me lacks in power. With a 24ft bar top gooseneck, one horse, and 4 400pd steers it would not hold 62 63mph in OD. I have pulled large loads around the house. Always a struggle to get going but once moving I usually truck along 45mph or so for short dif. The thing will walk off with out a prob when in 4 low. Also seems to be weak in 4hi. I'm running 285s. My dad has a 03 duruamax and its like night and day difference with the same load.

Before I bought the truck I did some hauling with a 01 6spd with edge comp box in it and that thing felt crazy powerful compared to what I have. I sure wish I knew what I know about these trannys before, I would of definitely bought a manual.

 

A good low stall billet TC and a VB would let you run what you want without any trans issues, or you can take option 2 and have a manual. Even if you do the work, a VB and TC will run you around 1600-2K.

That being said though, I still think something is drastically wrong, when I had Brownie, 180Hp and a totally stock trans, I drug a 25K Lb load around, you knew it was back there, but I wouldn't be scared to run 60-65....... You have at Minimum, 235 Hp and are struggling with what, say 6k or so load?

 

I'm not sure on the weight of that trailor. I have drug some pretty heavy loads. Mostly hay and cattle and never had a reason to get in a hurry. Hauled this load 45 or so with no prob this summer. I was using 4lo to get out of the fields with this load because it seemed to much of a strain in 2wd. On the road it would walk off pretty good. If I have a problem where do you think it is?

 

If you're just going to be pulling weight with it every think about swapping gears? Assuming you have 3.55 now, 4.10 would make od much more managable.

When I swapped from auto to 5 spd first thing I noticed was how much easier it was to pull a load in the 60-65mph range, because it has a little bit of a shorter overdrive, .76 vs .72 or something like that. But now I'm right at 1800 around 60, 2000 at 65 (taller tires skew this a little, 3.5 gears). Before, with the auto, I was around 1800 at 65 and a little under 2k at 70, it was lugging with higher egt's under 65 and I liked to drive slow sometimes.

I wouldn't be surprised if you could find someone that wanted to swap axles with you to gain 3.5's, and you could gain 4.10's.

 

That was my original thought. Then I start reading up on the 65hp boxes and said hey this may be my fix. Spend couple 100 bucks and be comfortable. Will 65hp really smoke the trans if driven nice and easy?

What is involved with swapping gears in the axles I have? Do you have to do front axle also?

 

You would have to swap front and rear ring and pinion gears, or just swap out the entire units which would probably be faster, unless you build axles for a living.

I don't have any experience with tuner boxes and trans longvevity, but the norm is they will not last as long in stock form if you use any extra power i.e. towing. A simple shift kit would greatly help if you were to add any power, and they are pretty inexpensive.

 

If you didn't have trouble with that load, there isn't anything wrong with your truck.........

Unless you got stupid, I don't think a 65 Hp box will smoke your trans, you just have to watch yourself, the temptation to hammer it at the wrong time is great.

 

Heck, if it's mostly for use around the farm and not at high speeds, I'd go all the way up to 4.56s!

The improvement to towing would be dramatic.

 

Just want to chime in with some ideas-
Did you check the complete charge air system for leaks?
Do you have a boost gauge? (or can you install one temporarily?)
Do you habe any codes present?
Is your wastegate operational?
My suggestion is to check for all the little things that can break down and degrade engine performance before putting on a box. The stock electronics limit power output something fierce if they see a problem that just might damage your engine.. and a lot of the boxes will fool the stock electronics into not seeing those conditions. So you lose a bit of safety with them. Especially if you have some problems with let's say air supply to the engine (eg intercooler boot lose), stock it will run derated but rather safe EGTs, with a box it can quickly get smoky and have radically crispy EGTs and ruin your engine. That's why you want to have gauges when you modify. (And you should look at them and heed their warnings)

Just my 2c

AlpineRAM