In response to comments to the proposed changes to my transmode:
Emery wrote: How will you keep the fresh water tank from freezing in cold
weather?
If you add insulation you won't be able to lower it nearly as much.
Given that I've gutted the transmode, I have no investment in the status
quo which was a broken down Suburban heater. I'm bothered by the noise of
the fan cycling on and off on the central furnace as well as feeling that I
am either to hot or too cold. Therefore, I am going to install a Primus
boiler and hot water system by Aqua Hot (which is the system Clarence used
in his stretch coaches). I will then run the hot water pipe through the
tank to keep it from freezing (an idea of Jim Anstett's which he uses on
his coach). Jim has a central furnace but runs a hot water system off the
heat generated by the engine system. I will probably buy the heat exchange
unit from Aqua Hot to do this as well.
Emery wrote: Using 2nd gear would have no affect on the final drive or on
the tires,
wheels and front wheel bearings but it would cause the transmission to run
at
a higher rpm. Wouldn't this cause more internal heat in the transmission?
I've never tried to run down a level highway in second gear but have used
it
frequently when going up and down hills. It is my impression (perhaps
wrong?) that quite a bit more heat would be generated running for a long
time
in second gear.
The transmission people that I have talked to have said that it wouldn't be
a problem. I'm not proposing to run in second gear all the time, merely to
use it more often than most in order to maintain a steady 55 mph on grade.
I suspect that the way to know if it would work is to go ahead and do it. I
would probably switch to the synthetic transmission fluid as well. Heinz
has been very successful keeping the transmission temperatures down with
the NAPA over the counter transmission cooler, so I'll add that right from
the beginning.
Emory wrote: Vic - perhaps we should trade. I've got a 2.73 that the
transmission shop in
Las Vegas installed in error (or on purpose!).
Let me get it going and I just might do that!
Darren wrote: The saga continues with the introduction of aluminum overhead
cabinets.
1/4 the weight and stronger. Any length. Same profile. Or a different
profile if you desire. Same mounting holes. All that is needed is to put
face frames and doors on. Powder coat body to any color and finish faces
any way you like. Pictures coming soon. How is "TZEplus" as a company
name sound? Any input greatly appreciated. What is the address bdub's site?
I don't know anything about this but I'm most interested. I would like to
have overhead cabinets (if I have to have them) similar to those found on
some of the airlines that come down and forward. Please send me details
about your cabinets.
In regards people looking at new seat options, I installed Rocorro designed
seats removed from a 91 Honda Prelude. They are a treat. Very hard in the
European style, great lumbar support (with an expandable balloon built into
it) as well as side support. They really wrap around you but are probably
not to everybody's taste. I mounted them on six way adjustable controls
salvaged from a 78 Eldorado that I bought (which is rumored to be the best
year (along with 77) for the transmission). I find them remarkably
comfortable. You can pick them up used for about $200US a set.
Brent Covey wrote: Minimizing the time spent near 7"Hg vacuum is my main
reason for suggesting
high numerical ratios. Keeping the engine running near the torque peak pays
quite large dividends in overall efficiency. Now, a Fuel Injected engine as
example, can bend the rules a little, and operate at extremely low vacuum
and speeds under a heavy load and still return good economy, as well as
reaping the benefits of reduced throtling losses (less losses just take
create manifold vacuum) and lessened frictional losses from lower engine
speeds.
Yes, I do intend to install fuel injection. See my response to Mike Beaton
in the digest.
Brent Covey wrote: One last thing- why are you concerned about heat from
the switch pitch? The
periods the converter spends in 'hi stall' mode are very short, and
generally on the balance, the extra acceleration afforded by the reduced
ratio more than is compensation for the slight extra heat- namely, you get
up to cruise speeds so much quicker that the actual transmission oil temps
never rise far.
I've got switch pitch units in two cars at present, and am extremely
pleased
with them, if you'd like perhaps I could have you over to try one out under
a towing situation so you could gain a feel for what they do, if you hadn't
yet had an opportunity.
Brent; I'd very much like to get a feel for the transmission. Most of the
people that I've talked to about the unit have been very concerned about
heat. In fact, they have been downright disparaging about the heat. One
GMCer in Los Robles has had heat problems when he kept it in the Hi-stall
speed for longer periods of time but Chuck Stoddard's "fuzzy logic" unit
generally keeps him on the straight and narrow. Not related, but of
interest to people may be the fact that he runs with two electric radiator
fans and no fan attached to the water pump.
Travis wrote: In the TH400 and TH425 transmission, first and second gear
are reduced with
a planetary gearset. The planets and the pilots of the input shafts run in
bushings. Third, on the other hand, is nothing more than the direct clutch
pack locking up and connecting the input shaft to the output shaft. I have
an idea that extended running in second will wear out these bushings in a
relatively short time, and I would also think that extended use of a
planetary reduction set would tend to foam the oil.
Travis: I really hope that somebody will respond to planetary gearset issue
and the "real world" experience of running for a long time in second gear.
I hope that I made it clear that 3rd gear would regularly be used much as
we use an overdrive on a typical truck. As for the foaming, I think that is
probably solvable with single or dual transmission coolers combined with a
cooling fin that attaches to the front of the torque converter which has
been developed by Shogun.
Vic Marks
Vancouver BC
75 transmode
Emery wrote: How will you keep the fresh water tank from freezing in cold
weather?
If you add insulation you won't be able to lower it nearly as much.
Given that I've gutted the transmode, I have no investment in the status
quo which was a broken down Suburban heater. I'm bothered by the noise of
the fan cycling on and off on the central furnace as well as feeling that I
am either to hot or too cold. Therefore, I am going to install a Primus
boiler and hot water system by Aqua Hot (which is the system Clarence used
in his stretch coaches). I will then run the hot water pipe through the
tank to keep it from freezing (an idea of Jim Anstett's which he uses on
his coach). Jim has a central furnace but runs a hot water system off the
heat generated by the engine system. I will probably buy the heat exchange
unit from Aqua Hot to do this as well.
Emery wrote: Using 2nd gear would have no affect on the final drive or on
the tires,
wheels and front wheel bearings but it would cause the transmission to run
at
a higher rpm. Wouldn't this cause more internal heat in the transmission?
I've never tried to run down a level highway in second gear but have used
it
frequently when going up and down hills. It is my impression (perhaps
wrong?) that quite a bit more heat would be generated running for a long
time
in second gear.
The transmission people that I have talked to have said that it wouldn't be
a problem. I'm not proposing to run in second gear all the time, merely to
use it more often than most in order to maintain a steady 55 mph on grade.
I suspect that the way to know if it would work is to go ahead and do it. I
would probably switch to the synthetic transmission fluid as well. Heinz
has been very successful keeping the transmission temperatures down with
the NAPA over the counter transmission cooler, so I'll add that right from
the beginning.
Emory wrote: Vic - perhaps we should trade. I've got a 2.73 that the
transmission shop in
Las Vegas installed in error (or on purpose!).
Let me get it going and I just might do that!
Darren wrote: The saga continues with the introduction of aluminum overhead
cabinets.
1/4 the weight and stronger. Any length. Same profile. Or a different
profile if you desire. Same mounting holes. All that is needed is to put
face frames and doors on. Powder coat body to any color and finish faces
any way you like. Pictures coming soon. How is "TZEplus" as a company
name sound? Any input greatly appreciated. What is the address bdub's site?
I don't know anything about this but I'm most interested. I would like to
have overhead cabinets (if I have to have them) similar to those found on
some of the airlines that come down and forward. Please send me details
about your cabinets.
In regards people looking at new seat options, I installed Rocorro designed
seats removed from a 91 Honda Prelude. They are a treat. Very hard in the
European style, great lumbar support (with an expandable balloon built into
it) as well as side support. They really wrap around you but are probably
not to everybody's taste. I mounted them on six way adjustable controls
salvaged from a 78 Eldorado that I bought (which is rumored to be the best
year (along with 77) for the transmission). I find them remarkably
comfortable. You can pick them up used for about $200US a set.
Brent Covey wrote: Minimizing the time spent near 7"Hg vacuum is my main
reason for suggesting
high numerical ratios. Keeping the engine running near the torque peak pays
quite large dividends in overall efficiency. Now, a Fuel Injected engine as
example, can bend the rules a little, and operate at extremely low vacuum
and speeds under a heavy load and still return good economy, as well as
reaping the benefits of reduced throtling losses (less losses just take
create manifold vacuum) and lessened frictional losses from lower engine
speeds.
Yes, I do intend to install fuel injection. See my response to Mike Beaton
in the digest.
Brent Covey wrote: One last thing- why are you concerned about heat from
the switch pitch? The
periods the converter spends in 'hi stall' mode are very short, and
generally on the balance, the extra acceleration afforded by the reduced
ratio more than is compensation for the slight extra heat- namely, you get
up to cruise speeds so much quicker that the actual transmission oil temps
never rise far.
I've got switch pitch units in two cars at present, and am extremely
pleased
with them, if you'd like perhaps I could have you over to try one out under
a towing situation so you could gain a feel for what they do, if you hadn't
yet had an opportunity.
Brent; I'd very much like to get a feel for the transmission. Most of the
people that I've talked to about the unit have been very concerned about
heat. In fact, they have been downright disparaging about the heat. One
GMCer in Los Robles has had heat problems when he kept it in the Hi-stall
speed for longer periods of time but Chuck Stoddard's "fuzzy logic" unit
generally keeps him on the straight and narrow. Not related, but of
interest to people may be the fact that he runs with two electric radiator
fans and no fan attached to the water pump.
Travis wrote: In the TH400 and TH425 transmission, first and second gear
are reduced with
a planetary gearset. The planets and the pilots of the input shafts run in
bushings. Third, on the other hand, is nothing more than the direct clutch
pack locking up and connecting the input shaft to the output shaft. I have
an idea that extended running in second will wear out these bushings in a
relatively short time, and I would also think that extended use of a
planetary reduction set would tend to foam the oil.
Travis: I really hope that somebody will respond to planetary gearset issue
and the "real world" experience of running for a long time in second gear.
I hope that I made it clear that 3rd gear would regularly be used much as
we use an overdrive on a typical truck. As for the foaming, I think that is
probably solvable with single or dual transmission coolers combined with a
cooling fin that attaches to the front of the torque converter which has
been developed by Shogun.
Vic Marks
Vancouver BC
75 transmode
