Aftermarket Turbo install versus 700R4 transmission swap...

[wrex]

Looking for opinions/guidance on which to go with. This is an either/or situation,not doing both, lol.

If going with transmission swaps, any specifics I should look out for in purchasing a re-manufactured one?

Thanks Guys!

 

[AJMBLAZER]

What's your situation, configuration, plans, etc?

 

[wrex]

It isn't "quite" a daily driver, though could easily turn into it, sometime.

It does fine on "regular" roads and even highway, but it just kills me to have to take steep hills when going up a mountain at 45 or even 40 MPH at times. I can go 80 MPH easily, on the highway. I do take it outside of the state, from time to time and no matter which route I take out of CA, I will be going up and down several mountains.

It isn't too bad around here (San Francisco) but there has been once or twice it's slowed down to below ideal speed, going up a hill.

 

[Darwin T]

what type of vehicle is it? if your doing 80 MPH i am guessing you don't have the low military gears. i think my truck has 4.56 (i have not mechanical skills, but i think that is what my mechanic said, could be wrong) and my top speed is between 55 and 60 maybe on flat ground. are you going to pull any trailers in the mountians? i want to do the turbo install (well have it done).

 

[AJMBLAZER]

As he said, what vehicle do you have? Tire size, drivetrain, etc?

It isn't "quite" a daily driver, though could easily turn into it, sometime.

It does fine on "regular" roads and even highway, but it just kills me to have to take steep hills when going up a mountain at 45 or even 40 MPH at times. I can go 80 MPH easily, on the highway. I do take it outside of the state, from time to time and no matter which route I take out of CA, I will be going up and down several mountains.

It isn't too bad around here (San Francisco) but there has been once or twice it's slowed down to below ideal speed, going up a hill.

If you can do 80 then you probably don't have a M1008 pickup with the 4.56 gears. Betting you have a M1009 Blazer with the 3.08 gears.

Reason you're running out of power is you're trying to push a 25 or so year old square truck up a mountain at a rather high rate of speed with a 25 or so year old diesel engine that makes 150hp or so in front of a power sucking TH400 and 3.08 highway gears in the axles.

You're running out of power putting it simply.
If this is the case and your configuration then I'd say go with the turbo. OD would only make it worse as when you hit the incline it'd want to drop out of OD into D and you'd be doing the exact same thing as now.

 

[wrex]

what type of vehicle is it? if your doing 80 MPH i am guessing you don't have the low military gears. i think my truck has 4.56 (i have not mechanical skills, but i think that is what my mechanic said, could be wrong) and my top speed is between 55 and 60 maybe on flat ground. are you going to pull any trailers in the mountians? i want to do the turbo install (well have it done).

It's a 1984 M1009. Stock.

 

[wrex]

...

Reason you're running out of power is you're trying to push a 25 or so year old square truck up a mountain at a rather high rate of speed with a 25 or so year old diesel engine that makes 150hp or so in front of a power sucking TH400 and 3.08 highway gears in the axles.
You're running out of power putting it simply.

I know the why, which is why I didn't ask why, heh. Just looking for the most sensible way to correct the issue.

...
If this is the case and your configuration then I'd say go with the turbo. OD would only make it worse as when you hit the incline it'd want to drop out of OD into D and you'd be doing the exact same thing as now.

That's what I kind of thought too, but wasn't sure. Thanks.

Edit: Holy crap dude, I just noticed you're in Lexington. I was raised in Richmond. Visiting the parents there the week of July 4, as a matter of fact.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

You could do a gearing swap possibly but you'd loose top end speed somewhat. Depends though. Find a set of half tons with 3.42's and the owner would likely be giving them away. You get more oomph to the ground and your top speed probably wouldn't go down too bad.


Yep, Lexington is my latest home base. Not from here though.

 

[patracy]

I'd vote turbo in a M1009 due to the 3.08's.

 

[nattieleather]

I'd say do both, but if you can't then on the M1009 I would opt for the turbo over the 700r4.

 

[still standing still cyco]

Wrex, go turbo for sure, like the rest have said. 3.08s are just like having overdrive, essentially. and btw, i love your grill plate numbers... tempted to steal the idea since my M1010 is named Club Murder, but the novelty is lost when copied, so i will give you props for the idea instead, and let you be the original... guess i could go 668, Neighbor of the Beast...

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I'd say do both, but if you can't then on the M1009 I would opt for the turbo over the 700r4.

3.08's are just too high to do both effectively. The 6.2L would be WAY out of it's power band at any high speed.

 

[southdave]

I have 700r4 with turbo drive it 3rd gear where I live, we have some hills but on the high way I pull about 1600 rpm @ 65-70

 

[AlexFolino]

Im doing the turbo and 700R4 as we speak. Im copying a friend of mine who has the ambulance body and his truck pulls hard, gets good mileage, and will do 70-75 all day long. Why not both?

 

[1984M1009]

A 700r4 wont do anything to make the truck do hills better If it can't do it in 3rd 1:1 OD isn't going to help anything

turbo or regear should be the options and honestly if you are driving it on a regular basis I reccommend both

 

[WARWAG]

Turbo her if your going to stay with stock size tires and stock gearing. If you plan on going with a lift and bigger tires then you will then need to go with either a 700R4 (has lower first gear than a TH400 and or install lower gears (numerically higher) The first thing though for now would be to install a Banks Sidewinder Turbo kit. Good Luck.

 

[wrex]

...The first thing though for now would be to install a Banks Sidewinder Turbo kit. Good Luck.

Well, if going bigger tires, I think the first thing would be to install a transmission cooler.



I decided to not get a turbo, or at least put it off for last, if at all. Too little gain for the $. Plus, it further complicates things and one of the main attractors to getting an M1009, was it's simplicity and robustness. So I'm going to take my sweet time on that, if I go that route. For now, I'll just get a good pre-cleaner and call it done, as far as aspiration is concerned.

I am going to go 33's on the tires, so I may look at the gearing. I know some who haven't changed gears though and haven't complained with going 33, but I'll do more research, in that regard.

Clearly, OD is not the way to go. Thanks for setting me straight on that, guys.

Oh, one more thing: I don't live in San Francisco anymore, so huge hills aren't too much of an issue, as was before, heh.

 

[panzerwillie]

 

[Dave Kay]

View attachment 266682

Hey now! That looks pretty darn clean! Been dreamin' turbo for some time now and that pic makes a good impression. Any background info on that install?

 

[panzerwillie]

It was on my M1009 for about 8 month, mainly put togethere out of 6.5 turbo engine parts, i replace the engine with a 99 6.5 turbo engine out off a 99 suburban i replace the electronic pump with a 93 mechanical IP, almost finish with it its WATER TO AIR INTERCOOL now, had the turbo kit for sale in the classified section but no one needed it i guess so still bolted to the 6.2 engine, if i get my phone camera working will post more pictures of the new set up , thanks for the coments