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Turning Up the Pump

Russ Knight

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Perry, FL
Wes the Legend stopped by my place Wednesday. While he was here he was kind enough to turn up the fuel on my M925A2. Man, what a difference it made! When shifting from 1st into 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd, the rpm's only drop about 100. The truck is noticeably stronger now. Plus, I have the added benefit of rolling coal!

Good seeing you Wes, and thank you again!
 

Floridianson

Well-known member
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Interlachen Fl.
Yep Wes is one great guy. He also stopped by my place in Newberry before he went to your place and offered to cut my grass for me.
 

CARMAN

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Broad Run VA
When is Wes headed up to Northern VA?? My A2 needs a wake up call. Had started it...had the cover off the back of the pump and chickened out.
 

Steelreaper80

Active member
229
96
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Location
Indianapolis IN
Wes if you are heading through Indianapolis anytime soon let me know. I will gladly pay you to turn my pump up! I have been putting so many miles on it that it is really chapping my rear from being so SLOW!!!

I know you have a custom seat in yours, any recommendations on an air ride seat that fits these beasts?
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
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Mason, TN
Wes if you are heading through Indianapolis anytime soon let me know. I will gladly pay you to turn my pump up! I have been putting so many miles on it that it is really chapping my rear from being so SLOW!!!

I know you have a custom seat in yours, any recommendations on an air ride seat that fits these beasts?
Anyone your butt desires. Go to a semi junkyard and sit in a few. I have one from a euro truck and it has the 24v heater in it... very very nice seat.
 

Steelreaper80

Active member
229
96
28
Location
Indianapolis IN
I ordered the 3K gov spring kit. When I do have the pump turned up, how fast is a safe speed for that motor to spin? I want to be able to cruise at 65-70. Also, I can't find a torque/HP graph chart on the 6CTA. I have been down shifting it a lot on the hills and not letting it lug. I usually run it between 1500-2K with down shifting at 1500. Is this correct or just let the thing shift on it's own?
 

Elijah95

Certified Rookie
1,239
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Location
Georgia
I ordered the 3K gov spring kit. When I do have the pump turned up, how fast is a safe speed for that motor to spin? I want to be able to cruise at 65-70. Also, I can't find a torque/HP graph chart on the 6CTA. I have been down shifting it a lot on the hills and not letting it lug. I usually run it between 1500-2K with down shifting at 1500. Is this correct or just let the thing shift on it's own?
Not going to say it’s smart, recommended, or good for it, but I twisted my old A2 truck to 78 on flat ground many a times. Harmonica begin to become an issue at higher Rpms. Personally I liked to cruise 67-70 with mine max sustained
 

Jbulach

Well-known member
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Location
Sunman Indiana
I ordered the 3K gov spring kit. When I do have the pump turned up, how fast is a safe speed for that motor to spin? I want to be able to cruise at 65-70. Also, I can't find a torque/HP graph chart on the 6CTA. I have been down shifting it a lot on the hills and not letting it lug. I usually run it between 1500-2K with down shifting at 1500. Is this correct or just let the thing shift on it's own?
You should be able to run 68 at just over 2100 rpm stock. IH ran these motors at around 2800 in there combines originally, but ended up backing them off to something like 2500 rpm, iirc, marine versions likely up there as well? Also, you shouldn’t lug down to 1500 rpm, it’ll send your EGT’s through the roof. Mine start to get really high anytime I pull long and hard down below 1650 rpm. Fortunately my truck does a pretty decent job of auto shifting to keep the temp in check, loaded up to about 50k, until you get into the big hills...

I’m thinking I’m going to start with gov springs for my list of mods as well, hoping to keep the r’s up and EGT’s happier. Then maybe timing, followed by fuel adjustment to get some data before adding a charge air cooler.
 

Lukes_deuce

Active member
447
124
43
Location
Long Island, NY
I'd be happy to max out at about 2300-2350. I would imagine having this truck (my 929A2) set up as a dog for fuel and rpm (1950), was what kept the miles off it in North Dakota....a garage queen. I really haven't had the time to do much about it with the deuce 4x4 project taking most available time...it runs when I need it to once I get prime back. The smaller 395's have added a lot of stability over the original egg shaped GY, but real speed is slower. My tranny will have to shift a lot better with some more rpm

Will I need change of spring(s) for 2350? Sorry, I have not studied, other than to know I need more fuel and rpm...and some fuel lines.
Yes, to run 2300 and get full fuel while having the truck run like it should you needs gov springs. You can tighten the stock springs, but it wont give you the same effect as a 3k spring kit.
 

Lukes_deuce

Active member
447
124
43
Location
Long Island, NY
I ordered the 3K gov spring kit. When I do have the pump turned up, how fast is a safe speed for that motor to spin? I want to be able to cruise at 65-70. Also, I can't find a torque/HP graph chart on the 6CTA. I have been down shifting it a lot on the hills and not letting it lug. I usually run it between 1500-2K with down shifting at 1500. Is this correct or just let the thing shift on it's own?
Every truck is different, but I wouldnt run mine past 2400. Most likely 2500 is ok but I would put a new harmonic balancer on and want to have the motor checked out to make sure all the necessary studs are properly torqued. When mine was stock, 2100rpm gave me 63 miles an hour. I dont see any problems holding 65 once you turn the RPM up a little.

As for down shifting, running the truck empty, I wouldnt worry much. If your loaded up, you need to watch the EGT gauge. With my truck stock, towing a 5000 pound trailer and my pick up on the trailer (8000), the EGTs would get hotter than I like just allowing the truck to shift on its own. My truck will lug too much and not down shift early enough. Now, my truck had a rebuilt engine installed in 2011 and i believe it was a tuned hotter than an original build truck. Ive driven both back to back and could tell a difference. I recommend shifting early either way. It will keep your speed up and you wont have any EGT issues.
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
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Location
Mason, TN
Find your shift point to where it is happy. You will just need to be able to hear it over watching the tach for it. Mine was at 1750 with an NHC250. Lugging it will only cause a rise. Especially with the fuel turned up. I don't recommend maxing anything out on a truck that is being worked.

Lugging it will kill it. Like acme66 was doing to the NHC250s. The videos on page 5 explain why he was going thru liners. He was missing his shift point by about 250rpms the motor couldn't recover the powerband on the down shift or get rid of its heat.

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...-what-we-have-learned-killing-3-of-them/page5
 

74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
330
83
Location
Livonia, MI
You guys are asking another dude to run all over the country for you. There are plenty of clear videos and explanations of how to do it posted right here that people took a lot of time to document. There is the zero-boost fueling screw on top (stop light take off performance), then the main fuel rack travel limit stop nuts at the rear. Governor springs are side access port, use the 5.9L kit made by PacBrake or others. Install an EGT gauge, and have at it. If you are really serious about it, and scared of tools, take your truck to him rather than begging him to do home visits. I'm not dogging you, but I don't think any of these adjustments are beyond what any of you would be able to do. It takes a certain level of mechanical aptitude to own one of these old and large vehicles to begin with.

Most all of you with A2's should be able to get 67mph on flat level ground at stock governed fuel and rpm. Mine does, and has zero mod tweaks.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
4,832
833
113
Location
IN
Wes is running all over the country for himself and lots of people. I doubt he took offense.

Would be nice to see a list of the "clear video's" that still have working links. About 8 of 10 when using search have dead links and no photos. Can you list updated ones you think are helpful?
 
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74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
330
83
Location
Livonia, MI
It’s not about Wes at all, actually.

Fueling rate changes, if desired, should be done by the owners and use an EGT gauge. Situation could very easily happen where a city issues a citation for black smoke on take off, or a user melts their engine down, and then Wes is blamed.

I typed in “MW pump” on YouTube and the first two videos are for both adjustments, published by a user here.
 
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