Boat Towing Advice Needed

[tektoo2]

Advice Needed Please...

Monday, I will be towing my boat 400 miles- 6-7 hours. O/D on or off? the boat its only about 2000lbs nothing big its an 18ft Sunbird

Any advice is greatly appreciated..

TIA,
Ted

 

[riverrat jr]

Boat Towing

I'd be O.D. off for a number of reasons. Good luck on your trip!

 

[tektoo2]

I'd be O.D. off for a number of reasons. Good luck on your trip!

Thanks. What are the reasons. I've heard opinions for both ways...

Off:
can overheat the trans

On:
"keep it out of OD..."

please explain as i am nervous already as it is...lol

 

[04 EDGE]

I tow my snowmobile trailer 200 miles one way at least 5 times a year, both sleds and trailer weigh 1800 pounds, add gear and other stuff and I am sure its over 2000 pounds.

I leave it in overdrive and it rarely down shifts to 4th gear. It will however unlock the torque converter often. 75 mph is nothing and its hard to tell its back there!

My truck has a 4.6 with 3.55 gears.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

When running on a long flat straight stretch you could let it into OD. But if it starts lugging or shifting in and out, by all means lock it out of OD. Locking it out will keep the trans cooler and likely will not reduce MPGs by that much. I have a mileage monitor on my F150, when towing another truck on a trailer, MPG's actually dropped in OD.

Moving this to the towing section BTW.

 

[tektoo2]

after reading more in here.. i've run out to my truck and saw the axle code to be 45 which is the 5R55S/3.55. [i've got a 4.0 BTW] will i be OK for my trip O/D on? its one way with the boat. I dont want to have a "catastrophic" on the way down... i'm not towing over 3000#s... so.. what do you think?

Please get back to me...

 

[armysoldier30263]

i tow the boat with OD off ... with it on after i drop the boat and get on the interstate it wants to "jump in and out of OD" i was told its because towing in OD the spring switching it in and out of OD has stretched out thus making regular driving it drop in and out of OD ... since i always tow without OD on since that havent had that problem again

 

[04 EDGE]

There is no spring that switches it in and out of overdrive. It is all done electronically via solenoids in the valve body (fluid pressure).

 

[armysoldier30263]

then what would make it kick in and out of OD after i tow in OD?

 

[tektoo2]

Done! Thanks for the advice guys!!!!