Towing question - looks like I will need to tow a 3500# boat with the rover. I am not worried about the brakes (all refreshed) , but more the gearing. I am running a 32.8" tire on stock gearing (witing for the checkbook to rpand before i buy gears/lockers) so I have lost the low end torque that I had stock. Do I risk any damage to the tranny towing like this?

 

Why would you hurt the transmission?
It has no idea what size tires you are running, all it knows is what gear it is told to be in.
If you dont have enough power then run it in 3rd gear.
Put the t-case in lo range to pull it out of the water.

 

And it is not uncommon among domestic vehicles for the owner manual to suggest not towing in "overdrive" gear, guess they want the tranny pump going a little faster to pump fluid thru the cooler and reduce temps under load. Makes mpg in single digits sometimes...

 

Thanks guys. I guess I was just worried about the tranny and gears since they are not using the factory tire size. Based on the lack of low end torque I will have to use 4L to get up the ramps.

I will be happy once we get the F350 super duty back down here to use for boat duty. Especially once we get the new boat, but hopefully we will just dry dock that one at the marina.

 

Actually it is to keep the engine RPM up for more power.
Domestics run at a lower RPM while in top gear but the power band is still higher up.
For example, my Ford work van with a V8 at 60mph turns about 1200RPM while my Rover turns about 2300RPM at 60.

If the trans is hunting for the right gear all the time it will run hot, keeping it in a constant gear it will run cooler.
So towing in 4th, slight hill and it downshifts to 3rd, then back to 4th once you level back out, then back into 3rd...its going to overheat on a hot day with the a/c on, not the engine, the transmission.

 

Does the ecu have an output for tranny temp That i can use the ultraGauge to monitor?

 

Nope, just a simple on-off switch, the temp probe gets to hot, it closes the circuit and turns on the trans temp warning lamp on the dash.

 

Towing could be a way to ruin an otherwise good transmission on your D2.

I would totally have the transmission flushed out before towing.
New trans filter.
And, put in that Lucas Transmission stop slip stuff.

But seriously-
I simply would not tow at all.

I would like to tow a Saab 93 behind my 2001 D2 on a car dolly.
I just replaced my trans filter and flushed it out well.
I have a slight shudder when starting off. Have had that for a while.
I will not tow.

I mean - if you are towing your trailer around the farm - you can do that
in low range and not hurt the transmission.

but, keeping it in high range - I would avoid huge hills and always keep the transmission in "3" even if something smells like a hill.

The previous owner of my D2 liked horses. I would not be surprised if my D2 towed some.
Maybe that is why my fluid looked a bit burned and I have a transmission judder when I start off slowly.

I figure - if you want to keep your D2 - don't abuse it by towing.
Towing - is abuse in my book.

That book called "Drive it forever". When he talked about the egg on the gas pedal and don't break the egg..

 

That sucks. Luckily the roads are pretty flat here in FL. I guess I should keep my towing to a min.

 

Thats literally impossible.
If you want to keep your truck until you die you need to wash it, wax it, treat the gas and put it up on blocks in your garage with a battery tender so the ECU's dont loose their sync.
You're going to waste all of your time worrying about the truck and spend all of your money trying to make it last forever and its going to get wrecked in a accident or something major will happen and you wont have the money or time to fix it.
Seriously, its a truck, a box with 4 wheels, you can always buy another.
I drive my truck, I take care of it without breaking the bank, I use it, I abuse it, she comes back for more, I pat her on the fender, tell her I love her and shes a good girl, and we do it all over again.
Pulling stumps out of the ground, people out of the ditch, towing trailers, hay wagons, fallen trees off of the trail...its a truck.