Piers, this is the first I've heard you are leaving BD. I'm sorry to see you go. Last year when I broke down in Bozeman you helped me a great deal. Can't say thanks enough. Can you say what your next venture is? Again, thanks for all of your help with my goofy questions last year.
Bill K. , thank you for all your info on auto and pressure locks. You described me to a "T".
Last summer, before we went out west for 2 months, I modified my Dodge. Two years ago we bought a 14k 5er. We first pulled to Tennessee. I did not have any guages, didn't know about TDR, was not a mechanic, basically, I didn't have a clue. Anyway we pulled to TN. There were some good hills, but nothing major. My poor old Dodge barely made it. I spent a lot of time in 3rd at 40 mph trying to get up the hills. I'd top the hills and ride the brakes down the other side. I just didn't know what damage I was doing. My fault for not knowing.
I know now that I must have overheated the trannie, had huge egts, etc. But the auto trannie and engine held together.
Last year I found TDR and all the helpful advice. Spent a lot of time reading. I learned I needed to modify my truck but not to over do it. I did the TST plate, Amsoil, and K&N filter. This was to get me up the hills. Then I called BD and got the Exhaust brake, auto and pressure loc, and egt and trannie guages. This was to help me slow down after I topped the hills and monitor my engine temps.
When talking with one of the BD sales people, I don't remember his name, he told me that I also needed the Pressureloc. Problem was, he couldn't really explain what it did or how to use it. Basically he told me to engauge the Pressureloc when I got to highway speed. It would keep the TC from slipping. Again, I am not a mechanic, I listened, it sort of made sense, I bought it.
I had Southeastern Diesel in Chattanooga do the install of my BD products and gauges. By the way, I didn't think much of their (Southeaster Diesel) workmanship.
Shortly after the modifications we headed out to Wyoming and Montana for 5 weeks. Every time I got to highway speeds I turned on the Pressureloc. If I was headed up a long grade I'd turn the O/D off and re-engauge the Pressureloc. I kept a close eye on my egts and trannie temps. This is how the BD saleman told me to use the Pressureloc.
After 5 weeks we were headed home. Outside of Bozeman, after climbing a long grade in 3rd with the Pressureloc engauged I saw a huge cloud of white smoke come out of the back to my Dodge. My egts weren't abnormally high. I pulled over. Trannie fluid was dripping out from the seal between the trannie and TC.
After getting to Boozeman and finding a good trannie shop here's what I found out. I had fried my trannie and tc. Not kind of fried, I mean REALLY fried my trannie. They said I had some serious heat in it. I needed a new tc and a rebuild of my trannie. One other thing was found. The Pressureloc was hanging from where it attaches to the trannie at the Overdrive housing. The Pressureloc cylinder has a shaft coming out of it that is in two pieces and held together by a jam nut. The far end of the shaft attaches to the kick down lever. The section of the shaft that attaches to the kick down lever was gone.
---Has anyone else had this problem---
So why did my trannie fail? Did I blame BD? I don't know why if failed so how can I rightfully blame anyone? Here's how I see it. When my trannie failed it had 93,000 miles. I've learned from this board that lots of folks, when they pull a good bit, don't get near 93k before their auto trannie fails. So maybe it was just time. Maybe the year before, when I was trying to pull through Tennessee, I did the damage then. Maybe it was because I kept the Pressureloc engauged whenever I was on the highway. Maybe it was because the Pressureloc came apart... (if I have the Pressureloc engauged but the shaft isn't there to push on the kick down lever is it even engauged?) Maybe it was because I was pulling a 14k 5er up and down the mountains out west, that's more weight than the manual says I can pull. Maybe it was a combination of two or more of these things. Who is to say.
In the end I think my trannie failed for multiple reasons... mainly from my lack of knowledge. That makes it my fault.
Do I turn on the Pressureloc anymore? No way, I don't trust it. Anyone want to buy mine? It's still on the truck only because I don't know how to get it off. If you folks at BD want to buy it back I'd gladly except the offer.
Why did I go with a rebuild trannie and a Pro-Loc TC and not a BD trannie and TC? When I was stuck in Bozeman for three weeks I spent a lot of time on this board and learned lots about the the Pressureloc, none of it good. At the time, because of what I learned about the Pressureloc from this board, plus the fact that the Pressureloc cylinder was just hanging from the trannie because it had come apart, I blamed BD. Like I said, now I can't for sure blame anyone but myself. But I will say the BD saleman did not give me all the facts. So because of my distrust of BD there was no way I was buying their trannie.
At the time Piers helped me out alot. I had a lot of stupid questions and was angry. He calmly answered every one of them. He is a heck of a man.
I wish I had recognized how much Bill K. knows. I sure would have gone to him for advice as well. Next time I will.
There are two purposes of this post: First, to back up what Bill K. said, a lot of people who put on the BD Pressurelocs don't understand engines and don't have a clue what a Pressureloc does or the harm it can do. I don't think the BD salesman I spoke to knew either. I know a lot more than I did two years ago, but know just enough to be dangerous. Second: I hope other people read this who are considering a Pressure loc/mystery switch or are just beginning to modify. Please read lots and ask a lot of questions. Know what you are doing and make sure it makes sense to you. In the end it's your responsibility. The break down in Bozeman costed me $3,700 to rebuild the trannie, plus $28 per day at the RV park, plus a rent car for 3 weeks, plus three weeks of lost pay because I wasn't home and back at work. Ouch!
Bill Cook
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'98, 3500, 112,000 miles, 12 valve, 4x4, QCab, SLT, auto, 3. 54, tow pkg, Pro-Loc TC, TST #8 plate (230/605), BD exhaust brake-presure lock-torque lock, heavy duty valve springs, Mag-Hitech trannie and diff. covers, transmission and pyro gauges pillar mounted, K&N filter, 14k 36' fifth wheel, 12k Sooner 4horse gooseneck, 13K (when loaded), 24ft gooseneck flat bed.
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