Then there was four- digits of torque.

[Wayne M.]

If Kyle Bush wins, I’ll hear the booooooo up here.

 

[Wayne M.]

Sorry. Misfire.

 

[TFucili]

It’s got glow plugs and a timing chain. Maybe 2. Not a 10,000 hour engine by any means!

And aluminum heads. Cummins or not, I am not interested.

 

[p-Bar]

The new Duramax has a much larger oil heat exchanger and flow to it, larger piston cooler jets and the water pump is the same but there is a second belt for driving only the larger fan, and the ribbed side of the belt turns the pulley now instead of the backside of it. I remember testing a D-Max towing the Grapevine years ago and anxiously asking the engineer if he had the data he needed cause at <30 psi oil pressure (I think they had real gauges then) WOT I was getting nervous.

Go on Gale Banks YouTube page he goes all through the 2020 Duratrash . Looks pretty promising. He is going to put on the dyno and run it hard.

 

[gsbrockman]

The camshafts are different: yours is 4930770 and mine is 4983627.
View attachment 110899


This proves Robert's article is correct. I knew he was too meticulous to be in error.

BTW, anyone can check their info at Cummins QuickServe Mobile app. pretty cool.

Thanks, Ron

Thanks for the link. Upon further thought.....I don’t believe I ever read anything within this thread until now.

 

[CUMMINZ]

My 2007.5 with Smarty and other refinements is running 440HP and guessing about 850 TQ. It has Suncoast towing transmission with 4.30 gears. I won't get rid of this big bertha but will buy a new RAM when it gets the 10 speed transmission. Some of you scoffed at my statements several years ago when I mentioned the next big game changer would be 8-10 speed autos. Well there you go. The engine refinements this year to me are not the game changers. The 10 speed will be.

 

[nukegm]

My 2007.5 with Smarty and other refinements is running 440HP and guessing about 850 TQ. It has Suncoast towing transmission with 4.30 gears. I won't get rid of this big bertha but will buy a new RAM when it gets the 10 speed transmission. Some of you scoffed at my statements several years ago when I mentioned the next big game changer would be 8-10 speed autos. Well there you go. The engine refinements this year to me are not the game changers. The 10 speed will be.

comrade! has the " rumor " become more solid about a 8 speed or similar trans? i have a buddy who owns 3 dealers, and he hasnt heard anythng, however i have seen this mentioned in a few places on this site. i agree, it would be a game changer. cheers!

 

[Cummins12V98]

10 speed didn’t help the GM against RAM on the Ike.

 

[KATOOM]

Ahhh...the next "biggest" thing will be diesel / electric, like trains.

 

[TFucili]

Every test I have seen with the ten speed GM and Ford where they are pulling anything substantial, they are always in 6th or 7th anyway. Half the time they can't even pull in direct, so what good do the extra gears do, other than rolling around empty. Is it an improvement? Maybe. Game changer? Not in my eyes.

 

[AH64ID]

Every test I have seen with the ten speed GM and Ford where they are pulling anything substantial, they are always in 6th or 7th anyway. Half the time they can't even pull in direct, so what good do the extra gears do, other than rolling around empty. Is it an improvement? Maybe. Game changer? Not in my eyes.

I do wonder how useful it will be. 7th is direct, and the light bump to 6th would be good in rolling hills. I think they did do a good job with the 6-8 ratios for towing at interstate speeds.

There are some mechanical advantages for acceleration and since it should lockup in 3rd gear it will likely run cooler towing heavy at slow speeds up grades.

I think you can probably do the same thing with 8 speeds thou.

 

[gsbrockman]

IMO.....seems to be a huge amount of “fluff” in regards to any 10-speed auto. In heavy towing use in the diesel pickup segment.....I’m fairly confident 8 speeds would be plenty. The 68RFE and AS69RC are pretty much fine as they are.....IMO.

 

[Jim W]

I am still towing with the stock 68RFE in my truck, with the stock 3:73 gears, 4X4. The engine has a mild tune on it which adds 60HP/120lb-ft, over stock at the rear wheels per Smarty. The tune has been on my truck since 2009 and I have towed with this level increase of HP/TQ. I usually pull in 6th gear on flat terrain and when I hit higher elevations, I will drop to fifth gear. The only reason I drop to fifth gear is to increase the engine RPM's so, I can keep the EGT's under 1,100F as I go up the mountain roadway and boost pressure around 30PSI.

I am extremely happy the 68RFE and it has been very reliable to me and I see no reason for an 8 or 10 speed transmission. I can run all day long at 65 to 70 MPH around 1,600 to 1,700 RPM's towing my 5er on the interstate. The TQ curve on the engine with the gear ratios of the 6 speed are matched will and provide all the necessary power to the ground as needed.

I like to keep the engine RPM's around 1,500 to 1,800 and the transmission seem to do this very well, until it wants to shift to 5th or 6th gear at 45 MPH. Than the engine will drop to under 1,200 RPS's so, I lock out 5th and 6th until I am on the highway. An 8 or 10 speed would be worse in my opinion unless the trans is design to be very closely geared to prevent lugging! The only reason I can see an 8 or 10 speed is it to keep up with the Jones in a marketing war.

 

[Cummins12V98]

IMO.....seems to be a huge amount of “fluff” in regards to any 10-speed auto. In heavy towing use in the diesel pickup segment.....I’m fairly confident 8 speeds would be plenty. The 68RFE and AS69RC are pretty much fine as they are.....IMO.

I have felt the same. My AISIN is always in the correct gear. I have tried dropping a gear as I would with the 68 but it makes no difference and sometimes caused me to slow down.

Really sucks they only had a Ford and GM for the 30k pull Ike test. Now hewn they do test the 2020 RAM the conditions will be different and may change how they compare.

 

[Cummins12V98]

"The only reason I can see an 8 or 10 speed is it to keep up with the Jones in a marketing war."

ZACTLY!!! I was happy with the 68rfe towing 29k combined and now happy with the AISIN towing 34-35k.

 

[TFucili]

I have felt the same. My AISIN is always in the correct gear. I have tried dropping a gear as I would with the 68 but it makes no difference and sometimes caused me to slow down.

Really sucks they only had a Ford and GM for the 30k pull Ike test. Now hewn they do test the 2020 RAM the conditions will be different and may change how they compare.

Even though the Ford got to the top faster, it was also running like 220 degrees trans temps, and the cooling fan was howling with 25 degree ambient temps. The GM was more in check, even if slower. Ford ran a press event locally on Yarnell Hill, based out of a nearby restaurant lot. Even on the slight grade on Hwy 89, probably 2%(?), as soon as they pulled out on the road the fans were howling.

When I first got my truck, I hooked onto the toy hauler for a test pull from here to Ehrenburg in the dead of Summer. It was 106 when I went through Quartzite, and on the moderate grade on I-10 eastbound my truck stayed in 6th gear, making about 30 lbs of boost, coolant stayed in check, trans topped out at 180 +/-, and the fan barely ran.

If it takes me an extra two minutes to climb the Ike, then so be it.

 

[Newsa]

I've heard occasionally the current automatic trannies have trouble selecting a gear. Would it be even more difficult for an 8 or 10 gear transmission to select a gear?

 

[AHutson]

I am with Jim and the others, my 68rfe is great towing with and hasn't missed a beat. Only gain I could see with an 8 speed like my wife's ecodiesel has is it will keep the engine in the low end power band a little better.

 

[Randomrunner12]

I think the next big thing is GM new electric Hummer with 1,000hp and supposed 11,500ftlbs.

We shall see where that ends up.

I have been reading lately on carcomplaints.com that the 2020 Chevy HD trucks are one of the worst trucks for maintenance and repairs, right up there with the ram 1500, and Ford f150s.

All speculation of course but will still be interesting to see the new Hummer and what it will look like.

 

[KATOOM]

All this electric hype has to level off soon because even if everyone wanted to trade in their combustion engine vehicle for an electric vehicle, there's simply not enough grid energy out there to handle the load. This is just another point in time where desire is advancing faster than infrastructure can keep up. And at the rate of electrical company supply issues combating aging equipment and environmentalism its doesnt seem possible...
But who knows.