Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Why not Govenor Spring Kit (GSK3)

[SDrake]

I hate to keep pestering the owner of TST (name escapes me at the moment) because he has been so helpful in every situation I have called on him but I want to understand why not install GSK3 with the #6 plate. He does not recomment doing it. Is it a transmission issue (I just rebuilt and put in a 3 clutch converter) or is it EGT or that the stock turbo can't hack that much power at the highter RPM's or what? I understand basically what governors do but do not know how it is integrated into the p7100 pump. maybe it has something to do with the 160HP pump.



I tow 8K lb trailer occasionally and don't mind babying the transmission on those occasions but mostly I want a peppier truck on the hills of West Va. interstates and meet the occasional need to get on it at the acceleration ramps. My brother in his 97 powerstroke envies my gass milage and it wouldn't be so bad to hang onto his bumper on the acceleration ramp getting back onto the interstate but basically I am looking for drivability.



I am in the middle of installing a set of Westach gauges and plan on driving one trip observing the readings in stock trim.



Then I will order the fuel plate and what ever else I decide. I also need to know where the AFC spring kit fits in to this picture. It is cheep and would be easy to include while in there with the plate.

 

[Jim Fulmer]

Some of the plate designs don't work that well with gov springs without adjusting the Gov arm in relation to how it hit's the plate. I personally like the #10 with 3K's allot better, call Piers (or his people) at 1-866-888-9396 and they will tell you the same thing!



Jim

 

[pwerwagn]

The afc spring just controls the rate at which the afc allows the gov lever to move foward in the housing, based on boost pressures. At higher pressures, it does nothing. It will just make your truck a little more responsive at lower rpm's, if set up correctly. A softer spring, the less boost required to allow the gov lever to contact the plate itself. you can also loosen the star wheel, but that tends to be smoky-er.



--Jeff

 

[DBrickel]

sdrake, Trust me on this. It is the voiice of experience. Do the transmission upgrade first. the stocker just abosolutly hate upgrades

 

[Reb.B]

it has nothing to do with transmission or anything else. Jim Fulmer hit it right on the dot. Either grind your stock plate or trade for a #10. It will work the best. 160 pumps all the way with 215 pumps should run #10 plates with Gov springs. If you run the 6 and the arm is set too low it can catch with the srings and you will have a big turtle. 4k gov spings on 160 and 175 pumps, and 3K on 180 and 215 pumps when you have mild towing trucks.

 

[DHorstman]

Interesting, I have the #6 with 3k GSK from Piers. Bought it last year for mostly a play truck and they didn't recommend going with a #10 plate. Mine was a factory 180HP pump and still has the stock trans(166K), but it's liking the extra HP less and less.



Maybe it's more than just the stock converter that makes it feel more sluggish off the line than I thought it would be.

 

[Reb.B]

Well Piers was the first one that told me to start selling #10 plates with govenor springs because there is less problems. He said about 80 percent of the 5 and 6 plates have to be readjusted, and the 10 plates work perfect.

 

[SDrake]

It was great to come home from a busy day and find all these responses. FWIW Dbrickel, I just did a LOCAL transmission rebuild and installed a 3 clutch torque conveter. I love the quick and firm, but smooth lock up.



On the other issues, I can live with the need to readjust the govennor lever on the #6 but would rather not if there is a plate that accomodates the existing setting. I waited on calling Piers until I was a little closer to being ready to make a purchase but with the new transmission and gauges I am ready. I will call them next day or so and check them out on my exact situation. I think one thing that keeps me confused is all the information that may apply to one pump and not another. My 160 may need delivery valves and or injectors to match.



Reb. b's remark has thrown me big time since I have so little experience with how all this stuff fits together . Reb. b said ---- (4k gov spings on 160 and 175 pumps, and 3K on 180 and 215 pumps when you have mild towing trucks. ) ---



I thought 3K vs 4K had to do with 3000RPM or 4000RPM in which 4000RPM requires heavier valve springs. Why not a 3K kit on a 160 pump if you are not wanting to take care of all the other things that go with 4K? Is there something about the 160HP pump that makes it especially suited to run at higher RPM's?



For a little laugh you fellas might like to know that as I started to reading up on this stuff a couple of months ago it took some getting used to to look at making smoke as good. In my mind it was a sure sign of something not right and needed to be fixed. I see the AFC spring as a means of helping the driver avoid making too much smoke off the line and shouldn't limit power out of the hole all that much since the fuel in excess of the needed air is wasted any way. Is that the correct perception of what the AFC spring does? If so I want it.



Sorry for the long post but there were so many interesting responses and I appreciate them very much. I felt I needed to touch on them all in some way.

 

[SDrake]

Decided on #10 plate

After learning a little more about the relationship of the govenor to the plates and since I want just a little higher RPM when accelerating and pulling in third with my automatic, I have decided to go for the #10 plate and the 3K GSK. That will be my first venture from stock. The 160HP pump and injectors will stay put for now. I can see that I may just get in a hurry some day for my truck to need new injectors, and muffler ---- why won't you burn out when I need you too, so I can put in the 4" etc



That's it for now. Ordering the stuff tomoorrow but am off on a round robbin of visiting kids from indianna to Texas, reading my new Westach guages, and somewhere along the line installing the plate and GSK probably at my son's house in KY. I am puting on some aluminum rims from a 2001 truck, and new michelins tomorrow and taking them to a guy that has a Hunter GSP9700 road force balancer. I finally got the lowdown on my out of round stock wheels after 200k+ miles and hope to finally be rid of the shaking that has always been there.

 

[BigPapa]

S,



You do know those rims won't work without modifying your rear brake drums, don't you?



Scott

 

[SDrake]

oops, didn't notice your note on the need to modify the rims. yes I knew that and read on a post somewhere of a fella that ground the ridge on the drum with a grinder while the wheel was off and the truck in gear. I did that and now have about 1/16" clearance between the drum and the wheel. Kind of close and am a little concerned about how the heat from the drum will affect the tire with it being so close. Normal driving I am not concerned but if i ever return out west and need to do some hot braking or some towing on the back roads I would like to know a little more about what to watch for. Seems like it can't be good on the tire but I am taking a chance that with my light braking style of driving and the fact that my rear brakes don't seem to do much, I will be OK.

 

[Morse]

I stopped by Garmon Diesel in Georgia on my way to Florida from KY, and he removed the plate, adjusted timing, installed a 4,000 GSK, and threw in a K&N. . The difference was huge. . It ran great. . I then hooked back up to my 11,000 pound load and drove the rest of the way to FL. . The difference was night and day. . It would spin through first and second, and it was a dually. . My factory converter hated life imidiately though. . Just because it says it's a 4,000 GSK doesn't mean it will turn 4,000. . I didn't have near enough fuel for it to do those RPM's.

 

[rfull]

where is this place in ga as i got to go there this week south of warner robbins?



might let them look at mine>>>>>>>>>

 

[Willys]

Jeff Garmon's shop is in McDonough GA.



770-898-8585 or 866-898-8585



120 C. Park West Dr.

McDonugh, GA 30253



SDrake, did you get the plate and GSK in? How is it working? Oo.

 

[SDrake]

#10 plate not in yet

Oops again. I thought I was going to be notified by e-mail when someone posted. Missed your post.



No, ---- plate and GSK not in yet. But triple clutch converter and transmission rebuild have already put a smile on. Even with the stock engine the truck is already much more fun to drive in stop and go and up and down hill driving. The lower stall speed and the stronger clutch make it feel like the power is actually getting to the ground. Hard to describe but I recommend it even if you are not going to do the power mods.



I have taken two trips empty with the Westach gauges, I got the center dash next to the windshield mount from Geno's. It is definitely easier to keep an eye on there for me than the other mounts I have seen. I am trying to learn the relationships of EGT, vs Boost. I am now wondering if I have a restricted catalytic converter. Boost is lower than I expected and EGT's are higher. Full throttle at 70 mph up steep grades gets boost to 12psi and EGt's go near 1000. MY probe is in the exhaust manifold. I wasn't expecting to see 1000 degrees until I towed in third with the stock engine.



I assume my timing is at 12. 5 deg since the pump has never been touched and that is what is on the plate. So perhaps advancing timing would cool it down a bit. I think I want to take care of that before I put in the new plate.



Also I am wondering how a restricted CAT would show itself on the gauges. It makes sense to me that EGT's would be higher accompanied with lower boost but not knowing what the typical readings for my stock rig should be I just don't know. I can't believe I drove this truck all that time with no gauges. Should have been first thing off the show room so I could have learned from the 200K miles of experience.



Long story short I am resisting the temptation to just throw the plate in with out some sort of baseline stored in my mind. If I become convinced that my boost readings and EGT's are normal for the stocker I will throw the plate in and then do the timing and CAT later.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

as stated above, it's a powerband issue... I had a 4k GSK in my truck w/ a #6 plate, and it took forEVER to get into full fuel...



a few minutes w/ the bench grinder cured that

 

[Heepdriver]

Low boost and high EGT's sounds like a clogged cat to me, not that 1000 is hot.

Going from a stock clogged cat, and stock air filter, to a BHAF (part # PA2806 I think, has a cover), and a 4" down pipe and exhaust, no cat no muffler, increased boost from 25 to 33. It didn't like to make 25#'s of boost before and now it makes over 30 like its nothin. Do the exhaust you will not be disapointed.