Maineah Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 That's beauty of the series cooler systems they warm up pretty quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straygoose Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Ok here is the deal all non-lockup converters slip fact of life. When you are cruzing down the road flat ground nice high way the engine is not making much horse power or torque no matter what the rpm and the slip is low. There is an optimal rpm for any engines power it is rated at X rpm what they don't tell you it is it’s at wide open throttle at X rpm. So just puttering along the slip is there but not bad because the power is low, greater than the average car due to the air drag but tolerable. The hills come into view and you have to put your foot down a bit HP and torque increases require gasoline not RPM and they climb rapidly with your foot on the gas now the slip really comes in because the power is there and the MH is not going any faster. Now would be the time to unlock the O/D. Yes they will down shift but at that point the HP and torque is really high and the convert is in full slip mode. I all ways used my O/D but it was the only thing I owned that was an automatic and I drove it like a stick and down shifted the O/D at the slightest hint of a load. Bottom line change the fluid every 30K add a cooler and lock out O/D when there is a noticeable load and the trans will make it 150K or more. And yes left to their own devices they will get hot. This sounds pretty much like how I use my OD. I don't turn it off on every little rolling hill, but I do when I know I have to climb. BTW I checked and it appears I have a stock trans cooler. Someone mentioned that the OEM coolers may not be enough, but so far I haven't noticed any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86Dolphino Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 On 7/12/2011 at 5:34 PM, WME said: Why bother. The standard recommendation is to never use OD. WME From high in the Rockies in Wy. How come? I just drove from Reno to San Francisco and found it useful, a lot. I used OD often crossing the pass. Is it hard on something? And also over going over the pass took me to 7,000 feet in elevation and mine worked flawlessly. And I have a 86 Dolphins 22re automatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Unless someone disconnected it the overdrive doesn't work above 4000 ft. That means it's never working in Reno. The A43D automatic transmission that the 22re has doesn't not have a locking torque converter. The slippage when shifting in and out of overdrive can overheat the transmission and destroy the lubricating qualities of the fluid. Then trannie dies. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 If you use OD change the fluid every 30K if you don't use OD change the fluid every 30K. If it was not changed at 30K and it has 60K on it do not do a complete drain and refill unless the fluid is nice bright red just what's in the pan. It is converter slip that overheats the fluid OD use can make it worse if you do not shift out of OD climbing hills etc the poor little trans is overworked no matter what gear it is in they are amazingly tough transmissions but show them a little respect. I used OD in mine but it was one of the very few thing I ever owned that was not a stick and I drove it like a stick if it started to bog down no OD until it again was in cruise mode on flat highway. The V6 engines had a lockup converter that basically worked like a stick trans in OD but even with the V6 the power was just not there to match the weight so likely as not it would shift out of lockup but still be in OD (it kind of feels like a shift) there is a little science there that dealt with fluid coupling vers torque amplification but you would be back to the fact the converter was slipping it's not a perfect world. If it's straining or shifting a lot turn off OD. In the case of the 22RE the lock out was more about engine power than anything else at 4,000 feet you'll lose something in the range of 12% of your power output and with out without much to start with that's a big hit then add another 2000# and you can see where that's going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 If your using overdrive all the time and not turning it off when it shifts constantly in hilly terrain your fluid is not going to last 30,000 miles. One good trip could torch it. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86Dolphino Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 For me it went like this. I kept it in overdrive. One I got a hill and my speed dropped to 45-50 I pushed my OD off. If it was a steep hill and my speed continued to drop I kicked it down into 3rd. I did that both ways over the pass and in San Francisco. Think I should change my fluid? Linda, you are a wealth of knowledge. It's amazing how much you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Nah I've just been here too long. You were turning off the overdrive and not depending on it to shift. Your fluid is probably fine but look at it. Smell it. Will have a burnt smell if really bad. Of course if you haven't changed it since you bought the rig the pan drain and add new is probably a good thing to do. Never hurts to refresh it. Are you in Reno now? I really want you to see if your overdrive works there. I've been to Reno many times in my Sunrader but since I never use overdrive, I never tried to see if the lockout thing works. By the way, I have tested using overdrive on I5 from Sac to San Jose quite a few times and I always get better mileage with out it. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86Dolphino Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 My rv had the transmission completely rebuilt 10k miles ago. I found a $3500. dollar receipt in the glove box. I'm not sure if my altitude thing is plug in or not. I did notice on my way over and back sometimes it would kick out of OD on its own and sometimes I'd use the switch. I'm happy to test something if you'd like. Let me know how and I'll do it. I got lucky I also found a receipt for a new motor 30k miles ago. PO did all kinds of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 7 hours ago, linda s said: If your using overdrive all the time and not turning it off when it shifts constantly in hilly terrain your fluid is not going to last 30,000 miles. One good trip could torch it. Linda S Well they are not that fragile but you are going to drain some brown burnt fluid. It's not the shifting it is the converter slipping it is a fluid coupling there is no physical connection between the veins in the converter so the fluid gets real hot trying to keep things moving. The clutch pack applies a lot of clamping force to a lot of surface area. The bottom line no matter what one feels the issue is the fact they are doing a yeoman's job of keeping a 6000# brick moving for something that was designed to move Volvos and small pickups. Take care of your trans and will take care of you. I was the shop manager for the largest independent transmission shop in Maryland in the 80's so we got to see a lot of theses things they were a very popular choice for a lot of vehicles back then. Add a bigger cooler and change your fluid oh and don't use your OD unless you cruising on the highway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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