Tomorrow I am going to be hauling an engine weighing just under 2000 lbs in the bed of my 2006 5.4L 4X4 for about 600 miles. Suspension is stock but I have my VMP towing tune installed. Any words or adivce or tips for my trip? How hard will this work the truck? Should I take it out of OD on the expressway or just leave it and let it shift how it wants? This is the first time I have actually really worked the truck so any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!


EDIT: Job Complete 4/24/09. Pics added.

I made the trip today and it went well. We took our old engine and swapped it for a rebuilt one. I think the engine was a little closer to 3/4 ton than 1 ton so that probably helped out. Round trip was about 650 miles. I ran between 60 and 70 mph the whole trip down mostly I90. Once up to speed the truck only shifted out of OD a couple of times each way while on cruise.

The thing that bothered me the most was gas mileage. I am trying to understand what happened. My average over 16,000 miles unloaded with a VMP performance tune is 15.2 mpg. I drive about 75% highway daily to work. On the trip to Ohio with the engine heading west into the wind on I90 and VMP towing tunes I got 16 mpg over 330 miles. On the way back home with the wind at my back and VMP towing tunes I got 18.5 mpg over 320 miles! Would the towing tune really get me that much better mileage than the performance? Does this make sense? The only real difference I know of is that I accelerated and decelerated very slowly with the engine in the bed and normally I get on it a lot more when empty. I figured that driving easy would be offset by all that weight though and that my mpg would be no better than empty. Any other ideas of what could be going on?

Pics:

hoisting engine onto truck with A-Frame.


White tractor with engine removed.


Loaded and ready to go...not squatting too bad...1.5 to 2 inches so the truck looks level.


Engine Loaded. Rear squatted between 1.5 and 2 inches so the truck looked about level.


New (rebuilt) engine strapped down.


New (rebuilt) engine strapped in.


New (rebuilt) engine strapped in, ready to go. Squatting about 2 inches.

 

Just drive the damn thing.

 

I'll add a ditto to this before the inevitable people show up on the thread yelling "get a super duty".



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I hope it doesn't fall through the floor of the bed!

 

You will be okay, about taking it out of overdrive. I have had the same question when towing around hills and the genreal consensus i got was that if the truck keeps shifting in and out of gears constantly then take it out of OD. Otherwise don't since it would just be sucking up more gas.

 

Is this a Caterpillar engine?

 

you should be fine...ive had about 3500 lbs of topsoil and mulch in the bed of my truck, made it home. Made it look like i had a 4" drop on the rear haha but I only drove it for 3 miles home...not 600

 

I'd be more concerned about the engine flopping around in your bed -- make sure you tie it down good. Hauling that much weight shouldn't even make your truck bat an eyelash.

 

as long as it doesn't turn out like this after 600 miles, you'll be OK...........

 

You'll be fine, if it is constantly in and out of od or going tobe in 3rd for a long stretch take it outta od to let the converter lock up

 

LMAO. WOW!

 

Just watch out for floating when turning and don't push the engine too hard. Like 5k going up a hill for 20 mins.

 

In the words of Marge Simpson, "slow and steady, wins the race."

 

position the engine are far ahead as you can. i have unloaded molds off pickups and almost picked the front tires off the ground when sliding it out, crushed tailpipes, whoops....lol make sure who is unloading it isn't a moron. i've got 5000+ hrs behind a forklift, i have seen some funny shenanigans. make sure the straps are strong enough, i love seeing those guys with new quads holding them down with 4 dollar ratchet straps.

 

Thanks for all of tips here. I should be fine, I'll just take it slow and if it starts shifting a lot I will take it out of OD. I think I am going to want to add a leaf before I do this again though. Oh and it is similar to a Caterpillar engine...it is from a large farm tractor on my parents farm.