2000 V6 w/boat
Thread Starter
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Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Temecula, CA United States
2000 V6 w/boat
Mike,
I was referred to you by some fans located in other sections of this site. I bought a 2000 2WD, V6 with an alleged 3" susp. and 3.5" body lift (used) running on 315 70R16s. OK, I bought a boat a couple weeks ago, 18' SeaDoo and the craft w/trailer weigh about 3000 lbs. Truck can tow but you know its back there and going up hills is done in 3rd. There are some steep ramps for retrieving/launching around southern California and when pulling boat and trailer from water on the way out, I have to ride the clutch to maintain RPMs and power to keep going. Never break traction but if I fully release clutch, it will not make it. By the time I reach the top of the launch, people are plugging their noses from the burnt clutch smell. I have done it twice and until I can get more power or other fix, boat is dry. Please advise, I miss my boat.
Thanks much,
Carl
I was referred to you by some fans located in other sections of this site. I bought a 2000 2WD, V6 with an alleged 3" susp. and 3.5" body lift (used) running on 315 70R16s. OK, I bought a boat a couple weeks ago, 18' SeaDoo and the craft w/trailer weigh about 3000 lbs. Truck can tow but you know its back there and going up hills is done in 3rd. There are some steep ramps for retrieving/launching around southern California and when pulling boat and trailer from water on the way out, I have to ride the clutch to maintain RPMs and power to keep going. Never break traction but if I fully release clutch, it will not make it. By the time I reach the top of the launch, people are plugging their noses from the burnt clutch smell. I have done it twice and until I can get more power or other fix, boat is dry. Please advise, I miss my boat.
Thanks much,
Carl
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi sattlerc,
Hmm, you've got quite a situation there, but it is "fix-able", so don't worry.
Well, you have 2 primary factors working against you trying to pull that boat up out of the water, the first is a lack of power, and the second is a reduction of torque multiplication from those much larger-than-stock tires, which have effectively changed your gear ratio in the differential(s) to a numerically lower gear ratio, reducing power getting to the ground.
If you have 4WD, then you can just throw it in 4Lo and have all the power & traction you need to get that boat up out of the water and up the ramp.
However, I'm guessing that you don't have 4WD, is that correct? If that is the case, then you need to do 1 and possibly 2 different things. First, you need to increase available power, and second, even after increasing engine power, you still might need to do a gear ratio change, time will tell.
My first suggestion to increase engine power at all throttle positions is of course to use the Superchip, if you aren't already. That is going to give you a 10%-12% increase in power, and is the single most cost-effective power-gainer for that vehicle.
Next up would be to use an airbox elimination kit, like the Airaid kit, which will add about 10 more hp to the 4.2 V-6.
And last is a good cat-back exhaust system, which will add another 8-10 horsepower to your V-6.
Or, if you don't want to do any power-adding modifications, you could start by changing the rear gear ratio first, you'll need at least a 4.10 gear and possibly a little more, and if you don't already have positraction, that should be added for getting up those wet boat ramps.
What I would suggest before you do *anything* is to just give us a call when you get a chance, and let's go over a number of things, to find the best solution for what you really need, and for what you want to be able to do with the vehicle, and the best way to accomplish that. So just give us a call, we're here Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 7 pm Eastern time, and we'll be happy to go over all of this with you, and come up with a game plan for you to think about.
Hang in there Carl, you'll be able to use your boat again!
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer
Hmm, you've got quite a situation there, but it is "fix-able", so don't worry.
Well, you have 2 primary factors working against you trying to pull that boat up out of the water, the first is a lack of power, and the second is a reduction of torque multiplication from those much larger-than-stock tires, which have effectively changed your gear ratio in the differential(s) to a numerically lower gear ratio, reducing power getting to the ground.
If you have 4WD, then you can just throw it in 4Lo and have all the power & traction you need to get that boat up out of the water and up the ramp.
However, I'm guessing that you don't have 4WD, is that correct? If that is the case, then you need to do 1 and possibly 2 different things. First, you need to increase available power, and second, even after increasing engine power, you still might need to do a gear ratio change, time will tell.
My first suggestion to increase engine power at all throttle positions is of course to use the Superchip, if you aren't already. That is going to give you a 10%-12% increase in power, and is the single most cost-effective power-gainer for that vehicle.
Next up would be to use an airbox elimination kit, like the Airaid kit, which will add about 10 more hp to the 4.2 V-6.
And last is a good cat-back exhaust system, which will add another 8-10 horsepower to your V-6.
Or, if you don't want to do any power-adding modifications, you could start by changing the rear gear ratio first, you'll need at least a 4.10 gear and possibly a little more, and if you don't already have positraction, that should be added for getting up those wet boat ramps.
What I would suggest before you do *anything* is to just give us a call when you get a chance, and let's go over a number of things, to find the best solution for what you really need, and for what you want to be able to do with the vehicle, and the best way to accomplish that. So just give us a call, we're here Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 7 pm Eastern time, and we'll be happy to go over all of this with you, and come up with a game plan for you to think about.
Hang in there Carl, you'll be able to use your boat again!
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Temecula, CA United States
Wow and Thanks. This truck, minus the lift and tires (and some cosmetics) is stock to the best of my knowledge. How do I determine if one, there has been a rear end change and two, if there hasn't been a change, which one my truck came with. (I do plan on calling you guys but at work things are a little tight.) Does the chip or any other mod you mentioned, affect warranty coverage? I do not have 4WD or the chip. How much would I be looking at for the gear change, how would that affect road use (mph and mpg)? The airbox elimination kit is basically just a funnel filter on the end (i.e.K&N) of the intake right?
A sincere thank you from a panicked first time full size truck and boat owner!
Carl
A sincere thank you from a panicked first time full size truck and boat owner!
Carl
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi sattlerc,
It's a good bet that nobody has changed the rear gear ratio since you have to go up grades in third gear when towing and have to fry the clutch just to pull that boat out of the water, so I'm fairly certain you're still running the stock gear ratio. To find out what the stock gear ratio is, you can get that from the sticker that is in the back of the driver's door frame, near the striker post. That is where all the tire & pressure etc. info is at, and there will be an "axle code" field on that sticker and there will be a letter code within that field. That code tells you what ratio & whether or not it is a limiter slip. I don't have those axle codes memorized, but if you'll check that sticker and call your dealer to let them know what you found, they can tell you what gear it came with for you.
No, neither the Superchip nor the other mods I mentioned will void your warranty, you are protected by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. You have to actually cause damage to your vehicle with a modification to have a warranty claim legally denied.
As far as what is going to happen to your mileage, I can't tell you, because of the big load your motor is under right now, it might actually go up a bit if you get the rpms back up to where they belong so it isn't being forced to "lug" below it's power band, but I wouldn't count on that actually paying for itself. Right now it's far more important to get that motor to where it's not under such a strain, either via modifications to add power, or a combination of mods & a gear ratio change. The cost of changing the rear gear ratio at a dealership runs anywhere from $500-$650 or so.
The airbox elimination kits do just that, they replace not only the restrictive factory paper air filter element with a low-restriction K&N unit, but also eliminate the airbox itself, further reducing restriction in the air intake tract. They're well worthwhile.
Good luck!
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer
[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 04-01-2001).]
It's a good bet that nobody has changed the rear gear ratio since you have to go up grades in third gear when towing and have to fry the clutch just to pull that boat out of the water, so I'm fairly certain you're still running the stock gear ratio. To find out what the stock gear ratio is, you can get that from the sticker that is in the back of the driver's door frame, near the striker post. That is where all the tire & pressure etc. info is at, and there will be an "axle code" field on that sticker and there will be a letter code within that field. That code tells you what ratio & whether or not it is a limiter slip. I don't have those axle codes memorized, but if you'll check that sticker and call your dealer to let them know what you found, they can tell you what gear it came with for you.
No, neither the Superchip nor the other mods I mentioned will void your warranty, you are protected by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. You have to actually cause damage to your vehicle with a modification to have a warranty claim legally denied.
As far as what is going to happen to your mileage, I can't tell you, because of the big load your motor is under right now, it might actually go up a bit if you get the rpms back up to where they belong so it isn't being forced to "lug" below it's power band, but I wouldn't count on that actually paying for itself. Right now it's far more important to get that motor to where it's not under such a strain, either via modifications to add power, or a combination of mods & a gear ratio change. The cost of changing the rear gear ratio at a dealership runs anywhere from $500-$650 or so.
The airbox elimination kits do just that, they replace not only the restrictive factory paper air filter element with a low-restriction K&N unit, but also eliminate the airbox itself, further reducing restriction in the air intake tract. They're well worthwhile.
Good luck!
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer
[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 04-01-2001).]