towing @ high rpm's for long distance good or bad????

dugga4life · Sep 18, 2011

i have a 94 4.0 manual and i tow a 800 pound boat and in 5th gear it goes nowhere so i like to keep in 4th but the rpms are @2500-3000 the whole time, now no question is dumb so im asking it,,, when is the good time at rpms to shift and with tow weight is it bad on the engine to run the rpms it does for a 30min to an hour?

cody93 · Sep 18, 2011

i wouldn't say its good, but one time i had a ranger with a 2.9 and a broken A4LD that i had to drive from ft carson NV to oakland CA, trans wouldn't shift hardly and was at a constant 3200 rpms to keep at 55 mph.

racsan · Sep 18, 2011

wont hurt a thing. you really shouldnt tow in 5th (od) anyways. when im pulling my trailer im usually shifting at about 3,000 vs 2,500 when not towing. as long as your not above redline you can run it at 3,000-3,500 all day (or until you need to stop for gas) a engine is much better being run at a high rpm where it makes its power rather than too low a speed and "lugging". sure your going to use more fuel towing but the only way around that is with a diesel.

Captain Ledd · Sep 18, 2011

Lugging the engine is bad. Low RPM's with high throttle, MUCH easier on the engine to let it spin a little. Even true for diesels, but "letting them spin" is still pretty damn low.

You could always just slow down too.

Sunk · Sep 18, 2011

2500-3K will be fine, just keep an eye on things like coolant and oil.

chrwilkins30 · Sep 18, 2011

i would say no problem when i did my manual sawp found out 5th gear bearings bad and drove in 4th, 80miles round drip between 60-70 at about 3200 with a 2.9 and none of my after market gauges really moved.

AllanD · Sep 18, 2011

dugga4life said:
i have a 94 4.0 manual and i tow a 800 pound boat and in 5th gear it goes nowhere so i like to keep in 4th but the rpms are @2500-3000 the whole time, now no question is dumb so im asking it,,, when is the good time at rpms to shift and with tow weight is it bad on the engine to run the rpms it does for a 30min to an hour?

2500-3000rpm?

I've done that with my 4.0 for s full load of fuel, refilled it and did it again... for the 38 hours it takes to go from pennsylvania to Wyoming...

Doesn't hurt a thing.

I will say that a 4.0 gets kinda piggy above 2400rpm.

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doorgunner · Sep 18, 2011

ditto.....3,000 rpm isn't bad for towing.......................rev it up some, but never lug it down!

Will · Sep 18, 2011

yeah

My schoolbus has diesel engine with a 5" stroke and I've run it wide open for hundreds of miles at its 2,900rpm governed speed.

We had a Honda CR-V that we used to take to Florida with kayaks on the roof and it would live at 4,500rpm through the mountains.

In the olden days before pressure lubrication when you had a guy sitting under your hood squirting oil onto the bearings every ten minutes while you drove, it was a worry. Nowdays--let her rip. You can't hurt it.

rangerbum · Sep 18, 2011

5k mile drive with a 2k pound trailer across the country through mountain passes with my four banger, you could say it was revved high for long distance while towing.

Did that at 145k miles on the odom. Most of the passes were at 40-50mph in third Gear.

ronclark · Sep 19, 2011

dugga4life said:
i have a 94 4.0 manual and i tow a 800 pound boat and in 5th gear it goes nowhere so i like to keep in 4th but the rpms are @2500-3000 the whole time, now no question is dumb so im asking it,,, when is the good time at rpms to shift and with tow weight is it bad on the engine to run the rpms it does for a 30min to an hour?

I have a 4.0L and manual with 4.10 in 5th at 75MPH its at 3000+rpm
just make sure its stayed cool and keeps it oils pressure. i have installed gauges for that.
i say just keep her well maintain/well and cool. there should not be any problems.

towing @ high rpm's for long distance good or bad????

dugga4life

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cody93

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racsan

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Captain Ledd

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Sunk

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chrwilkins30

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AllanD

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doorgunner

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Will

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rangerbum

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ronclark

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