Question for all tuned automatic truck guys

[boss300]

I am running into the same problem with transmission shifting with multiple company's tuning. Once the torque converter locks up in my truck it wont unlock again until you get below a set mph. Some tuners have it at 30, some a little less like around 27. This annoys me due to the fact that when slowing down to just above 30 mph, the truck stays in 3rd with the converter locked so that when I try to accelerate, the engine lugs and smokes like crazy. This problem is even worse when pulling a large trailer. If I push the pedal hard enough to make the truck downshift, it keeps the converter locked for the downshift and then the next upshift resulting in very harsh shifting. I wish the converter would unlock when decelerating under 40 mph. When I tell the tuners this they are baffled and either say I have used this tuning for years with no complaints or a simple hmmm...

What do your trucks do in this situation and are you happy with it?

I have 250/200 injectors, a php hydra and all the supporting mods but this issue should apply to stock injector automatic trucks as well I would think.

 

[dsberman94]

Who are your multiple companies because mine definitely doesn’t do that. I have 250/200s and a 369sxe. I see how yours would be a Smokey pig. In 3rd mine will unlock as soon as I take my foot off the throttle and lock up again once it gets to a certain rpm. 4th pretty much stays locked. 2nd doesn’t lock unless I’m in it hard. Jelibuilt tuned.

Have you tried explaining to the tuners what is happening vs what you want to happen for them to fix it. Everyone likes something a little different. TC lock up is definitely one of those things.

 

[boss300]

I have just started working with 1023 on the tuning so hopefully they can help me out. I am glad to hear yours unlocks. Mine is like driving 2 different vehicles. One is pretty nice just cruising around but once it locks up if I don’t go below 30 mph it’s a lugging rough Smokey pig. It has been 10 years since I’ve driven a stock 7.3 but I don’t remember them doing this stock.

On a side note dsberman do you tow any with your 369 and 250/200s?

 

[lariat 7.3]

Gear head unlocks it when coasting for me, due to me wanting it to lock earlier on accel. DP I would just tap the brake and it’d unlock

 

[dsberman94]

I have just started working with 1023 on the tuning so hopefully they can help me out. I am glad to hear yours unlocks. Mine is like driving 2 different vehicles. One is pretty nice just cruising around but once it locks up if I don’t go below 30 mph it’s a lugging rough Smokey pig. It has been 10 years since I’ve driven a stock 7.3 but I don’t remember them doing this stock.

On a side note dsberman do you tow any with your 369 and 250/200s?

Nope. No towing. A couple times a year I load it with scrap and firewood but other than that it’s just a toy at the moment. Actually the fiancés winter daily.

I’m trying to remember how the trans was set up with ******** for me. I just left it the way he had it on my old set up except I asked him to lock in OD at 45. I’m pretty sure third gear would unlock the tc when I was off the gas and it would always unlock the tc when I got on the brakes and lock again when I got off. Even in 4th. That was the one thing I hated about that tuning.

 

[The Brad]

I have the same issue with my 1023 tunes, most noticeable while towing. Unfortunately, a lot of these Tuners put a 30 day limit on revisions and I‘m done spending money on tuning.

 

[boss300]

I just can’t imagine that in 20 years of 7.3 tuning that the way my truck acts is the latest and greatest. I also can’t imagine anybody not being annoyed by this issue. I wonder if the tuners themselves drive 7.3 trucks that do this and they like it?

I don’t know much about the computer side but it dosent have anything to do with my pmt2 pcm does it?

 

[dsberman94]

Never heard of 1023. Jelibuilt treated me good and helped me out when he definitely didn’t have to last year. Jelibuilt, php, geerhead is who I will stick with.

 

[79jasper]

Never heard of 1023. Jelibuilt treated me good and helped me out when he definitely didn’t have to last year. Jelibuilt, php, geerhead is who I will stick with.

How can you have a 7.3 and not heard of 1023? Lol (Dusty hogate)
Cncfab sells his tunes, iirc.
Don't think you can deal directly with php for tunes anymore.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[79jasper]

I just can’t imagine that in 20 years of 7.3 tuning that the way my truck acts is the latest and greatest. I also can’t imagine anybody not being annoyed by this issue. I wonder if the tuners themselves drive 7.3 trucks that do this and they like it?

I don’t know much about the computer side but it dosent have anything to do with my pmt2 pcm does it?

Imo, sounds like a decel tune.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[dsberman94]

How can you have a 7.3 and not heard of 1023? Lol (Dusty hogate)
Cncfab sells his tunes, iirc.
Don't think you can deal directly with php for tunes anymore.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Php through vendors. I Don’t buy tunes from cnc fab. Never heard of 1023 or dusty hogate. Lol

 

[Back woods]

I have the same issue with my 1023 tunes, most noticeable while towing. Unfortunately, a lot of these Tuners put a 30 day limit on revisions and I‘m done spending money on tuning.

Had similar issues with 1023, the transmission tuning was horrid. Would slam into gear so hard I couldn't tow anything with it. After 3 revisions it never got better and basically told me I was SOL. Gave up and removed all the files. Decided to give it one more try and went with Jelibuilt. Transmission was spot on and needed no revisions, was surprised by the difference in the two.

 

[lincolnlocker]

How can you have a 7.3 and not heard of 1023? Lol (Dusty hogate)
Cncfab sells his tunes, iirc.
Don't think you can deal directly with php for tunes anymore.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Increase shift rpm like a tow tune so it is spaced out further. Have the downshift sensitivity increased with whatever perameter makes it downshift so it does it quicker upon accelerator input so there's no lag.

Sounds like line pressures for a few of you guys are too high for it to be slamming into gear...


Can always shift it manually.. lol

live life full throttle

 

[cjfarm111]

I ran DP for years with no complaints on the transmission side. They worked great for me. But once the hydra came out Curiosity got the best of me and I ventured out and have since tried many different tuners like PHP, 1023, Julibuilt, and GH. PHP hands down has the best transmission strategies since my DP tunes but they are Smokey Smokey compared to the rest. All the other tunes from jelibuilt, 1023, and GH shifted as boss described. I hated it! My only thought is and I believe it’s true is my BTS trans is way way different then a stock trans so without having live tuning or revisions I think is impossible to get the shifting right one the first go.

 

[fastersteve]

I too have asked GH for tunes with no trans changes because it shifts better on the stock tune. Alas, I got tired of asking after getting "revised" tunes that felt no different trans wise.
Now I just live with it. Cruising around town is fine but if I stand on it, it locks the converter and shifts to second at the same time which just seems to STOP all the fun momentarily until the motor catches up. I'd much prefer the converter locked maybe half way through second instead.
To be fair I haven't tried any other tunes.

 

[gnxtc2]

My truck does the same. If you're coasting, foot off the pedal and the truck slows down enough to drop gears, it'll lug. The converter doesn't unlock and when it shifts to next gear with the converter locked, it slams hard. I have Jelibuilt, Tyrant, DP, No Limit..they all do the same. Now trying to explain it this to the tuners, it fall upon deaf ears.

I worked with Brian of JeliBuilt to straighten this out and he couldn't fix it. His transmission strategy is not the greatest. He might have a great engine side but his drivability is not up to par. He got tired of me calling and said, I'm doing any more revisions. I even sent him Tyrant's tunes.

Right now, I'm running Tyrant's tunes. The transmission strategy is spot on.

Now, if I can get Tyrant transmission tunes with JeliBuilt engine tune, now we're talking. I can live with the converter switching gears locked.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[boss300]

All this talk of everybody having the same issues as I do makes me wish that I would have bought Minotaur a long time ago as I have had this same truck for 16 years. I let the tuners talk me out of it thinking that once I got it dialed in it would sit on the shelf and become a waste. I have also considered a PCS but then I think you are stuck with one tune. That and I am one of the guys that like the coast clutch unlocked unless I am towing and I don’t know what the PCS does with that. It’s funny I never had a complaint with the shift strategy when the truck was stock until I started getting custom tunes. Heck even when I ran the old diablo predator back in the early 2000’s I never even questioned how it shifted. All that was on an e99 xle4 computer with some sort of ford reflash update bc my truck never unlocked the converter upon brake application and it had an updated calibration sticker on the door.

Hey gnxtc2, can you elaborate a little on why you like the tyrant trans tuning?

 

[gnxtc2]

Tyrant aka Cale is the son of BTS, so I think he knows a thing or two about transmission strategy.

IMHO, ones that have a built trans, need to have a different strategy. My trans builder advised me to let the tuner know not to go crazy on line pressure or if possible, to leave transmission alone as everything is done via the valve body. Only one tuner asked me what size the boost valve in the trans was which my trans builder was reluctant to give out.

If someone has an OBS with a similar build like my truck and like to try a tune, PM me.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[cjfarm111]

Gnxtc2 what is your complaint on the tyrant in the engine side? At this point I’m going to stay with PHP because the trans works the best for me. If it wasn’t so Smokey I wouldn’t complain on anything. Im going to get Jody to send me some new tunes and try my old F6 and see how I like those.

 

[Blue 7.3]

Hi, I am having the same issue with my truck. I have a TS6 position chip thats tuned to Swamp's "baby swamps" injectors. I had one guy at a transmission shop tell me that the ECU gets "confused" and that the transmission will try to stick with the stock shift points. At least that was my rudimentary understanding of it. He said that the "on the fly" chips can fry the stock ECU after just a few times when you click the settings back and forth. Apparently the stock ECUs can't handle the constant shift of data. Again, this is my limited understanding of it. I have the same issue and thought I'd throw my two cents in.