Vacation. Trip to Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta from Vernon BC. Starting Vehicle: Dodge Caravan. Result: Calved minivan in Cochrane Alberta. Seriously dead. Solution: Fly home, borrow my old car trailer from its present owner, and drag the POS home with the Turbosaurus to work on it. The turbosaurus is stock (not for long) with Automatic trans. Trailer and load weight was probably about 5300 lbs.
These are my observations.
1. A fuel pressure gauge is a priority! The injection pump is too important (expensive) to leave to chance. I could feel it going flat on some of the hills with my foot in it. Even backfired a few times when I was really into it. The lift pump and fuel system are getting attention as soon as the minivan is repaired and traded off.
2. With 3.55 gears, 2100rpm @ 70mph is sweet. Nice hum out of the exhaust and runs smooth.
3. Based on that, 4.10 gears would probably give about 2100rpm @ 60mph. Sure was fun at 70mph though. Kinda fun to blow by the pokeys with a trailer and load in tow. How fast do YOU tow?
4. There is too large a gap between 3rd and overdrive. When on the hills, in third, it really wants to buzz right up there. Sounds even busier when the fan clutch engages. I'm not thrilled with the way it downshifts to 3rd-unlocked then locks up again. A tighter converter would be an asset, as would be a way to get manual control over lockup. Or not lockup. I'm still considering the effect and application of the infamous 'mystery switch'. I'd also consider a manual trans next time. (and this was supposed to be my 'No More Toys!!!' truck!)
5. More gauges. Transmission temp, Pyro, Boost. In that order.
6. More power!!!!!
(All right, mister Glover, get control of yourself. Calm down..... That's better.)
7. I have a Kelsey Hayes hydraulic brake controller that I'm going to install next winter. I used it manually on this trip, with it just laying on the seat beside me. I have it, it works OK; It can be plumbed between the master cylinder and the ABS servo. My second choice would be the Jordan controller.
All in all, it was a good proving trip that allowed me to explore the strengths and limitations of the Turbosaurus, in all kinds of terrain, from the foothills of Alberta, to the steep grades and sharp corners (sometimes at the same time) of the Rockies. Now, if I can just figure out what broke on the POS Caravan so I can get on with the bombing.......
For What It's Worth.
Tom
A Towing Adventure (long)
Linear Mode
