bettet towing...6.5 or 454?

[michigan maniac]

I'm weighing the options here for a tow rig... 1st option is keep my 6.5 turbo diesel, or second option is a vortec 454, I can pick up a nice truck with the vortec 454 in it, these are my only 2 options as of now, has anyone ever towed with the vortec big block ?   I'm not sure what gears are in the gasser but my diesel has 4.10 and on steep hills goes in and out of drive and third

[xjs3667]

The 454 is nice to tow with....but is hell on the pump...as with the diesel its much cheaper, better mpgs...there's a lot of pros and cons to both engines, but for a tow rig I'd go with diesel.....if your worried about it going in and out of gear all the time on steep hills just drop it into 3rd and hold it till you get to the top.....

[michigan maniac]

The only problem with going in third is it wines the out truck pretty good, and boost wants to climb higher then I'd like, I have a boost gauge, but no egt gauge truck has mechanical turbo wastegate and straight pipe, and pushes over 15 psi boost, which isn't good to go over for a 6.5 lol  so I don't like the idea of pegging it for that long

[J.C.]

Hauling up hills and down them in over drive will kill trans. Keep it in 3rd or you'll burn up 4th. My 93 1 ton dually  crew cab 6.5/4L80E had that happen. I was hauling a truck from up north. Then after a while if I touched the pedal it would kick down into 3rd. I'd have to put it in neutral, shut it off to reset the computer, turn it back on, then drive. Real pain.

[J.C.]

I'd go a little slower, or change the gear.

[betterbeaters]

ive towed with a tbi 454 moved good but 4mpg sucked and Ive heard vortecs are not any better a good 6.5 will do much better

[xjs3667]

The only problem with going in third is it wines the out truck pretty good, and boost wants to climb higher then I'd like, I have a boost gauge, but no egt gauge truck has mechanical turbo wastegate and straight pipe, and pushes over 15 psi boost, which isn't good to go over for a 6.5 lol  so I don't like the idea of pegging it for that long

454 will jump in out of gears too....you should manually shift it in third, or either way your going to toast the trans,

As for you saying third wines the truck out pretty good.....its a tow rig and if your towing and up hill and need to be in third....its not a race tot he top......let of the gas some and don't peg it, as for the waste gate, invest in a blowoff valve, until then if you see your building too much pressure, let off the throttle fora sec and let it blow off then get back on it

[BigFrank]

I wouldn't trade my 6.5 suburban for 2  454 powered ones  whenever im hauling my bogger with it I run in 3rd  with no problem  but if  I get  In a hurry and get it whistling the trans gets hot 

[michigan maniac]

 

I wouldn't trade my 6.5 suburban for 2  454 powered ones  whenever im hauling my bogger with it I run in 3rd  with no problem  but if  I get  In a hurry and get it whistling the trans gets hot 

What gears do you have? 

[BigFrank]

4.10  gear   4l80 trans that is getting  weak  the engine has about the same  mods you described done too it    I get about 15to 17 mpg     haven't ever checked it when hauling