| Author | Message | ||
     Jerry Crawford (Jcrawford) Member Username: Jcrawford Post Number: 67 Registered: 08-2002 |
I just returned from a 5 week, 8K road trip in my '98 D-1 between Maine, Colorado, Arizona & points in between. Great mountain views in Colorado but a noticable lack of high altitude power trying to climb the roads in the Nartional park areas and around Vail. I've heard that an up-grade chip can be installed to increase the HP. Any truth to this or is this just one part of a mega-buck engine overhaul I'd rather not get involved in? | ||
| Peter Matusov (Pmatusov) Senior Member Username: Pmatusov Post Number: 933 Registered: 09-2002 |
Jerry, at 10k ft the only real benefit may come from a blower. | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) Senior Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 381 Registered: 01-2003 |
Wow, I should take my truck to low altitude and see what its like. What about adding a oxygen bottle to the intake?  No really I was told by GBR's Bill that the best way to combat altitude power loss is with regearing say to that 4:1-1 set up. I doubt a chip would help, that just controls fuel amounts being added. Since the big issues at altitude is lack of o2 and change in amibent air pressure effecting intake and outgo of air. I'd probably think Peter is right, add a supercharger or a turbo might help. But in the end I think regearing is the solution, the blower won't give you more o2. I was mountain biking at 11k feet over the recently and I needed a blower for myself. I drove the disco to the mtb trailhead on the top of a mountain at 11370 ft, it felt the same as when I climb the canyons leaving salt lake city, at about 4500 ft to 9000 ft. I think if you live at altitude with a disco you get used to using shifting down to 3rd gear a whole lot. I need to drive a disco now in the lowlands now, see what I have been missing. | ||
| James (Jimmyg) Senior Member Username: Jimmyg Post Number: 378 Registered: 10-2002 |
After living at 8150ft for two years and driving up to 14,000 I would say regear and get used to it. | ||
| Peter Matusov (Pmatusov) Senior Member Username: Pmatusov Post Number: 936 Registered: 09-2002 |
second that. Andy, on I-70, you may find yourself downshifting to the second gear, just to keep up with traffic - at which point you run out of your tach around 70mph, and I'd guess it can't be good for the engine. Regearing to 4.11 will put the overall gearing in 3rd gear between stock 2nd and 3rd, so you can achieve a better compromise. But - with stock-sized tires and 4.11, you'll be turning about 3500 rpm at 80mph. The oxygen bottle - there's a thing called NO2, but you'll need to tow a trailer full of these bottles. | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) Senior Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 383 Registered: 01-2003 |
LOL- I picture hauling a tanker trailer full of NO2. It drives me nuts when I see a f-350 crewcab towing a trailer full of 6 snowmobiles and a monster morman family up parleys canyon and passing me at 90mph when I'm downshifting to 2nd and hoping to stay at least at 45 mph to get over parleys summit. My only comfort is those big american diesels with the aftermarket turbo's maybe get 5mpg and blow rings and valves every 50k miles, I guess I have displacement envy. | ||
| Lionel (Fromage) Member Username: Fromage Post Number: 59 Registered: 02-2003 |
All of us living at higher altitude (CO, UT) are used to getting much lower power at higher elevation. But also many people forget that Eisenhower Tunnel is at nearly 11,000 ft. Try to run 100 ft at this elevation and you'll see what your rover is going through. My Disco (D1 190k manual) went almost every week end through Eisenhower this winter and has been way above that this summer (thanks to the Sollihul Society in Denver/Boulder). THere is only one way to comfortably go up hill, it is to stay in the range where you get the most torque. This way I climb all these passes in 4th at more than 60 mph with an engine revving at 3000 rpm +/- 10%. If you loose momentum, it can be almost impossible to get back there... My 2 cts, Lionel | ||
| James Moy (Jmoy97) Member Username: Jmoy97 Post Number: 43 Registered: 02-2003 |
Andy , Hve you regeared to 4.10's. I am thinking about it. Since I see you also live in SLC I was wondering how it does going up Parleys and I take a lot of trails up in the Uinta's to go hiking and camping. Jim | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) Senior Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 384 Registered: 01-2003 |
fyi, I meant to say "... monster sized morman family", not "... monster morman family" in my last post, sorry if I offended anyone. Jim I only wish I was regeared. I drive my disco 60 miles a day as a commuter and can't justify the power gain vs mileage loss of regearing. Plus if I regear it will include lockers and HD axles, I want to get a commuter car before that. Talk to GBR they are a good resource. Another slc rover guy I know did put them in not to long ago, but I haven't asked him about it yet or driven his truck. I know of a couple more, but never bothered to ask about it. Going to the Unita's, I hate that climb to Kamas on the Mirror lake highway off of 89. It a good thing the view over the reservor and timpanogas is so pretty, cause I seem to just crawl up that hill. You CO rover owners have it worse than us UT rover owners, our mtn pass roads seem to be lower for the most part. Just give me a home where you have 10K ft mtns in the back yard to play on and I'm happy to give up hill climbing power, besides that's why god invented telemark skis! Man I need some snow soon! | ||
| Chris Browne (Chris_browne) Member Username: Chris_browne Post Number: 240 Registered: 02-2003 |
LR colorado dealers I'm told always adjust the timing to increase power or recover the high altitude losses. | ||
| Richard Dekkard (Richard_dekkard) Member Username: Richard_dekkard Post Number: 99 Registered: 04-2003 |
the efi computer should adjust itself, but it takes time... like a month... and even then your gonna suck... one word... diesel... =) | ||
| Jacquelyne Davis (Jmdavis) New Member Username: Jmdavis Post Number: 19 Registered: 06-2003 |
Hey Andy- Get your freeheel fix at www.telemarktips.com I'm right there with you; I cannot wait to drop the knees and lift my heels in the snow!! It's too blasting hot outside... | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) Senior Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 385 Registered: 01-2003 |
I went to that site a lot last winter, but your right, it's too damn hot right now. Every year I get older the more I love winter. Spring and fall are okay. The day after spring started I was making turns in fresh powder at a closed deervalley ski resort, plus mountain biking in moab during the fall months takes the place of skiing, but this hot summer crap has got to go. Think snow sister ! Think snow ... | ||
| R. Shane Linder (Shane_l) New Member Username: Shane_l Post Number: 1 Registered: 07-2003 |
I am new here and this is actually my first post. Loss of power due to high altitude is a big problem here in Bogota, Colombia as the lowest part of the city sits at 2,600 meters (around 8,000 ft.) and it is necessary to climb to 11,000 ft. to get over the pass that exits the city. At our altitude we have about 25% less O2 than at sea level. There is a device called the "Tornado" that is considered essential equipment by local garages. I was skeptical but had one installed the other week and noticed that my Disco I (1996 57k miles) seemed more "peppy." The manufacturer of the Tornado claims your vehicle will increase by 4-13 HP depending on the vehicle. Not much of an increase I admit, but the part cost me $60 and would probably be cheaper in the US. Might be worth a try if you are not ready for a blower or regearing. I saw other postings here saying that the Tornado did not increase MPG as advertised. Can anyone confirm that it did or did not slightly increase HP? I had a Safari Snorkel added the same day. Maybe the snorkel has increased my air flow? | ||
| Andy Thoma (Andythoma) Senior Member Username: Andythoma Post Number: 391 Registered: 01-2003 |
That snorkle might act like a ram air intake, that is debated here as much as the worth of the tornado. I think altitude might effect the air pressure going into the snorkle, so it may just work. Thing I learned when I moved to high elevations and go above 10k feet for hiking and biking, is that air is really thin and takes way more work to deal wiht it. I know that sounds dumb, but the effect of altitude on flatlanders is under estimated until you have to deal with it. | ||
| Keith Kreutzer (Revor) Member Username: Revor Post Number: 213 Registered: 11-2002 |
We must all face the facts more power means getting more air into the engine and sometimes that (normally aspirated) doesn't get it. Plus add to that that the engine itself is kinda dated... Get in a Dll and Race a 4.6L Ford expedition up the mountain. The stock "cheap" version of this ford comes with 3.55 gears and weighs a good 700 pounds more than a Disco, it will smoke right by.. Modern engine management, over head cams, and modern head and combustion chamber design + high revs make these new engines just go... Our toys are sorta dated that way.. your best bet if you live in a non emmissions state would be build the snot out of it and put low gears in it... Thats why a Toyota Four runner with a 3.2 (?) blows by you | ||
| Streak (Streak) New Member Username: Streak Post Number: 9 Registered: 03-2003 |
Jerry, We live at 6000 feet. What made a huge difference in our D1 was to set the timing at 10 to 12 degrees rather than the 6 suggested in the manual. The difference at this altitude was very noticeable. We were using 93 octane leaded fuel. Streak www.worst4x4.freeservers.com |
