[Shotimes] Rod Bearing Change @190K miles

Adam Parrott Adam Parrott" <parrotta@usa.net
Wed, 1 Feb 2006 23:10:27 -0600


After reading the results of Don's interesting experiment, I thought I'd bore
everybody by tossing a few EEC-related factoids out into the fray:

- under the factory programming, Gen 3s (like the Gen 2s) are incapable of
second gear converter lock (IOW, there are no provisions for it in the code).
The only gears wherein the EEC is capable of commanding any converter lock is
third or fourth.

- the lowest vehicle speed whereby the EEC will command converter lock on any
Gen 3 is 17mph in third gear with only 0.04v of relative throttle (this is
assuming factory-sized tires and an absolute minimum of throttle application).
Consequently, it only takes the same amount of itsy-bitsy throttle at anything
over 13mph in third for the EEC to command an unlock.  ;)

- the lowest engine speed that I ever see on my Gen 2 ATX is when, using the
factory '94-'95 3-4 shift schedules, I'm humming along in fourth gear with the
converter locked around 36mph, at which point engine speed is around 1300
RPMs.  Since I am not keen on contributing to unnecessary bearing wear, I have
since modified my 3/4 shift schedules such that the lowest possible engine
speed I can ever see in fourth is at least 1500+ RPMs.

Adam
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Donald Mallinson
  To: shotimes@autox.team.net
  Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 6:20 PM
  Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Rod Bearing Change @190K miles


  Just for fun, while out running errands today, I did some
  experimentation with the 96 V8.

  The Torque converter will not lock up below 25 mph at all, I suspect
  this is built into the computer.  At 24 mph the engine was turning appox
  1500 rpm and as soon as you gave it any gas at all it was near 2000 rpm
  and smooth as glass.

  At 25 mph, the torque converter would lock up in high gear and the
  engine would turn 1300 rpm.  To accomplish this you had to have a
  feather foot on the gas and just barely touch it or the torque converter
  would not lock up.  At this point I could give it maybe 10% throttle or
  less before the converter unlocked and rpm's rose above 1500.  At very
  slight throttle openings, the engine stayed near 1300-1400 rpm till
  speed rose, and the engine was again....smooth as glass.  No sign of
  distress or any noise, growling, bucking that are sure signs of lugging.

  As soon as you gave it any more gas pedal, the torque converter unlocked
  and we were into 1500+ rpm and a very happy engine.

  So there is just one limited time where rpm's will be below 1500 and it
  takes a lot of concentration to force the car to 25 to 27 or so mph and
  a very light foot to keep it below 1500 rpm.  And again, no sign at all
  of engine distress.  It would take a very concentrated effort and
  specific goal to keep the V8 SHO below 1500 rpm for more than a very few
  seconds and if you have ANY traffic, forget it, you will be all over the
  rpm scale but not anywhere below 1500.

  Don Mallinson
  _______________________________________________
  Shotimes mailing list
  Shotimes@autox.team.net
  http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes