Torque Convertor lock up instal

[Rusty62]

Rusty62
Hi Rusty, What was the reason that you removed your chip??

Hole in number 3.

[chardo]

Hello, hello. Where is everyone???? I'm lonely. I having withdrawals with no news. Take care and cheers Bill.

[chardo]

Rusty62
Hi Rusty, What was the reason that you removed your chip??

[Rusty62]

No chip in mine anymore.

Although with the chip (Tunit) it held onto the higher gears and locked for longer.

Rusty.

[MRW82]

No I don't have a chip fitted.

[chardo]

MRW82
Hi all, Mark, sounds like everything went well and a great holiday because of it. Question >>> Do you have the beast chipped. I read that the scanguage does not show true figures on some things when a chip is fitted. I have a DP Chip. (Good gear) What chip do you have Rusty??? Keep up the great work boys! I luv it. Thanks and cheers Bill.

[Rusty62]

Agree with the unlock bit. We have yet to install a second unlock switch and have mastered the tap brake just enough to flash the lights.
Even on some of the headwinds coming back from Mt Isa was too much for 5th locked and auto needed 4th locked.

Overall we have not seen an improvement on fuel usage but this may be because before we made the TC lock the motor was chipped. High temperature is a thing of the past with the max we have had was 90 deg locked 3rd up Toowoomba range.

Rusty.

[MRW82]

I've just got back from a couple of thousand km trip pulling quite a heavy camper trailer. From brisbane to Charleville, Quilpie, Yowah, Bourke, lightning ridge, nindigully, Warwick and back to brisbane, all on bitumen unfortunately. I wouldn't want to do the trip WITHOUT a torque convertor lockup switch!
It was nothing short of fantastic. I used it every single day of driving.

With the TC unlocked and slipping it doesn't take long for TC temps to reach 100+ degrees which in turn, causes transmission temps to begin to rise. With the TC locked the temps fall quickly and settle at 80-85 degrees and stay there.
Unlocked and slipping compared to locked made a difference of live readout fuel economy of about 3L/100, tested on a long straight slightly inclining road with cruise control on. I was able to lock/unlock the TC and see a consistent change. I was able to see this amount of fuel economy change almost every time I engaged it on the trip, just the straight road was a good comparison test.

On steep hills it is better to leave it unlocked and let the auto work it's magic. The lock up is best used on light loads. Towing (towing with headwinds), slight inclines, maintaining speed on flat road etc.
The difference the TC lock makes means sitting in 5th gear at 100 easily, or running in 4th to protect the transmission from potential overheating, which would mean dropping the speed to about 80 to keep fuel economy down.

Having a Scangauge was great to show the results of locking/unlocking the torque convertor.
I never had any issues with it at all, no fault codes etc.

When I get my laptop back from being fixed I will update the earlier diagram I posted. Although it is correct except for using a resistor instead of the voltage regulator.

As for functionality, a low speed cut out would be handy, I forgot I had it on a couple of times and as I slowed down the car would shudder as a manual left in top gear would. I quickly learnt to switch it off, the light on the dash helps.
I don't think a brake light cutout is the answer either, there were a few times where I wanted to let it unlock going up hills so the auto could do its own thing, tapping the brake on this occasion would not be a good thing.

[Davis Dieso]

Hi all!
I refer to my post #224 where I stated that I was going west and would report back on the simple lockup I fitted, WELL 10.487ks and 106 days later we have arrived back home here in cold old Adelaide after a fantastic trip towing the Cub up hill and down dale, being winched out of sandy river beds or just cruising the highways we had a ball and the Prado with the thumb control lockup performing faultlessly, just so simple with the thumb switch just driving to the conditions and switching on /off with ease. No revving and roaring stuck in 3rd down dirt tracks just lock it up and sit on 60 ks at 1300rpm even down to 50 at 1100, sometimes even slower by clicking over to 3rd and then locking up, all in all my experience has been good with no signs of any complaints from the gear box and as such I cant recommend this mod highly enough for my model of Prado.(4 speed). Overtaking was much improved although it would still tend to go back to 3rd and rev and roar but only if I belted it gentle acceleration was OK and it even after awhile it even behaved itself reasonably well in cruise control which I used a lot.
Our trip.
Adelaide-Nullabor Plain-Kalgoolie-Coolgardie- Northam- Guilderton-up the west coast-into Tom Price-Karagini-Marblebar-back to coast-Broome-Derby-Gibb rv rd-Wyndam-Kununara-Katherine-Alice springs-Finke rv gorge nat pk-A Springs-Binns track-Mt dare-Oodnadatta track-Borefield Rd-Andamooka-Roxby Downs-Spudsroad house-Adelaide and a zillion little places in between.
To set up the Prado for this trip I fitted A full set of Bilsteins with Dobinsons springs + polyairs resulting in a 2" lift coupled to Coopers AT3s, this combination combined with correct tyre pressures resulted in a hassle free and pretty smooth ride over all the rough roads.
cheers Mick.
Thanks again to Davis Dieso (Jamie) for all his help and advice both before and during our trip and one for you Jamie "Mate if it aint a Cub it aint a campa"

Heh thanks Mick,
Like the dig about the camper...... Great to hear your trip went so well with no problems. Thats a big plus. And the all important lock up doing its job superbly. How good is it? Really makes you wonder why manufacturers can't do it?? Though new vehicles are now doing it.
Very interesting trip you had Mick, A lot of which I have done and well worth doing. Tick that one off your bucket list.
Cheers, Jamie

[delicar]

Hi all!
I refer to my post #224 where I stated that I was going west and would report back on the simple lockup I fitted, WELL 10.487ks and 106 days later we have arrived back home here in cold old Adelaide after a fantastic trip towing the Cub up hill and down dale, being winched out of sandy river beds or just cruising the highways we had a ball and the Prado with the thumb control lockup performing faultlessly, just so simple with the thumb switch just driving to the conditions and switching on /off with ease. No revving and roaring stuck in 3rd down dirt tracks just lock it up and sit on 60 ks at 1300rpm even down to 50 at 1100, sometimes even slower by clicking over to 3rd and then locking up, all in all my experience has been good with no signs of any complaints from the gear box and as such I cant recommend this mod highly enough for my model of Prado.(4 speed). Overtaking was much improved although it would still tend to go back to 3rd and rev and roar but only if I belted it gentle acceleration was OK and it even after awhile it even behaved itself reasonably well in cruise control which I used a lot.
Our trip.
Adelaide-Nullabor Plain-Kalgoolie-Coolgardie- Northam- Guilderton-up the west coast-into Tom Price-Karagini-Marblebar-back to coast-Broome-Derby-Gibb rv rd-Wyndam-Kununara-Katherine-Alice springs-Finke rv gorge nat pk-A Springs-Binns track-Mt dare-Oodnadatta track-Borefield Rd-Andamooka-Roxby Downs-Spudsroad house-Adelaide and a zillion little places in between.
To set up the Prado for this trip I fitted A full set of Bilsteins with Dobinsons springs + polyairs resulting in a 2" lift coupled to Coopers AT3s, this combination combined with correct tyre pressures resulted in a hassle free and pretty smooth ride over all the rough roads.
cheers Mick.
Thanks again to Davis Dieso (Jamie) for all his help and advice both before and during our trip and one for you Jamie "Mate if it aint a Cub it aint a campa"

[chardo]

MRW82
Hi Mark, I have just come back from a run to Darwin this afternoon and while cruising around I noticed just how much the trans drops in and out even at lower speeds around town. I decided I would ask you if you were happy with your kit if you would update your earlier diagrams as I may have a go at it myself. I would rather pay you or Rusty for a kit but I will have a go if necessary as I am thinking of pointing Chardo into the wind again soon. Anyway mate let me know what you think. Thanks and cheers Bill

[Davis Dieso]

MRW82 Hi Mark are you still on the air???? How is the lock kit working???how many KMS have you put on it now??

Jamie, Sounds like you did a good job in the first place mate and is good to hear that everything is holding together after so long. I have great faith in my beast every time we go on a trip. I am coming up to 160,000kms and have only changed one noisy injector and cleaned all the bloody gunk out of the intake system. I recently replaced the big cat converter with a 200 cell free flow one. It makes a bit of difference to pick up and a tiny bit more noise, but I have noticed that there is a fair bit of gain on the fuel usage on a trip. I am really hoping to get a lock up kit in soon then I might be a happy chappie. OK Mate take care and keep that converter locked. Cheers Bill

Heh thanks Bill,
Yep it sure makes a difference, and yes I'm glad its all holding together. As I've said, the more I drive it the more I'm convinced it'll hold together.
Your's being a D4D and waiting for one of the boys to come up with the more complex system (5 speed) that some on these pages are doing great work with. Hopefully won't be long and you'll be in business. I'd like to see the 5 speed with the lock up. The more gears the auto has the better. Less of a gap in ratios for the clutches to deal with.
An interesting thing, Our FG XR6 (6 speed) as far as I can detect (and its hard) only changes up 5 gears, and its already locked the convertor. When it does it I can't detect?? Its like its locked early in the gear changes but I can't figure it out?? Weird heh? Such a good box (ZF).
Anyway, where was I? Good luck.

Cheers, Jamie

[chardo]

MRW82 Mark, The Forum is NewHilux.net. Very informative, lots of photos of stripdowns. Have you seen it yet. I have been watching the Scanguage as well, but didn't know enough about it. Look forward to hearing about it all. cheers Bill.

[chardo]

MRW82 Hi Mark, Good to hear alls well with you. What happens when your injectors go. I am pushing 160k now and all is feeling good. I have a DP Chip installed and I always use "Diesel Power" fuel additive ( have used it since new). Have you replaced your exhaust and do you have a Catch can in place. I went into Hilux forum and saw the photos and the condition of the EGR valve and inlet manifold which scared me into action straight away. what a mess. Could be a part of your problem. How many KMs do you have.
I find Chardo is running quite sweet at the moment. It is going to get new donuts very soon. I have been running Dick Cepek FC-11 tyres and 92,000 not even a puncture, so I am going for the new ones out that replace them. They are called "FunCountry", weird name but supposed to be better than last ones. Im off. take care and cheers Bill

[MRW82]

Yes mate still kicking. The lockup kit is still in and working well, never had any CEL light up from it. Haven't reported much on it as I haven't used it much. Only really need it towing and haven't been doing much of that in the last 6 months.
Last time I towed I wasn't happy with the overall performance of the Prado (regardless of torque convertor operation). Where I would have liked the transmission to kick back to 4th it would kick back too many gears, back to 3rd, making the engine rev quite high where there is no torque/power. Even not towing I had noticed this trait. Since changing my injectors (yes, again) the transmission seems to be performing much better, not sure if this is an engine/power related thing or a reset of the computer by having the battery disconnected thing.

I am trailering my zook over cunninghams gap this weekend so will see how it goes, I have recently added a Scangauge to my list of gadgets so will monitor transmission and torque convertor temps both unlocked and locked.

Will give some updated feedback next week.