Goin up the grapevine... at 10mph!!

I'm heading out on my first solo, CDL trip tomorrow. (I've been driving a 4-wheeler cross country for years...) I'm in a 35' bob-tail hi-rail track inspection truck, with some seriouse power issues. I'm trying to get up and over the Grapevine and on to Sacramento on Monday to get it to the shop. My truck currently looses power on hills... severly... Driving from Ventura to Long Beach last week I was down to 11 MPH on the Muholland grade. My truck is equipped with yellow strobes that I use in conjunction with the hazard flashers when operating below 35 MPH.


Any advice for me?

Thanks!

(I'm hoping to get a CB before I hit the hill so I can warn drivers...)

 

Firehound, the only thing I know to tell ya, you will already be doing....staying in the granny lane and using your flashers.

I know there are some fairly inexpensive hand-held CB's on the market, but I don't know how well they work.

Good luck, safe trip, friend, and please keep us posted.

Judi Kay

 

Turbo? the O rings in the bellow pipe? Low on drive shaft fluid?bad charge air cooler? charge air cooler hoses? Rear end gearing?

 

my advice.... get out and push it.probly go faster..jk..good luck

 

Just got a C service done, but no transmission service since it's all internal...

No turbo... it's a '95 Ford L-8000

 

MADE IT!!!

15 MPH on the uphills, but no 4wheelers up the rear...

 

I'll bet it's the fuel filter or filters. That's the first place I'd check.

 

Trust me, we had hoped that the C service done last week would have fixed that... unless they didnt change the filters and just wiped the down too look clean and new...


but I DID get and extra 3-4 MPH this afternoon after I filled up at the Flying J...

better fuel?? or is it a fuel delivery problem that is helped by the weight of the fuel pushing out of the tank? I DO know the problem got progressively worse (Cruising at 57-58 in the AM down to 51-52 in the afternoon before the fill up, which put me back at 55-56)

 

Be glad your going north, its a steeper pull going south.
You have a diesel that does not have a turbo ?

 

Did not see this. I drove a pole truck at WMI back in the end of the 88, that was the same setup. 5 speed transmission, 2 speed rear, non-turbo diesel. Just not a 11 west way to build a truck, Everything out here has a hill getting to it. Good Luck.