Re-learning to shift a 13-speed EF

Hello folks. I recently bought a 2009 Columbia with the 14L Series 60. It has 515 HP and 3.55 RR (at least that's what the previous owner told me). My authority just went active and I'm preparing to hit the road soon. Now, it's been about 4 years since I drive a manual (and those were newer trucks with the DDs in them), so I am a little gun shy at the moment.

I went to the yard today to bobtail around a bit, so I can get a feel for the truck. Let's just say things didn't go very smoothly. Not terribly bad, but not good either. It's safe to say I won't be hauling in the PNW or Appalachia any time soon. So I need some pointers...Any advice and insight will be greatly appreciated.

1- So I guess the place to start would be the beginning. At school I learned how to short-shift in the lower gears (about 1200 rpm) to save fuel and engine wear. In this truck, I wasn't able to. It seems like I have to rev higher to the normal 1500 or so. Mind you, I was just bobtailing! Is this normal? Does the hp and rr play a role in this? Should I just double-clutch instead of floating until I get a feel for this truck? (That clutch is almost as tough as an old Pete's.)

2- If I take this to a shop, will they be able to tell me exactly what the correct HP and RR is on this truck? Can it be adjusted if I don't want so much testosterone? (Owner says this truck is a guzzler.)

3- Should I drive this like a 9 or 10-speed, and only use the upper split on the last gear?

Any pointers or practice ideas will be greatly appreciated.

One more thing...the previous owner put in a manual fan switch. He says he kept the fan on all the time. What is the purpose of having a manual fan switch? Is it wise to keep it on all the time?

 

Congratulations on the new-to-you truck.

You definitely should be going higher than 1200 before you shift. You don't want your RPMs to fall below peak torque (especially when you're loaded), so you'll probably want to be at 1200 when you start your next gear. Check the engine data plate, it will tell you things like the torque & HP figures and RPMs for each.

If you call the Freightliner dealer with your VIN they can probably tell you all the specs.

As far as the manual fan switch, keep it on auto unless the fan fails to kick on when CT gets high. Running the fan all the time will kill your fuel mileage - which is probably why the previous owner said it's a guzzler.

 

I drove a '99 Columbia spec'd the same for a friend. The 515 Det. had more than enough steam, the splitting wasn't really needed.. Only on the steepest hills, did I drop half a gear. I remember, 13th @ 65mph, was like 1400 rpms, and that truck would do 100 no problem, get you in trouble it would, and many times, I just left it in direct( 12th)
Far as "short" shifting, never heard that term, I thought it was "progressive" shifting, and while it works in the very low gears, as you get to the bigger gears, you can't do that. I never did that, and wound 'er out in every gear, just seemed better. Also, bobtailing is much different than even with just an empty wagon, so don't put too much credibility on the bobtail part. You'll be fine, really, and you'll find out with those Detroits, unless you have a real ball buster, you'll probably never even have to use the splitter and every rookie in the world tried their darndest to puke those transmissions and couldn't. They were tough boxes.

 

Thank you. I'll give them a call tomorrow. As for the shifting, I was taught to shift at 1500 when you get to the high range, or 5th and above. I averaged about 8.5 mpg doing it this way. Not sure if the shifting had much to do with it, but the instructor showed us a vid from the manufacturer where it was said that shifting this way would save a ton of fuel. I guess it also depends on if your really heavy or not.

 

Yes, it is also known as progressive shifting. 1200 rpm for 1st and 2nd, 1300 for 3rd, 1400 for 4th, until you get to the high ranges. Then you shift normally. I don't know if this still applies if you're real heavy. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm just going to drive around a little to get used to it before I really get rolling. Maybe do some power only loads for a couple of weeks. Yes, I'm planning to drive it like a 9 or 10-speed. So should I just keep the splitter in "direct" all the way up and down? I was only going to use the overdrive on the last gear (13th) to get better mileage.

 

60 series like a little bit more rpm compared to the newer engines. I run a 13 and usually just split the last 2. 7L-7H 8L-8H or just the last gear if I'm loading light which is 90% of the time

 

The manual fan being on is what killed the fuel economy for sure. Leave the fan on auto when driving. The actual purpose of this is to allow the AC to cool better when idling. I can also be used when climbing a grade to keep the engine cooler, longer. Rather than cycling the clutch and wearing on the belt/tensioner, it can be engaged at the bottom and switched off at the top.

Finally, a manual fan switch is like a poor-man's jake. When descending a hill, this can create as much as 50 bhp and can assist in the descent of a hill. I once drove a 30-ton wrecker that had no jakes. Whenever I came to a descent when loaded, I would bring it down to 35 or so, turn on the fan, and shift into 7th gear. This would have the engine around 2,000 rpm and provide about 50 bhp for the descent.

 

Thanks Brett. Yes, that will be my approach. What do you consider light? From what I understand, this engine and ratio setup is a monster. Where is limbo?

 

Thank you. Learning a lot from you guys. This forum is an absolute gold mine. So just turn on the fan when I'm idling or climbing? Also, I'm in the Southwest. When it gets to be 110-120 degrees, should I turn it on also?

 

Only if it is kicking the fan on and off all the time. On the highway, air blowing in the front end should be able to keep the truck cool, no matter what the temperature is. Get to the truck stop, flip the switch on, and keep the cab cool in the sun.