8V71 at 8000 ft

[AJ]

The higher altitude, the thinner air, the lesser power and more black smoke, right?
I am at 8,000 ft elevation with hills to climb, AZ Hwy 89A.
Are there any remedy for high altitude sickness of a 8V71?

[luvrbus]

Yea get down to Prescott Valley that a rough highway you are on there man no cure for that the problem it will start on a 8v71 N/A around 5000 ft and get worse just watch the temp and take it easy there are some curves that a 40ft has problems takes both lanes.


good luck

[RickB]

1rst gear around 19mph tops and if it's smoking alot, let off a little, you won't get there any faster and you'll get crappy mileage and create more heat. If you can't do that I'd turn around and find another way around because either your motors too tired to make it or your cooling system is not working properly.

[RickB]

Also, make sure you are in 1rst gear lockup... good luck

[TomC]

You're experiencing the exact reason why I turbocharged my 8V-71.  Mainly because I have a V730 3 spd Allison transmission, my startability is less then I would like.  If I hadn't had the turbocharger on this last trip (I was in the Sierra Nevadas) I can think of at least twice where I would have gotton stuck without the turbocharger.  It's not cheap to do, but once done, turbocharging REALLY wakes up the 8V-71.  The way it drives now is totally different.  Good Luck, TomC

PS- Based on my 32,000lb bus (without pulling my car), without the turbocharger with 800lb/ft torque, the startability is 22%. With the turbocharger and 1125lb/ft torque, my startability is 31%. 
On my big truck with the HT740, based on an ultimate weight of 38,000lb, with the big Caterpillar 3406B at 1325lb/ft torque, my startability will be 40%-I don't think I'll ever get stuck!  TomC