TD42 running hot when towing

[Cuppa]

Yes very true mate.


Its just nice to be able to hit a hill whilst towing and not have to fan the clutch in second gear to keep her moving. Just point and shoot now. Its still no rice burner though. More of a coal burner, great for gassing the cyclists when they ride two abreast on a narrow road.

I have never had to fan the clutch on a hill whilst towing. Second is usually quite adequate even on even most of Tassie’s long & steep inclines, although I have resorted to first on a few occasions & had cyclists overtaking me! . On one short but steep pinch on Tassie’s ‘Western Explorer’ I believe I may even have used low ratio in 2wd too. Up here in the north climbing the Kuranda range from Cairns up to the Tablelands towing is a second & occasionally 3rd gear job, keeping EGT’s below about 450. Mostly 3rd is only for brief spells, & knocking it back to second gives a sense of ‘Ah that feels better’. Going with the flow instead of trying to make the curves into a race track. It would be nice to have a vehicle which in those sort of circumstances could keep up with lighter & more modern vehicles, but our TD42 does the job without breaking a sweat & importantly (to me) provides the reliability I need for remote travel. I’d take ours anywhere in the country without 2nd thought. Generally pick the gear & let the car do it’s thing whilst relaxing & watching the scenery go by. Ha ha. Tuning & tweaking these cars to give more power, whilst a perfectly valid (& fun) choice often seems to come at a cost in addition to the money spent. Fun yes! But as a long distance tourer, especially when pulling some weight, not desirable. Horses for courses ..... or perhaps for jockeys who’s styles may be age related. Ha ha.