47rh hp capabilities?

9 LIVES

9 LIVES

Demolition Expert
Anyone have real world data on how much hp a stock 47rh can handle with an upgraded VB & TQ converter?

I realize that isn't technically stock but stock internals i should say.

I'm looking to add more power to my daily driver that tows roughly 5-10k pounds daily. The engine is completely stock at the moment.
 
Not sure on power, but I’ve got all the basic stuff, 4k gov, afc mods, racked barrels, 16-18°, and 5” exhaust. Truck ain’t fast yet, but it’s plenty stout.

Have 100k miles on my trans. Billet small parts, stock shafts, unknown triple disc and a shift kit. Shifts firm and lockup hits pretty hard. It has never skipped a beat and I can’t go one day without some sort of hell raising.
 
Had a dpc single disk converter and I would get a little shutter with it when locked and towing. I hadn't had time to put in my valve body but once I did the shutter was gone. Trans felt tight and shifted great.

Motor wise it had 5x12's hybrid hx35 180hp pump with a 0 plate 4k gov springs, and 17 degrees of timing. So not overly hot but pulled good. Guessing around 350hp? Pulled heavy and light and both felt good with trans.

This was a 47re, but idk if there is much difference in what they will handle in stock form.
 
The 47rh front planet is aluminum. It can be a weak link. It sees all the power in 2nd gear. Hard 1 to 2 shifts can strip the splines out. But you can upgrade to steel planet by robbing parts out of an re.
 
I know it’s an RE, but I have Goerend’s triple, constant pressure VB, billet small parts, billet input, and a stock rebuild. It has @ 150K on it. When I had the Sled Puller 66 and big injectors it was probably @ 400hp. Several times when accelerating hard I’d hit the lockup switch and break the tires loose. I’ve towed a bit over 12K pounds several times. Still going strong.
 
Add a billet input shaft, billet flex plate, strut and anchor, servo pistons and some good clutches and you can handle I would say 600hp easily. That is about what I have done to my transmission and I have compound turbos, 40" tires and beat the crap out of it and it takes it. No problem towing with it too. I pull my 14k trailer with a tractor and implements on it no problem. That is easily over 10K lbs.
 
Tobin said:
Add a billet input shaft, billet flex plate, strut and anchor, servo pistons and some good clutches and you can handle I would say 600hp easily. That is about what I have done to my transmission and I have compound turbos, 40" tires and beat the crap out of it and it takes it. No problem towing with it too. I pull my 14k trailer with a tractor and implements on it no problem. That is easily over 10K lbs.
Click to expand...

I tow daily with the truck. It varies from lawn mowers on an open 16ft trailer to a dump trailer when I gross my max at around 16-17K pounds. I don't tow heavy as you can see....but constantly. I am tired of the stock power of the 160 pump and not being able to keep up with traffic. Literally everywhere I go I put the truck to the floorboard until it hits the speed limit. I don't drive like a maniac...I just need to be able to get going faster.
 
I can't figure out whether it's more financially efficient to go to a 5 speed swap or stay auto. I don't really want to shift all day, but a dual disc towing clutch seems to be cheaper then a built tranny? Someone local has a 5 speed swap kit for $1,500. I know I would have to at least buy a DD clutch and have the tranny gone through.

Personally I rather keep the 47rh...but so far I have priced trannys at firepunk, power driven diesel, revmax (local to me) and a few others. It looks like a 600hp< tranny is around $7,500 with triple disc converter, laminated flexplate & shipping.

Which I wouldn't have to do shipping with revmax since I am 30 minutes from them.

Still trying to convince myself to put this kind of money into a truck that is roughly worth 5K lol....I guess if I ever sell or scrap the truck I just keep the tranny!?
 
Towing with a manual gets old quick if your in town a lot, which it sounds like you are. Towing with a dual disk in town on top of it sucks even more.
 
thatguy69 said:
Towing with a manual gets old quick if your in town a lot, which it sounds like you are. Towing with a dual disk in town on top of it sucks even more.
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Good to know...yes 99.9% in town. And 70% of that is stop and go traffic on local roads. Might hit the highway...70mph for less than 10 miles a day.
 
By the time you buy everything for a manual conversion you could have paid for a built auto that will hold up to what you're talking about.
 
Drop the pan and put a good shift kit, and a conv in it and keep on rolling.
Set of 4k gov springs and pull the fuel plate, it will tow fine. Bump the timing up to around 18 or so also.
 
I switched from auto to 5 speed with a big single clutch and really enjoyed it over the stock auto, 180 pump and everything else stock besides 3k springs and no plate. Switched to a 215 pump and enjoyed it even more, was perfect for pulling 5-8 tons, that single disc lasted a good 80k I think until I roasted it at a sled pull.

Now I make a little more power, don't drive it as much and want to go back to auto, the dual disc wiped out tired 4th synchro, and stop and go sucks.
 
A correctly specd dual disk doesn’t make towing bad.


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BRE said:
A correctly specd dual disk doesn’t make towing bad.


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Click to expand...
Exactly! I just put a new dual disk in in November, can't believe how much better it is than my old one. Just need to be honest with the guy you're getting it from so he can put you into the right one. Granted I was told I'd I tried to sled pull with this one, it would likely destroy it in short order, but I don't need to pull, but I did need smooth operation for daily driving and towing. This one is organic disc's, he said the old one was ceramic.

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BRE said:
A correctly specd dual disk doesn’t make towing bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


But it’s not a walk in the park either when loaded in steady traffic.


I tow with both manual and auto.
Built 48re full billet shafts and small parts in a CR truck, G360 5spd with OEM style clutch in a 1st gen, and a NV5600 6spd in a CR truck.

The gear spread on the 5spd manual is quite large from 2nd to 3rd and 4th to 5th with a good load on the trailer. 50mph with a load up an overpass in 5th is lugging hard if I’m trying to keep speed. Knowing how small 5th gear is, I’ll drop to 4th and wrap it up. I’m always worried about 5th gear in the G360. I’ve worked on two NV4500 that chewed up 5th gear. I’d rather take it easy and prolong my intervals from transmission removals.

The NV5600 is nice for towing with a manual. But it’s a lot of shifting, all the time. All the time! People bash the 5600 for lube problems and unreliability. We have one behind a tuned only CR with 440k miles on it. It’s a good transmission in my book. We also drive sensibly. Tows all weights well, there is always a gear for the desired speed.

The built 48re is a treat to tow with on a truck that is tuned only. I have a lockup switch which is a must in traffic. 50mph loaded uphill does lug in 4th but the truck pulls through it as expected. I can lock out 3rd gear and ride 3rd for a ways. 30mph to 60mph at 1:1 ratio is nice. I prefer towing with this setup, plus it’s a newer 2005 truck than the 1991 5spd manual truck.
I will shift with TC locked from 2nd to 3rd sometimes. Almost always from 3rd to 4th.

I have not towed heavy with a 6spd auto.
 
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