theoldwizard1 wrote:
jshupe wrote:
When I said screaming, I was referring to my experience with engine/transmission braking on downhill grades with a... 2014 3.5 Ecoboost. The engine had more than enough power to make it up (without screaming), but struggled to keep speeds under control coming down without the brakes.
No trailer brakes ?
Downshift early on long downhills !
Of course I had trailer brakes - I prefer not to use them to maintain a fixed speed on long downhill grades. I reserve them for tight turns, traffic, and stopping.
I always downshifted on long downhills. Doing so increases RPM, resulting in the screaming I mentioned.
Gas engine braking is proportional to displacement. Smaller engines have less of it and I doubt this engine would have enough to handle the trailer in question alone on a 6% grade without riding the brakes. Modern 3/4T+ diesels have exhaust or engine brakes from the factory, which are extremely effective. Not sure about the smaller diesels.
