BD Diesel 6.4 Tap Shifter?

Jonnydime · Apr 21, 2015

ford141 said:
Just looking for updates to see if guys are still having issues with these? I have wanted manual control over shifts since I bought this truck and was thrilled to see BD bring it to market. I just sold some stuff so I have the money now to buy one. I mostly want it for towing. I live in western Pa with tons of hills and the truck likes to hunt between 4th and 5th on the hills way more than I like. I'd rather just put it in 4th and leave it there, but there's no way to do that. I have a Mini Maxx with canned tunes and a stock tranny.

One question with these: they say that you can control TC lockup and shift points. How is TC lockup controlled?

Call Gearhead and get their tunes. In their tune tow/haul locks out overdrive.

Josh@DirtyDiesels · Apr 21, 2015

Jonnydime said:
Call Gearhead and get their tunes. In their tune tow/haul locks out overdrive.

most anyone who writes tunes should be able to give you OD lockout with the towhaul button if you ask.

ford141 · Apr 21, 2015

I was hauling a backhoe just this past saturday and was pulling a steep hill with a switchback in the middle. When i hit the switchback I wanted the truck to downshift to second but it wouldn't, instead it wanted to stay in 3rd and just lug. I even pulled the shift lever down into 2nd and it still stayed in 3rd. I thought this would have been a great place for the tap shifter so I could manually select 2nd when I wanted it. Sometimes the trans shifting just confuses me.

So you guys think I'd be better off with a GearHead tune than a BD tapshifter? I don't have MCC tuning, so I'm looking at $200 for that plus $250 for the tune, for $450 total. The BD tapshifter is $525.

ford141 · Apr 21, 2015

I must add, I'm not looking to make maximum power out of this truck. In fact, I run the H&S on stock setting all the time. It runs great and I want my trans to last a long time. Just looking for more control over the shifts, especially when towing.

sootie · Apr 21, 2015

ford141 said:
I must add, I'm not looking to make maximum power out of this truck. In fact, I run the H&S on stock setting all the time. It runs great and I want my trans to last a long time. Just looking for more control over the shifts, especially when towing.

reason you have the issue is that H&S is not load based shifting. you need gearhead tunes if you want to be good on your trans.

B585Ford · Apr 21, 2015

powerstroked08 said:
My truck shifts perfect.

Right on brotha

ford141 · Apr 21, 2015

sootie said:
reason you have the issue is that H&S is not load based shifting. you need gearhead tunes if you want to be good on your trans.

This I did not know....... very interesting. I wondered why my truck doesn't like to downshift when it is lugging hard.... So Gearhead tunes will compensate for this?

Jonnydime · Apr 21, 2015

ford141 said:
This I did not know....... very interesting. I wondered why my truck doesn't like to downshift when it is lugging hard.... So Gearhead tunes will compensate for this?

Yes. The engine tuning is also much more refined.

tbsimmons · Apr 21, 2015

Just to correct some.
The Tapshifter is not a full manual like I have posted in the first few pages of this thread. It has some safeties built in for the complete moron.
The Tow Haul button for lockup is only in setting #6, you have 1-6 to choose from.
Overall it works good, just a few bugs that I am having with the gauges and I want a full manual option.

Powerstroke Man 6.4 · Apr 21, 2015

sootie said:
reason you have the issue is that H&S is not load based shifting. you need gearhead tunes if you want to be good on your trans.

Does Matt do load based shifting on SCT?

sootie · Apr 21, 2015

Powerstroke Man 6.4 said:
Does Matt do load based shifting on SCT?

yes

Bigboytoys · May 18, 2015

I have yet to see any feed back from Spartan users.....

BeauxPete · May 19, 2015

Got mine in today and plan on installing later. I know my non-vgt setup should really like this.

Powerstroke Man 6.4 · May 19, 2015

BeauxPete said:
Got mine in today and plan on installing later. I know my non-vgt setup should really like this.

Could you get a video? wanting to see if it would help out my 366.

BeauxPete · May 19, 2015

Sure will. I need to add videos to my build thread too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BeauxPete · May 20, 2015

I just finished the install and it's not wanting to communicate with the DashDaq

tbsimmons · May 20, 2015

Call them and Bitch!!! They are sending me another module because mine wont communicate with the SCT and will do some different things when activated. I think they should have tested it more.
Other than no communications, does it work?

BeauxPete · May 20, 2015

Yeah it works fine. The dashdaq works sometimes and then it doesn't. Right now it is working fine and my 66/88 nonvgts love this thing lol

bigrpowr · May 20, 2015

BeauxPete said:
Yeah it works fine. The dashdaq works sometimes and then it doesn't. Right now it is working fine and my 66/88 nonvgts love this thing lol

#jealous