Sometimes I cant remember my own kids names! I'm in the dog house quite a bit. I spend lots time in the SI making notes....getting harder to remember pin outs etc. Thank god some of newer scan tools can graph and store data!

 

I have been following this thread and I am sure others are thinking my same thoughts/question for Mark. With this information, is a cooler up grade needed? I have been in the 220-230 range and thought that was way too high, but only in drastic slow climbs hauling toy hauler for short bursts, up to 5 minutes. It sounds like that is not too abnormal or concerning. Mark we all respect your infinite knowledge on these transmissions, what are your thoughts?

 

That's not too hot for short periods. Many people will upgrade their coolers when they see these temperatures. The only downside to doing that is the cost of the cooler. There isn't a lot of upside, though. 230F for 5 minutes won't cause any problem with the transmission.

 

Thanks Mark, very helpful.

 

Kinda cheapy but I don't have a Ford unit to compare it to. Poor packaging from Rock Auto, had some dings/bends in it from shipping. Going in today, I hope it's better than the small stock unit..

1 by 08TTbrujablanca, on Flickr

2 by 08TTbrujablanca, on Flickr

3 by 08TTbrujablanca, on Flickr

 

That seems to be the way that cooler is packed by either dorman or Rock Auto. I have gotten two coolers from Rock Auto and both were in ok condition, but the boxes had little to no protection for the fragile fins inside the box.

 

It looks like a decent unit, from the pictures. Stacked plate design, and plenty of surface area.

 

I had installed a Tru-Cool three years ago. Seemed to work fine, until followed a short cut (thank God my wife choose it), found ourselves going up a slow steep narrow climb, no place to pull over. Tranny hit 250, looked like it would keep going when we finally cleared the hill and could pull over.
6.0 cooler necessary? Don't care, peace of mind for me is worth it. Since putting trans in, and cooler, I don't even think about it any more. Temps stay around 180-210 no matter where I tow. I do tow a 5th wheel, about 12000lbs. In the mountains.

 

Tom, do you have the factory oil to water cooler as well? I have been considering either buying a new radiator with the built in cooler or having a radiator shop clean out the o-t-w cooler in my radiator and connecting it. I do have the 6.0 cooler and it works ok, but I wonder if in certain hilly situations if that will not be enough cooling. Larry

 

The radiator cooler adds a HUGE amount of cooling.

 

I have a 99 and only the 6.0 cooler. And tow 14k and I stay under 195 even in town or hills. So I don't know if the otw is needed with the 6.0 cooler

 

Yes, I do.

 

I just did the "acid test" this weekend with new installation of a 6.0 cooler and Derale 180* thermostat. Worked great. Never saw over 200* towing ~11-12K fiver up 7 -8% grades of about 2 -3 miles. Only real issue though were the EGT's in 40T tune. I could keep them under control with higher RPM but anything less than 55 MPH it drops out of OD and the T/C unlocks and the trans temp would go up some but as stated not over 200*. Now I guess I need to work some more on the EGT issue. All new boots, Clay's new wheel and IH bellowed up pipes, but that is another thread.

 

I have a 2000 F350 that i replaced the original transmission 2 years ago after 175000 miles. Freeway Transmission put in a reman 4r100 2 years ago. Just took it back to them after 8000 miles because the transmission isn't shifting without manual help. they are telling me that the reason the transmission only got 8000 miles on it, is because TSB 00-24-4 was never updated. I have a hard time believing this, since the original got 175000 without TSB 00-24-4, especially since i drive it less now and only pull a trailer less than 5 times a year. They are quoting me $1200.00 to install the kit for the TSB 00-24-4, Am i being screwed????

 

No, you are not being screwed... you are being cuddled... after you got screwed 2 years ago, when they installed a transmission without replacing the oil to air cooler.

Whatever caused your transmission to fail two years ago was enough to foul the oil to air transmission cooler that you had. Actually, 15 years and 175,000 miles was enough to clog the tiny passages of that small plate cooler, even if your old transmission didn't fail. But the fact that the transmission shop put in a new (reman) transmission without also installing a brand new (not flushed) oil to air cooler? That's when you got screwed. Now you are being kissed.

By all means your truck will benefit from the TSB 00-24-4. It sounds doubtful that those transmission guys even knew about this TSB until they ran across it on the internet, otherwise, why didn't they recommend it when they installed the transmission in the first place?

Ford REQUIRES that a brand new oil to air transmission cooler be installed simultaneously with ANY of Ford's reman 4R100 transmissions, whether regular issue or HD, otherwise the three year warranty is null and void. Any reputable and experienced transmission builder or installer should know how difficult it is to flush or reverse flush the plate type oil coolers with any assurance that all the passages cleared. The standard operating procedure is to replace the cooler. If your transmission installer didn't, and if their diagnosis has concluded the current transmission failure can be traced to a blockage or inadequacy in the external fluid cooling circuit, then a reasonable case could be made that they should be screwed, not you, because they were negligent in the execution of the duties that are normally expected of a transmission shop who advertises their services as a center of expertise in transmission repair.

At the very least, they should fix your transmission. And at the very least, your truck should have a simple return flow test down (flow should be one gallon per minute through the external cooling circuit).

If it were me, I'd also do the TSB (new radiator with oil to water trans cooler and associated new plumbing lines), a new oil to air cooler (V10 style for no change in fittings, or 6.0L style preferred), and by all means get a transmission fluid temp gauge or the ability to read the TFT PID from the OBD connector using BT ELM dongle and an app like Torque Pro or Forscan.