I'm hoping to convince my wife to let me buy some toys to pull with the truck. Phase one is already complete (she let me buy the truck). We have a weekend get away planned and we are going to be hauling at least 7,000lbs. My 6.0 to my knowledge is all original and unmolested. 164k on the clock and runs smooth. No signs of the heads being done (ran the vin at ford as well). The EGR cooler looks stock as well. I'm just wondering how you all run the mountains pulling. What should I look for when stressing the engine like that? What rpm would you run? What should I look for as signs of overheating starting? Over working the engine too much? Tans? Just some things in curious before I start putting her to work on a regular basis.

 

Use the tow/haul feature to help when towing. It will keep the tranny cooler and help with downgrades. What year is it as the high pressure oil pump (hpop) is a liability if and early 03-04.
Get a scan tool like a Dashboss, etc And measure your engine oil temps (eot's) compared to your engine coolant temps (ect's) and you should expect to see between 8-15 degrees when running empty at 65 mph for a sustained few minutes.
If not running regularly that close, big issues with the oil cooler and potential egr superheating issues/hydrolock potential.
Your 5r110 tranny is rock solid if you change oil the tranny fluid at 35-45k intervals.
Good luck.

 

Trans temp should not be an issue. Pulling 12,000lbs. it barely breaks 180°, usually running in the 160's on flats. On 8% grades Oil would hit around 230 and settle back down when the fan comes on.
What I watch when pulling grade is oil temp never hitting 240 temp, and the boost I keep around 22psi. Once back on flats I look for my water/oil temps to level out back to a normal range. So in short I drive off my boost gauge. Everything else falls in line. These numbers were from my last trip in PA @ 90's ambient air temp. I'm running stock headbolts and NO tune and monitoring with ScanGaugeII .

 

Thanks for the info. I have a late model 2004. I don't know he transmission history, just what the carfax stated. The fluid is clean and doesn't smell burnt. There is only one product I would ever out in the trans and that's Lucas Oil transmission treatment. Safer than flushing the fluid and having a transmission issue. I have a good scan tool I could bring with to monitor temps, but I just wanted to make sure she'll be ok. I would like to avoid doing heads of possible. EGR was clean when I went to check it for build up, so I'm not worried that the previous owner beat on the truck.

 

No need to worry about the heads unless you had an oil cooler failure or you use a tuner.
If you leave it stock and keep an I on temps, you should be good to go...until you need to clean the turbo. That will happen if not already. Those unison rings!

 

7,000 lbs is nothing for the 6.0. I've pulled loads like that and at times forgot it was back there unless I looked in the mirror.

Per the others, put the truck is tow/haul and the truck will do the rest. All you have to do is tell it if you want to accelerate or stop.

 

I wouldn't put ANYTHING in that tranny except Mercon SP.
I'd drop the pan, upgrade to an "08" filter, change the external filter,
then refill with the Mercon SP.
But that's just me!

 

Mercon LV works too, Ford even said you can mix them.

 

Yea, I would still stick with SP.
Just me.

 

I have an 05, 99% stock and unmolested, I also tow 7K - 8K and in some hills. Expect the oil and water temps to get up to around 220 on the up-hills, expect the fan to come on around 215 on the coolant temp and to have the coolant temp pull down quite quickly when the fan comes on high. Watch for the oil temp to follow after a minute or two, a lot slower but you definitely want the oil temp to follow down after a hill. You can leave the trans in normal or put it in tow haul, it doesn`t care. I don`t run cruise control when towing in hills because I don`t like the way it slams the downshift to try to maintain speed as it hits the rise, I like to get it to downshift a little gentler. If your turbo vanes are sticking you can see it boost up past 30 psi, if it does (and if you have the later engine being a late 2004) then you may get a wrench light and a de-power until you turn the engine off and on again. I like to tow under 70 mph, usually around 60 - 65.

Brian

 

I wouldn't bother dropping the pan and putting an 08 filter on either but that is just me.

 

the updated 08' filter requires the updated 08' pan to accommodate the filters depth, so just changing the filter doesn't work all by itself....

 

^^^^
YES! I should have said "08" tranny upgrade.
Thank you.

 

The 6.0L loves to pull. When pulling the 9000lb travel trailer cars get to the other lane at lights thinking I am going to be slow to take off, I accelerate with them. I generally run at 65 MPH, ST rated tires on the trailer.


Tow/Haul is awesome, really helps on the long Appalachian grades, I have even used it coming down the mountains without a trailer, saves the brakes.

 

In the fall, hauling beans, its nothing to have 25,000 on behind. Pulls it like nothing. The 6.0 will have no problem with your trailer.