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I think I already know the answer to my question, but I would appreciate some input from others with more experience than myself.
My F350 powerstroke has been running great all the past years that I have owned it. The past few years, my wife and I have been going from Wisconsin to SE Colorado towing our off road Jeep through the mountains. Once we are west of Denver, and climbing the mountains, we will have to pull over and let the truck cool down before reaching the top of most of the mountains that we cross several times per ascent. The truck is a 4 door dually 6x6 w/6 speed manual, Edge tuner. Last summer I changed the water pump, thermostat, and antifreeze, and flushed the cooling system. I was then able to make it to the top of each mountain without having the engine temp light come on, but just barely, and then only by continually slowing down to as slow as 30mph (lots of unhappy other drivers!) and down shifting. I normally keep the truck set on the second highest tuner setting for towing, but have tried the lowest and stock settings with little change to engine temp.
Before I go and buy a new radiator, and start looking at engine and transmission oil coolers to solve my problem, I am beginning to wonder if the monster front bumper that the truck came with is the culprit, and if it is, what to do about it. I would like to keep it, so maybe the above mentioned oil coolers, or an electric auxiliary fan would be an option, or as a last resort, back to a stock bumper.
I would like to make a trip out west with my slide in camper pulling my Jeep, but right now I know that would lead to a disaster. What to you think? Anyone else have similar problems pulling loads in the mountains?
Thanks in advance!
Can you hear your fan clutch kick in and what temperatures does your Edge read for oil and transmission temperatures when you are pulling a grade? Pulling our fifth wheel in the tallest grades here in the East when my fan clutch kicks in it is not hard to hear and my Edge says my engine temp never goes beyond 224 before the fan brings it back down so I can hear my fan start and stop.
Check fan clutch..you should def hear it when it kicks on...sounds like a jet engine. Also have you ever clean and or de-greased your rad fins? You'd be surprised at the crap that builds up in the fins and has a dramatic effect on cooling ability.
Fan clutch is operating correctly. I can watch the engine temp change as the fan cycles on and off. Going up the mountain, the fan is engaged all the way up. I don't have transmission temp reading with a manual transmission. Engine oil temp gets up to over 250°, but before it goes farther, I back off the throttle or pull over to let engine cool. Coolant temp gauge will peg in the red. I don't let it get that far. I pull off to cool down. I did pressure wash the radiator and condenser last year when I changed the pump, but I did not take the radiator out. I have the fan and shroud off the engine right now, so maybe I will disconnect everything down below and pull the radiator out and inspect and clean it while out of the truck. From the front and rear, things look very clean.
I currently have some of the fuel system apart, changing the IPC sensor, rebuilding the IPR, and changing the fuel/water separator. I don't know if improper fuel mixture could cause over heating in a diesel, but there were other problems that I know are related to these things.
Keep the ideas and suggestions coming. I really appreciate the help!
If it kicks on about 220 and the temperature just keeps rising, radiator hose is collapsing or radiator is not doing enough of its thing. Looks like you have already replaced everything else.
When my fan kicks in you can watch the temperature go back down and the fan cycles off and on as needed.
Didn't think about the radiator hoses . I did not replace those when I did the other cooling maintenance last year. I will check those out later today.
So you don't see that huge bumper as a possible source of over heating?
Didn't think about the radiator hoses . I did not replace those when I did the other cooling maintenance last year. I will check those out later today.
So you don't see that huge bumper as a possible source of over heating?
I am doubtful. I have one comparable to that on one of my trucks and I can't tell it blocks enough air to cause a problem. Quite a few folks on FTE run similar and I have never heard any complaints, but I can't say for sure.
I pulled the radiator and couldn't believe what I found! Over 75% blockage! Even a strong light from behind could not penetrate the dirt.
I won't be able to test it in the mountains until this summer, but I can't imagine that this was not the problem all the time. Kind of feel like an idiot not thinking of this! Though, I think that I had about a half dozen robins watching me from the trees waiting to use the mud for nest building!
Thanks for the help!
Hey, the only way we learn is by making mistakes. None of us modify our behavior by doing it right. Next time you will know and all of us who followed this tread will remember this event before we overthink our next repair.
03-25-2017, 01:26 PM
) and down shifting. I normally keep the truck set on the second highest tuner setting for towing, but have tried the lowest and stock settings with little change to engine temp.
. I did not replace those when I did the other cooling maintenance last year. I will check those out later today.
