own a 96 f150xl 2wd with 4.9,3.08 gear and auto transmission.added tranny cooler and 31-10.50 lt tires.mounted class 3 hitch to frame.have 20' 3000 lb boat plus trailer.was pulling with step bumper 1st 20 trips.now using new hitch.with boat attached get little or no sag on truck.trailer has no brakes.am planning to venture 30 - 50 miles when striper season opens.truck has 108000 miles.am i safe to tow with current setup.gcvw shows 6250.one web site claims i can safely tow 5600 lbs.is this correct.also during interstate towing is there truth regarding turning overdrive off.also at these miles is there good proven oil additive to restore lost power or to tighten up internal clearances.

 

About towing your current trailer - Do you have any problems stopping the trailer? Have you tried panic stops and what not? If you feel comfortable with the trucks ability to stop the trailer, I wouldn't think there would be a problem, but then again - I don't have an I-6 so I can't give a clear answer on that. GCWR numbers are just that - a lot of them seem to be unclear, I would exercise common sense.
Towing with overdrive is only recommended mainly on flat ground. The concern is when going up hills, the trans will shift back and forth between gears, heating the trans and causing damage. How big was the trans cooler you added? What GCWR did it come with?
For your engine, are you thinking about that new Quaker state oil for engines with 75K+ on 'em? I have never tried it. I use a product called Bardahls. It comes in a stop leak and stop smoke. I use it because my valve seals are worn and it seems to stop the oil getting through. Are you having problems with power or oil usage?

 

i installed 10000wt cooler-well above required-trailer has no brakes but have owned boats before and know to leave stopping distance.on panic stops boat will push me a few feet on a skid.engine is strong-no leaks-no smoke-seeking a preventative additive for crankcase.

 

You could try RESTORE. Its at autozone or wal-mart. One of my cars that I drive is a standard. I put the restore in it just to see if it did anything. Well. Before it wouldn't take off in first on flat ground without really slowly releasing the clutch, thats without giving it gas. Now a few hundred miles after putting it in, it will take off much quicker without giving it gas. Doesn't act like it wants to stall like it did. So, it might not have done alot, but it did increase lowend torque slightly, its supposed to fill the scratches and such in the cylinder walls to restore compression. Could try that, its like 6 bucks.