I have posted in the towing section but not having to many responses.

I have on 06 F350 with a number of mods including BPD. I have replaced the older style external BPD oil cooler with their larger one. But when I tow my 17,000 lb trailer up a 7% grade in AZ in the summer 110 degrees plus. The oil temp still is in the 140's and if I push the truck a little and I mean above 35-40mph I am in the 150's for oil temp. I can get a dash warning the wrench (for the temp Differential). The coolant gets hot but I can keep it below 230 usually. It will go higher though if I push the truck.

I have been looking into gearing. My truck with 3.73 and the factory 20 option gives me a 3.48 effective gear ratio. I found a great app online to calculate this. Just google tire size and gear ratio. I know this is too low for towing the weight I am. To get back to a 3.73 I would need to put in a 4.10. If I put a 4.30 in my effective ratio would be a 4.04. I checked my rpm today at 75mph it was 2,000 so if I went to 4.30 I would be at 2,400 to 2,500 rpm. I know either a 4.10 or 4.30 would ease the stress on the motor just don't know which to go with. I would guess both would reduce temps just don't know how much.

I am also running the tow tune found in the new SCT tuner with a fan mod to bring the fan in 10 degrees sooner than stock and that did help a little. The tune is about 50 hp w/50 ftlbs of torque. I do have to watch the EGT's as they will go over 1300 if I have my foot in it. So I need to back off a little.

Is anyone running 4.10 0r 4.30 with stock size tires? If so what is your RPM at 75mph

Is anyone towing with my weight and 4.10 or 4.30? If so what are your temps on steep grades in summer heat?

Thanks

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I used to have an 05 f250 with 3.73 gears. I swapped tires and rims to 20" just like you have. If I recall, before the swap 2000 rpm would be 68-69 mph. After was 75. I pulled our 14.5k fifth wheel with it all around Texas and never had the overheating issues you're having, but I never towed up the mountains. The truck had an egr delete, no cat, updated OEM oil cooler, ELC with filter. Not studded.

I now have an 06 f350 drw with 4.10 gears. It has cat delete, ELC and filter. Stock everything. At 2000 rpm I'm cruising at 63-64 mph. I have towed the same camper up 7% grades in the Davis mountains of west Texas during August and when my coolant got hot, the fan kicked on and brought it back down. No issues overheating or defueling.

My suggestion would be go back to smaller size wheels. You could get them cheap off CL. I sold my set for $400. Next, if you can eliminate your cat, that will help lower your egts without the expense of a 4" exhaust system. Last, try using only the trans tune with egr turned off (if yours isn't already deleted) instead of the tow tune. You said you had BPD oil cooler but do you have studs too? If not, you shouldn't use the tow tune pulling that much weight. Just my .02

 

He is studded, check the sig. I assume the oil temps are 240/250 respectively and the 140/150 is a typo? That is quite hot, your fan should be at full lock much before 230 coolant, i think its 218 (someone correct me) which will hold you at 218 or much more likely, cool you down and then you'll see your truck bounce between full fan lock, and cooling down. I can't tell if you have an EGR Delete or upgrade cooler? Is your EGR valve still plugged in? The only other idea is to get the transmission to down shift and take some of the load off the engine and let the rpms go. Towing in OD will get pretty hot up a grade.

 

Yes, I am assuming 140/150 is a typo and you mean oil temps are 240/250. You need to check fan speed at those types of oil and water temps, fan should be on full by 217 -219 degrees water temp. Those are significant weight.. The other thing I would think could be an issue is water pump efficiency. Only thing to really do is drop a gear and keep the revs up, be sure you are in tow/haul. I don't tow any where near as heavy, but often on hills in summer with trailer I will see EGTs in the very low 1300s, but it will just stay there, my oil never gets near that high, nor coolamt.

 

IMO 240's-250 seems really hot for the oil. I know that you said that you had the new larger BPD external oil cooler but something seems odd about your oil temps with that mod. I thought that that oil cooler was supposed to keep your oil temps down much lower than that.

 

It is studded. What is ELC and filter? I'm guessing coolant filter. I have the BPD EGR cooler installed. In AZ the auto emissions station look under the hood for the deletes and use a mirror to look underneath for the Cat!

 

Thanks for the responses, It was a typo. I am running 240 to 250 if I push it. I talked to BPD and they said it was hot but acceptable. I actually hit 260. Thats why I put in the larger cooler. Now it stays mostly 240 up hill but if I push the truck it can still hit 250. The fan sounds like an airplane at about 215-218 coolant.

I know that a 3.48 is not good for towing a heavy load. Thats why I am looking into the gear change. I am hopping that will drop all temps including EGT so a can push a little harder up hill. 35-40 in 3rd manages the temps but it is painfully slow.

I would put and exhaust on but I have spoken to a number of shops and SCT tuners that said it might not drop EGT's much at all. I have been told a larger inter cooler would drop the EGT's but I do not have a ton of extra room now with the External oil cooler.

 

ELC is extended life coolant. I use the Rotella red coolant with a coolant filter. I agree with others, 240-250 oil temp seems really high. Does your temps drop when the fan kicks on?

 

I hate to say it but I think it's time for a new radiator and/or a waterpump. These trucks are designed to pull in high heat as well as colder temps.......my .02

 

What I was thinking as well

 

It is a brand new radiator and the shop that did my motor rebuild said the water pump looked good.

The water temps stabilize and will maintain or drop if I back out or maintain speed. The oil temp takes a lot more effort and time to drop. I do not believe the BPD oil cooler is a great design for towing. I have the old cooler I removed I think I am going to try to run both if I can find a spot to mount it.

I was looking at another mechanics truck. He owns the shop that worked on my truck. They have ford 6.0L in there all the time getting Bullet proofed and both owners have 6 liters. The one has a kit that mounts the stock ford oil cooler on top of the motor and he has also added two external air cooled oil coolers up front and has electric fans on them to keep the oil temp the same as the coolant. He also has the coolant filters installed. Not going that fare but I need more air through the cooler I have or I need more cooling area.

There is not much on this truck that has not been replaced.

Tom, What size tires are stock on your DRW?

Has anyone added the Banks intercooler elbow or the entire kit?

Thanks

 

My dually has 245/75 r17 iirc

 

Update,

Bullet proof diesel put a 7.3 fan clutch in and and adapter to connect it. This has fixed the heating issue. It really pulls more air. I am changing gearing next week to 4.30 and keeping the 20's. I like the ground clearance. I also bought a Banks techni cooler also being installed next week. I also had the Power Max stage 1 turbo installed. I hope this year is better towing.