I have a 2000 Excursion with a 7.3 diesel. I have 245k on the clock. Engine and transmission are original. I have an overheating issue when I am towing and pull a long grade. It's not as bad as it was before but it still happens and I am tired of turning off the AC and putting the heaters on full blast to help with thee cooling when it is 90 plus outside. A list of things that I have done so far.

Newer water pump and thermostat.
New tensioner.
Installed a new trans pan with about 7-8 larger capacity.
Used some magic juju juice to clean out colling system.
Installed a coolant filter. I am on my 5th filter. The first one didn't last 500 miles before getting stopped up.
Switch to Delo ELC.


I recently had the upper hose off and when I looked inside, I didn't see any scale or build up. I also read about some of the trucks of that vintage didn't get a trans cooler. When I looked, I saw a cooler but it doesn't look like it is plumbed through the radiator. I want to install a large trans cooler. I don't want to replace the radiator just for the sake of replacing it. Any suggestions for a radiator with increased capacity.

Also, look at the pic of the water pump with the thermostat sitting in it. Is the thermostat supposed to be resting all the way down? I keep wondering about that.

 

if your filters are getting clogged that quick then it's a decent assumption that your radiator is also full of what ever is clogging your filter.

did you BACK flush the system when you switched to ELC coolant ?
did the overheating start before or after the switch to ELC ?

are your bottom, sides and top radiator skirts intact ?

if it were mine I would confirm the skirts are in place, back flush the radiator according to the method Stewart details in the tech folder. the 6.0 super duty trans cooler is the go to cooler swap. if those measures have been exhausted then I would be looking to put in a new radiator.

 

I tend to agree with Pirate but also verify that your fan clutch is working.

 

good call, I just assumed he replaced it when he did the water pump.

I don't know how often they fail but ford recommends them be changed at the same time so I have done it that way. ( didn't seem worth the $200 to find out how much longet the clutch would last )

 

x2 on fan clutch, where I live that thing was virtually impossible to find. I got the last one within several hundred miles. Also not unheard of to have a malfunctioning thermostat right out of the box. Have you burped the coolant system? Pressure tested it? You might have a pile of mud/crap in the bottom of that radiator.

 

Only the first filter clogged up fast. The filter on there now has probably been on for 12-15k miles.

I did not back flush the system when I changed over. I drained the coolant and replaced with distilled water several times. Then I added the juju juice( I only call it that because I can't remember what it's called). Then I installed the coolant filter.

I don't remember if the overheating started before I switched to ELC.

Any suggestions for a HD radiator?

 

How can I check the fan clutch? On my bus, there is absolutely no mistaking when it comes on. It sounds like afterburners kicking in. I have never heard it on the excursion.

 

I can hear mine when it locks up, it makes a pretty good racket.

ford test procedure

 

I can't remember ever reading about that recommendation. Very good to know.

They all got trans coolers, it's just some of the early 2000 MY 7.3L rigs didn't have trans cooling running through the rad.

One of the best trans coolers available are the 6.0L PSD trans coolers Ford used on the 6.0 rigs.

Well that's confusing. You don't wanna change the radiator, but you ask about an increased capacity rad in the same breath?

If it was me, and it came down to replacing the rad, I would go with an OEM model for your rig that also includes the internal trans cooler component.

Where did you get the thermo?

Also, did you follow Gooch's backflush procedure? Or did you literally just flush a bit with distilled water and then add ELC?

Stewart

 

I'll just start by agreeing with you. I am a confused individual.

I don't want to change the radiator but I also don't want to find whatever I can get my hands on if it does need to be replaced. I would like to do my research beforehand and try to find the best radiator and best price.

Both came from RiffRaff Diesel.


No and yes...in that order. I am not sure I knew about the backflush procedure when I did my water pump.

I have been going through this thread and I now know the name of the magic juju juice. RMI-25

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...formation.html

 

You can always pull your radiator and take it to a radiator shop to have them check it and clean it.

 

Can you clarify if your coolant is over heating or your transmission. What temperature is over heating?

 

The only gauge I have is for the engine. My 2000 doesn't have a transmission temp gauge like my friend's 2003. There was one time coming back from L.A. north on the Grape Vine, things got so hot I was peeing out transmission fluid by the time I got to Santa Clarita. I lost about a gallon of fluid. I did install a larger pan with a port for a sending unit. I will be installing a trans temp gauge soon.

I have decided that I will replace the fan clutch and pull the radiator to have it checked.

Another thought is I wonder if my transmission is nearing the end of it's like since I am approaching 250k on it and it is the original. I know I will replace it this year. Hopefully at the time of my choosing. When I get the gauge installed, I will have an idea what is happening on these grades.

 

Also you can try that OBDII dongle and the Torque app on your phone. That'll give ya the trans temp in the interim.

 

I would check to make sure ac condenser and intercooler are not blocking air from getting to radiator.
Plugged with insects, dirt etc.

Than I would put a big transmission cooler on it. I have read that larger pans just add more hot fluid to the mix and do not have a huge affect to cooling. Not sure if that is accurate or not though.

Drain intercooler.....my 99 had about 2 quarts of oil in intercooler because blow by is plumbed to intake air after filter and before turbocharger. Reason is intercooler is supposed to cool air but if any oil in it that oil gets hot after long hard pulls and won't cool as fast as air. That makes intercooler hot and the air that goes thru it to radiator hot.

If you don't have synthetic atf, it might help to put synthetic in.

In reality I don't think the transmission can make a engine hot....Expecially if the trans cooling is seperate from radiator. Other than hot air from cooler blowing onto radiator.