Hi Steve,
In two weeks I will be going to Indiana to pick up a 28' travel trailer that wieghs 5400#. I will be pulling it with my '94 E150 Chateau with 351, E4OD and 3:73 rear end.

The E4OD was replaced with a Ford rebuilt unit about two years ago, so it should have updates available at that time.

I currently have the deep pan and filter with longer pick up tube from the 4X4 E4OD and a Magnafine external filter on it.

I am considering adding an external plate type cooler and have a few questions about it. Do these coolers replace the stock cooler or supplement it? What size would you recomend? Bigger the better or can you go to large on the cooler?

Are there other modifications that can be made by just pulling the pan to the E4OD by me or a professional that would be worth while and resonably priced for towing? What about the electronic controllers for the E4OD. Any good. Any recomendations?

You mentioned that you are in the Rocket City in another post. I'm just down the road in the Steel City. Maybe you could send ne an email with your bussiness name and address for future reference.

Thanks for any help that you can offer.

Gene

 

Hi Gene,

I would retain the OE transmission cooler. Over cooling is really only a problem in very cold climates. I haven't used the plate type coolers so I can't comment on their effectiveness. Just curious, but why the plate type cooler? We install the traditional Hayden coolers and they perform well.

For most conditions, bigger is better. I use the stock cooler on my E150 and have never had a tempurature problem. I use it to tow a 4800 lb car trailer long distances and it stays in the 175 to 195 range all the time. Your E4OD should have no trouble with the trailer. I-65 between B'ham and Indiana is almost never level with a few pretty good climes. So be sure to take your time and cancel OD at the bottom of the steeper ones to keep from lugging the transmission. And if you find a situation where its hunting in and out of lockup or between 3rd and 4th gears, cancel OD until conditions are such it will hold it consistantly.

There really isn't anything to be done by pulling the pan. The deep pan and filter is an excellent upgrade. There are shift kits out there but I wouldn't use them. The very best mod for an E4OD is to install a Superior pump kit. I highly recommed these kits but they require the removal of the pump (trans must come out) to install it so its really only practical on an overhaul. We install them on every E4OD we build.

If your reman was installed by Ford two years ago that should be a ProFormance Powertrain built unit. They are good units. We use them and have had little if any trouble.

Yes, I live in the Rocket City but my shop is located in the "River City" just to the west. Send me an email and I can forward you the contact info. My email is: stevehh@hiwaay.net

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

Thanks for the reply Steve,
I have had trouble logging onto the forum this morning, so I'm just now getting back to you.
The adds for the plate coolers seemed to suggest that they were more efficient. No reason other than that. Dumb me, I forgot about the cooler that is on it already. I have the towing package, so it may be larger than normal? I looked at it this morning and it seems to be large enough, so I will leave well enough alone.
I will do a complete fluid change and add the appropriate mix of Transgaurd Red and a new Magnefine. I wish that I had installed the Magnefine when the van was brand new so that it could be ahead of the cooler, but they recommend putting it after the cooler on vehicles with mileage on them.
Thanks for the topographical info on I-65 to Indiana. I have never traveled that route before and will be mindful of my use of OD coming back.
Thanks for the help and the contact info. Keep your eyes pealed for a brown Chateau be chased by a 28' silver bullet coming down 65 in a couple of weeks, and stay out of the way!

Regards,
Gene

 

You are welcome.

The OE cooler is a quality unit and works well on mine. If you have the tow package then you get the standard external cooler. They use that same cooler on all sizes of trucks and vans. Seems like it should be more than adequate for an E150.

They have you put the filter after the cooler to catch any debis that might come out of the cooler with use.

Will keep an eye out for you then ;-) The biggest hill on I-65 is at Elizabethtown, KY about 60 miles south of Louisville, KY. There is another one just north of Nashville, TN.

I assume you have a brake controller? An E150 would need a brake controller for a trailer that heavy. Its easy to overheat E150 brakes with that much weight. Ask me how I know :-(

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

I am going to buy a Prodogy controller for the trailer brakes. It looks to be the best available and I haven't seen anything but good reports on it so far. It appears that Draw Tite sells the same unit under their name as well.
I will also be adding a heavy duty class 4 hitch that is rated 600# tounge wieght and 12000# max with equalizer hitch. The trailer has the hitch gear and sway controll with it, but I don't know what kind it is for sure. All I know about it is that it has square spring bars, so maybe it is the Reese or Drawtite trunion type.
Thanks again for the help,
Gene

 

Steve, it's easy to overheat the brakes with just the weight of that van.. (ask me how I know....)