Trans Temp while towing??
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,788
Likes: 20
From: Mansfield, TX USA
Originally Posted by firesoutmatt
Thats my point I don't want my tranny getting to hot to see the yellow or red on the factory gauge. If your waiting to see yellow or red on the factory gauge I believe it's to late.
I believe my tranny will last longer by not going over 190*-200* than someone using factory gauge and waiting untill it hits the red mark.
I'm not taking the chance to see at what temp the factory gauge goes to yellow or red.. So I really can't say its accurate or not. I've only read on these forums that its not .
So at what temp does the factory gauge go to red or yellow at ?
What temp do you think is to hot ?
I believe my tranny will last longer by not going over 190*-200* than someone using factory gauge and waiting untill it hits the red mark.
I'm not taking the chance to see at what temp the factory gauge goes to yellow or red.. So I really can't say its accurate or not. I've only read on these forums that its not .
So at what temp does the factory gauge go to red or yellow at ?
What temp do you think is to hot ?
If you want to know when your tranny is 190*, then you will be unhappy with the factory gauge.
You must decide if 190* is "the" number. Lots of myths and old wives tales say that it is. Lots of product testing and science say that it is not.
You make your own choice.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 4,788
Likes: 20
From: Mansfield, TX USA
Originally Posted by KrenzyRyan
My Autometer went up to 210 - while the factory gauge was exactly the same since I started! lame
Like I said, you can believe Ford, or you can believe something someone somewhere once told you.
Your choice.
New User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
ok - I just joined because I had to respond to this... learn from my misfortune. Ford gauges are junk..period, I cooked my 2nd ford trans (4R100) at 35000 miles while towing a 10k trailer - the ford gauge never moved from the center (normal) position - the fluid literally boiled out of the trans. I now have a BTS trans, with a full set of gauges, and a 6.0 cooler. My advice, 1) buy a good set of gauges, do not trust your stock ford gauges, 2) your transmission life is all about keeping the fluid cool...buy the biggest cooler that will fit... in this case, I think the 6.0 cooler is the biggest out there. Go to a trans oil web site...most atf starts to degrade a 210. Good luck.
Elder User
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 679
Likes: 0
From: Mesa, AZ
Originally Posted by 02bluebandit
ok - I just joined because I had to respond to this... learn from my misfortune. Ford gauges are junk..period, I cooked my 2nd ford trans (4R100) at 35000 miles while towing a 10k trailer - the ford gauge never moved from the center (normal) position - the fluid literally boiled out of the trans. I now have a BTS trans, with a full set of gauges, and a 6.0 cooler. My advice, 1) buy a good set of gauges, do not trust your stock ford gauges, 2) your transmission life is all about keeping the fluid cool...buy the biggest cooler that will fit... in this case, I think the 6.0 cooler is the biggest out there. Go to a trans oil web site...most atf starts to degrade a 210. Good luck.
Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,196
Likes: 11
From: Arizona
Originally Posted by firesoutmatt
Thats my point I don't want my tranny getting to hot to see the yellow or red on the factory gauge. If your waiting to see yellow or red on the factory gauge I believe it's to late.
I believe my tranny will last longer by not going over 190*-200* than someone using factory gauge and waiting untill it hits the red mark.
I'm not taking the chance to see at what temp the factory gauge goes to yellow or red.. So I really can't say its accurate or not. I've only read on these forums that its not .
So at what temp does the factory gauge go to red or yellow at ?
What temp do you think is to hot ?
I believe my tranny will last longer by not going over 190*-200* than someone using factory gauge and waiting untill it hits the red mark.
I'm not taking the chance to see at what temp the factory gauge goes to yellow or red.. So I really can't say its accurate or not. I've only read on these forums that its not .
So at what temp does the factory gauge go to red or yellow at ?
What temp do you think is to hot ?
Charles Ledger over at the Dieselmann's page did a test on the Ford factory gauge. The needle moves into the Yellow at 250F and Red at 280F. This is way to hot in my opion (and Dieselmann's as well). The gauge will not move between 100-220F and holds the same postion. I have always been taught that at 195F the transmission is good for 100K miles(200K miles at 175F) and that for every 20F increase in fluid temperature the transmission life is reduced by half. So if you run the fluid at 215F sevice life is 50K miles, at 235F 25K miles and when you get to 250F the seals are damaged and the transmission will need to be removed and repaired.
www.intellidog.com/dieselmann/b_smoke13.htm
Here is another temp chart
www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,353
Likes: 1
From: Nothern Indiana
Originally Posted by jschira
Your gauge read "NORMAL" at 210* because Ford considers that to be, well, normal.
Like I said, you can believe Ford, or you can believe something someone somewhere once told you.
Your choice.
Like I said, you can believe Ford, or you can believe something someone somewhere once told you.
Your choice.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,353
Likes: 1
From: Nothern Indiana
Originally Posted by 02bluebandit
ok - I just joined because I had to respond to this... learn from my misfortune. Ford gauges are junk..period, I cooked my 2nd ford trans (4R100) at 35000 miles while towing a 10k trailer - the ford gauge never moved from the center (normal) position - the fluid literally boiled out of the trans. I now have a BTS trans, with a full set of gauges, and a 6.0 cooler. My advice, 1) buy a good set of gauges, do not trust your stock ford gauges, 2) your transmission life is all about keeping the fluid cool...buy the biggest cooler that will fit... in this case, I think the 6.0 cooler is the biggest out there. Go to a trans oil web site...most atf starts to degrade a 210. Good luck.
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New User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
the stock ford trans, 4R100, cost me 2 vacations - standed me the first time at less than 9000 miles on the odo (ford rebuilt it under warranty) - the second time at 35000 on the odo (ford offered to pay 1/2 (after some serious complaining)...I declined...just could not trust the truck...either had to sell it or get a good built trans)- did some investigation and ended up buying the BTS - just got back from a trip to Vegas/Grand Canyon, pulled some 6 to 8 % grades in over 100 deg heat - hottest I saw on the trans temp was 195 (pulling a 10K trailer) - not bad - may still invest in an aluminum pan. I would recommend the BTS, but there are other good trans mfgs out there too.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 837
Likes: 2
From: Minnesota
I sold Ford truck from 96 to 06 and had heard rumors that the tranny temp gauges on the SDutys were really "on-off, go-no go" rather than direct reading gauges. Someone else can maybe verify or debunk that information.
We do a bi-annual trip to southern CO from MN every other year pulling a fifth wheel. The tranny temps (C6 probe in the test port) on both the '03 and '05 trips scared me. I was in the 230-245* range most of the time. Ambient temps then were in triple digits towing ~7K fiver. I did "flush-n-fill" trans services before every trip.
Before the '07 trip with the new, bigger trailer, in addition to swapping the 3.54's for 4.10's, I switched to synthetic and added another cooler (Ford 27 plate from a donor truck) in series with the stock TT pkg 24 plate cooler both inline before the radiator cooler. No triple digits this last trip but generally ran 190-195* tranny temps pulling a higher profile 10K fiver over the same routes with only one incidence of 210* and that dropped almost immediately.
In addition to lower tranny temps I observed lower coolant temps. I routed the two aux coolers ahead of the radiator with the thought in mind that if I "over-cooled" the fluid the radiator would address the problem.
Wish I would have done it sooner.
We do a bi-annual trip to southern CO from MN every other year pulling a fifth wheel. The tranny temps (C6 probe in the test port) on both the '03 and '05 trips scared me. I was in the 230-245* range most of the time. Ambient temps then were in triple digits towing ~7K fiver. I did "flush-n-fill" trans services before every trip.
Before the '07 trip with the new, bigger trailer, in addition to swapping the 3.54's for 4.10's, I switched to synthetic and added another cooler (Ford 27 plate from a donor truck) in series with the stock TT pkg 24 plate cooler both inline before the radiator cooler. No triple digits this last trip but generally ran 190-195* tranny temps pulling a higher profile 10K fiver over the same routes with only one incidence of 210* and that dropped almost immediately.
In addition to lower tranny temps I observed lower coolant temps. I routed the two aux coolers ahead of the radiator with the thought in mind that if I "over-cooled" the fluid the radiator would address the problem.
Wish I would have done it sooner.
Last edited by ClydeSDale; Jul 17, 2007 at 01:06 AM.
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,754
Likes: 1
From: Indianapolis
I just swapped a 6.0 cooler in my truck, because in 80*-90* ambient temps and stop and go traffic, I was routinely seeing 180*-210* on the tranny temp gauge. So far the ambient temp has been around 70*-75*, and my tranny stays around 140*. Worth the swap to me! If you want to do that, you'll need 1' of 1/2" fuel line, 7' of 3/8" fuel line, (2) 1/2"-3/8" reducer hose barb connectors, and (8) 1" clamps. I "trusted" the stock squeeze clamps on the tranny lines next to the oil pan, and one pissed all over the place, so I swapped them for "good" clamps.
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: Western KY
mongo75 - man, I'm trying to get the same thing done for my 7.3! I'm going to a local transmission guy who ordered and received the 6.0 tranny cooler. Thing is, he's not sure how to mount this on my truck! He swears my 7.3 does not currently (truck is stock) have a tranny cooler, only an engine oil cooler. He asked me to ask the folks here for advice! If you'd rather send me a PM, that would be great. But, I really want the cooling benefit you got.
Am I just mixed up with terminology? When you are talking about a "cooler," are you talking about an engine oil cooler or a transmission oil cooler or are they one and the same? Got me frazzled!
Am I just mixed up with terminology? When you are talking about a "cooler," are you talking about an engine oil cooler or a transmission oil cooler or are they one and the same? Got me frazzled!
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,754
Likes: 1
From: Indianapolis
No Bite- it fits just fine- the only thing you gotta do is widen the mounting holes on the upper brackets, as on my truck the frame mount holes were a hair wider than the 6.0 cooler. Take them out 1/4" on each side and it'll fit. I'm talking about the tranny cooler from a 6.0 into a 7.3. You didn't mention what year 7.3 you have, but I don;t think Ford made a diesel without a tranny cooler. I would do it myself and save the cost of labor. I spent about $30 or so on hose and fittings. The most expensive hose is the freaking 1/2" fuel hose I HAD to get from West Marine as I couldn't find any shops that had 1/2" fuel or tranny cooler hose for sale in bulk. I wasn't about to buy a line from Ford for $$$ just to use 8" of it. Let me know if you need more info.
BTW- driving through Riverside Ca. today, going 80 mph, 2550 rpm, ambient temp about 95*, my tranny stayed below 180*. I'm sure if I wasn't going so damn fast it would have been cooler, but I had to get to the grand opening of the new Bass Pro Shops out here!!1
BTW- driving through Riverside Ca. today, going 80 mph, 2550 rpm, ambient temp about 95*, my tranny stayed below 180*. I'm sure if I wasn't going so damn fast it would have been cooler, but I had to get to the grand opening of the new Bass Pro Shops out here!!1
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