Water/Oil Temps

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Jul 12, 2008 | 02:58 AM

woodys06

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From: Dark side of the moon

Water/Oil Temps

I've searched the posts and can't find a definative answer to this question (maybe there isn't one):
Under normal driving conditions (no trailer, flat road) what should oil and water temps be? When should it be time to start being concerned?

I have an '06 PSD with a Hyperpac set on the "mileage" setting. I normally run oil at 195-200 degrees and water about 5-10 degrees cooler. Lately when I pull the Grapevine ( a relatively short but steep grade in southern California) oil goes up to 215-220 again with water about 10 degrees cooler. Outside temps are in the 90-100 range. I've already gone through the replacement head deal about 25K mi ago (100k now) so I know all about the degas bottle etc etc and I don't have those same issues now. It's got me a little gun shy as I'm towing my 30' 11000 lb trailer on vacation at the end of the month and if the truck is hitting those temps now with no load......

Anyway any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Miles

Jul 12, 2008 | 06:33 AM

tex25025

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Joined: Oct 2005

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From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodys06

I normally run oil at 195-200 degrees and water about 5-10 degrees cooler. Lately when I pull the Grapevine ( a relatively short but steep grade in southern California) oil goes up to 215-220 again with water about 10 degrees cooler. Outside temps are in the 90-100 range.

That is about right for unloaded and I'm actually surprised your not running a little hotter then that considering the ambiant temps that your dealing with are hotter then they are are and I run hotter then you do. The only thing that I can think of is that my mild tunes are the equilivant to your hot tunes and you just use the economy setting so that could easily explain that.

Now as to red line temps. For your engine temp, about 215 is actually when you start want to keep on monitoring and be thinking ahead. When engine hits 220 I believe the fan comes on and this is the hottest that I would personally run if I had to, but I would cool down at this point. When coolant hits about 225, it loses it's effectivesness to actually keep things cool, so under no circumstances would I get up to that point. Oil temp would be about 20 to atmost 25 degrees hotter then coolant temp, so that would 230-235 start thinking ahead about cooling down, 240-245 should start cooling her down.

Jul 12, 2008 | 07:06 AM

bismic

Fleet Owner

Joined: Nov 2003

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Evan -

From my research, I thought the fan kicks on a 210 coolant temperature?

I do not tow much and I am not yet tuned, so ...... I have yet to experience the fan kicking on AND I do not have gauges yet (dashdaq at the next paycheck). Are you sure it is 220?

Also from my research -
The engine begins to defuel at 227 coolant temperature and at 254 degrees oil temp.

I did not document my source for these temps in my 6.0L spreadsheet - so back to google to try to find the official reference unless someone else out there has it handy.

p.s. - glad your "girl" is back Evan.

Jul 12, 2008 | 07:26 AM

tex25025

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Joined: Oct 2005

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From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN

Quote:

Originally Posted by bismic

I have only heard my fan once and that was when I was around the 220 mark. I say around because I don't have a tick mark for 220 on my gauge it's just out in the open unmarked. Something could be wrong with my fan that made it have such a delay, but in my experiance it came on around 220, but that was only once and since then I haven't gone up past 215(do have a tick mark for that reading).

Quote:

Originally Posted by bismic

Also from my research -
The engine begins to defuel at 227 coolant temperature and at 254 degrees oil temp.

I do believe that is correct. I typically don't like to go to the defuel points if I am pulling due to the fact that in my experiance when things go into some type of safety mode they happen at the worst possible times and in fact add to the stress of the engine(in my opinion) because your having to ask for more to get up that hill when it's trying to cool things down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bismic

p.s. - glad your "girl" is back Evan.

Thank you on that. I just couldn't stand it, but they did a good job getting her fixed up and ready to go. Now I just need to order a couple more mods and all should be well again.

Jul 12, 2008 | 11:38 AM

heavyiron

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Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 410

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From: Las Vegas

I personally would be concerned with these temps running empty, if they are correct.

I don't have any mods other than 4" turbo back exhaust, but I do have the edge engine monitor and have never seen oil temp exceed 215 degrees, even pulling a heavy trailer in the Vegas summer (110 + ). Water temp will get to 205 deg's.

I didn't notice but do you have gauges? You may find that you are not running as hot as you think. If you were indeed running at 215 degree's your engine fan should be fully engaged and roaring like a jet about to take off.

Jul 12, 2008 | 12:10 PM

woodys06

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Jul 2006

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From: Dark side of the moon

Thanks guys thats exactly the info I was looking for. Now I can set the alarm limits on the Hyperpac.

Miles

Jul 12, 2008 | 12:11 PM

jmaskew

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Oct 2007

Posts: 1,712

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From: Henderson, NV

Quote:

Originally Posted by heavyiron

My truck, driving back and forth on I-95 from Henderson to Downtown Las Vegas area, runs around 205 for water and oil temps. On surface streets I have seen from 205 to 210 lately. All through the winter driving around town the temp would always be between 195 and 200. I use Isspro gauges and the water temp sender is on the drivers side of the engine block (where the plug was) and the oil temp sender is in the oil filter cap. From what I have noticed Water and Oil temp, running empty, pretty much stay the same. I have had the water temp up to 215 - 217ish and the oil temp was around 225 without the engine fan coming on; that was when I pulled our travel trailer up the 95 towards Boulder City.

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Jul 12, 2008 | 06:31 PM

heavyiron

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 410

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From: Las Vegas

I guess the question here is what is the temp / fan relationship supposed to be from the factory? My fans starts cycling at 197 deg (oil temp) w/ city driving.

I would like to know what's supposed to happen?

Maybe one of the techs will chime in.

Jul 15, 2008 | 07:49 AM

#10

paulpe99

New User

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 6

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From: santee, ca

hey Miles,
I have a 2003 (May) F250 Super Duty, 4x4, 6.0l diesel. The fan clutch was replaced in June 2007. In the last 13 months I haven't heard the usual, loud howl from the fan when temperatures rise. I now have a Palm PDA monitoring all my temps and my oil has been upto 252 degrees while towing! I have the same question as you, when is that fan supposed to kick into high gear? This fan clutch replacement was done by a Ford dealer. I've seen that my new fan runs in low gear all the time. (at about 2000 rpm its turning 525rpm according to a local tech's snap-on electronic monitoring equip). But that fan has yet to start howling. I'm hoping you get some answers.
paul

Jul 19, 2008 | 07:24 AM

#11

Jim McCarty

Tuned

Joined: Apr 2002

Posts: 260

Likes: 2

From: Apache, OK

I don’t know what the temperatures are on mine unloaded because it is never unloaded.

I just finished a trip from Austin, TX to Clarksville, TN with 22,000 GCW, then Clarksville to Houston with 27,000 GCW, then home with empty trailer, only 18,000 GCW. The ambient temperature was in the 90’s each of the four days. I drive right at 2,000 RPM (63 MPH).

My temps stay the same loaded or empty.

Water = about 210 flat ground. Between 210 and 220 hilly country. It goes to 230 in a heartbeat on a steep pull, but when the clutch fan kicks in, it cools down to less that 210. It amazes me that the clutch fan cools it down to 210 while still pulling the hill. Clutch fan kicks off, temp climbs to 230; clutch fan kicks on, cools to 210 and repeats cycle.

Oil temp stays about 30 hotter than water except I have never seen it go over 250.

Trans temp stays between 160 and 170 no matter what I am doing. However, I have seen it go to 180 climbing the Raton Pass with 31,800 GCW, on the floor at 35 MPH.

Jul 30, 2008 | 05:28 PM

#12

jmaskew

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Oct 2007

Posts: 1,712

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From: Henderson, NV

I just towed our 20' Travel Trailer that ways around 5000lbs loaded this past weekend. Ambient temp was around 112 degrees. On the flat Tranny Temp was approx 180, Water Temp was approx 210 and Oil Temp approx 220. I was traveling 70 to 75 mph (2,000rpm's), I don't normally drive this fast but it was pulling the trailer so well and we had family a few miles ahead of us waiting for us to catch up! On the hills I would go 65mph and the fan would kick on around 212 degrees but I could barely hear it, then the temp would get up to about 218 and the fan would kick on more. The water temp never went above 218 and the oil temp would hit about 228 degrees on the hills. When we were back on level highway again the temp would drop back down to 210 and the fan turned off. I actually go quite a scare; when the engine was still hot I popped the hood and checked the degauss bottle, there were no signs of puking but the coolant level was barely in the bottom of the degauss bottle. The next morning I checked again when the engine was cold and the coolant level was right were it was before we started the trip at the Min line.