Mercon SP
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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Mercon SP
Does anyone know what the limitations are for this fluid?
What is the maximum allowable temp for operating on this fluid?
I have a Dashhawk installed and am I able to see all of the fluid temps, enine oil, coolant, and trans fluid. Not sure of the accuracy of the Dashawk temps but at least I can see variation compared to dash gauges.
It is not uncommon for me to see 230-240 in the engine oil (5W40 SYN) and 210-220 on the coolant. The trans fluid also gets up to the 230 when doing long uphills while loaded, especially when torque convertor comes out of lock up, trans fluid climbs very quickly.
I start backing off when the engine fan starts engaging (IMO they come on to late) too let it catch up.
YMM - 04 CC 6.0 all stock.
Thanks for any info.
77F250
What is the maximum allowable temp for operating on this fluid?
I have a Dashhawk installed and am I able to see all of the fluid temps, enine oil, coolant, and trans fluid. Not sure of the accuracy of the Dashawk temps but at least I can see variation compared to dash gauges.
It is not uncommon for me to see 230-240 in the engine oil (5W40 SYN) and 210-220 on the coolant. The trans fluid also gets up to the 230 when doing long uphills while loaded, especially when torque convertor comes out of lock up, trans fluid climbs very quickly.
I start backing off when the engine fan starts engaging (IMO they come on to late) too let it catch up.
YMM - 04 CC 6.0 all stock.
Thanks for any info.
77F250
Jäger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,491
Likes: 5
From: Northern Arizona
Mark Kovalsky is the 'local' expert on the TorqShift. He was a Ford engineer and knows a whole lot about that trans. He's posted about TorqShift/Mercon SP maximum temps in this forum before. He'll have the right answer!
What and how heavy are you towing? My trailer weighs about 12K loaded and, with the truck loaded to 10K, when pulling the Grapevine grade in summer temps my T-shift tops out at 215.
What and how heavy are you towing? My trailer weighs about 12K loaded and, with the truck loaded to 10K, when pulling the Grapevine grade in summer temps my T-shift tops out at 215.
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Weight
I have a 5 horse trailer with living compartment and I guess it weighs about that 12K when loaded for vacation? It has a small wind print, 6'8" wide and no more than 9" tall and pulls fairly easy compared to campers and toy haulers I would guess.
When running into Rapid City SD, there is a hill by the town of Wasta that can take the sap out of anything stock. If I am going 80-85 at the bottom I will be lucky to be going 60 at the top 5 miles ahead, unless I want to bake everything I could be at 70 or more.
When at home I haul hay up and down some fairly good grades and that weighs in with about 19K-21K (I know, I know) behind the truck, I only do three loads a year and take it easy and it is 100 miles round trip (50 miles loaded). Same thing here, I could easily bake it and be going faster but just as soon forgo the expenses incurred with baking it.
If I keep the boost at or below 22 psi, the torque convertor will stay locked up, after it unlocks, temps go up.
Hopefully someone can have the correct info.
Any other input on Dashawk accuracy would be beneficial.
When running into Rapid City SD, there is a hill by the town of Wasta that can take the sap out of anything stock. If I am going 80-85 at the bottom I will be lucky to be going 60 at the top 5 miles ahead, unless I want to bake everything I could be at 70 or more.
When at home I haul hay up and down some fairly good grades and that weighs in with about 19K-21K (I know, I know) behind the truck, I only do three loads a year and take it easy and it is 100 miles round trip (50 miles loaded). Same thing here, I could easily bake it and be going faster but just as soon forgo the expenses incurred with baking it.
If I keep the boost at or below 22 psi, the torque convertor will stay locked up, after it unlocks, temps go up.
Hopefully someone can have the correct info.
Any other input on Dashawk accuracy would be beneficial.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 65,938
Likes: 1,432
From: Millersville, MD
Are you using the tow/haul mode??? If not, USE IT!!! I ran my 30' 5th wheel up and down the grapevine in Calif and my temps never got THAT hot....maxed out at about 200-205 and when the fan came on, it cooled down to 190-185.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 65,938
Likes: 1,432
From: Millersville, MD
Another thought..... do you have the trailer tow package with the big trans cooler? If not and you are pulling temps like that, I'd be for installing the biggest, baddest cooler you can buy.
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Trailer tow package?
I'll have to investigate that cooler option.
I should have it??? since it is F350, DRW, with the overload springs, factory reciever hitch, electrical plug-ins, trailer tow mirrors. It is set up for hauling/pulling pretty well so now I am curious on that option. Any pic's of the two for comparison would be beneficial.
Tow/Haul best thing since sliced bread in an automatic and I don't leave home without it when towing.....
As I mentioned before, the temps/pressures are taken off of a Dashawk which reads from the engine OBD port so I dont have an actual baseline. That may be the flaw in my questions but I believe that should be pretty close to reality????
I should have it??? since it is F350, DRW, with the overload springs, factory reciever hitch, electrical plug-ins, trailer tow mirrors. It is set up for hauling/pulling pretty well so now I am curious on that option. Any pic's of the two for comparison would be beneficial.
Tow/Haul best thing since sliced bread in an automatic and I don't leave home without it when towing.....
As I mentioned before, the temps/pressures are taken off of a Dashawk which reads from the engine OBD port so I dont have an actual baseline. That may be the flaw in my questions but I believe that should be pretty close to reality????
Former ******
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,901
Likes: 2
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
The temps measured by the system are fairly accurate. I would go out and get a B&M plate cooler, one of the best you can buy. I use one on my van, and I have yet to see my trans get over 170, even when going up 8% grades fully loaded.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
I should have it??? since it is F350, DRW, with the overload springs, factory reciever hitch, electrical plug-ins, trailer tow mirrors. It is set up for hauling/pulling pretty well so now I am curious on that option. Any pic's of the two for comparison would be beneficial.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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Tow Boss
Well I know that I do not 4:30's, I have 3:70's, so no TOW BOSS and proabably not the larger cooler. Was Tow Boss an option 04's? I do have the original sticker that I can look over though for verification.
Back to the original question though, still looking for the max temps Mercon SP will handle.
With the temps I have cited the fluid is still a nice like new color and the fluid is only 16-20 months old with about approx 7 or 8 occurances of these temps hitting it.
Back to the original question though, still looking for the max temps Mercon SP will handle.
With the temps I have cited the fluid is still a nice like new color and the fluid is only 16-20 months old with about approx 7 or 8 occurances of these temps hitting it.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,881
Likes: 84
From: Wake Forest, NC
The fluid can probably take those temps, but the rubber seals, and friction material probably don't like them. I think those temps are the very high end of what you should see. Less than 200 would be much more preferable. Transmissions don't need heat to become efficient, so really the lower the better.
Frmr Ford Trans Engr
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,704
Likes: 2,625
From: SE Florida
Where are the trans temps being measured? That makes a HUGE difference in the max temps.
If you are measuring from the transmission's temp sender, you're fine at 230F for no more than 1/2 hour. If you have a sender in the pan or pressure test port, same thing.
If you have a sender in the line to the cooler, 230F is REALLY cool. Ford didn't have a max temp for that when I left there, but we were working on specifiying a max temp of....wait for it.....330F in the line to the cooler. ATF gets REALLY hot going to the cooler. Maybe that's why there is a cooler......
