Notices
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel  
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: DP Tuner

Transmission temp

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 3, 2010 | 11:01 PM
  #1  
whitesdford's Avatar
whitesdford
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 659
Likes: 2
From: Berthoud, CO
Transmission temp

I was out pulling loads today and was curious about my trans temp.

Driving around empty with just my 8000 lb trailer on, temps were around 175 or so, unloaded without a trailer, they are usually 150. With a load on, temps went to above 190, but never hit 200.

What is to hot as far as trans temps go? When the tranny was at 190, I wasnt on the highway with lots of airflow, more like high rpm in 2nd gear, 40 mph stuff.

Thanks.
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 12:10 AM
  #2  
Stewart_H's Avatar
Stewart_H
Super Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 29,380
Likes: 118
From: Central Coast of CA
Club FTE Gold Member
Anything around 220/225 approaching a half hour and you need to pull over to let your truck idle and let the trans cool down.

Stewart
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 12:20 AM
  #3  
lostmybeer's Avatar
lostmybeer
Have a nice Beer!!!
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,024
Likes: 1
From: WA Resident
If I remember correctly, 275 or 280 the OD light starts flashing and the check guages lights up in your dash. When that happens, be ready to go shopping for your new trans. Not that I'm speaking from experience.....Hmmm
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 06:43 AM
  #4  
Mark Kovalsky's Avatar
Mark Kovalsky
Frmr Ford Trans Engr
25 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 3
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,732
Likes: 2,661
From: SE Florida
You can run as hot as 220°F all day long with no problem. You can go to 250°F for no more than 1/2 hour. The trans won't fail when the OD light flashes at about 275°F, but you don't want it to get that hot.
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 02:51 PM
  #5  
Stewart_H's Avatar
Stewart_H
Super Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 29,380
Likes: 118
From: Central Coast of CA
Club FTE Gold Member
Originally Posted by Mark Kovalsky
You can go to 250°F for no more than 1/2 hour.
Crap. I copied your previously posted info wrong, and saved it to my hard drive.

Gotta go update that. 250, not 225.

Thanks for the correction Mark.

Stewart
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 03:20 PM
  #6  
clem1226's Avatar
clem1226
Cargo Master
15 Year Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 2
From: Bend Oregon
Club FTE Silver Member

Originally Posted by Mark Kovalsky
You can run as hot as 220°F all day long with no problem. You can go to 250°F for no more than 1/2 hour. The trans won't fail when the OD light flashes at about 275°F, but you don't want it to get that hot.

Not doubting your knowledge at all or that the transmission continue to function and live a long happy life at 220* but when my tranny gets up to 220 towing any decent weight it starts shifting like poop. By poop I mean it shifts real hard, hard enough I start worrying about u joints and interior occupant chiropractic care.

This is my second tranny in the truck and both have been like this.It is not as severe with fresh fluid but I do keep on the maintenance so the tranny gets flushed and refilled every 30 to 40K (at least once a year) so the fluid never gets that old.

I personally try to keep it under 200* but sometimes that is not an option.
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 03:33 PM
  #7  
guitarpicr's Avatar
guitarpicr
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 1
From: St. Louis, Mo.
Club FTE Silver Member

Steve -Do u have aftermarket trans cooler on it?
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 03:37 PM
  #8  
clem1226's Avatar
clem1226
Cargo Master
15 Year Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,502
Likes: 2
From: Bend Oregon
Club FTE Silver Member

Originally Posted by guitarpicr
Steve -Do u have aftermarket trans cooler on it?
nope factory lill 7.3L cooler, Been procrastinating on the 6.0 cooler for oh.....4 years now but something always seems to come up, 3 kids can be expensive.
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 04:22 PM
  #9  
HKusp's Avatar
HKusp
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,760
Likes: 27
From: Hampton, Maryland.
Club FTE Gold Member
Originally Posted by clem1226
nope factory lill 7.3L cooler, Been procrastinating on the 6.0 cooler for oh.....4 years now but something always seems to come up, 3 kids can be expensive.
Go to Napa and get that Tru -cool that they sell. The biggest one is about $90 or so and get some transmission rated tubing and some brass or stainless hose barbs. It's 30 minute job and it will drop your trans temps 60 degrees.
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 05:37 PM
  #10  
guitarpicr's Avatar
guitarpicr
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,333
Likes: 1
From: St. Louis, Mo.
Club FTE Silver Member

After installing my tru-cool max & looking at it, I always tear apart all my old a/c units and cooling coils for scrap, probably work great for a trans cooler with a little flushing. They come in all shapes & sizes and most are 3/8" tubing,& there free - Hmmmm
 
Reply
Old Mar 4, 2010 | 07:01 PM
  #11  
whitesdford's Avatar
whitesdford
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 659
Likes: 2
From: Berthoud, CO
Thanks for all the info guys. I pulled a load, truck and trailer weighed 24k today down the highway at 60 mph, temps never went above 180 degrees.

Whats scary is before I added a tranny temp gauge and a tru cool, what kind of temps was I running all summer weighing 35k at 90 degrees outside, yikes!
 
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:19 AM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE