Hey Folks,

As this post might make painfully clear, I am new to towing.

I have a 1997 F250 HD Crew (Surprise surprise) 4x4 with a 460 and a E40D with 35x12.5 tires and 4.10s. I also have the stock Transmission cooler.

After doing some reading hear I changed my Air and Fuel filters and added a Transmission temp gauge (with a Trans oil and filter change).

The folks that put on the Temp Gauge said my temp should stay at or below 170 deg F. I have read otherwise elsewhere (maybe here). I am getting up to 210 for short periods of time (real steep and slow) but am mostly between 170 and 180 deg F.

What say you folks more in the know…?
JW

 

First thing you NEED to do it to install another trans cooler. Put it in line with the original. That E4OD don't like high temps. You will greatly extend the like og your tranny. Put in the biggest that will fit.

 

Thanks for the post BPofMD,

How about acceptable temp range...???

JW

 

Your temps are fine. Probably the best trans cooler available (size and cost) would be the one designed for the 6.0.

Good luck

 

Sounds completely normal.

 

Thanks Folks!

JW

 

If you do a google search for transmission temperature you will find plenty of charts showing you expected failure time at temp. In general, as long as you keep it below 220 or so most of the time, you are OK. Cooler is better up to a point. In cold climates you can over cool the tranny. Electronic controlled trannies will delay shifting if the fluid is too cold. Probably no harm done, just eats more gas and a little more wear and tear. In So Cal you probably don' t have to worry about that.

I drove my 94 F250 4x4 E4OD 4.10 for about 8 years in Oregon cold, teens, and upto 100s on long drives. Now In So Cal I have driven in 100+ long drives and really steep hills, like that screamer into Death Valley from Panamint. My truck has the factory aux cooler, about 6x12X2". I run synthetic fluids. I tow an 8000# trailer on trips where I pay attention to the temp guage.

My tranny temp on long drives will usually stay between 180 and 210. What I find causes the temp to rise most is long hot drives into a head wind. Also Higher speeds say 70mph will make it run warmer. My temp will spike to 210 to 220 AFTER I slow down, say to back into a driveway, slow, no air flow. Normal weather I will ride around 180-190 with a tow.


Without a tow, my temps rarely get above 180 unless it is really hot, stop and go or lots of hills. In Cold weather, it may take an hour or two to crack 150.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Nice post...

Thanks Jim!

 

I, too, have a '97 F-250 HD Crew (4X2 though). Moved some trailers in my yard this AM. Saw the temp gauge HIGH. Know about adding the cooler from a 6.0 to my Excursion, but the 250 doesn't appear to have the room for one. Photos of previous installations available?

/r,

 

Modern trannies and tranny fluid can actually stand brief peaks up to 250*. Trying to always stay below 170* is ridiculous. If you are normally running 170*-180* with only brief periods as high as 210*, you are fine.

And do not pay any attention to those tranny temp charts you will see on the net. They were drawn back in the 50s and 60s. Fluids and transmissions have come a long way since then. Like comparing vacuum tubes to microchips.

 

I'm running a Tru-Cool MAX (V-10 cooler) on my newly rebuilt E4OD, it runs 150-160 around town, 180-190 towing. The bigger cooler dropped temps 25-30 deg from the stock cooler.

 

Where is the best place or where are you all installing the transmission temperature gauge?

Can you get an aftermarket oversized pad with temp port?

Thanks to FTE.

 

Most recent models Ford trannies have an unused port for a temp probe.

 

First post....... hopefully I can find some help here.

'97 36' motorhome chassis with 460 Banks, E4OD trans with Banks Trans Command added. In to the Ford house for second rebuild. 1st one was 5 years ago. I tow a boat (approx 5,000 lbs) 1500 miles each way to Canada every year. Last Summer the trans overheated and blew out lots of smoke through the hills around Kansas City. Slowed way down, caught a break with cooler temps in the rain and limped home to Texas.

Took it in to the Ford house for rebuild and adding another cooler from F250 diesel along with a temp gauge. Here's what confuses me.... When I asked the tech about using synthetic fluid after this rebuild, he stated he was not a big believer in synthetics in the trans and says with the additional big cooler I will be fine. He's the one that has to warrant the rebuild, so I will do what he says. But, I'm puzzled by his "go with Ford fluids" approach.

Anyone have strong feelings one way or the other? Thanks for any and all responses.

Planocat

 

Ford's latest trans come with synthetic fluids.....