Towing issues?

[jayro88]

Not sure the validity of it, but I always heard that the OD towing thing had to do with heat mostly. That many times the trans would constantly be shifting in and out of OD and also locking and unlocking the converter. This causes a lot of heat/wear etc and can cause the trans to fail.

I also heard that the stock converter wasn’t strong enough to hold the load while locked and would slip.

That would make me think that if you had enough power to stay in OD without crazy shifting and maybe an upgraded converter you could tow in OD without damaging things.

Of course, this is just what I have heard others say so it may be accurate or may not be.


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[Chadillac]

What kind of transmission temps should I expect on a 70 degree day pulling with the OD off with that light trailer up small grades? The probe for the trans temp is in the test port.

 

[Chadillac]

What kind of transmission temps should I expect on a 70 degree day pulling with the OD off with that light trailer up small grades? The probe for the trans temp is in the test port.

I forgot to add with the OD off

 

[Black dawg]

since the trans cooler is part of the radiator, trans temp will be close to coolant temp, usually 20 deg cooler. Personally wouldn't worry about locking out od with a 4k trailer, unless it was downshifting a lot.

 

[Chadillac]

since the trans cooler is part of the radiator, trans temp will be close to coolant temp, usually 20 deg cooler. Personally wouldn't worry about locking out od with a 4k trailer, unless it was downshifting a lot.

The tranny cooler in the radiator looks like it was bypassed and and the external one is pretty small. I may need a bigger cooler! Are they a pain in the ass to install?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Not sure the validity of it, but I always heard that the OD towing thing had to do with heat mostly. That many times the trans would constantly be shifting in and out of OD and also locking and unlocking the converter. This causes a lot of heat/wear etc and can cause the trans to fail.

I also heard that the stock converter wasn’t strong enough to hold the load while locked and would slip.

That would make me think that if you had enough power to stay in OD without crazy shifting and maybe an upgraded converter you could tow in OD without damaging things.

Of course, this is just what I have heard others say so it may be accurate or may not be.


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Here's what I've heard from a couple of different guys, one had a stock 95 PSD, the other had a 97 PSD with a chip, downpipe and 4" straight exhaust. The guy with the 95 said that it's ok to tow in OD as long as you're going at least 65. The guy with the 97 said that it's ok to tow in OD as long as it's not shifting between 3rd and OD a lot. I have no confirmation on the validity of either guy, but that's how they both used theirs. The 95 wasn't around for long. It was still fine, but was traded off for a brand new 03 7.3 PSD. The 97 is still around and going fine. I completely agree with the heat issues like jayro88 said.

 

[jayro88]

The tranny cooler in the radiator looks like it was bypassed and and the external one is pretty small. I may need a bigger cooler! Are they a pain in the ass to install?

Unless the stock trans cooler in the radiator is broken (allowing trans fluid into the coolant to coolant into the trans) it should not be bypassed. It is a much more efficient cooler than an aftermarket one. The aftermarket one should be put in series after the stock one.

I used a Ford 6.0L trans cooler on my van. I also added a thermostat block so it doesn't constantly run 100% of the fluid through the cooler. I did this since it can get pretty cold here in the winter and I didn't want the trans fluid to be to cold during those months.

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[Chadillac]

Unless the stock trans cooler in the radiator is broken (allowing trans fluid into the coolant to coolant into the trans) it should not be bypassed. It is a much more efficient cooler than an aftermarket one. The aftermarket one should be put in series after the stock one.

I used a Ford 6.0L trans cooler on my van. I also added a thermostat block so it doesn't constantly run 100% of the fluid through the cooler. I did this since it can get pretty cold here in the winter and I didn't want the trans fluid to be to cold during those months.

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That cooler is easily twice the size of of the external one I have!
Yeah the guy at the transmission shop bypassed it the last time it was rebuilt. I wasn’t planning on doing anything with the truck at that time except hauling yard waste and doing the usual ‘round the house stuff.
Now I’m pretty pissed at myself for not forward thinking and being ignorant how transmissions work.
I guess all I can do now is throw their shop under the bus because they probably just wanted the transmission to break again. People are the worst!

 

[jayro88]

That cooler is easily twice the size of of the external one I have!
Yeah the guy at the transmission shop bypassed it the last time it was rebuilt. I wasn’t planning on doing anything with the truck at that time except hauling yard waste and doing the usual ‘round the house stuff.
Now I’m pretty pissed at myself for not forward thinking and being ignorant how transmissions work.
I guess all I can do now is throw their shop under the bus because they probably just wanted the transmission to break again. People are the worst!

All it would take is a section of bulk hose and a couple of hose clamps to add the stock cooler back in the cooling circuit. That is what I would do. You may want to flush the stock cooler with fluid before hooking it up if it has been left open to the elements.

You said you were seeing 210* on the trans temp, so I am assuming you have a gauge. 210* isn’t that hot. My thermostat block starts to open at 190-195* if I remember correctly.

The 6.0L cooler is very large. If yours is a quality unit then I wouldn’t worry too much unless you start seeing higher trans temps than you would like.

I am taking my trailer out this weekend and will keep an eye on the trans temps I see and report back. My trans is a c6 and they usually run a little warmer during normal operation due to more slip.


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[Chadillac]

All it would take is a section of bulk hose and a couple of hose clamps to add the stock cooler back in the cooling circuit. That is what I would do. You may want to flush the stock cooler with fluid before hooking it up if it has been left open to the elements.

You said you were seeing 210* on the trans temp, so I am assuming you have a gauge. 210* isn’t that hot. My thermostat block starts to open at 190-195* if I remember correctly.

The 6.0L cooler is very large. If yours is a quality unit then I wouldn’t worry too much unless you start seeing higher trans temps than you would like.

I am taking my trailer out this weekend and will keep an eye on the trans temps I see and report back. My trans is a c6 and they usually run a little warmer during normal operation due to more slip.


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Thanks for the heads up!
They cut the lines and plugged them with bolts and hose clamps. It looks really half a**ed!
Have a safe trip and let me know how you do!

 

[Chadillac]

I finally had some time time to start trouble shooting my issues. Researching a little on a new air filter it seems that the one I have is a dry filter, which I was told by previous owner that needed to be washed and oiled once or twice a year.
So could this possibly be restricting airflow to the point of power loss?
Anyway I ordered a new Banks dry filter and hopefully I’ll see a difference in performance.
Also, if anyone knows of an alternative to that pricey banks ram air filter part #41506-D I would love to know.
Thanks again!

 

[jayro88]

Thanks for the heads up!
They cut the lines and plugged them with bolts and hose clamps. It looks really half a**ed!
Have a safe trip and let me know how you do!

Made it there and back with no issues. I watched my temps so I could report back for you to compare to.

Drivetrain is a NA 7.3, c6 and 3.54 gears. My setup is right at 14K lbs GCW. Temps outside on the way down were sunny and in the 70's. On the way back it was rainy and in the 50's. Biggest thing is that on the way down I was pulling into a 20-25mph hear wind.

On the way down my coolant temps mostly stayed in the 225* range. I did see 230-232* once. I was working the van pretty good with the headwind. I would stay in the 60-65mph range. My speed was EGT limited. My EGT were consistently in the 1000-1100* range. As soon as I backed off or slowed down my coolant temps would drop quickly below 220*. My trans never got above the 170's as far as temp.

On the way back, without the headwind and lower temps, my coolant was around 210-215*, trans was still about 170* and my speed was EGT limited to 65mph and may have hit 70mph on a downhill when I wasn't watching as close.

Hope this helps

 

[Chadillac]

Made it there and back with no issues. I watched my temps so I could report back for you to compare to.

Drivetrain is a NA 7.3, c6 and 3.54 gears. My setup is right at 14K lbs GCW. Temps outside on the way down were sunny and in the 70's. On the way back it was rainy and in the 50's. Biggest thing is that on the way down I was pulling into a 20-25mph hear wind.

On the way down my coolant temps mostly stayed in the 225* range. I did see 230-232* once. I was working the van pretty good with the headwind. I would stay in the 60-65mph range. My speed was EGT limited. My EGT were consistently in the 1000-1100* range. As soon as I backed off or slowed down my coolant temps would drop quickly below 220*. My trans never got above the 170's as far as temp.

On the way back, without the headwind and lower temps, my coolant was around 210-215*, trans was still about 170* and my speed was EGT limited to 65mph and may have hit 70mph on a downhill when I wasn't watching as close.

Hope this helps

Thanks for the info! I’m going to put a much larger transmission cooler on and hope for the best. If that doesn’t work it may be time for a different truck.

 

[Chadillac]

Also, would an intercooler be an option in these old 7.3s?

 

[The_Josh_Bear]

Also, would an intercooler be an option in these old 7.3s?

Yessir, a very good option!