fredg41
10-06-2010, 22:52
My 1 ton dually does not like to tow. It runs beautifully until you hook up a trailer with a GVW of approx. 6500#. I bought this old dually for a plow truck up here in Alaska and it does handle the 8.5' Western plow pretty well, a bit heavy on the front suspension, but ok with counter weights. There are no bells and whistles like many of the Silverados etc. have, apparently this was supposed to be a work truck...no a/c, cc, elec. windows, no tachometer, (this I don't understand), etc. , you get the idea, no frills other than the automatic trans. Has 133K miles, all new injectors, new Heath computer chip and wastgate turbo controller...now boosts approx. 10-12#'s.
My problem started when I decided to use the truck to tow my snowmachine/wheeler trailer. I experienced most of the problems that appear on these pages, however, after installing a HD 130 psi water pump and the new 9 blade clutch fan, the engine overheat problem was solved. According to Heath Diesel's information on their website, (where I bought most of these upgrades), the new clutch fan does not start kicking in until 195-200 degrees. That makes sense when one realizes that the stock stat is 195 deg. Anytime I'm towing, as soon as the heat gauge starts climbing to over 195+, the fan starts engaging, the engine cools down, and the fan disengages again.
The auto tranny cooler problem started when I added the new 130 psi pump and 9 blade fan and clutch. The combo works so well that the big fan doesn't engage and draw enough air through the radiator to cool the tranny fluid. Slow down on a long pull, and there's not enough aerodynamic air flow compounding the problem. I even added a large aux tran. cooler in front of the radiator. Works great, I now operate in the 160- 190 deg. range consistently except at low speeds, long pulls, or not...just slow down with the engine temp in the 195-200 deg. range and the tranny will start heating up, (I do have after market gauges now).
Does anyone out there have any idea(s) on how to rectify this problem? I thought about adding the new larger pan with the fins, but I'm having a hard time understanding how this will help on long slow pulls, i.e., the fluid still will not cool efficiently if there isn't enough air going through the cooler, (and fins), to dissipate the heat...right?! My tranny even heated up, (200-210 deg.), coming down a long winding 10% grade yesterday because I had to stay under 35 mph. Engine temp was great, it was running under 190 deg.! apparently, the fan was not engaged.
My problem started when I decided to use the truck to tow my snowmachine/wheeler trailer. I experienced most of the problems that appear on these pages, however, after installing a HD 130 psi water pump and the new 9 blade clutch fan, the engine overheat problem was solved. According to Heath Diesel's information on their website, (where I bought most of these upgrades), the new clutch fan does not start kicking in until 195-200 degrees. That makes sense when one realizes that the stock stat is 195 deg. Anytime I'm towing, as soon as the heat gauge starts climbing to over 195+, the fan starts engaging, the engine cools down, and the fan disengages again.
The auto tranny cooler problem started when I added the new 130 psi pump and 9 blade fan and clutch. The combo works so well that the big fan doesn't engage and draw enough air through the radiator to cool the tranny fluid. Slow down on a long pull, and there's not enough aerodynamic air flow compounding the problem. I even added a large aux tran. cooler in front of the radiator. Works great, I now operate in the 160- 190 deg. range consistently except at low speeds, long pulls, or not...just slow down with the engine temp in the 195-200 deg. range and the tranny will start heating up, (I do have after market gauges now).
Does anyone out there have any idea(s) on how to rectify this problem? I thought about adding the new larger pan with the fins, but I'm having a hard time understanding how this will help on long slow pulls, i.e., the fluid still will not cool efficiently if there isn't enough air going through the cooler, (and fins), to dissipate the heat...right?! My tranny even heated up, (200-210 deg.), coming down a long winding 10% grade yesterday because I had to stay under 35 mph. Engine temp was great, it was running under 190 deg.! apparently, the fan was not engaged.