Normal Coolant, Tranny temps...extra tranny cooler necessary?

[marjoa]

All of our maintenance & upgrades have been made in preparing for traveling around the country starting in May which will be our first long trip to Maine. I'm not experiencing any problems at all, MH runs great, but I want to make sure of a couple more things.

I know the coolant & tranny temps will vary if climbing, ambient temperature and so on, but I'm trying to get some idea of an average or normal running condition temps. All fluids have recently been changed.
I have Scan Gauge II and I monitor both coolant & tranny temps
So what would be the:
1) Normal running radiator coolant temperatures
2) Normal running tranny temperatures

I'm especially looking for information for the tranny cooling because I've read here that some people have added an extra tranny cooling unit with a control fan, but not sure—if I need to or should do this—or installing an extra tranny cooling unit only applied to earlier Ford transmission models. We usually always run in TOW/HAUL Mode when pulling the Toad.

Our total GVWR is 20,270lbs. and our Toad GVWR is 2,725lbs. so I'm well under my 26K GCWR. We have a TorqShift® Automatic with OEM Auxiliary Cooler

We will be traveling all over the US so we will be encountering all types of terrain and GCWR weight should remain about the same.

So my questions are:
1) In your experience, do you think my OEM Tranny Auxiliary Cooler is sufficient?
And again—under average/normal traveling conditions, what would be the:
2) Normal running radiator coolant temperatures
3) Normal running tranny temperatures

Thanks guys.

[John Hilley]

You should be fine. We have been all over the mountain states, east and west without problems. We have done this in our 1999 Brave and 2003 Adventurer towing a Jeep. Both vehicles have the V-10 and older 4 speed transmission. We changed transmission fluid at suggested interval.

[TeJay]

Martin,

We made a trip to ME Summer of 2015. For us that was about 2,000 miles one way. We currently have about 26,000 miles on the unit and it already has an oil and tranny cooler. I doubt any truck chassis these days is without those. You should not need any additional coolers.

We have the Scan Gauge and I also monitor coolant and tranny temps. Since we have owned this unit the cooling fan has come on once traveling the winding steep hills of NH taking the back roads into ME.

During the entire trip neither liquid went into any high temps. The coolant stayed 198 to 203. The TFT stayed well below the 200 mark. I can't honestly remember exactly where it ranged but there was never any time it got into any areas where I though it was hot.

I think during normal traveling the TFT is around 180 to 190. I can't ever remember it going even close to 200.

You're driving a heavier unit and Ford would know this and probably increased the cooing capacity for both systems. That is just a guess but why wouldn't they??

When you leave home in May it will still be somewhat cool. As you travel East monitor and observe as things get hotter. Once you establish how it works based on your weight and where you are driving you'll know if things begin to get out of sorts.

Since I installed the SG and monitored everything nothing changes much and I've almost forgot about watching it. One does not want to become complacent. That will get you into trouble.

What I'll do is when we first leave home I'll check for a time. Then if we encounter hills or hot summer weather I'll again keep a watchful eye. If I were to hit an object on the road again monitor. Ya never know what might have gotten cut, broken, smacked etc.

If you want to know where there's a real nice quiet CG in ME right on the coast let me know. This is a small quiet CG with only 10 sights so reserve now for next summer. We stayed a month and should have stayed two. The DW was born and raised in ME and we have traveled there for 40 years every summer.

We talked about going back this summer but may not. If not we'll go in 2019.

[FIRE UP]

marjoa,
Ole "TeJay" has pretty much hit the nail on the head (he should, he's an old wood worker too) in terms of keeping an eye on things, temps, monitoring different conditions and all that. One of the things I will add here is, it's pretty hard for any of us to say just exact what someone elses coach engine and trans temps should run at, in any given ambient temp. There's too many variables. Gauges can be calibrated a bit differently, a thermostat, while programmed to open say at, 185 degrees, might not actually open 'till around 189-190 or, it may open earlier than the 185 mark.

Just how well an engine water pump does in terms of pumping coolant through all the mazes of engine cavities with or without the T-stat in the open position (some have tiny bi-passes) is also a non constant factor. Two engines can be identical but, one will be a few degrees different, in one way or another. Now, It's probably not very far off but, none the less, the potential for variability is there.

Some on here (the forums in general, not necessarily Ford Chassis pilots) claim there engines never vary, climbing grades/hills, etc. and towing toads, in higher ambient temps. Well, I guess I'm one of the un-lucky ones. If my temp gauge even SEES a hill or grade up ahead, especially in warmer climates, guess what, it starts raising the temp even before we get there. One of these days, me and that temp gauge are gonna have a talk.

Anyway, back to reality. Here's a real long story, made really short. Way back a few millenniums ago, we purchased our first Class C. A 23' Four Star with the Dodge 440 in it. Well, talk about a weenie for the hills, that engine HATED any form of a grade or hill in terms of temps. So, me being "MaGuyver" in my earlier life, I fabricated a spray nozzle system made up of a piece of steel 3/16 brake line that spanned across the top, inside of the radiator top tank and, the first few inches of fins. I drilled holes in that brake line ever couple of inches.

One set of holes were to spray on the tank and one set were to spray on the top inch or two of the fins. I connected that steel line, to an RV water pump that was connected to my fresh water tank. I controlled the water pump from a button right on the dash. This was cool!!! (So to speak). When I'd start climbing grades, that gauge would instantly shoot up in temp. It would easily travel from it's normal spot of 180 to 220 in a matter of 3-4 minutes. NOT GOOD!

So, when that temp started climbing, I'd hit that button for 5 full seconds. Then, let off for 10 seconds. Then, hit it again for 5 seconds. Well, even with 110 degrees outside, me and the family stuffed in that little C, and pulling a 21' boat up a grade, that temp gauge would almost instantly start on it's way back down. During the 10 second down time, the gauge would stabilize and, then start it's climb again. Here comes the button. Down the gauge would go.

I also "MaGuyvered" another plan. To help keep that Torqeflight trans cool, I removed the cooling lines that normally went into the bottom of the radiator and, ran them into an air conditioning condensor that I got from a Junk yard for about $5.00. That condenser was mounted horizontally, below me, the driver, under the cab. And, a low profile electric fan was mounted on top of it. I controlled that fan from a switch on the dash.

So in a land far far away, that's how I handled heat. Todays coaches are a bit more advanced and, can deal with heat pretty well from the factory. I think you'll be just fine with the maintenance and provisions you've already taken. No one can predict breakdowns. You do your best in checking, replacing, maintenancing, and future-prepping as much as you can and to the best of your ability.
Scott

[twinboat]

Fire up, my V10 started doing what yours does last summer.

I pulled the T stat housing and found that the washer that is crimped on the bottom of the T Stat was coming off. The washer controls the by-pass flow, when the T stat is closed.

Replaced it and the temp is rock steady now.

[marjoa]

Thanks guys for coming to respond to my post. I really wanted to hear from you guys. Scott, that was a really "cool" DYI fix you came up with. It's neat to play around with those kinda things isn't it?

Tejay, ya we have a 1000 trails membership with an extra access pass to a lot of Encore parks and we plan on using those CG's and going to Bar Harbor to their annual crab fest along with a few other great stops. Our membership allows us 120 days out for reservations so that's what were working out right now during these holidays. My wife also was born & raised in ME. How funny is that? I'll try to update you on what we find.

Anyway, thanks a million guys and to any other's that may have further opinions to my post is greatly appreciated. I just want to cover my bases as much as possible and try not to overlook anything that I should of caught or planned beforehand.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[Sweetbriar]

Originally Posted by marjoa

So my questions are:
1) In your experience, do you think my OEM Tranny Auxiliary Cooler is sufficient?
And again—under average/normal traveling conditions, what would be the:
2) Normal running radiator coolant temperatures
3) Normal running tranny temperatures

1) Yes, as long as the coach builder allowed for adequate front grill area, and some look more than adequate, there is plenty of capacity in both systems.

2) I watch cylinder head temp on the Scan Gauge. Flat land interstate 202-207. Most accents 210-212, saw a peak of 214 once. Have also observed the temp drop very quickly on the down hill into the low 190's.

3) 160 or so. Observed peak was around 170 same time the cylinder head peaked.

The peak was while towing a CRV up I40 in North Carolina east of Ashland in July. Smaller, older coach with a average rolling weight around 17,000.

Was up in Maine and New Hampshire this past summer. On the short list to go back. Can't beat a daytime high of 75 and evening campfires when it's in the low 60's, in the middle of July.

[TeJay]

Where did you stay in Winter Harbor???? That spot is waaaay cool.

[Sweetbriar]

Originally Posted by TeJay

Where did you stay in Winter Harbor???? That spot is waaaay cool.

Schoodic Woods Campground, Acadia NP. Reservations thru recerations.gov. That was site B04. Campground is maybe three years old. Take the ferry from Winter Harbor to Bar Harbor if you want to take the bus tour of Acadia. Hour drive otherwise.

My southern born city girl Navigator out in the wilds and her thoughts of the area. "It's squishy".

https://youtu.be/Ws4kR12Sri4
https://youtu.be/W677D-oDhqY
https://youtu.be/jqAXBQE0xiA