Another Cooling Mod Thread

[daevans315]

Well I'm headed down the Cooling Mod list now as much for the tranny as for the engine. I picked up a new 5 x 10 foot enclosed trailer that should tip the scales at close to 3,500lb loaded. I will be towing it 1,500 miles in Aug out of the IL flatlands to PA. So, I know I I need something more than stock.

I decided to do some real world data captures to see what the mods we are doing really do for the cooling system.

I am the flat lands but I do live near the IL river. The river bluff is about a 200 foot climb. Its not much but its the best I've got. There is a pretty deserted 4 lane road near my house I did my testing on. It makes the 200 foot climb in about 3/4 of a mile. I started at 40 mph at the bottom of the hill with the truck warmed up to operating temp. At the bottom of the hill I put my foot on the floor and let it go back into 2nd. I lifted the throttle just after the 3rd gear shift around 63 and let drop back to 40 and floored it again back to 3rd gear. That is about has hard on the truck as I can make myself be. This was with the trailer mostly loaded at approx 3,000 pounds and just myself in the truck. At the top of the hill is a nice parking lot I pulled into and let the truck idle to simulate some good heat soak. The temps are all from the ODB 2 read outs on my PC. I had the AC on MAX trying to add more heat load.

Non Cooling Mods
Bosie Spring works lift
3/4" torsen bar crank
PCM 4 Less custom tune
Tow \ haul button added (in 'normal' for the test, figured most people would not have it and I doubt for this WOT test it wouldn't make any difference anyway.)


First run with OEM Red Coolant, 180 degree Jet stat.
Bottom of the hill
Intake Air Temp (IAT) 82
Engine Coolant (ECT) 183
Transmission Fluid (TFT) 162

Half way up (after first 40 to 60)
IAT 84
ECT 187
TFT 181

Just pulling int parking lot
IAT 84
ECT 190
TFT 187

2 min Idle
IAT 97
ECT 201
TFT 197



Flushed Coolant and swapped to Green. Added larger Capacity radiator


Bottom of the hill
IAT 79 -3
ECT 179 -4
TFT 157 -5

Half way up (after first 40 to 60)
IAT 83 -1
ECT 185 -5
TFT 179 -2

Just pulling int parking lot
IAT 84 0
ECT 185 -3
TFT 188 +1

2 min Idle
IAT 101 +3
ECT 186 -17
TFT 186 -11

Well I was hoping for, but not expecting, a drop in the transmission temps. I didn't get one. The larger radiator help with the spike in engine temps and it defiantly cooled off faster. I'm guessing I really wasn't pushing the OEM engine cooling system to the max with this test. But it did tell me that the $50 I spent on the tranny cooler was not money wasted as it looks to be near its limits with the 190 temps. Its still being shipped and I'll add those stats once I get it put on.

[2kwik4u]

Thats good info.....I have a friend bringing a laptop down with EFILive this weekend. I might have him enable Tow/Haul mode to see if it helps me any. I know for sure that I'll be getting a datalog to see just how bad off I am currently.

[daevans315]

I got the tranny cooler installed. Not to bad of a job but it wasn't the 30 mins listed under the mod page.. More like 2 hours or so. I'm not real happy with the top hose routing. Makes a little sharper bend than I'd like coming out of the cooler but I think it will be ok. I can see it with the grill on so I can keep an eye on it.




I have not got a chance to go out and tow with the ODB II hooked up yet. I'll post the results as soon as I do.

The cooler was a Long tru-cool LPD 4452 it was roughly 6"x12" and was rated for a GVW of 14,000 pounds so I should be OK.

[CrashNburn]

ive installed a lot of tranny coolers, and your install looks perfectly fine. i wouldnt worry about the bend in that hose.

[daevans315]

Ok I finally got the ODB II laptop hooked back up and and time to make a run up the hill. Differences this time over the first 2 runs: It was about 5 degrees hotter outside, and I added a couple hundred more pounds of gear to the bed of the truck.

I was VERY happy with the results. The was a large drop in the transmission temps as one would hope. I know this is not really a great test, as you should do multiple runs with each setup, but I don't have the time or desire to beat on my truck that hard.

First run with OEM Red Coolant, 180 degree Jet stat.
Bottom of the hill
Intake Air Temp (IAT) 82
Engine Coolant (ECT) 183
Transmission Fluid (TFT) 162

Half way up (after first 40 to 60)
IAT 84
ECT 187
TFT 181

Just pulling int parking lot
IAT 84
ECT 190
TFT 187

2 min Idle
IAT 97
ECT 201
TFT 197



Flushed Coolant and swapped to Green. Added larger Capacity radiator


Bottom of the hill
IAT 79 -3
ECT 179 -4
TFT 157 -5

Half way up (after first 40 to 60)
IAT 83 -1
ECT 185 -5
TFT 179 -2

Just pulling int parking lot
IAT 84 0
ECT 185 -3
TFT 188 +1

2 min Idle
IAT 101 +3
ECT 186 -17
TFT 186 -11

Last run- Tranny cooler added. Temp differences that are listed are from the first, no mod's run.

Bottom of the hill
IAT 87 +5
ECT 181 -2
TFT 162 0

Half way up (after first 40 to 60)
IAT 87 +3
ECT 183 -5
TFT 170 -11

Just pulling int parking lot
IAT 88 +4
ECT 185 -5
TFT 175 - 12

2 min Idle
IAT 96 -1
ECT 185 -16
TFT 174 -23

[daevans315]

Well I'm back from my trip. The crew did very well as expected. The temps stayed down even at 90+ with the AC on running 70-75. It handled the trailer very well.

I was glad I did the bigger radiator on the way home. I got stuck in a 15+ mile backup on I80 at the IN \ OH border when 3 semi's rear ended each other. 45 mins at a dead stop and then another hour and a half of creeping at <5mph up to the accident site. The temps then would climb up to 210 and the fan would kick in for <30 seconds and drop right back down.

I averaged 16.7 mpg running 70ish, mostly in 3rd but I would pop it in OD for the long down hills and when I was out on the flats for a while.

[F9K9]

I will have a bunch of BS to add to this problem once I rest up from my trip to Hot Springs, AR, this week. I will need to think and take a look at some items but, I hit 235* while at highway speeds in the last few days. Will post more when rested.

Reed