Cooling question

[kbcave57]

I have a 2012 1500 LTZ, factory tow package. 5.3/motor 3.42 gears. I tow a trailer that weighs 5500 loaded. I’ve installed a 40k trans cooler. Generally towing it never moves off of 205-210 water temp. On exceptionally long grades the water temp will creep up to about 240. If I pull over and stop it goes immediately down. The radiator has a 1” core which I would like to replace with a thicker one. I don’t see an AC Delco thicker than 1”. Radiator is free of bugs and fins are straight. There are some all aluminum radiators that have thicker cores and tout way better cooling. I don’t care what I have to spend to get a good one. What have others experienced? Thanks for your time.

 

[COGrandDes]

There are several things you could investigate doing to add more cooling capacity to your rig. 240* is way too hot. I would change some things up immediately rather than continue running at those temps. There are 2-3 larger-core aluminum radiators that are available, and you may even have to supplement electric cooling fans and other fan shrouds. You can also change the mixture of coolant/water and change the boiling point of your coolant. If you can't get those temps down and more manageable....I would be looking for a more capable truck that can handle that towing load. I've replaced lots of engines at the dealerships that were overworked when towing. It's not fun nor cheap for the owner.

 

[Bungy]

There are several things you could investigate doing to add more cooling capacity to your rig. 240* is way too hot. I would change some things up immediately rather than continue running at those temps. There are 2-3 larger-core aluminum radiators that are available, and you may even have to supplement electric cooling fans and other fan shrouds. You can also change the mixture of coolant/water and change the boiling point of your coolant. If you can't get those temps down and more manageable....I would be looking for a more capable truck that can handle that towing load. I've replaced lots of engines at the dealerships that were overworked when towing. It's not fun nor cheap for the owner.

I concur, buy a new truck.

 

[trailrydr]

I have a 2012 1500 LTZ, factory tow package. 5.3/motor 3.42 gears. I tow a trailer that weighs 5500 loaded. I’ve installed a 40k trans cooler. Generally towing it never moves off of 205-210 water temp. On exceptionally long grades the water temp will creep up to about 240. If I pull over and stop it goes immediately down. The radiator has a 1” core which I would like to replace with a thicker one. I don’t see an AC Delco thicker than 1”. Radiator is free of bugs and fins are straight. There are some all aluminum radiators that have thicker cores and tout way better cooling. I don’t care what I have to spend to get a good one. What have others experienced? Thanks for your time.

Here is what I did with my '13 F150 Lariat 6.2 (gasser) SC SB with MAX Tow to get tranny and radiator temps down to 216 F.

Radiator:
1. Install a slightly lower thermostat. Not much mind you cause the engineers designed the motors to run at certain temps when in normal non-towing use.

2. Purchased an aftermarket radiator built for towing. Slightly larger 4 core. Just gotta be sure it fits between the supports, shroud, fans, and engine pulleys.


Tranny:
1. Inatalled a Ford 10 core (Saudi destined) tranny cooler. On my F150, pretty much a direct swap!

2. Installed a deeper aftermarket tranny aluminum finned AFE tranny pan which holds an additional 5qts of tranny oil.

Before these mods, pulling my 10k 295RL with my F150 in Colorado Rockies or Tennessee (Smokees) my temps would reach 232 F on hill climbs. After upgrading, temps never climbed higher than 216 F.

Another thing to consider... most tranny coolers sit in front of the engine radiator, so upgrading both is ideal. The other comments about new truck purchases - thats an option if it suits your needs and most importantly - budget.

Happy Trails

 

[classicrockguy]

I had overheating issues towing with a 2018 F-150 3.5 Ecoboost (my previous truck and 6,000lb trailer). This turbo motor made lots of hp and torque, but also generated a lot of heat while doing so. It took a while and a few steps to fully resolve the issue.

One driving technique that helped (besides just slowing down) was to keep engine rpm’s up a little more. Modern transmission shift points are programmed to maximize fuel efficiency, but tend to lower engine rpm’s. This reduces coolant flow rates and therefore heat transfer capacity. I found keeping rpm’s around 2500-3000 using manual shift points on long grades helped lower temps.

I changed the coolant water ratio from 60/40 to 50/50 coolant/water, which increased the cooling capacity by around 5%, but also reduced the freeze protection somewhat.

I installed a Mishimoto radiator and intercooler (CAC), which ultimately made the most difference by significantly increasing overall cooling capacity. This was an expensive and involved modification, but doable for a home mechanic.

After these changes, I had no more overheating issues towing out here in the mountainous west.

 

[kbcave57]

Here is what I did with my '13 F150 Lariat 6.2 (gasser) SC SB with MAX Tow to get tranny and radiator temps down to 216 F.

Radiator:
1. Install a slightly lower thermostat. Not much mind you cause the engineers designed the motors to run at certain temps when in normal non-towing use.

2. Purchased an aftermarket radiator built for towing. Slightly larger 4 core. Just gotta be sure it fits between the supports, shroud, fans, and engine pulleys.


Tranny:
1. Inatalled a Ford 10 core (Saudi destined) tranny cooler. On my F150, pretty much a direct swap!

2. Installed a deeper aftermarket tranny aluminum finned AFE tranny pan which holds an additional 5qts of tranny oil.

Before these mods, pulling my 10k 295RL with my F150 in Colorado Rockies or Tennessee (Smokees) my temps would reach 232 F on hill climbs. After upgrading, temps never climbed higher than 216 F.

Another thing to consider... most tranny coolers sit in front of the engine radiator, so upgrading both is ideal. The other comments about new truck purchases - thats an option if it suits your needs and most importantly - budget.

Happy Trails

I put the 40k trans cooler and it has my trans temp running fine. I guess i am really looking for a quality aftermarket radiator. thanks

 

[kbcave57]

I had overheating issues towing with a 2018 F-150 3.5 Ecoboost (my previous truck and 6,000lb trailer). This turbo motor made lots of hp and torque, but also generated a lot of heat while doing so. It took a while and a few steps to fully resolve the issue.

One driving technique that helped (besides just slowing down) was to keep engine rpm’s up a little more. Modern transmission shift points are programmed to maximize fuel efficiency, but tend to lower engine rpm’s. This reduces coolant flow rates and therefore heat transfer capacity. I found keeping rpm’s around 2500-3000 using manual shift points on long grades helped lower temps.

I changed the coolant water ratio from 60/40 to 50/50 coolant/water, which increased the cooling capacity by around 5%, but also reduced the freeze protection somewhat.

I installed a Mishimoto radiator and intercooler (CAC), which ultimately made the most difference by significantly increasing overall cooling capacity. This was an expensive and involved modification, but doable for a home mechanic.

After these changes, I had no more overheating issues towing out here in the mountainous west.

The Mishimoto radiator is what i am looking at. I can handle the install for sure. Just wondering about the quality of the radiator

 

[kbcave57]

There are several things you could investigate doing to add more cooling capacity to your rig. 240* is way too hot. I would change some things up immediately rather than continue running at those temps. There are 2-3 larger-core aluminum radiators that are available, and you may even have to supplement electric cooling fans and other fan shrouds. You can also change the mixture of coolant/water and change the boiling point of your coolant. If you can't get those temps down and more manageable....I would be looking for a more capable truck that can handle that towing load. I've replaced lots of engines at the dealerships that were overworked when towing. It's not fun nor cheap for the owner.

When this engine goes i will install a bigger engine for towing. My days of buying new trucks are over. I could tell you some horror stories. Ive put over 50k miles towing with this one with never a problem. I am actually wondering about the reliability of anything other the AC Delco radiators.

 

[kbcave57]

I concur, buy a new truck.

You must be a salesman, new trucks are junk. Been there. but thanks anyway

 

[classicrockguy]

The Mishimoto radiator is what i am looking at. I can handle the install for sure. Just wondering about the quality of the radiator

I found the Mishimoto products to be very nicely made. I installed both their cooling system radiator and the CAC for the turbos. Very high quality welds and heavy gauge materials. Good fitment with no mods.

Install with care. The fins are very easy to damage (as with any radiator), and fitment is tight as they maximize available OEM space.

Pay attention to the grill, ductwork, baffles, shrouds, etc. If your truck has a lower air dam, leave it installed. It creates a low pressure zone behind it that improves air extraction from the engine compartment. You want every bit of airflow you can get, especially through the thicker design of the Mishimoto radiator.

 

[trailrydr]

The Mishimoto radiator is what i am looking at. I can handle the install for sure. Just wondering about the quality of the radiator

The Mishimotos are good from what testimonials from others I have read in other towing forums. They are just super pricey. But sometimes quality is expensive when not wanting to be on the side of the road waiting on a tow truck. Been there too.

Not sure about GMCs, but when Ford sells vehicles over in hot climate ountries like Saudi, they do upgrade the cooling features for that region before transport. Might check with Chevy on that? Maybe they have something bigger to fit your truck without much or any modifications.

Happy Trails

 

[Joe1967]

I agree with the higher RPM's when towing, especially up hills. That engine should be pulling at least 3,000 RPM's when going up hill, and it is designed to do it. Higher RPM's get the water pump going much faster, which increases the coolant flow through the radiator. What RPM's do run towing uphill?

 

[classicrockguy]

I agree with the higher RPM's when towing, especially up hills. That engine should be pulling at least 3,000 RPM's when going up hill, and it is designed to do it. Higher RPM's get the water pump going much faster, which increases the coolant flow through the radiator. What RPM's do run towing uphill?

Not sure which truck you are referring to. My previous Ford 3.5 Ecoboost was pretty useless for providing much engine braking heading downhill. I really don’t recall what it did with my previous 6,000lb tt, but I suspect 3500rpm or more on steep downgrades. Plenty of truck/trailer brakes required to keep things under control.

My current Ford SD 6.7 diesel with my well over 11,000lb tt is a whole other discussion. It does a beautiful job of managing that large trailer heading downhill. However, it does wind up to higher rpm than I like sometimes for a diesel - like 3,500+ on really steep downgrades, but it is all computer controlled so I let it do its thing. Towing with this SD drivetrain is a MUCH more civilized experience than with the 1/2 ton 3.5 Ecoboost.

 

[trailrydr]

Not sure which truck you are referring to. My previous Ford 3.5 Ecoboost was pretty useless for providing much engine braking heading downhill. I really don’t recall what it did with my previous 6,000lb tt, but I suspect 3500rpm or more on steep downgrades. Plenty of truck/trailer brakes required to keep things under control.

My current Ford SD 6.7 diesel with my well over 11,000lb tt is a whole other discussion. It does a beautiful job of managing that large trailer heading downhill. However, it does wind up to higher rpm than I like sometimes for a diesel - like 3,500+ on really steep downgrades, but it is all computer controlled so I let it do its thing. Towing with this SD drivetrain is a MUCH more civilized experience than with the 1/2 ton 3.5 Ecoboost.

When in tow mode.... both (gassers) my '13 F150 SCREW SB 4x4 6.2 6R80 and current '23 F250 CREW SB 4x4 7.3 10R140 both engine/tranny brake going down hill.

True, diesels definitely pull better uphills, but, still love the "other" benefits of my gasser - which is mostly a personal preference.