Transmission Cooler for Towing?
 

Hello all!

I have a 2008 F-150 V8 5.4L that I use to tow my travel trailer. I've heard that it might be a good idea to install a transmission cooler but I know nothing about them. The GVWR, GCWR, and tow capacity are within the allowable limits of the truck but it does smell hot after towing for a bit. The engine temp looks fine so I'm thinking it might be the transmission? Can anyone knowledgeable fill me in on transmission coolers and if you think it would be a good idea to get one installed? Thanks a bunch!!

You're towing a TT with that pickup, so surely it has the towing package. If it has the towing pkg, then I'm pretty sure you already have an oil-to-water (OTW) heat exchanger in the bottom of the radiator as well as an oil-to-air (OTA) auxiliary tranny cooler in front of the radiator. If you have those, then you don't need to add another tranny cooler (heat exchanger).

When towing, you do need to monitor tranny temps, That means you need a tranny temp gauge. If you don't already have a stock Ford tranny temp gauge, then that's the first thing you should install to monitor sump temps. Tranny sump temp should not exceed more than 225° F. for more than a few seconds.. If you frequently observe over 220° sump temp, then consider adding a larger heat exchanger in your tranny cooling system. But if you never see over 225°, then you don't need more tranny cooling capacity.

angie,

I'm getting my 2002 F150 FX4 ready to tow our "new" 5th wheel trailer from MN to our new home in Idaho next month. Miles and miles of hot flatlands followed by the Rocky Mountains! I just made the trip with a small U-Haul as sort of a trial run to identify areas that could use upgrading. After one day that took me over 9800' elevation, I got looking under the hood and couldn't see a tranny cooler. I ordered one and it was waiting for me when I got home last week. When I went to install it, I found what smokey just told you - there is a small OTA plate cooler mounted at the bottom of the radiator in series with the OTW that just about everything with an automatic has. (I also found a small power steering fluid cooler. Who knew?) As I thought about whether or not I needed another, I decided I have too much to do as it is and too little time, so I now have a nice new tranny cooler in a box, where it will stay for the foreseeable future.

Other things I've been working on to get ready for the trip: When I first got the truck last fall I replaced brakes, rotors, etc. and upgraded the fronts while I was at it. Last week I replaced the tired old OEM shocks with some nice KYB Gas-A-Justs front and back. Wow!!! What a difference! Factory shocks are designed to go 30k miles. Mine had 98k miles on them, which is not unusual, especially for a used vehicle. I'd recommend you consider what condition your shocks are in before setting out across the country. I already did the wheels and tires (winter tires now mounted on the OEM rims, good 3-season tires mounted on custom rims), so that's okay. Thursday I'm having the exhaust manifolds replaced to get rid of that 5.4 exhaust tick. I still have to test the coolant and see what condition it's in. Also, I'm going to check all the engine belts. I saw enough of them along the side of the roads between here and there. When in doubt, they cost a whole lot less than a tow across Montana! Easier, too, to do it on your schedule on a cool engine.

The truck did a great job on the trip. 3,000 miles in a week (5 days, actually, as I spent two days in ID) and not a glitch, hiccup, or problem. The 5th wheel weighs 2 tons more than the U-Haul, so the truck will have to work harder to pull it. I want to give it the best chance possible for making a bunch of good memories on this next trip.