Real ECT and EOT upper limits observed....

[jetjock15]

Ok, this post is just informative, No question or advice needed. Informational.

I know there has been a lot posted on this subject as of lately, and my 2 cents is usually advice is a bit conservative and the trucks can handle more. In any case, I tow heavy in the hottest spots in US so I do get some real world experience with this.

Let me first say, I avoid towing in the intense heat when I can. I limit the summer trips as much as the family will let me, and when we go, I try to go in the early morning while the temps are still in low 90s versus 110+.

Last summer towing in 110+ up a long NM grade with traffic, I got the stock gauge to go up and tag the redzone before i could pull over... I could feel defueling happening, and pulled over when i could. I did not loose an coolant (never have). Upon home after that trip i changed oil and coolant since i had it in the red. At that time i only had EGT/Trans/Pyro guages, I since have all additionally added Fuel/Oil/Water.

This week, we had family in town and wanted to tow the boat behind the trailer and make a 150 mile each way trip to a beautiful lake in Utah where you can ride the quads and beach the boat... So the trailer was going to be fully loaded and towing boat in trail. I wont even post the weight or length of this setup, because it is not the point of this post... but the setup is heavy...

So we left at 8:30 am to avoid the heat, but I had a bit of trouble with the trailer brakes and had to pull over for about 2 hours to work on them. Got back on the road about 11, and the temps were already through 100 and climbing. With the ECT and EOT gauges i can drive to keep them much lower then if i did not have those guages, and I was doing the best I can.

So the result - (my truck has mods in sig, 27k miles, and EOT/ECT temps are within 1-3 degrees of each other not towing)

Level 60-70mph sat at EOT - 230 ECT - 220

Pulling up grades (would go AC off at EOT 240 and heater on at 250)
EOT 240-250 ECT 225-235 -
Seems there is kind of a "wall"(maybe full fan and thermostat) at EOT 240 and ECT 230 that where the temps quite rising there and can hold a 45-50mph pull up a descent grade, only 2 or 3 times it rose above those marks

And the Max #s
pulling one 6% grade through the twisty cannons of S Utah, no where to pull over, they started to climb. at 255 EOT and 240 ECT the stock eng heat gauge started to move and rose to about 3/4 mark (normally rides at 1/2 mark)
The highest temps i seen was 258 EOT and 245 ECT and at this point the stock eng guage was at about 90% up the scale, still a tick mark or two from hitting the upper tick mark, and red zone. That was the peak of what was seen, realize at this point it was AC off, and full heater on, which really slowed the rate of the temps increasing. Did not loose or boil any coolant (still never have).

I do have ELC coolant and only run Mobile Delvac Synthetic oil(both with filters and increased capacity)

No advice needed, just thought I would post as someone with some real world experience and numbers on the upper end of this thing. No real point on telling me im too hard on my truck... im doing my best keeping her cool and avoiding the summer trips, besides that... you can't quite living!

Thanks guys!

Rob

[jetjock15]

one thing i learned, the stock eng heat gauge is pretty accurate as far as I am concerned. I have seen it called "an idiot gauge" many times on here. I felt its rise at those numbers was pretty on par with what it should do, and was giving me ample warning of real world limits approaching. The transmission never got over 215, and the stock gauge never moved. I had tranny temp issues with my 99 and 01 SDs, this 06 the tranny seems bulletproof and I never see temps over 220.... love this tranny... tow/haul always.

[Super Diesel]

Thanks for the info! I never see my delta below 10* once my truck warms up! And I don't tow anything. I'm hoping that an oil change and coolant flush (getting the Ford gold coolant out and replaced with ELC) will help. Man... today would be such a great day to go to the beach or the pool.

[smokersteve]

great thanks!

[skanj0]

I know you're not looking for help or opinions.....but DAMN those are some high ECTs & EOTs. I thought my occasional ECT of 218 and EOT of 230 was a little high. I now have a whole new frame of reference.

[Mr. Black]

The highest I have seen is 230 EOT 218 ECT at 4k feet and 80 degrees outside.

With turbo vane sticking problems to boot.

[jetjock15]

Originally Posted by skanj0

I know you're not looking for help or opinions.....but DAMN those are some high ECTs & EOTs. I thought my occasional ECT of 218 and EOT of 230 was a little high. I now have a whole new frame of reference.

That new frame of reference was exactly why I posted it.

[Evil Eye]

Originally Posted by jetjock15

That new frame of reference was exactly why I posted it.

Rob, Thanks for passing this information along. I also see those kinds of temps when I tow (here in AZ). It seems that most folks don't hardly make their trucks work... 80* ambient temps! SHEESH! Our overnight low last night was 90*

PS. It has been over 110* for the past 7 days straight and likely end on Thursday of this week, when it drops to 107.

[Rick C]

Originally Posted by Evil Eye

Rob, Thanks for passing this information along. I also see those kinds of temps when I tow (here in AZ). It seems that most folks don't hardly make their trucks work... 80* ambient temps! SHEESH! Our overnight low last night was 90*

PS. It has been over 110* for the past 7 days straight and likely end on Thursday of this week, when it drops to 107.

Others that feel my pain...nice post Rob. We had 107 here in Yucaipa on Sat. Pretty rare for here. No CEL at those 250's*+ EOT's?

[Evil Eye]

Originally Posted by Rick C

Others that feel my pain...nice post Rob. We had 107 here in Yucaipa on Sat. Pretty rare for here. No CEL at those 250's*+ EOT's?

Rick,
I keep asking myself why I live here (in summertime) and then the heat goes away and it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL in fall, winter and spring. It just SUCKS big time, especially like this last weekend when I was working on my son's Explorer in the driveway with 110*+ temps.