Stock e4od never gets over 160*?

always-strokin · Jun 22, 2013

Got a question for you guys. Guy before me had the truck rebuilt but a local tranny shop thats very well known. I called the shop after I bought the shop and they confirmed the tranny was rebuilt. They said they only use OEM parts though, nothing special.

So my truck has 35s and a lift. Yesterday was 83* out. No matter how I was driving whether it was city, highway, or screaming up the local ski hills my tranny wouldn't budge past 160* except I would spike to 180* when idling a few times.

I'm running beans tunes, which I'm sure keeps trans temps down some due to locking the TC and upping the pressure. But the cooler appears to be factory. Also, my fluid is always beautiful red and doesn't smell burned. Haven't changed trans fluid since I bought the truck a few years ago, but have towed heavy lots of times.

The reason I ask is because I was going to upgrade to a beefier trans cooler but if I dont pass 160*, I'd be a fool to because the tranny wouldn't even get up to operating temp then.

Granted, I dont know what my tow temps are when towing heavy because I haven't towed heavy since the gauges. But whats your guys thoughts?

Mark Kovalsky · Jun 22, 2013

You don't need a bigger cooler unless it gets hot when towing. There is no reason to change anything if it isn't getting hotter than 180°F.

always-strokin · Jun 22, 2013

Ya thats why I made this thread. My whole intent was to put a fat cooler on it, but I was EXTEREMELY surprised to learn that I average 160* on the trans, with only very few idling spikes to 180*. I hear of lots of people on here w/ stock trucks/trannies and they hit 200*+ so I was wondering whats wrong with mine.

bad12jr · Jun 22, 2013

My bts usually runs 70* above ambient. Towing maybe another 20 degrees. This is with a 6.0 cooler and amsoil. Hottest I've ever got it was 200. That was hot lapping at the dragstrip.

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Chvyrkr · Jun 22, 2013

I have zero problem passing 200* with the stock trans in the 97.

Sounds like that shop did a good job.

psduser1 · Jun 22, 2013

My questions....
Are your gauges accurate?
Where is your temp sensor mounted?

Im not doubting you at all, you just seem surprised by your gauge readings. If you have doubts about what your gauges are telling you, then double check them against another gauge.
It is entirely possible that those readings are accurate, though. If they turn out to be accurate, save your money on the big cooler!

int:

always-strokin · Jun 23, 2013

Chvyrkr said:
I have zero problem passing 200* with the stock trans in the 97.

Sounds like that shop did a good job.

LOL thats exactly what i"m used to hearing. What could the shop have done to my trans to keep it running so cool though? I think I'm gonna call them back and probe some more, but last time I spoke with them they said everything was just stock Ford parts.

psduser1 said:
My questions....
Are your gauges accurate?
Where is your temp sensor mounted?

Im not doubting you at all, you just seem surprised by your gauge readings. If you have doubts about what your gauges are telling you, then double check them against another gauge.
It is entirely possible that those readings are accurate, though. If they turn out to be accurate, save your money on the big cooler!int:

Brand new gauge and its stuck inside the port on the drivers side

And if I dont need a bigger cooler, then I dont mind pocketing that money....

... or putting it into a different mod.

Cody · Jun 23, 2013

It's a nice feeling isn't it? My trannys on its way out and never sees over 160.. Hottest ive ever had in the 100,000 ive owned the truck is 190.. That is always towing heavy on like a 95-110 degree day

Jomax · Jun 23, 2013

I have two tru cools and hit 210. New tranny, towing 15k for 60miles on streets,( caught about 30 red lights). Pretty sure it went high because of little air flow,40-45mph. It was 109 that day.

Jomax · Jun 23, 2013

Cody said:
It's a nice feeling isn't it? My trannys on its way out and never sees over 160.. Hottest ive ever had in the 100,000 ive owned the truck is 190.. That is always towing heavy on like a 95-110 degree day

How heavy?

Cody · Jun 23, 2013

19k.. on a dump trailer with 12ft sides.. Not exactly aero dynamic

Chvyrkr · Jun 23, 2013

always-strokin said:
LOL thats exactly what i"m used to hearing. What could the shop have done to my trans to keep it running so cool though? I think I'm gonna call them back and probe some more, but last time I spoke with them they said everything was just stock Ford parts.

Sounds like they just put things together right. In spec, with ford parts. Alot to be said for factory tolerances.

Chvyrkr · Jun 23, 2013

My stock E4OD is the third one this truck has had. I bought it from the original owner, he had ford replace one under the original warranty, a second under an extended warranty, then did the third with AMCO (?).

It's on it's way out, again.

always-strokin · Jun 23, 2013

Cody said:
It's a nice feeling isn't it? My trannys on its way out and never sees over 160.. Hottest ive ever had in the 100,000 ive owned the truck is 190.. That is always towing heavy on like a 95-110 degree day

How many miles on tranny? Stock tuning/tc/vb?

Also you have a super duty, so different setup. Even though my 1997 e4od is supposedly the same exact thing as early 4r110's minus a few very small things.

Chvyrkr said:
Sounds like they just put things together right. In spec, with ford parts. Alot to be said for factory tolerances.

Fair enough

Chvyrkr said:
My stock E4OD is the third one this truck has had. I bought it from the original owner, he had ford replace one under the original warranty, a second under an extended warranty, then did the third with AMCO (?).

It's on it's way out, again.

Stock cooler, stock vb/tc/tuning?

Cody · Jun 23, 2013

always-strokin said:
How many miles on tranny? Stock tuning/tc/vb?

Also you have a super duty, so different setup. Even though my 1997 e4od is supposedly the same exact thing as early 4r110's minus a few very small things.

Stock tc/vb I dont really care to disclose my current tuner lol... And 185k the last 100,000 were put on by me.. They are HARD miles I don't owe it a dime. This truck was a tow slut for the first while I owned it hauling 30k goosenecks.

It's had numerous 40+lbs of boost shifts lots of smokey burn outs tugga truck on concrete ect..

always-strokin · Jun 23, 2013

Bad taste from the current tuner? Any input on lockup strategy?

So stock tranny w/ no vb/tc/cooler upgrades... ya I'd agree that towing 30 for 185k miles the stock tranny's done good

Cody · Jun 23, 2013

Terrible taste.. The trans tunning is OK on par with stock ts tunes.. Lol they are about as smokey too..

I do have a brand new cooler fwiw. Broke a fitting on it while doing my rebuild.

Like I said I'm more than happy with it with as much towing as I've done. Then add the hot rodding. Anything over 30lbs of boost and when it shifts it feels like it's going to **** the bed lol

always-strokin · Jun 23, 2013

Well thanks for the input Cody. Appreciate it.

I wonder if better trans tuning would have helped that tranny out better though.

chromehound · Jun 23, 2013

Chvyrkr said:
Sounds like they just put things together right. In spec, with ford parts. Alot to be said for factory tolerances.

:whs:

I had mine rebuilt in my old '01 to OEM then put a better converter and bigger cooler on it. My gauge probe was in the pan and it was hard to get over 160-170* pulling a load around in 100* temps. In the winter it was hard to get the gauge to even move.

always-strokin · Jun 24, 2013

Just thought I'd update this thread to my newest findings.

Apparently when my trucks tranny was rebuilt, they used a triple-disk, triple clutch steel Dacco convertor. I'm still finding more info on this particular convertor, but methinks that a more efficient convertor helps keeps trans temps down, which might be what I"m experiencing.