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Old 09-29-2014, 08:06 AM   #1
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6.0 liter tranny temp issues

2005 E350 SMB with 6.0 liter - armed with a CTS we monitor the EGT and TFT temp's. THe tranny temp's were becoming problematic so we installed an external tranny radiator with fan to help reduce the temp's. Living in Colorado you are either going uphill or downhill - so tranny is put to the test. First run with the new radiator saw temp's hitting 240 on paved roads and mild climb - waaaaay too high for my liking, so I wonder - should the radiator fan be blowing cooling air INTO the radiator or trying to blowing the hot air from the radiator OUT? Driving at 50 mph seems like the fan would be struggling against inflow of air while trying to push hot air away from the radiator???? Maybe it's just me and my common sense.
Also, anyone have ideas about the various tunes on the CTS to reduce or eliminate the strain on the tranny that the install guys put on (they call it "insanity" tune) - seems excessive to me - but looking for helpful ideas to keep us rolling down the road

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Old 09-29-2014, 10:19 AM   #2
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

The fan is a puller fan, so it will be sucking air across the coolers.

The sounds really hot for the conditions you describe. I wonder if your transmission thermostatic bypass valve is stuck? If that's the case, it bypasses the coolers.

Also, can you hear the fan coming on? You'll know when it kicks on, it'll sound like a big rig climbing. A bad fan clutch will also cause high temps.
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Old 09-29-2014, 10:50 AM   #3
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

YEs you can absolutely hear the fan come on, but seems counter intuitive to have a fan blowing the hot air from the radiator OUT when the simple act of driving forces air IN. But, not being a mechanic and not understanding these things, I rely on observational common sense.
The fan comes on when we hit the 220 degree alarm - also, the tranny temp runs about 207 when driving down the interstate.
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Old 09-29-2014, 03:04 PM   #4
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

Did the new transmission cooler come with 1/2" diameter lines? Did you replace the stock cooler or put the in series? Is the "in-tank" cooler still part of the loop?

The cooling fan does not blow air forward. It it does, somebody put the belt on wrong.
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Old 09-30-2014, 09:02 AM   #5
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

Installed 1/2" hose - simply created a "loop" to help reduce TFT temp. The in tank should be part of the loop as none of that was changed. Awaiting the rain and cold to abate before I test the fan whether "push" or "pull". The installer thinks the fan might have been installed as a push & is willing to correct it but they are 110 miles away, so we'll see.
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Old 09-30-2014, 12:49 PM   #6
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

Are you talking an additional cooler that has an electric fan???

I agree that the fan should be pulling air from the front of the vehicle through the cooler provided it sits behind the cooler. BTW my transmission hardly ever reaches high temps unless on very long steep grades while driving in air temps of 105+ I have my gauge set to alarm at 220 and rarely see it go off. Since I put louvers in the hood I've seen even lower temps but haven't had a chance to put it through much high air temp testing yet.
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Old 10-21-2014, 12:25 AM   #7
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

I don't think they are talking about the main engine fan blowing the wrong way. -- Though that would be a good trick.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DudleyTania
... external tranny radiator with fan ... should the radiator fan be blowing cooling air INTO the radiator or trying to blowing the hot air from the radiator OUT?
As others have stated, the airflow should be in the grill, through the transmission cooler (ac condenser and engine radiator) and against the engine and out the bottom.

Since you have an aftermarket fan (on an aftermarket cooler), it may well be installed incorrectly. Many of them can be set up both ways (look at any documentation you got with it, or stickers / molded writing on the unit). Some have bi-directional electric motors that can just be wired either way. Others require swapping the fan blades around.

My fans do nothing to the temperature when I'm moving at over ~40 mph (I do have a big cooler). They are there for cooling things off while idling or keeping them in check while I'm climbing on a small road or trail.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DudleyTania
The fan comes on when we hit the 220 degree alarm
220 seems too late for the fan to turn on. Ideally you'd never hit that temperature.

I have mine setup to turn on at anything over 180 degrees and turn back off at 170. I also have a manual override, that I have not used much yet, that I can turn on at the bottom of a big climb to give me as much margin as possible.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DudleyTania
also, the tranny temp runs about 207 when driving down the interstate.
That sounds like a stuck bypass valve (been there) or incorrect hose connections (which would simulate no cooler).
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Old 11-16-2014, 10:34 AM   #8
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

Quote:
Originally Posted by DudleyTania
Also, anyone have ideas about the various tunes on the CTS to reduce or eliminate the strain on the tranny that the install guys put on (they call it "insanity" tune) - seems excessive to me - but looking for helpful ideas to keep us rolling down the road
per my emails with EDGE Tech support, the CTS *WITH* loaded tunes is not compatible with the 6.0 in the vans.

I use the EDGE CTS Insight (gauges only), and an X4 SCT tuner with custom tunes from 5 star tuning.
im running the 80hp street tune, and have no temp issues.

I too am in colorado (denver) and will be heading to Alma this week via i-70, so i will see what temps i get once i get into the mountains.
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Old 03-29-2015, 06:27 PM   #9
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

Since I ended up writing this up as a reply to a private question about my opinions on trans cooling and any added filtration systems for coolant or trans fluid, I figured I'd share it here as well:

(Note that I don't have the 6.0, but the v10 with a 4r100 (which was also used on the 6.0))

I don't have any of those filters installed at the moment.

I'm dubious yet torn on the magnefine transmission fluid filter:

I added one when I upgraded the tru-cool max transmission cooler. This brought my non-hot weather cruising temps down to 140. Then they started to creep up, but I attributed that to seasonal change. Then I ended up towing a large trailer 300 miles on a hot day. I ended up driving with no AC, the hood off the van and many stops at DIY car washes to cool things down (that is a good trick btw).

Then we drove without a trailer and things were even worse. No way to just drive down the freeway without creeping over 200. On a hunch, I ended up pulling the filter in a parts store lot. This helped, but things still weren't perfect (though it got us through that trip keeping things under 200).

I ended up testing and swapping out the bypass valve assembly. The pan was also dropped for a filter/fluid change (followed by pumping the old fluid out of the converter through the cooling system). This got me back to cruising at 140.

Now, perhaps I just didn't change the magnefine soon enough, though it's supposed to have a bypass as well. I pulled mine apart and it did have a mechanism that looked like it would, but the spring tension seemed awfully high. I did get another filter, and on the outside it appears subtly different in many ways, so perhaps there are counterfeit units out there (mine both came from amazon marketplace sellers).

The filter did pull out a bunch of visible stuff, so it's certainly doing something. My feeling on this is that I'd rather have working cooling than a filter that might mess with things in a way that's a pain to work around. If I re-install one, I'd put in a bypass on it with a manual valve.

I do not directly attribute the cooling bypass failure on the transmission to the filter, though it may have contributed by providing the reason for it to open.

Finally, for slow speed trails I required a fan, at least with my tallish gearing/tires. I ended up adding a manual override in addition to a thermostatic control, that way I can push the temps a bit lower during less steep pitches to give me more headroom as I'm crawling the 8000 lbs van along.

I have a coolant filter with fittings sitting around that I might install if I'm aching for something to do, but I mostly grabbed those bits because I want to put a solenoid valve on the heater core which would have everything there apart.

I'm not sure it really makes much difference on a gas engine if do pre-emptive water pump replacement. I end up towing in high temperatures, so I have the coolant changed every 2-3 years anyway (proper disposal is hard in my area, otherwise I'd do it myself).

That said, the engine cooling on my v10 has been much lower stress. If anything it's the transmission that will drive it up.
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Old 03-30-2015, 09:09 AM   #10
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Re: 6.0 liter tranny temp issues

I've ever had problems with the Magnefine causing my pressure bypass to open. I'm assuming that is the bypass you are referring to? Or did you have faulty Tru-Cool temp bypass? My Tru-Cool temp bypass was faulty out of the box. I pulled it off after one climb up Willamette pass, and never replaced it.
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