towing loaded three horse stock trailer

[1palomino]

Hi
I have a question regarding towing.
My truck is an automatic trans. F250 1997. I had a an additional trans cooler added some time back.
The engine temp needle seems to shoot up quickly when I go uphill. As soon as I start to descend it goes down just as fast. This concerns me quite a bit.
I drive it like the guy at the transmission shop told me. Always haul with overdrive off.
Thanks for any insight

 

[97powerstroker]

mine does this but only it heats up quick when the rpms are high,and when i shift to od the gauge drops quickly,i think it normal,going uphill the engine is workin harder so it heats up quick because of more fuel,going down is less fuel so it cools quicker,thats my opinion anyway,goodluck

 

[97powerstroker]

also most people on here say that the temp gauges arent that accurate anyway,id listen them,get some aftermarket gauges

 

[Zookie400]

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING FASTER THAN 55, PUT THE OD ON!!!

 

[trackspeeder]

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING FASTER THAN 55, PUT THE OD ON!!!

Yes. Go ahead and use the OD. Your wallet will thank you.

Turn the OD off when it starts to hunt between gears.

 

[Crumm]

The engine temp needle seems to shoot up quickly when I go uphill. As soon as I start to descend it goes down just as fast. This concerns me quite a bit.

When you put it to work the temp will climb a little. As long as it doesn't get to the top of the NORMAL range it will be fine. If it is climbing to the top of the NORMAL then you might try a new thermostat as the old one may be sticking a little. These trucks have a excellent cooling system and overheating is a very rare problem.

 

[Zookie400]

What letter are you getting up to? when im pulling our 2 horse gooseneck with a very heavily loaded dressing room, it doesn't see more than the "o" unless its the hottest day of the year, and then it has seen "r" for a few seconds going up a long hill at 70mph.

 

[JLDickmon]

might even want to pull the radiator and have a radiator shop rod the core... I'm bettin' it's got some lime buildup started...

my temp gauge hardly budges when I'm towing... and I'm hauling four Clydes...

 

[Rookie]

I also tow a 3 horse stock and going back and forth to Ellensberg over the pass it'll cllimb to the "a" in "Normal" and sit. I know it's not the best way of figuring out how hot the engine is but it never goes past the "L". It drops like you say just as fast. And once I'm past 50 mph I'm in OD. If you have the stock stat in it, it may look worse than it is. Once it opens it'll jump up quick but drop just as fast.