View Single Post
Old 07-07-2009, 01:14 PM   #23
FotoCEO
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Transmission Cooler needed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by harveyrv View Post
When you are pulling a grade and you see the temp gage start to climb, that means that the engine is not releasing heat at a fast enough rate. As the moving parts of your engine heat up, they expand which causes more friction and less available HP. Think of your temp gage as a HP reduction gage. This means, the hotter that your engine gets, the more fuel that you have to give it (increased throttle) which, in turn, increases the heat even more. If the engine gets hot enough, it will actually "Seize", which means it will abruptly stop and may never turn again.

When mountain driving, keep an eye on the temp gage and don't let it get anywhere near the Red zone. If the gage is close, pull over, open the hood and let the engine cool down. If you haven't lost water, it's OK to leave it at idle for a few minutes before turning it off. NEVER open the radiator cap on a hot engine EVER. If you do, make sure that you are close to hospital a burn center because you may need it. This is very serious stuff. There have been cases where people have lost their entire face and/or received 3rd degree burns over their upper body. The Steam released from that radiator can be as high as 600 degrees. When the radiator cap is removed the entire cooling system may "Explode" all over you. That's roughly 3 gallons of boiling water and a huge amount of vaporous gas (steam), all released with a second or 2. That's not something to be messed with. The radiator cap should be cool enough to remove without using a rag for burn protection. If it isn't, leave it alone.

If you are using synthetic oil in your engine and trans, a 30 minute rest may be adequate. If you are using petrol based oil, the cooling process will be far longer, up to 2 hours. Never poor water on a hot engine. Although a spray bottle that delivers a mist can be very helpful. As the mist touches the hot surface, steam will be produces and the evaporation encourages heat release. This must be done with care because the steam can cause severe burns. If you have a 12V fan, that may help a lot. Don't run your battery down. If you can, use the battery from the camper. The thing that retains heat the longest is petrol based oils.
Great information, thank you. My question now is, "how do I figure out if I need to install a transmission cooler?"

Are there general guidelines for figuring that out as well?

And if someone wants to help me, specifically, figure out if I need one, my TV is a 2006 Toyota Sequoia and I'll be towing a 2720. I don't want to mess with minimums, I'd rather figure everything out at the maximum weight I may have so that I don't have to think about it every time. I'm not the type to try to figure out what I can get away with - I want to be safe at all times and have more than I need (hp, torque, stopping power, etc.). For example, I'll be installing a Prodigy before picking up the trailer next week, even though one dealer I talked to said that was way more controller than I would need.
  Reply With Quote