I own a 2006, F-150, 5.4, automatic "Screw" 5.5' bed, 4x4, My question is:
Is the Stock transmission cooler that came on the truck good enough for towing or should I go with a after-market cooler, I'm planning on a western vacation this summer that will take me into the Rockies, but I'm pulling a light weight 19' travel trailer.

 

There is an adequate tranny cooler installed in all F series trucks.....as long as you are not pushing the tow limits. But, you can watch the trans temp rise on many steep pulls and long uphill slopes.

Heat is what destroys auto transmissions...sooo...adding an additional trans cooler is always a good thing....and realtively cheap insurance.

 

There is not one installed in all F-series trucks. You either have one or you don't. I work with a guy at work who has a 2004 with no tranny cooler in the front. You have to have the towing package.


That said, I've not seen temps above 185 or so pulling this with the car inside.



Of course, this in Florida and not the Rockies.

"I figured the rockies would be a little more hilly than this. Yah, that John Denver's fulla **** man."

 

I guess I kinda forgot about the guys with manual trans...obviously those guys don't.

All auto trans utilize a trans cooler. Some are in the radiator...some are an auxillery that is in front of the radiator; but they all have a trans cooler.

I stand by this statement too...even if it is in additional to an auxillery stand alone trans cooler....if you know you will be towing heavy loads or long distances.

 

Well, I was talking about the auto trans. Are you sure there is one built into the radiator? Either way, if you don't have the one that is a seperate unit in front of the radiator I wouldn't tow crazy loads.

 

Very sure.....can't function without it. All auto trans that I know of will have cooler lines. Most automobiles and light trucks with automatics will have a small cooler inside the radiator if there is not an auxillery external cooler. These are not as large...but don't need to be as they utilize heat exchange with the entire engine cooling system in the radiator. It's like a mini cooler in the radiator tank. If you look closely at most newer (post '85) radiators there will be 2 small line attchment points...even if you have a manual transmission. This is where the cooler lines would go.

 

HHMM. Interesting. I still don't know if I would classify that as a tranny cooler.

 

Colorado Osprey is right on the mark about the trans cooler. All the Ford trucks have one, some are external higher cooling capacity units others are integrated into the radiator. Small cars also have them as well, if they did not they would melt down. My 97' F-150 reg cab 4.6L and payload package has an integrated trans cooler and it has worked perfect for me. I have towed my 24ft travel trailer over the cascades with the engine running hard and the trans temp gauge I had installed only went up marginally but stayed well within safe limits.

 

Do you have the towing package? That is a good start. But in my experience towing a 25' Airsteam Safari trailer (the lighter weight Airstream) in Colorado last summer the tranny temps climbed fast on long grades. I have a 2005 F150 Screw with 5.4 l engine, 3.73 gearing, and tow package. At altitude the truck has less power, and slows down on the long steep grades... so it's working really hard, but going slow... temps rise, and not much airflow across the cooler to bring temps down. I saw tranny temps (as measured by my Nordskog digital transmission temperature gauge with the sensor installed in the tranny test port) rise to 235 degrees and climbing! I stopped at the side of the road and let the truck idle a while to bring the temp down below 200. It takes a long time to lower the temp, and a very short time of towing up the hill to raise the temp again.

While sitting by the side of the road a Highway Helper truck stopped to check on us. He said that our stopping was a good idea because almost every day he calls for tow trucks to haul away vehicles that have toasted their tranmissions. He said that Dodge trucks are the worst.

My Dad wrecked many transmissions in various tow vehicles over the years... I suspect due to excess heat.

This spring I installed a Derale electric fan (onto the stock transmission cooler), with a temperature probe and relay, that will blow air over the tranny cooler when the temp exceeds 180 degrees. I have not towed with this setup yet, so I can't say how it works.

At a minimum, install a transmission temperature gauge - so you know when to pull over and let it cool down (engine idling).

When towing up a mountain your 19' lightweight trailer will not feel lightweight at all!

 

x2, except i tow thru the desert.

I've got the same cooler, and the fan kicks-on a lot in summertime city driving, even when I'm not towing. But I've got a blower and tend to drive fast.