Cooling help

[Hellcat]

I have a trip planned across country, west coast to east coast. I have a 92 -xcab-4x4-4.0 automatic Ranger. I will be pulling a trailer about 1500 pounds loaded. I have a new radiator and water pump, I added a trans cooler. I am wondering if I should try and do something to help keep the motor temp down ? I have thought about a pusher fan but I really don't know if I will need one. I would appreciate any ideas or opinions about keeping the Ranger
running cool on the trip. Thanks in advance for your ideas

 

[strvger]

i'd go for an oil cooler. usually around $50 or so and will also help keep the block a little cooler.
additionally, you might want to consider a hayden type flex fan if you don't already have one or if you don't have an electric one behind your radiator.

 

[Hellcat]

i'd go for an oil cooler. usually around $50 or so and will also help keep the block a little cooler.
additionally, you might want to consider a hayden type flex fan if you don't already have one or if you don't have an electric one behind your radiator.

I will do some research on the oil cooler idea, any idea how much they lower the oil temp ? I have some experience with aftermarket electric fans and I haven't seen good results from them. If I could put one in front of the radiator that might help but I don't know anyone who has done it.

Thanks for the idea !!!

 

[Will]

That's overkill for a 1,500# trailer. I wouldn't do anything.

How is the additional tranny cooler installed? Ford put in an auxillary one at the factory, in additon to the one built into the radiator. Did you replace the auxillary cooler?

The cooler in the radiator is very efficient--liquid to liquid. Under most circumstances it makes it impossible to cook the fluid because it will strip the heat rapdily out of the tranny fluid down to the engine coolant temperature. The air to liquid cooler after it covers extreme conditions and you shouldn't need anything more than that.

I would not take the radiator mounted cooler out of the circuit. In the chart I inserted below from TCI, you can see that the engine coolant does not heat the fluid up harmfully. Using only a liquid-air is dangerous because it is not nearly as efficient. Think about how long a welded piece takes to cool waving it around in the air compared to dropping it in a bucket of water. It's the difference between forever and instantly.

The best thing to do is leave the truck alone, it's already been set up by Ford to tow probably around 6,000# with your 4.0. Heat in the drivetrain is controlled by how much torque you are asking the engine to produce. A lower rear axle gear is the best thing. For instance, 4.10 gears mean the engine has to produce 33% less torque. It spins faster, which cycles the coolant faster, and has less heat from the cylinders to take away and more coolant to do it with. On grades, keep the motor at around 3,000 and you won't have any trouble.

 

[Hellcat]

That's overkill for a 1,500# trailer. I wouldn't do anything.

How is the additional tranny cooler installed? Ford put in an auxiliary one at the factory, in addition to the one built into the radiator. Did you replace the auxiliary cooler?

The cooler in the radiator is very efficient--liquid to liquid. Under most circumstances it makes it impossible to cook the fluid because it will strip the heat rapidly out of the tranny fluid down to the engine coolant temperature. The air to liquid cooler after it covers extreme conditions and you shouldn't need anything more than that.

I would not take the radiator mounted cooler out of the circuit. In the chart I inserted below from TCI, you can see that the engine coolant does not heat the fluid up harmfully. Using only a liquid-air is dangerous because it is not nearly as efficient. Think about how long a welded piece takes to cool waving it around in the air compared to dropping it in a bucket of water. It's the difference between forever and instantly.

The best thing to do is leave the truck alone, it's already been set up by Ford to tow probably around 6,000# with your 4.0. Heat in the drivetrain is controlled by how much torque you are asking the engine to produce. A lower rear axle gear is the best thing. For instance, 4.10 gears mean the engine has to produce 33% less torque. It spins faster, which cycles the coolant faster, and has less heat from the cylinders to take away and more coolant to do it with. On grades, keep the motor at around 3,000 and you won't have any trouble.

Thanks Will
My truck had the cooler that ran through the radiator then it went to a small cooler mounted in front of the radiator the back to the tranny. The liquid to air cooler looked OK, I added another one beside it then back to the tranny. I would like to add the 410 grears but to be honest it looks complicated to me. I don't want to screw it up trying to make it better.

 

[strvger]

the heat waves this country has been experiencing this summer, i really don't think any cooling upgrade is "overkill" when towing a trailer coast to coast. if you go the southern route, mega heat and humidity. middle route, heat and mountains. nothern route, mountains and sometimes heat well into the 90's (heat indexes into the 100's this week in the dakotas).

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

the heat waves this country has been experiencing this summer, i really don't think any cooling upgrade is "overkill" when towing a trailer coast to coast. if you go the southern route, mega heat and humidity. middle route, heat and mountains. nothern route, mountains and sometimes heat well into the 90's (heat indexes into the 100's this week in the dakotas).

Every doo-dad you hang in front of the radiator preheats air going through the radiator.

Keep the coolant coolant cool, and the oil the will be cool too.