Winter front covers anybody?

[MINIz guy]

Does anybody run a winter front cover on their gas truck during the winters? Common practice in the diesel world, but I've seen nothing for us. It's been getting below 30°F and I'm noticing that my transmission temperature isn't going to operating temp anymore. Did a 2.5hr drive on the highway and the max trans temp I saw was 102°F on the OBD reader.

My truck has a basic cooling system. Aftermarket aluminum radiator and the OEM trans cooler up front, nothing fancy at all. Works great for towing or in the summer, too cool in the winter.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I was out the other day and it was around the same temp. According to the gauge it got up to temp ok. It was maybe a 45 min ride. I have the oem trans cooler along with an aftermarket cooler.

 

[MINIz guy]

Up to temp as in 140+ degrees? If I put in a cluster with that gauge, I'd probably think it's broken since I wouldn't move it.

This weekend I'll use some corrugated plastic and block off part of the grill. I'll see if that helps the transmission warm up. This is a great problem to have if it was 70+ degrees but not when its winter. The stock radiator did 205F when pulling a 4000lb enclosed trailer on a high-70 degree day, and immediately went down to 185F with the aluminum radiator.

 

[O5Denali]

In for results... I've noticed mine is not reaching temp at times even during longer driving. But I do have a large cooler from an express van (mine was leaking. got this one free)

 

[Rocket Man]

You can put a bypass on the trans cooler line. Tru-Cool makes one that doesn't open until the fluid is 180 degrees. That way the trans cooler doesn't operate until it's needed, so the fluid will warm up faster and then when it gets to 180, the bypass opens and allows it to flow through the cooler.
https://www.amazon.com/Tru-Cool-Long-Transmission-External-708-4739P6/dp/B008BTJFJ4

 

[Floep]

Do you have electric fan for cooling or engine driven?

 

[MidwestMike]

At what point is there a concern with too cool, and what are the issues?

Just towed 5 hours at -8 degrees. Water temp was fine, wouldn't want to block the radiator, but the trans never went over 130.

 

[MINIz guy]

Blocked off this much tonight. Still only hit 110 degrees. Never went over 195 on the coolant side, so I’m not worried. Same drive from NJ to DE, but was 20 degrees and I sat through rush hour traffic.

Going to look into that Tru-cool thermostat. Funny that I’m going to need that when the cooling system only has a radiator.

I have a clutch fan btw

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Floep]

Check out that clutch fan, they do not always release in cold weather had experience with that, to me was important enough to do away with it and install electric fan thermostatically controlled .Few vehicles back.

 

[PG01]

My 13 hoe only got up to 99-100 last week on a 2.5 hr trip from upstate ny to south jersey to the city, it was 10* out all day...no worries man... id rather it cooler than hotter anyway, as long as its shifting fine dont worry.