I will be towing lots with my 350 HD Xtra long, Xtra tall diesel. Has anyone sourced airbags for the back yet? Also wondering about installing a transmission temp. indicator? Dealer hasn't gotten back to me but I don't like the idea of towing in the mountains and not knowing what the temp. is. Anybody done anything with one yet?
Thanks
Glenn, I'm going to see my mechanic soon, he speciifcally wants to check the tranny temp, install, temp gauge for it.
I'll let you know, whats up.
Before I bought our Transit 250 HR, i told him my trepidation about going back to and American auto-tranny.
Because I managed to get only 50-70k miles with maintenance, I felt it was planned obsolescence.
He said if you got time, I'll tell you a story, I sat down, he said I he hates autos because used to race, but he also quit having his guys rebuild them in his shop.
The last straw was a very emarassing incident, he was chief of our volunteer fire dept. we needed a new ambulance, Ace, said he would research it and order the best. The community had a large budget due to an outside donor and many fundraisers, Ace bought the best of everthing on Ford 350 HD Dually, FWD. he had the HD Factory tranny cooler as well as large radiator. No gauge.
It was beautiful! They used it for a few months for, local runs, maybe just after breaking it in under 2000 miles, the first call that they had to push it hard to go the 100 milese to the nearest hospital, truck stopped forward motion,cardiac patient had to go last 20 miles
In a following passener car. Stacked with medics, patient survived. Ace was pissed and embarrased. He said he told himself would make it a mission to find out what happens to autos.
While Ford came and got it to do the warrenty replacement, They said it was a lemon tranny.
Ace called a guy he knew that work for Boeing and used to design Auto trannys, he also called a friend who used to work in auto trannys back in the Detroit Factories, designing them, he works for JPL now, high end enginners.
They both said HEAT. And that 90 percent of US autos where running hot trannys from the factory.
This was few years back when those lazer thermometers were still expensive, they told Ace. Get one check it as soon as it comes back. It had a temp gauge intalled. It was Pointing left of in green zone at middle 200 degree, the engineers said to use the lazer
On the tranny on the sensor, 225 degree on an 80 degree day. Engineers said every 5 degrees over 175 for more than 15 minutes damage was being done.
This was after Ford brought it back 150 miles!. The next few days were hot, 100 or so, he was seeing almost 250 just driving around!
So Ace bought a brick shaped racing cooler, installed it test drove it -15 -18 degrees, he bought another two different brands bigger thinner, -10 degrees on both, sent them back and ordered 3 more bricks one for each corner of the Radiator! This was a big square front Ford but still he was running out of room and seeing the water temp go up, but it was not detrimental. Now he was down 60-
-70 degrees to about 180 Average, dammit he told me I was getting that thing to average below 175 if it killed me, no more room
On sides of radiator, so he ordered on one more brick, he cut out a spot near the headlights and painted a piece of mesh to disguise it, 165, On average, 100 degree weather, 170-75. So now Ace says, with no room in the Transit, and the newer vehicles being
Better designed with more speeds, the temp should be more in line, but he made me promise to bring it too him and save out 150 bux for a cooler and a gauge. He said HD an after market electric fan maybe an option. But he hoped we won't need two coolers.
We have the 3.5 turbo, I'm going to see him to day. If he's there, i'll let you know how it turns out.
Sorry for the long "quick reply" should have posted it.
Good luck.
