O/D and EGT's

[JMichelson]

I have a 1998 12valve that is stock except for a K&N air filter. I tow a travel trailer that weighs around 5000 lbs. I have a transmission temperature gauge and it doesn’t seem to get very warm even towing in over drive. With a stock motor should one have to worry about EGT’s getting to high before it shifts out of

O/D by itself or do I need to shift it out of O/D when it starts to pull the RPM’s down? What a good pullin RPM for a stock 12 valve. Thanks Jeff.

 

[DHatfield]

I don't think you would have to worry about high EGT's with a stock truck pulling a 5000 lbs trailer as long as you keep the truck in it torque range which I think is between 1600 and 2000 RPM. I you lug the engine down to below 1400 RPM or lower and pulling up a grade with a trailer than you probably could get high EGT's.

 

[Vic]

Concur that pulling 5000 pounds won't seriously run risk of exceeding safe EGTs. I've got all the gauges on my '91 and have found that my transmission temp is the most likely to redline, but then I've the kind of torque converter that doesn't lock up so my transmission heats more, both climbing and descending. With some 240,000 miles on the truck and some 100,000 towing a 7000 pound 5th wheel, I fugure those gauges have saved me a lot of anguish. Last year in Utah on a long climb pulled over twice to cool down the transmission but have never had a lick of transmission trouble. Just change the filter annually, also have the aftermarket deep pan and run sythetics in the rear.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Mine is stock and the egt gets higher when get on it on a grade and it has down shifted out of OD. I tow a 12,400# trailer and my egt runs about 600 towing in OD, have seen about 900 on a long grade(up) in second gear.