Originally Posted By: Jaymus
I think mod motors run cool, myself, after owning one and the 'dummy' oil pressure gauge never coming down from the peak position, no matter how much hot rodding.
I'm just talking about one being put to work. Any average vehicle runs 180F-210F, wouldn't one say? And I'm talking oil temps. Maybe an aluminum block in some 10F weather might run cooler.
But put a few thousand extra pounds behind any vehicle, and you're gonna have to use twice the throttle, usually run higher RPM (especially in a mod motor), and generally be harder on the engine. All the extra throttle + higher RPM + increased load = more heat. Lots of people report 250F+ while towing no matter what the engine, although, I know the engine will make a difference.
I see your experience is different, although I didn't see the towing times and payloads you were towing. I definitely always take into consideration of oil temps and viscosity ratings at "100C". That vehicles rarely hit that 100C under normal conditions, and in your case, a 20w oil is great for your engine.
We're not to far apart on this. I see the other side of the coin and acknowledge the need for higher viscosity at times, but where we differ, perhaps, is the point at which it's necessary. I can only make judgmeents on what I see with my own equipment and make choices based on that. And pontificate on BITOG, of course ( : < ). I wish more people on BITOG with Modulars would invest in a programmer with realtime readouts, or a Scangauge, so we could compare notes on oil temps. I'd really be interest in doing that.
The most I've towed with my truck ('05 F-150HD 4x4 8200# GVW, 4.10 axle ratios) is about 30,000 pounds of grain in wagons, but that was at 25 mph and for under 10 miles. The most it's towed/ hauled any distance was about 6500 pound (a mixed load in the bed and in a trailer) for several hundred miles. The latter situation is where I saw the 215... actually it was 219 according to my notes... but it went up and down according to the hills I was climbing. It was the early part of summer... muggy but only about mid 80s ambient. The big load just showed normal oil temps. I regularly haul about 3000 pounds of seed in the bed for up to about 30 miles. I see up ticks in trans and rear axle temp, but only a few degrees in oil temp.
Bear in mind that I am a "Gauge-o-Haulic" and it's all I can do th stay focused on the road and not may gauges. I assure you, I can quit at any time. Really!
My Name is Jim and I'm a Gauge-o-Haulic.