Whatever the owners manual recommends.
Going up a grade
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Originally Posted By: Ohle_Manezzini
Towing is as tough as racing since you end up giving wot at lower rpms and some lugging with a hot oil, so going up a grade is good.
+ 1,000
Towing an 8,000# trailer is murder on most gas engines. They'll do it, but it'll heat the oil much higher than other loads. It's like marine use. The load never drops off. Wind resistance and rolling resistance are always there.
But, it's even harder on the transmission ...
Towing is as tough as racing since you end up giving wot at lower rpms and some lugging with a hot oil, so going up a grade is good.
+ 1,000
Towing an 8,000# trailer is murder on most gas engines. They'll do it, but it'll heat the oil much higher than other loads. It's like marine use. The load never drops off. Wind resistance and rolling resistance are always there.
But, it's even harder on the transmission ...
Really? My 6.0L/4L80 Chevy has no issue with such a load; running down the road (lots of airflow coming in), everything stays nice and cool, oil pressure doesn't drop, and it'll pull locked in OD all day long. I think you're overlooking the big, OE auxiliary coolers that are in place to keep fluid temps in check.
Only issue I've found is that low RPM/high-load situations (towing around 60 locked in OD) can get knock retard to start ticking up several degrees (when using 87 octane). Bumping up to mid-grade/89 takes care of that, though.
Only issue I've found is that low RPM/high-load situations (towing around 60 locked in OD) can get knock retard to start ticking up several degrees (when using 87 octane). Bumping up to mid-grade/89 takes care of that, though.
Then I guess that speaks even better of the thousands of 454's and 6.0's that have done it for hundreds of thousands of miles each down through the years.
Originally Posted By: Shannow
RPM is a bigger driver of bearing and oil temperature than load.
Most of the "heat" that oil has to dissipate is generated in itself through viscous shearing. Some influence from undercrown, particularly with squirters.
So now, ... never mind ...
RPM is a bigger driver of bearing and oil temperature than load.
Most of the "heat" that oil has to dissipate is generated in itself through viscous shearing. Some influence from undercrown, particularly with squirters.
So now, ... never mind ...
I was not speaking particularly of the 454. I was thinking more about the family man who had a 1500 something and a small block something. And had their foot in it out here doing grades and headwinds. I've seen more than one rod out the side of the block of a 350 towing a 5th wheel ...
And adding "Big Coolers" whether through the option list or through aftermarket, is a treatment for already heated oil. Just saying one is on there means you and the design engineers know that the oil will be getting hot.
If you spec a truck for towing, that's one thing. If you just take your Dakota and start pulling Pops trailer up to say Crater Lake or Tioga Pass (el 9,900+), we'll see how long things last ...
And adding "Big Coolers" whether through the option list or through aftermarket, is a treatment for already heated oil. Just saying one is on there means you and the design engineers know that the oil will be getting hot.
If you spec a truck for towing, that's one thing. If you just take your Dakota and start pulling Pops trailer up to say Crater Lake or Tioga Pass (el 9,900+), we'll see how long things last ...
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