First heavy tow with the LLY, it did GREAT!

pwrtripls1 · 11-07-2009, 08:04 AM

After hearing all the nightmare overheating stories with a stock LLY I've been looking forward to pulling a heavy trailer and wanted to watch my EGT's and coolant temps to see what they ran. The trailer is the one we use for out BBQ setup. Its a 24' enclosed supply trailer and fully loaded weighs a little over 12k. We normaly pull them to events with 06' F350's with the 6.0L, but it is in the shop getting its 4th turbo installed in less than 36,000 miles. LOL So I was more than happy to volunteer to pull it.

I've pulled this trailer with the ford before and it was gutless, it took forever to get up to 60mph. And at 70mph even with its tow haul on it would hunt back and forth between gears. Well I hitched it up to my 05' and thats the first time I've ever seen it squat down. My first time taking off from a dead stop I could feel how heavy the thing was, but it got up to 60mph pretty quick. On the highway I wanted to see what my EGT's were and how they affected my coolant temp. Just my luck as I turned onto hwy 288 north there was a strong head wind. At 55-60 mph in 5th gear my EGT was a pretty steady 1050*, as i sped up to 70mph my EGT dropped to around 950* and a steady 8psi boost. When my EGT was running 950* my coolant temp was a steady 194*. Over near the Houston ship chanel there is a really long grade bridge I wanted to try. As I came up to it I slowed to 55mph in 5th gear and set the cruise, I wanted to load the engine up as much as possible and see what happens. As I started the climb my EGT shot to 1150* and stayed there. My coolant temp went up to 198* for a second and then dropped back down to 196* and stayed there. No matter how hard I tried I couldnt get the coolant temp any higher. I know its not a long grade like Colorado or Tennessee, but it was the best I could do around here. Soon I'm going to try to reproduce txchristopher's run on I-10 near Fredricksburg, just to see If the mods I've done will still let it over heat.

muskrat · 11-07-2009, 10:21 AM

Nice! I pull trailors all around Utah with big grades. The highest I ever got was 1200.

chevymakesitizuzushakesit · 11-07-2009, 11:41 AM

yea man ur fine just hook it up and dont look back u cant beat the dmax any year for that matter

diesel guy · 11-07-2009, 12:37 PM

These trucks aren't happy unless they are under a heavy load.I like that the Ford got demoted.

kwbaum829 · 11-07-2009, 02:50 PM

It always good to read stories like these!

**Hook'em_Horns!** · 11-07-2009, 03:01 PM

You can't really give it much of a workout with the outside temps where they are now, and with you running at less than 100’ above sea level.

Get out west to the Hill Country in higher elevations with steeper and longer grades (Fredericksburg area is a start) in 100+* temps, that’ll light ‘em up a bit.

diesel guy · 11-07-2009, 03:14 PM

Theres was an issure in Diesel Power mag a few months back that showed the 10 biggest hills in the USA.The pictures and atricles looked cool and made me want to face them.One was here in SOCAL where that he go over when we go camping but it was like number 8 0r 9 so it's not that bad compared to others.

chevymakesitizuzushakesit · 11-07-2009, 03:55 PM

i sen that issue

wilkie · 11-07-2009, 04:12 PM

Great to hear. I bought the LLY about a month ago and will not get to tow with it until the summer late spring as I have a wakeboard boat, and that season is long over with here! I have a buddy that has an 05 with the LLY that lives in Montana, about 5600 feet, and pulls his backhoe and trailer up the hills around there no problem. On the highway he can travel 55-60 no problem, and the trailer and hoe weigh about 24,000 pounds! He has never overheated, so if you know how to drive them, you should be fine.