[cpcarroll]

2002 3500 Quad cab CTD HO 6speed 4:10 gears
This truck heats up when i am pulling my 5th - BIG 5th 18000lb. When I pulled the grapevine from the No. I had to drop the RPMs down to about 2000 and this put me at about 20mph then it did not heat but this is very slow It seams that any pull at all and i start to build to much heat
PLEASE HELP any would be good
Thanks cpcarroll:CRY:

 

[Random Acts]

Big Honkin Air Filter (BHAF) would help. If you do a search on this site you will find more than you ever wanted to know about them. I prefer the homade type rather than the factory built types. Your could go with Bigger exhaust and straight pipeing it. Provided your truck is running right you need to move more air though it to cool the egt's.

If your truck did not used to have this problem and now it does, I would start with making sure you air filter is clean.:thumbsup

 

[002wd]

like most trks over the yrs the junk that builds up in the radiator and the heat exchanger will realy give u probs. i would start with a good cleaning of both these two things 1st. very cheap and probly what your problem is. you might even take them out to realy get to them. it seems as if you are only really having troubles with the hill so this is just what i can go on from the info u have given. i guess the trk is stock?

 

[cpcarroll]

I checked the back of the radiator and the heat exchanger and do not see much dirt or any thing at all The truck only has 85000 miles on the od at this time I hear the fan come on when I am pulling but if i slow down and run around 2000 rpm shift down then it seams to be ok . JUST DONT MAKE IT TRY TO PULL HARD very slow. any more help things to check?

Thanks Chuck

 

[cpcarroll]

and yes it is stock now I would like more HP but not with the heat prob.

Chuck

 

[ciamcoop]

Maybe repalce the thermostat, and like 002wd said take the radiator out and have it flow tested and cleaned. The inside could be plugged so you're not getting sufficient flow to cool the water. It could also be the gauge. Is it boiling over or just showing gettin hot? While that's not a lot of miles, sitting sometimes can be just as bad.

 

[jefff929]

cpcarroll,

I had the same problem. There are 4 nuts that hold the battery cable on top of the rad. take them off disconnect the -bat terminals. Remove the rad overflow and the w/s washer fluid bottles. four screws hold the fan shroud on, when these are out set it over the fan. Take out the two screws that hold the rad in and disconnect the upper and lower rad hoses. That is it, it is out. This is what you get.

NASTY!

Do your self a favor at this point. Take that little bottle if it is still there and throw it out. Find a hose to reroute the breather tube, even 1"id heater hose will work. just slip it over the end.

Now back to the radiator. Take some simple green or that orange smelling cleaner stuff and spray the snot out of the rad and back flush it from the engine side to the front. Likely the simple green or orange stuff will take the paint off or damage the aluminum if you leave it on too long. One guy I know suggested boiling water in a crab cooker or turkey fryer and poring it back through the rad. The heat and cleaner (even 409) will take the oil away. This will unplug the radiator, I was shocked at the amount of dirt that little POS drippy bottle made collect in the rad. :thumbsup

Much mo better, no heating issues now!:woot:

Edit: do not use the toilet brush to clean the crap off the front of the engine and fan shroud, it really POs the mrs.

 

[bbraden]

I second cleaning the radiator. It's a cheap and easy place to start.

 

[haulin-rv]

I'll 3rd it. I hosed it out while on the truck and thought it was clean. Pulled it apart and was shocked how much crap was in there. I used to get the fan noise just going down the highway on a hot day pulling a load and after cleaning it would almost never come on even pulling grades.

Also I would look into a BHAF and opening the exhaust will help too.

 

[RRAMctd]

getting rid of your cat will help afte these other suggestions. I would not take of the muffler unless you like it really loud in the cab when your pulling. Nothing worse then pullin hills and your eyes are locked onto the heat guage.

 

[jefff929]

I don't believe the '02 came with a cat.

The BHAF & through flow exhaust will help EGTs, the thermostat may be an exercise in futility if it is not bad. Mine wasn't bad, and the intake and exhaust were taken care of. That left me in the same position as the OP.

Clean the rad the way I said and get back to us. :w:

 

[Dawg]

i had a 96 2500 that i pulled a 10,000 lb travel trailer with and had heat up problems . i had the truck for several years and it did fine with the boat and tractor but when i bought the camper it would heat up when pulling hills . i bought a new radiator , new transmission cooler , flushed the transmission and replaced the thermostat and couldn't fix it . i think mine must have been a transmission problem in the making . it didn't slip at all but , when it heated up the trans temp light would come on and the tranny would smell . i traded it for an 04 .

 

[cpcarroll]

If I just keep pulling the egt will go over temp and drop the peddle off so that you have to shift down Have never seen it boil ovet or any sings of that. but I am old 60 + and it makes for bad nerves on me and is no fun to drive just worry a lot

Thanks Chuck

 

[Random Acts]

A couple of other thoughts

If the other things listed don't pan out, maybe check your trailer brakes, to make sure you don't have on dragging, make sure the truck to trailer electrical is clean, make sure the break away is free and not binding when your loaded or going around curves, if you have a controler maybe it's turned up to high, or if you have a surge brake make sure it working right. Maybe if you have an exaust brake make sure it is fully opening back up when you turn it off. eelout