2023 F350 6.7 HO Towing 10k lb Review

[FishOnOne]

Here's a towing review for a 2023 Super Duty with the 6.7PSD HO.

BTW... Review done by another former Ram/Cummins owner.

Enjoy...

Link

[FishOnOne]

There's a reason the Chrysler Corp doesn't design transmissions anymore. Probably the same reason there isn't a Chrysler Corp anymore.

[Grit_dog]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
"Isn’t that a phot or the pan on his 68RFE? Back when he considered that a great transmission?"


YES, I still consider it a great trans! I never had any of the issues some reported. It shifted firm and precise.

Agree, they are a better performing transmission when paired with the perfect gears and tire size. And a wet bag of c rap when they are not.
Which proves they are a poor design and application from the get go.
I’ve driven enough 5r110?, 6r140 and 5/6 speed Allisons with big tires to know that those transmissions still act and shift like they should even when not paired with ideal equipment.
Heck the old Turbo 400 in the Kraken-mobile (86 GMC) doesn’t care what gears and tires are south of tail shaft housing. It acts and shifts the same regardless. Yet Dodge and now Ram still can’t get it right? 16 years are it’s debut. And they’re still selling them to every sucker who walks through the door and doesn’t know anything about trucks.
It’s proof of the limitations and drawbacks of the 68rfe.
All that said they are NOT unreliable in the least. They’re a durable slush box.
They’re kinda like that big dumb friend. Great guy, do anything for ya, always well intentioned, but maybe just not all there upstairs.

[Cummins12V98]

"Isn’t that a phot or the pan on his 68RFE? Back when he considered that a great transmission?"


YES, I still consider it a great trans! I never had any of the issues some reported. It shifted firm and precise.

[Grit_dog]

^Good point. But bottom line, the fishing expedition about trans temps when it’s as designed is laughable.
Kinda like saying you gonna put a 160deg thermostat in the cooling system of your new Eff 2 Fiddy like when you tried keepin that old 1977 AMC Pacer cool in traffic back when Reagan was president!

[4x4ord]

My '22 Super Duty was at 201 today (68 outside temp); towing nothing; driving 50 mph down a country road. The engine temp was at 185. One question I have is: Where is the temperature sensor? Could it be Ford measures 205 degrees leaving the transmission and Ram measures 160 degrees leaving the cooler?

[Bionic_Man]

I don’t know what the threshold for temps that will damage gaskets/fluids/transmission is, but it certainly is FAR north of 200*. The only vehicle I’ve driven that kept temps well below 200* is my 2023 RAM/Aisin.

All others saw 200 regularly. My 2022 Grand Cherokee was at 196 yesterday in the city and my 2019 Expedition was at 205 this afternoon. I can probably show a 230 photo next week after pulling my boat through the Colorado mountains.

[Grit_dog]

^100% correct. It’s the risk of while towing heavy (or otherwise), having it stick closed and heat the trans oil up to frying pan temperatures in very short order.

It’s pretty easy to discern if the temps are moderately higher than the thermostat set point as you and others have described, vs unexpected temp increase with no plausible reason.

[cummins2014]

Grit dog wrote:
^You mean if the thermostat is closed, it bypasses the cooler, resulting in very little cooling? That is correct.
So yes it has everything to do with cooling. Closed/bypass = no cooling. Open to the trans cooler = normal cooling.

Fwiw the OE part does a GREAT job at warming the transmission quickly.
Not long after the engine is up to full operating temp from a cold start, the trans fluid is holding right at 170 ish.
With no bypass and full cooling flow all the time, you can drive an hour and the trans hasn’t even come close to 170. Just drove to work in the Ram today. An hour later, trans was at 135deg.

What I have heard is the trans fluid bypass delete does nothing for better cooing ,just insures the fluid is flowing ,and just takes longer to reach whatever the trans runs at ,in my case 172 . If the trans is going to run 180-190 towing heavy in hot weather that delete will not help .

[Bionic_Man]

blt2ski wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
My 68RFE regularly saw temps above 200*. 220* was pretty common for me. Must be that Amsoil fluid that keeps yours so cool.

You mean this Amsoil fluid and his aftermarket finned oil pan. We know all about it. :B

Must have been very impressed to save that pic!

Or he forgot it was a simple gasket that failed, like many do at times before the REST of the unit fails!

Marty

Isn’t that a phot or the pan on his 68RFE? Back when he considered that a great transmission?

[Bionic_Man]

Grit dog wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
My 68RFE regularly saw temps above 200*. 220* was pretty common for me. Must be that Amsoil fluid that keeps yours so cool.

Towing what, where?

My 5er. I70 in Colorado.

[Grit_dog]

^You mean if the thermostat is closed, it bypasses the cooler, resulting in very little cooling? That is correct.
So yes it has everything to do with cooling. Closed/bypass = no cooling. Open to the trans cooler = normal cooling.

Fwiw the OE part does a GREAT job at warming the transmission quickly.
Not long after the engine is up to full operating temp from a cold start, the trans fluid is holding right at 170 ish.
With no bypass and full cooling flow all the time, you can drive an hour and the trans hasn’t even come close to 170. Just drove to work in the Ram today. An hour later, trans was at 135deg.

[cummins2014]

Grit dog wrote:
At cummins2014, I hadn’t either, but I’m not a gauge watcher. I’d rather be jammin tunes, on the phone and/or sippin a couple road sodas on my long time coming well earned infrequent vacations.
But that thermostat/cooler bypass thingy as I understand it either works great or it doesn’t work at all. If I towed more or worked my personal truck harder I woulda replaced it 3 years ago when I bought the truck.
(I also didn’t realize how stupid simple it was to remove and replace. I did it along with a trans service but by itself, it’s a 0 beer job (can’t drink laying on your back with trans juice dripping all over lol), so call it a 30 minute job including refilling a few lost units of trans blood).

What I understand about the bypass is that it does nothing for cooling , just insures the fluid is flowing .

[blt2ski]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
My 68RFE regularly saw temps above 200*. 220* was pretty common for me. Must be that Amsoil fluid that keeps yours so cool.

You mean this Amsoil fluid and his aftermarket finned oil pan. We know all about it. :B

Must have been very impressed to save that pic!

Or he forgot it was a simple gasket that failed, like many do at times before the REST of the unit fails!

Marty

[Cummins12V98]

FishOnOne wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
My 68RFE regularly saw temps above 200*. 220* was pretty common for me. Must be that Amsoil fluid that keeps yours so cool.

You mean this Amsoil fluid and his aftermarket finned oil pan. We know all about it. :B

Must have been very impressed to save that pic!