Has anybody overheated their LBZ while towing?

Two part question...

1. OH as in get the alarms?
2. OH as in ECT gauge sustained at or beyond 235* with tranny temps > 230*

PS, has anybody compared the ECT gauge to the ECM temp via programmer, scan tool, etc...

Let me tell you the LBZ does build heat fairly quick but the fan kicks in at about 215-220 and that's all she wrote. Even while still pulling the temp drops like a rock. The fan will even shut off while still pulling.
The LBZ can cool itself big time.
Dan

Does it overheat? I drove from New York to California on vacation in the peak of the heat across the desert and mountains in July and August. I towed a 40 foot fifth wheel with a GCWR of 23,000. I climbed from Lake Havasue to I10, from El Paso, Texas to Carlsbad Caverns, NM, and not to mention over the Hoover Dam heading north off I40. On the Lake Havasue leg of the trip to I10, I passed several tractor trailers that were overheated on the side of the road. The outside temp was 110-115 degrees, tranny temps climbed as high as 220, and engine would hit 217 put on the cooling fan and drop right down to 195/200. Does the truck overheat? Nope! I drove the truck hard maintaining 65 to 68 mph on some of the steepest hills ocassionally it would slow down to 58mph. EGT's went as high as 1440 but were easily corrected by using the tap shift down to the next lowest gear. The truck is an excellent hauler. I ran over 11,000 miles changing the oil at 6,000 mile intervels with plenty of 3100 rpms pulls in 3rd and 4th and never even burned any oil. The LBZ engine is by far the best diesel engine out there.

I now have 35,590 Miles since Mid April , still running the wheels off it and still no Overheat , Ditto's on what Bulldogger said , I run over 26,000 most of the time. LBZ is Great !!!

I've towed my fully loaded 25ft toyhauler from Phx north on I17 though Camp Verde to the Mogollon Rim multiple times this summer and have not experienced any overheating or close to it.

Got an 06 LBZ a few weeks back... Drove it like I stole with the toyhauler at about 8k# and the bigger tires (285s). Up and down the MTNs, some 8% grades... She gets warm (on every climb), but the fan stops the temp rise and returns it to its happy place.

Not on my test! See my post here (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99095). So far so good. I am in love (where is the pink smiley with the hearts when you need it?).

I am in love (where is the pink smiley with the hearts when you need it?).
That is sad in SO many ways!):h

That is sad in SO many ways!):h Hey, I am an emotional wreck after 2 years with my LLY. What can I say:)

Hey, I am an emotional wreck after 2 years with my LLY. What can I say:)

Isn't that the truth AZ.
I feel for all you LLY owners out there.
Dan

We now tow a 11K (loaded) bumper pull up the mountains around here.
Agree with Bulldogger about coolant temps (less than 210F) and fan efficiency, tranny hits 175, egt is steady at 1100 F and the oil temp was no higher than 230 F (oil pressure guessing was 50-60 PSI = lower than other engines due to high volume).

OAT was not like AZ though, fondly remembering those trips though the Hoover dam area and Havasu very well - blew a head gasket on my old `79 **dge van pulling some horses.

Friend who has Ford 350 just bought a Heartland Cyclone Tow Hauler 3795 (18K GW trailer). He is talking trash about GM and the Malad Hill I-15 north to Yellowstone. :blahblah:
Gonna see how he does it next week. Then I wanna hook it to our D/A and compare... stay tuned.... ):h



.

We now tow a 11K (loaded) bumper pull up the mountains around here.
Agree with Bulldogger about coolant temps (less than 210F) and fan efficiency, tranny hits 175, egt is steady at 1100 F and the oil temp was no higher than 230 F (oil pressure guessing was 50-60 PSI = lower than other engines due to high volume).

OAT was not like AZ though, fondly remembering those trips though the Hoover dam area and Havasu very well - blew a head gasket on my old `79 **dge van pulling some horses.

Friend who has Ford 350 just bought a Heartland Cyclone Tow Hauler 3795 (18K GW trailer). He is talking trash about GM and the Malad Hill I-15 north to Yellowstone. :blahblah:
Gonna see how he does it next week. Then I wanna hook it to our D/A and compare... stay tuned.... ):h



.Let us know.

Not on my test! See my post here (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99095). So far so good. I am in love (where is the pink smiley with the hearts when you need it?).
:exactly:
My truck behaved the sameway. WOT, up hill, after a few minutes, the max the ECT temp got was 3 ticks pass 210. Fan clicked on, temp went down... :ro) , fan went off. Most of the time the temp only got to 1 or 2 ticks. Tranny got to 220* max which is a little hotter than I would like but beats the hell out of 250*.

:exactly:
My truck behaved the sameway. WOT, up hill, after a few minutes, the max the ECT temp got was 3 ticks pass 210. Fan clicked on, temp went down... :ro) , fan went off. Most of the time the temp only got to 1 or 2 ticks. Tranny got to 220* max which is a little hotter than I would like but beats the hell out of 250*.

We are in agreeance. My tranny never went over 200 though.:)

Bigger tires, Higher EGT's!

We are in agreeance. My tranny never went over 200 though.:)

Humm... Mine did it twice but that was with WOT operation for a period of time. I was working the friggen thing hard as I could. Big steep hill, starting off at 30mph and romp, WOT for about 5+ minutes... I won't normally drive this way but had to check its cooling capablities.

PS, if the ECT gauge has LLY design. My true temp hit 229.5 + 10 or 12 degrees which is about 240* which sorts corrsponds with 220* at the tranny.

Bigger tires, Higher EGT's!

Right on, good catch... I was running bigger tires than MAX. Probably, should get a boost, pyro, & real ECT gauge and block the EGR and kitty.

I am running 265s. I never could get the DIC to display "coolant hot" on my LLY when I wanted to. When I first got the Ron Davis Radiator, I ran up to Payson fully loaded and held it floored as long as possible on every hill. Highest ECT was like 240 but the trans was right with it. On the way home I was just driving normal (cruise control) thinking it was fixed and what do you know, it set an alarm and I was like "what the F". I am real happy with the way this truck performs!

When I tested my LBZ I ran it on cruise control up to Payson and back.

Hey, I am an emotional wreck after 2 years with my LLY. What can I say:)

I hear ya! My LLY almost made me swear of GMC for ever. Worst truck I ever owned. Loved the LB7 and love the LBZ. Thank God GMC finaly made it right for me.