Gearbox Overheats When Towing Caravan

[Gadget2k10]

Hello Everyone --- New Here :)


Truck Specs:-

Make - Ford

Model - Maverick GLX LWB

Engine 2.7 TD

Transmission - Manual

Year 1997

I have owned the truck about a year and towed with it 9 times so far and last week was just unbearable.

Under normal driving conditions, day to day use its fine apart from thirsty even steady driving at 56mph.

However, when im towing our Swift Challenger 440 SE its absolutley cooking the transmission and last week we was 40 miles away from home on a site.

Driving back (about an 1 1/2 hrs on A1) there was immense heat coming up thorugh the gear stick cover to which both mine and our lasses legs were burnt.

It has done this every time I tow with it but this last journey was just agony and could'nt wait to get out of the truck.

Can anyone advise me on this? :doh
kind Regards :bow

[zippy656]

change oils in gear box.

check theres nothing covering the oild cooler, ( bottom of main rad )
also check for blockage of rad

just a starting point.

[clivvy]

thats odd, but as Zippy says get those oils checked and changed, hopefully some gearbox experts will be along shortly with some tips./...

[Timbo_1975]

Hmm, I feel there may be some heat shield or insulation missing from your transmission tunnel somewhere that is allowing heat to come up into the car, possibly under the plastic centre console / gaiters ??

I regualrly tow a heavy box trailer at approaching the T2's weight limit of 2.8t and deploy most of the 170+hp it now has, and I do not get any heat into the cabin, nor any gearbox issues.

It has the correct 75w-90 oil in it and Dexron in the transfer case.

( Last trip to the scrap merchant via private roads I weighed in at nearly 7tonnes, it was like dragging a boat anchor through porrage!! )

[Timbo_1975]

change oils in gear box.

check theres nothing covering the oild cooler, ( bottom of main rad )
also check for blockage of rad

just a starting point.


No g'box cooler on a manuelle...

[Gadget2k10]

My Gear Lever covers have never sat correctly, im forever trying to tuck them back under the carpet, but surely that amount of heat is not good? especially when you can smell the transmission fluid in the cab :)

[zippy656]

that sounds like briggies troubles then

search for his earlyl posys

[Gadget2k10]

that sounds like briggies troubles then

search for his earlyl posys
sorry dude not a full member, not permitted to search lol :)

[zippy656]

Well thats an easy fix. just pay your £10 simples

[Adz]

sorry dude not a full member, not permitted to search lol :)

Well thats an easy fix. just pay your £10 simples


Then you get even more help than you already have with access to downloads :clap :thumbs

[wildbri]

must be an auto then???

[tezzer]

#is it definitely the gearbox getting hot, or is it the catalytic converter, as they get very hot, and as timbo says insulation missing, :nenau:thumb2

[Liam]

must be an auto then???

Truck Specs:-

Make - Ford

Model - Maverick GLX LWB

Engine 2.7 TD

Transmission - Manual

Year 1997

[zippy656]

manual id still say change oils theres not rad for the manul box.

im with Tezzer then insulation missing

[rustic]

As I said in an earlier post, I towed 2 tonne for nearly 300 miles non stop on a hot day and I had fitted a temperature gauge and it occasionally got to 90 C, the gear lever was just warm and no excess heat coming in.
The engine is hot, heat is transferred to the box and there is also the exhaust close by, and the box is working harder, you are also burning more fuel per mile, this heat has to go somewhere.

I think that running at 90 C would be the norm, so there must be either a faulty gaiter on the gear lever or else your box is getting much hotter than 90C You need to check the temperature of the gear box. I fitted a temperature sender in a spare threaded hole on the drivers side of the gearbox, run the cable to a meter in the cab, through a grommit in the floor.
You could try a thermometer that will go over 150 C and place it in the threaded hole or loose on top of the gearbox after a run, put some insulation over the thermometer after you have placed it in position, leave it there for say 5-10 minutes and check it.
The temperature will be a few degrees lower than the box, but it gives you a clue where to look.
Hope this helps,
Best regards,
Rustic

[Jocky]

Bust gaitor letting heat into cabin.
There are proper rubber gaitors underneath the ones you can see on the gearstick. If I remember right the T2 gaitors are bolted on with 6/8 self tappers underneath the consul.

:augie

[Gadget2k10]

Definately the Gear Box getting hot :( only when under strain of towing, as posted before it can physically mark yer leg with hot air burns in the cab. under normal everyday use I can drive as far as a full tank lets me (480 miles, 244 Miles Towing) and it's just generally warm as to be expected.

So i'll give the Transmission Oil a change and see how it goes :) Whats a good type to use and is there a coolant additive i can use in the box that would help too?

Regards

[Jocky]

Transmission Tunnel should get warm, but you shouldn't get heat in the cabin that burns you.

Have you checked under the consul to see if it has a bust gaitor seal. Easy to remove its only held on with self tappers.

If you get gear oil make sure its is GL4 spec not GL5 or all the brass in gbox will get destroyed.

[Timbo_1975]

If the heat is burning your leg, then the carpets would be on fire also!!!

Is there maybe something stuck up underneath that is obstructing or channeling airflow where it shouldnt..?

[rustic]

If the heat is burning your leg, then the carpets would be on fire also!!!

Is there maybe something stuck up underneath that is obstructing or channeling airflow where it shouldnt..?

Hot air at 80 C will burn you if there for long enough, 60 C water can scald easily.
Does seem like the Gaiter.

If it was made of aluminium instead of rubber, .... Would it be an Ali-Gaiter? :lol:lol

[(RIP) PLANK]

Definately the Gear Box getting hot :( only when under strain of towing, as posted before it can physically mark yer leg with hot air burns in the cab. under normal everyday use I can drive as far as a full tank lets me (480 miles, 244 Miles Towing) and it's just generally warm as to be expected.

So i'll give the Transmission Oil a change and see how it goes :) Whats a good type to use and is there a coolant additive i can use in the box that would help too?

Regards

your MPG seems a bit off too, I tend to get abround 25 mpg towing! the extra used by towing seems to be offset by the economy of a long steady journey, could you be having the start of clutch slip? both overheating the box and ruining mpg? it might only be slipping under the extra load of towing?

[Hilltop]

My Gear Lever covers have never sat correctly, im forever trying to tuck them back under the carpet, but surely that amount of heat is not good? especially when you can smell the transmission fluid in the cab :)


You have'nt got transmission fluid, it a manual according to you first post!



BOB




.

[Gadget2k10]

You have'nt got transmission fluid, it a manual according to you first post!



BOB




.
Oh Sorry Bob My Bad !

Gear Box Oil Then :) There's Some Sort Of Lubricant In There Otherwise It Would Be A Lump Of Molten Metal.

Surely You knew What I Meant, But Just To Carlify :)

[(RIP) PLANK]

i haven't read al the posts but im assuming you've checked the oil level in the gear box?

[Gadget2k10]

Nah.. I'm just gonna drop and change Oil with it being cooked a few times it won't be much use at the mo.

[Smegg]

hi; all the best advice as usual once youve sorted out what the other lads have suggested I put a drop of slick 50 in my g/box not in diff or transfer box i dont know what effect on them it would have them,I find it keeps the g/box cool and smooth.

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

your MPG seems a bit off too, I tend to get abround 25 mpg towing! the extra used by towing seems to be offset by the economy of a long steady journey, could you be having the start of clutch slip? both overheating the box and ruining mpg? it might only be slipping under the extra load of towing?

thats interesting Plank, could it be an issue with my troll overheating towing.

presume outfit makes progress, so is heat from transmission/clutch or engine
working harder to compensate.

on my recent tug home from wales mainly motorway and of course north bound
always feels more uphill. the car was getting very warm, made one of dogs
in passenger footwell quite lathargic! i thought was just heat in the heater that
was building up til released.

just wondering if would show as lack of umph esp hill climbing?

had tested clutch on stall techniques thought ok prev, but dragging a load
long distances could have this effect.

thoughts welcomed as might avoid ripping rad out of troll, omg whats a clutch
going to cost...

back to the thread oops

[solarman216]

To test your clutch, engage 4th gear, foot on brake, foot to floor on loud pedal drop clutch, should stall engine in 2-3 seconds if it starts to stall then keeps going (as it heats up) clutch on last legs, do not do this again for at least half an hour, this test applies to a car or a 520 bhp truck, across the board, if the clutch cannot take the full power of the engine then it is no good, Rick

[solarman216]

PS swifty (my fitter) can do you a cheap deal on clutches, you only have to get the motor here, south coast, Rick

[briggie]

i totally reccomend rick and swifty .... they fixed sally ..... now almost 3000 miles later she is still running superb , i love her to bits ...... cheers mate :thumb2

[solarman216]

Getting back on topic, something is wrong here, manual boxes do not get hot, towing or whatever, certainly not hot enough to feel the heat in the drivers and passengers foot well, this needs further evaluation cos if the box is getting that hot it would be molten metal by now, Rick

[(RIP) PLANK]

Getting back on topic, something is wrong here, manual boxes do not get hot, towing or whatever, certainly not hot enough to feel the heat in the drivers and passengers foot well, this needs further evaluation cos if the box is getting that hot it would be molten metal by now, Rick

Hence my quesrions, is there any oil in it? could the clutch be slipping under the extra load and generating heat?

[Gadget2k10]

Took truck to garage today, it used 1/2 litre oil to top up, transmission casing was topped up too again very little needed. stripped out centre console and removed gear stick gaitors to find them well and truly perished and not fastened down properly, got replacements on order and should be available tommorrow. Will see how that helps :)

[(RIP) rustygates]

Took truck to garage today, it used 1/2 litre oil to top up, transmission casing was topped up too again very little needed. stripped out centre console and removed gear stick gaitors to find them well and truly perished and not fastened down properly, got replacements on order and should be available tommorrow. Will see how that helps :)

Hi there,

did you get to the bottom of the g/box overheating as my new 2003 swb tdi is doing it pulling my van after about 50mls or so, the gearstick gets really hot, i will change g/box oil this week and replace with valvoline 75w-90 gl4 .

rustygates

[solarman216]

Well just to get the other side, I towed a car trailer with a Terrano on it and a spare engine in the boot from Brighouse to Bexhill 300 plus miles almost non stop at speeds that were more than a little high and the gear lever was only the same temperature as the inside of the car, even the engine did not get too hot on the toughest of grades, and the gross weight was 4,8 tonnes oh and it still did more than 21 to the gallon, Rick

[Gadget2k10]

Hi there,

did you get to the bottom of the g/box overheating as my new 2003 swb tdi is doing it pulling my van after about 50mls or so, the gearstick gets really hot, i will change g/box oil this week and replace with valvoline 75w-90 gl4 .

rustygates

I had mass amounts of hot air escaping through the gearshift gators into the cab (enough to burn ya leg as it did) and it wasn't just bottom of gearbox but the whole thing also the gearstick was very hot too.

However since topping up gear oil in box and transmission casings and replacing gear shift gators, I took me old trusty tentyhouse away for the weekend up n over hills galore in Huddersfield / Halifax area and since then the truck (t'old Frank) has been running sweet ,, Problem solved :)

[(RIP) rustygates]

Hi all,

Changed all the oils yesterday rear diff ( not LSD me thinks cos it only took 1.3 ltrs ) G/box and transfer box and then front diff, after removing sumpguard and all the bolts came out without snapping them (unusual or what ) so now i'll be using the van in acouple of weeks and check temp of gearstick and box.

watch this space.

rustygates.

[(RIP) PLANK]

Hi all,

Changed all the oils yesterday rear diff ( not LSD me thinks cos it only took 1.3 ltrs ) G/box and transfer box and then front diff, after removing sumpguard and all the bolts came out without snapping them (unusual or what ) so now i'll be using the van in acouple of weeks and check temp of gearstick and box.

watch this space.

rustygates.

I thought they all had an LSD :confused:

[(RIP) rustygates]

Hi plank,

that's what i thought, but i'm sure i read it some where that the later ones were not LSD, the diff is different to my 97 one, as the diff bolts on the2003 model are on the back of the casing and the 97 model are on the front.
someone on here will put me right in due course.

rustygates