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How warm should my engine get?

Blue85

Blue85

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Forgive the ignorance of a flatlander. Towing a TT yesterday up from the Mississippi River on I-90 in 90+ degree weather. 2500 Suburban 6.0 4.10 with 6 people and gear. Trailer is only 4600 empty, but we must have another 2000 in bikes, gear and tanks. So that's what, 13,000 combined? The grade had me at 3000RPM for like 20 minutes in 3rd gear, 60 MPH. Is 235 degrees what I should expect, or could there be benefit to a new fan clutch?
 
Just wondering because we're continuing to Yellowstone and then Washington, so I assume the mountains will be worse.

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that sounds about right. I would tow a 10k pound car hauler behind my truck with the same drivetrain and it would get warm like that over long long grades.
 
Royal purple coolant additive did great keeping my big block in the rock crawler cool. That's definitely on the high side of temps, anything could help keep those down.
 
I know you're in the middle of a trip but a good cleaning of the cooling stack and a new fan clutch would probably help alot.

I know the 6.5 diesel fan clutches lose effectiveness after about 5 years. I would think the ones used on the ls engines would act the same.
 
living in Colorado we're pulling steep grades every time we go camping. I have an 08 2500 with a 6.0l and it never runs over 210° but my camper and load is only about 5000lbs. The trans will heat up to 190° if the climb is long enough; it normally runs around 165° flat land towing.
 
Guys, thanks for all the feedback. My trans is staying around 200. When I stopped today, I popped the hood right away and spun the fan. It seems too loose for an engine above 200. We called a lot places today, but couldn't find a parts store on Sunday. The problem persists through the hills of SD, so I'll try to pick up a clutch tomorrow. Don't think I can swap it any time but first thing in a morning. Don't see any chain stores that carry the purple ice.

It looks like it ran good enough to get us to Mars.

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Stopped at Menards along the way for a couple tools and a sheet of clear acrylic. A camper window broke yesterday and it's hard to find a shop that can glass with curved corners. So this should last at least the rest of this trip. I was impressed by the Kellogs box window making it hundreds of miles. The killer was road construction where opposing traffic was side by side at 65 MPH. The big rigs about push you sideways in those conditions.

Edit: here's the Menards window, cut and installed in the dark with gusting hot winds in Badlands Interior.

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Yeah, it was 104 yesterday. Only 94 today, but a bit warmer working under the hood. Still, it's just a 15 minute job, then use the camper aux shower!
 
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