Thought about 5.7 Ram 1500 oil running hot

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I have read a lot of comments and posts about Ram 1500 withe 5.7 L engine oil temperature running hot.
An interesting thought came to my mind when I was reading these posts.
First, I have to agree the oil temperature often gets near 250 on an uphill grade or towing.
Then I thought, why would they (Ram) design and manufacture an engine that the oil temperature gets hot for what the truck was designed to do? Why doesn’t it come with an engine oil cooler as standard equipment?
The earlier versions of the engine and truck never had that problem that I could find.
I stumbled upon Activated Grill Shutters.
When people remove them or disable the the engine always run cooler. As most engines, the 5.7 oil cools as it gives of heat the the coolers metal block it drains down into the pan.
Engine oil usually runs 10-20 degrees hotter than the coolant. Not so with the Ram with active grill shutters installed.
Then I started to read about people reporting coolant and engine oil temperatures dropping dramatically when the shutters were disabled.
That’s the answer. The engine was designed years ago to tow and work without engine oil coolers as standard equipment.
Now that AGS come into existence, the Ram is retiring the hemi soon and will not invest in the oil cooler as standard equipment.
I could be wrong, but every post I read about removing AGS that mentioned oil temperature commented on the reduced oil temp.
One post mentioned when the owner removed the AGS, the engine oil temp that usually ran at 250 while towing, now dropped to only 210 while towing with the AGV removed.
If anyone that has removed or disabled the AGS has a different opinion or agrees, I would love for you to post on this thought.
 

dstrohfus

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I have a 2015 RAM 1500 with the 5.7 HEMI and 8 speed transmission. Towing capacity is 10,150 according to the charts for the 3.92 rear end. I purchased a travel trailer under 6000 pounds, so figure with gear I'm likely around 6500 - 7000 pounds.

I'm also worried about the oil temps while towing in the mountains - steep grades at high elevation. I live in Colorado, so mountain passes regularly surpass 10,000 feet. This weekend I towed through the Eisenhower tunnel (11,000+ ft.) and over Vail Pass (10,600+ ft). I hit oil temps of 264-266 both directions on both passes and was only able to maintain about 40 mph. I also topped 260 on steep grades around 8000 ft. No warning lights alerted me, but I watched the temps and the bar very closely. I was probably 80% up the bar indicator on oil temp. I set my own limit at 266 and kept backing off to ensure I didn't pass that temp. Temps all dropped pretty quickly into the mid 230s after cresting the summits and traveling downhill.

Other posts talked about coolant temp and transmission temp. My coolant temps didn't pass 224, and the transmission temp was just below that.

Other guys in half ton trucks tell me I should still be able to comfortably pull at 65 mph reasonably at these elevations without overly taxing the engine.

I need some suggestions on what to explore with this without having to explore buying an HD vehicle.
 
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Dstrohfus, have you ever deactivated or removed vanes in the active grill shutters to see if this will lower oil temperatures? I have been wondering about that. Since trucks are made to pull trailers and work under extreme conditions, it’s something that the engineers had to foresee.
I cannot fathom Ram building an engine in a truck that so easily over heats oil temperature.
I guess if removing the AGS doesn’t work, maybe an engine oil cooler would then be the answer at that time.
Recently I was going up a mountain in my ram 1500, 5.7L, not pulling anything, and it was on a 80 degree day. The oil temperature got to 246. Totally unsatisfactory.
That leads me to believe it was the AGV not allowing enough airflow through the engine compartment to cool the oil.
Just a thought.
 

dstrohfus

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Yes - I found that suggestion on another thread. I reached out to my mechanic. He tells me that if we disable that, it will throw a check engine code. He thinks it might be as simple as plugging in and unplugging, so maybe that's an option. I can live with a useless check engine code as long as it goes away when we plug it back in. It makes me wonder if perhaps the AGV is not working properly...

I've never noticed oil temps getting hot under normal driving conditions aside from towing - even in the heat of summer.

Yes - driving at that elevation will definitely just make things harder... I have a buddy, though, that drives a newer F150 with the ecoboost, and he pulls an even heavier camper with no problems at that elevation in the summer. He's able to maintain 65-70 without noticing anything out of the norm for temps or excess engine strain.

I get it - towing is work, but I'm only towing 2/3 of my vehicle's rating.
 

StickyLifter

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Not sure where and how the OEMs test their towing capacity, but I'm pretty sure it's totally nuts. The truck in my signature tows a 8.5x20 fully enclosed V-nose trailer that probably weighs every bit of 6500lbs with my racecar in it and I see 200* coolant and 230* oil temps. Trans temps run around 165* and I wouldn't want to see anything higher. That's with all the mods listed running 0W-40 Mobile1 on the small hills of middle TN. Higher elevation means thinner air which means everything will run hotter. I'm not sure my truck could control a bigger trailer, and it doesn't like to control this one above 70mph.

Modern tow ratings are marketing driven BS.

Get a 3/4 ton with a long wheelbase and massive cooling for lugging a huge brick up 10,000ft mountain passes. Conversely you could add a massive oil cooler and ditch the restrictor thermo-pellet thingy in the trans cooler and add an electric fan, 180 thermostat, and rip out the AGS. That would add some capacity and make a big difference.
 

runamuck

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I wont pull our 6000# trailer up thru the Ike..I'll just take a dif. route but I have towed ours around Texas in quite a few 100+ degree heat days with no over heating..185* trans maybe and 230* oil temp. but full syn oil is made to take the heat.
 

Tim7139

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Not sure where and how the OEMs test their towing capacity...Modern tow ratings are marketing driven BS.
Manufacturers test on route 68 in Arizona on the grade near Davis Dam, using the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2807 requirements.

In the old days they just made up numbers, now there is a standard they all use.
 
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Op, are you referencing these oil coolers for the 2012-2021 5.7 in all trim levels?
Thank you 2020PW for the reply as well as the question.
Let me say, for this discussion we are talking about the water to oil heat exchanger you have shown on your schematic.
Look at the item marked “7” in your schematic.
Item 7 is a fitting coming off of the forward right head. The water is exiting the head and goes into, what is being referred to as, an oil cooler.
This means the water is as hot as it will get before leaving the head to be cooled via radiator.
For this to be a true oil cooler, the coolant water would need to be removed from the coolant flow when the water is coming out of the radiator, not from the head.
If the truth of the matter is revealed, Chrysler also calls this “oil heater”. So, what is it: oil heater or oil cooler?
Even though your schematic as others I have seen call it an oil cooler, I doubt that it is.
Why do I know this? My truck has an oil heater and it is identical to your schematic. And if you look at most 2017 and up 5.7 L engines, you will see exactly what I am talking about. Oil is heated to get to operating temperature sooner. Notice in the schematic you show, there is no oil temperature regulator shown. This is a dead give away, as oil needs to be initially heated to function properly. Oil temperature regulator tries to maintain a minimum and maximum temperature of the oil. As an oil heater temperatures are normally controlled by hot engine coolant temperatures and oil coolers are controlled by cool engine coolant temperatures.
Did Chrysler try to combine a oil cooler and oil heater into one unit? I don’t know. If they did, neither one would be very effective in transferring the heat efficiently.
Again, thank you for your welcomed question, sir.
 
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Wild one

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Thank you 2020PW for the reply as well as the question.
Let me say, for this discussion we are talking about the water to oil heat exchanger you have shown on your schematic.
Look at the item marked “7” in your schematic.
Item 7 is a fitting coming off of the forward right head. The water is exiting the head and goes into, what is being referred to as, an oil cooler.
This means the water is as hot as it will get before leaving the head to be cooled via radiator.
For this to be a true oil cooler, the coolant water would need to be removed from the coolant flow when the water is coming out of the radiator, not from the head.
If the truth of the matter is revealed, Chrysler also calls this “oil heater”. So, what is it: oil heater or oil cooler?
Even though your schematic as others I have seen call it an oil cooler, I doubt that it is.
Why do I know this? My truck has an oil heater and it is identical to your schematic. And if you look at most 2017 and up 5.7 L engines, you will see exactly what I am talking about. Oil is heated to get to operating temperature sooner. Notice in the schematic you show, there is no oil temperature regulator shown. This is a dead give away, as oil needs to be initially heated to function properly. Oil temperature regulator tries to maintain a minimum and maximum temperature of the oil. As an oil heater temperatures are normally controlled by hot engine coolant temperatures and oil coolers are controlled by cool engine coolant temperatures.
Did Chrysler try to combine a oil cooler and oil heater into one unit? I don’t know. If they did, neither one would be very effective in transferring the heat efficiently.
Again, thank you for your welcomed question, sir.
Another option to consider is doing dual remote mount filters.Gives a little more capacity,and more filter surface area to help cool the oil.
 

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2020PW

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Thank you 2020PW for the reply as well as the question.
Let me say, for this discussion we are talking about the water to oil heat exchanger you have shown on your schematic.
Look at the item marked “7” in your schematic.
Item 7 is a fitting coming off of the forward right head. The water is exiting the head and goes into, what is being referred to as, an oil cooler.
This means the water is as hot as it will get before leaving the head to be cooled via radiator.
For this to be a true oil cooler, the coolant water would need to be removed from the coolant flow when the water is coming out of the radiator, not from the head.
If the truth of the matter is revealed, Chrysler also calls this “oil heater”. So, what is it: oil heater or oil cooler?
Even though your schematic as others I have seen call it an oil cooler, I doubt that it is.
Why do I know this? My truck has an oil heater and it is identical to your schematic. And if you look at most 2017 and up 5.7 L engines, you will see exactly what I am talking about. Oil is heated to get to operating temperature sooner. Notice in the schematic you show, there is no oil temperature regulator shown. This is a dead give away, as oil needs to be initially heated to function properly. Oil temperature regulator tries to maintain a minimum and maximum temperature of the oil. As an oil heater temperatures are normally controlled by hot engine coolant temperatures and oil coolers are controlled by cool engine coolant temperatures.
Did Chrysler try to combine a oil cooler and oil heater into one unit? I don’t know. If they did, neither one would be very effective in transferring the heat efficiently.
Again, thank you for your welcomed question, sir.
Coolant goes from the bottom radiator hose to the cooler to the thermostat housing.
 

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Goblue

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Not sure where and how the OEMs test their towing capacity, but I'm pretty sure it's totally nuts. The truck in my signature tows a 8.5x20 fully enclosed V-nose trailer that probably weighs every bit of 6500lbs with my racecar in it and I see 200* coolant and 230* oil temps. Trans temps run around 165* and I wouldn't want to see anything higher. That's with all the mods listed running 0W-40 Mobile1 on the small hills of middle TN. Higher elevation means thinner air which means everything will run hotter. I'm not sure my truck could control a bigger trailer, and it doesn't like to control this one above 70mph.

Modern tow ratings are marketing driven BS.

Get a 3/4 ton with a long wheelbase and massive cooling for lugging a huge brick up 10,000ft mountain passes. Conversely you could add a massive oil cooler and ditch the restrictor thermo-pellet thingy in the trans cooler and add an electric fan, 180 thermostat, and rip out the AGS. That would add some capacity and make a big difference.
That all sounds great, but remember, taking out, or disabling the AGS will throw a code. If you like to ever remote start your ride, it won’t allow you to with a code. You can however, pull out all but two of the shutter fins, which will allow it to still “ work” and not throw a code. Just food for thought.
 

Wild one

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Coolant goes from the bottom radiator hose to the cooler to the thermostat housing.
I think you have that backasswards.The high pressure side of the system is the upper rad hose/thermostat,and the low pressure/vacumn side is the lower hose.The water pump sucks coolant from the lower rad hose,so it would also suck coolant through the heater/cooler,while the upper hose is the pressurized hose forcing coolant through the heater/cooler

Edit,just realized this thread is a couple years old,lol
 
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