If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s a saying that has been floating around for years, but it doesn’t always apply. In this instance, for the 17+ Ford trucks, they have a transmission cooling issue that needs to be addressed. This is where Strictly Diesel comes in. They have researched and developed a solution that will keep your F-Series truck on the road and at a maintained temperature preventing any damage.

To furthermore understand the issues these trucks go through, we talked with Dennis Schroeder, Co-Owner of Strictly Diesel. “Typically, truck owners will see higher than normal transmission temperatures on these trucks especially when towing. This is due to the fact that the transmission cooling system and coolant system work in unison,” said Schroeder. “The coolant that is being used to manage the temperature is also dealing with the heat from the engine, oil cooler, and EGR system.”

Packaged perfectly is the plumbing, the hardware, and the cooler itself with easy to read color instructions.

He continued, “The primary cooling system can only do so much and the small factory liquid to liquid transmission cooler is limited by both its size and the fact that it is using hot engine coolant to manage its temperature”.

So, what’s the fix? The Strictly Diesel cooler retains the factory liquid to liquid cooler which aids in warming up the transmission fluid when cold but ads an additional liquid to air heat exchanger out in front of the grill to rid the transmission fluid of even more heat. So, not only are you helping with the cooling of the fluid but you’re also helping heat it up during cold outside temperatures.

“When towing our 18,000-pound, 48′ enclosed race trailer in the hot August heat, we saw transmission temperatures drop 30-40-degrees using our cooler. Even intentionally abusing the truck by pulling that load under heavy throttle during a DPF regen for several miles up a graded hill and the maximum transmission temperature we reached was 220-degrees,” said Schroeder.

What difference is that? Before, without the cooler, virtually the same conditions, this truck would exceed 250-degrees and stay there for quite a ways before cooling down. With that being said, once you’ve leveled off and released the accelerator, with the new cooler on, the temperature would go back down to the desired 190-degree area after only a couple minutes.

If you’re using a truck for show, this probably isn’t necessary. If you’re serious about using your truck and work it, this is 100-percent for you. Schroeder mentioned this product is primarily geared toward the truck owners that WORK their trucks. “If you tow heavy, haul stuff in the bed, frequently pull grades, etc., this is for you. These are the owners that are noticing high temperatures and this is the product that will address their concerns.”

Thanks to Mr. Schroeder, we have ourselves one of these kits that we’re going to throw on a 2017 Ford F-250 that sees quite a bit of towing. Stay tuned for the full installation about results from that coming very soon. To get your hands on your own Strictly Diesel transmission cooler kit, be sure and check out their website here. Stay tuned to Diesel Army for more on the latest parts and industry news.