[kbellve]

I am back from a week in the Adirondacks. My family enjoyed a nice week of camping and exploring. I tow a 6000lb trailer (max loaded weight) with a 1996 LX450 with weight distributing bars and sway control plus a very fancy electronic brake controller. I have towed with this combo for 10,000+ miles from Florida to Maine in up to 95F degree weather.

Before I left, I did some maintenance on the truck which included fresh Mobil 1, and a topping off the tranny with Amsoil ATF. All my fluids are synthetic including the t-Case and the diffs. I rebuilt the A/C system with a new condenser, new dryer, and fresh R134 and oil.

The real fun started on the way home. There is one big pass out of the Roger's Rock state park in NY heading south on route 9N. I was following my friend in his Ford Explorer with the 4.6L V8. He was pulling his camper very well on the grade. I was hitting perhaps 4000rpms but I usually try and keep it under 3000rpms when towing. Near the top, I noticed I was blowing steam and my temperature gauge was rising. I slowed down to reduce the temperature and the gauge started to drop. Then, the gauge spiked again but I was at the top and I pulled over. My friend kept driving, not seeing that I pulled over.

I popped the hood and noticed that the weep hole of the water pump was pissing pretty badly. With no cell service, I waited for my friend to notice that I wasn't behind him anymore. No such luck, after waiting an hour, I decided to limp the truck down the hill to see if I could get better cell phone service. With switching the engine on and off, I managed to get down the hill without too much trouble and to get into cell service once more.

I called my friend who was now more than 50 miles from me to start calling around for a water pump. My friend called me back to say the Toyota dealer told him that they don't sell Lexus parts. He then called Lexus, who didn't have the part but gave him the part number. The Toyota dealer still didn't have the part. We then started calling all the auto stores and the best we could do is managed to get the part the next day. We called back the one auto store who said that they could get us the part the next day but they told us we missed the noon deadline to order the part for the next day.

I decided to see if I could do a trail repair and plug the weep holes. At this point, I didn't care if the bearing in the water pump would sieze because the pump is bad already. At first, I tried gum and tin foil. That got me another 10 miles before the gum blew out. I then tried gorilla snot which is the stuff you use to plug tires, not the stuff out of the bottle. That worked for another 20 miles, before one of the two weep holes blew the snot out. I repaired that one and managed to get all the way home. I kept the radiator cap just one click on so the system wouldn't fully pressurize. Total distance from campground to home is 180 miles.

I did overheat one more time in my driveway backing the trailer up due to low air speed over the radiator. It was also the first time my ATF warning light has ever come on. My ATF temperature gauge read about 220F. I immediately shut the engine down and decided I could finish backing up the trailer in the morning when everything is cooler.

Ok, now it is time to do a major R&R on the cooling system. I just received the A/C fan from CDan before the trip. I need a new water pump, fan clutch, radiator, and radiator cap. I already have new belts and pullys on hand. I am thinking of the Ron Davis radiator. I want as much cooling capacity as possible.

Oh..vacation wasn't so bad....except for the trip home

[easyG]

Are you towing up high grades on regular basis? The only reason I ask is that I just came back from a 9 day vacation towing my friends CJ7 and it sucked. We were going about 20 miles an hour up a 7% grade with the thottle buried in third. It was very frustrating and doubt I will tow with my 80 again.

[kbellve]

On a regular basis? No. That one pass was the steepest pass that I have driven on and I was doing about 35mph. It was a small winding road.

The highest elevation recorded on my GPS was about 2000ft. Most of my driving is between sea level and 2000ft. My wife has given me permission to get a S/C, if there are any in stock anywhere. My future choice is to get a Silverado 25000HD diesel, but since I just bought my wife a new car, I will have to make due a little while longer with the LX450.

[IdahoDoug]

EasyG,

If you were "going 20mph with the throttle buried in third gear" then you definitely have a huge problem to deal with. At 20mph I can tow my 6000lb trailer up grades on secondary roads that would never be allowed on interstates with my foot to the floor for miles. However, I'm in 1st gear. If your tranny is remaining in 3rd at that low vehicle speed/throttle setting you have something seriously amiss.

DougM

[GAS-A-LOT!]

WOW! I just came back from my weedend trip as well.. 20mph on 7%grade and 23-25 mph on 6% grade PULLING 4800 LBS. WITH A 3FE!!!!!!!

No heating what so ever.... But I should have kept it in first at bout 10mph... just in case.... but acording to fellow mudders... nothing happend to my tranny.......... any way's oh but I guess its the a440 tranny? maybe thats the trick.....