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Auto Tranny Temperature Gauge


Precise1
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I didn't think light bulbs worked like that, but hey, I'm not exactly an electrican!!

 

So driving to work in a 50 degree drizzle, the tranny was at 125 degrees steady. It will be interesting to see how much it climbs in different weather conditions. I'm already considering relocating the cooler or running 2 in series.

 

I'm thinking that a tranny temp gauge is a good tool even if you have a stock truck. It would quickly tell you if your stock cooler is clogging. I just don't trust the idiot lights... :shrug:

 

B

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LOL No worries.

 

I haven't rewired the light yet but I've been watching the tranny temperature.

 

To work in the cold mornings, 50 mph max speed, 7 miles=120 degrees

Cruising on the freeway=150 degrees

Stop and go traffic, up hill acceleration=180 degrees.

 

Once it gets hotter (150+), it doesn't seem to cool back down easily. I'm thinking that I either do not have good flow (due to the inline filter perhaps?), my cooler is of inadequate size, I need to relocate my cooler due to my ARB bumper blocking air flow or the sensor is off (or some combination of all 4). I have a way to check the last when I get back to work, but I don't think it is too far off regardless.

 

I'm considering plumbing the filter so I can bypass it if it is the choke point. Running it occasionally would probably be sufficient anyway... :shrug:

 

B

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Thats what I was thinking too Precise. Even if its a larger mesh filter and the oil is hot, its still provides a block point. I personally was planning on Rigging up a Bypass filter that takes maybe about only 20% of the total flow at a time to reduce restriction in the system. Might definitely be something to look into. I was planning on running the same kind of thing for my Engine Oil as well with a much finer Filter to get rid of more contaminates to get more miles out of a Oil change as well.

 

And about your illumination not being the same, for the time being you could always have them on at half level so they match until you get around to it hahaha.

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So, I was able to take some time the last few days and cob this together. The mounting bracket is a piece of 4" aluminum angle and the extension is 6" piece of aluminum bar.

 

Trannyfilter004.jpg

 

I mounted off the 2 M8x1.25 nuts welded to the frame that are usually used for a steering stabilizer. This was about the only place I could think of to put it where it was tucked out of the way but still right by the tranny fluid lines. The stock skid plate will still fit with plenty of room to spare and will shield all but the rear 1/4-1/2 of the filter. The picture shows no depth perception, but the lines are about 4" lower than the fan, so no issue there.

 

Trannyfilter006.jpg

 

Quite frankly, the mount is pretty much a hack job that I made out of a few scraps and the plumbing is a little creative as I didn't have the time or desire to rebend the hard lines to the cooler again. This is a mock up for me to test for a while. If I decide to keep it (where it is also), I'll probably reuse the current mount (after I clean it up) but will replumb the lines, probably just using the rubber hose the whole way (the sidewall of this hose is .150" thick!).

 

Tomorrow I need to run a few wires and install the lower dash section and it will be complete. I'll update with more info then.

 

FYI: The fluid output line is on the passenger side of the tranny (in a LHD truck of course), maybe that will save someone some trouble in the future.

 

B

 

I heard from a mechanic friend of mine that when using an oil relocation kit it will cause the oil pump to work harder to move the oil through relocation lines and back to the engine... Is this true or something not to worry about?

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Hey GG, out of curiosity, what temp does your tranny run at??

 

B

Normal cruising temp in the summer is about 180 (winter about 160). When I've gone on offroad runs and am cruising at about 75-80 up and down the hills of the Appalachians it hits about 240 but never past there. Offroading I have had it get up near 260, but that is in summer heat going about 5mph in low gears up steep hills, when I see it getting that high, I'll usually give it a rest and let it sit idling for a few (idling so it is still circulating). I plan to add a second small e-fan in front of my cooler in hopes to eliminate that. One other thought I had was to get a J-yard tranny pan and weld on some fins for heat sinks, but that was just a wild idea, doubt I'll do that.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have the standard perma-cool relocation kit. I noticed on their deluxe kit that the filter bracket is tapped for a sending unit where as on the standard kit it's plugged off perhaps. I'll undo the filter and see tomorrow maybe.

 

trans_filter_perma_cool.JPG

prm-5021_w.jpg

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PRM-5021/?rtype=10

 

Here's mine until I find a permanent location...

P1020003.jpg

 

other mess I got to attend to:

P1020015.jpg

Edited by Cuong Nguyen
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I saw the picture of the location before I read "Here's mine until I find a permanent location" and thought that this isn't going to end well...

 

You have done so many mods to your truck, I have no idea what room you have anymore... ;)

 

B

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Hope you don't mind me adding to your page :treadmill:

 

I was searching around and glow shift sells this for 49 shipped

http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/red-digital-transmission-temperature-gauge-1.aspx

comes with sender and wiring.

 

I bought this EQUUS water temp gauge at the O'Reilly's auto parts for 16 dollars. Kit does not include wiring and how the wiring is attached is to the sender is via electrical snap and not the ring eye with nut like higher end gauges. It's made for water temp but should work with anything else. I also bought a 1/8-27 NPT tap as well. Just need to get a hold of a drill and 5/16 drill bit to tap the filter adapter.

 

I also think I found a location to mount the oil filters.... Will be planning on utilizing the bolt holes for the idler arm to attach a mounting bracket.

Edited by Cuong Nguyen
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Of course not, the more the merrier!! Honestly, if more people installed a tranny temp gauge, they wouldn't have as high a failure rate (provided they are watched and heeded)

 

Mounting a bracket off of the idler arm bolts sounds like a good location and using what is already there. :aok:

 

I also bought a 1/8-27 NPT tap as well. Just need to get a hold of a drill and 5/16 drill bit to tap the filter adapter.

This didn't sound right to me so I looked it up. My Machinist's Handbook says the minimum minor diameter for a 1/8-27 tapered pipe thread is .340" which is an R drill (.339"). The next fractional drill size is 11/32 (.3438") which should be perfectly acceptable. A 5/16 drill would be a bit small, unless there is something I'm missing here. Be careful due to the thin walled condition, you won't have much thread length in cast aluminum to seal off of .

 

B

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  • 1 month later...

Here is my setup. No harsh comments on the mount I am not happy with it either it's only temporary. Its better than zipties though.

 

Filter:

 

IMG_0738.jpg

 

Cooler:

 

IMG_0740.jpg

 

Lines; they look close to the fan/belt but really they aren't. It's just the camera angle..

 

IMG_0742.jpg

 

 

It has been about 200km and I can already feel a difference. You can't feel it shift from 3-4 at all even when cold. Also the torque lockup is like a hot knife threw butter. I have a happy transmission now!

Edited by adamzan
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I got the filter and mount for free from my dad, who got it from an engineer at work. The filter is a fleetguard HF6500. Maybe you could find the mount at a hydraulics shop?

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you really want to trust a harbor freight gauge?

I trust their tools and their saws...

 

 

I don't see how it could really be of lower quality, either it works or it doesn't which will be obvious, and either way it will be better than nothing...and i'd rather put the saved money to a better cooler than have a gauge that cost more than the cooler

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I trust their tools and their saws...

 

 

I don't see how it could really be of lower quality, either it works or it doesn't which will be obvious, and either way it will be better than nothing...and i'd rather put the saved money to a better cooler than have a gauge that cost more than the cooler

 

in my experience their cheap electric stuff always fails. if it doesn't fine, but if it does you will have to fork out another $20 for another one. for $50 you could get a decent gauge from summit and have it work the whole time.

 

but its up to you.

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