Installing heat guage on transmission

[CUMMINZ]

I have installed Xdeep transmission pan and have purchased temp guages for EGT and transmission temp. It appears that fitting for transmission guage comes out of left side of pan. I am not real comfortable with mounting it that low. Seems it would be vulnerable to road debris of any kind. Any ideas?

 

[Matt400]

I think it would be better to not use that port at all and go with one of these.

Put it on the output "front" line leaving the trans and just screw your sender into it.



Thats the hotest spot and will pick up on rising temps much faster than the pan will. The pan is always getting fluid from the cooler so its the coldest spot.

 

[amsoilman]

I have installed Xdeep transmission pan and have purchased temp guages for EGT and transmission temp. It appears that fitting for transmission guage comes out of left side of pan. I am not real comfortable with mounting it that low. Seems it would be vulnerable to road debris of any kind. Any ideas?

On my older 94' CTD, that's exactly where I put mine, and it worked very well.



Wayne

 

[WTBurke]

This review may help you monitor temperature correctly.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...002/190281-trans-coolent-line-05011244aa.html



Good luck

William

 

[LRutigliano]

I have installed Xdeep transmission pan and have purchased temp guages for EGT and transmission temp. It appears that fitting for transmission guage comes out of left side of pan. I am not real comfortable with mounting it that low. Seems it would be vulnerable to road debris of any kind. Any ideas?

CUMMINZ, please take a look at my photo gallery and you will see a pic of the sensor mounted on the LS of the pan. Its tucked up pretty high and is very small.



Not sure what brand you bought, but the Mag-Hytec DD is on the back of the pan instead of the side of the pan (PML). If that makes you feel better, maybe you can exchange for the Mag-Hytec.



Having that extra 2 to 4 qts of fluid and being cast aluminum with cooling fins makes a huge difference in the temp. Also, servicing is way easier too.



Good luck.

Louis

 

[CUMMINZ]

Great ideas. . Thanks



CumminZ

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Adapters or replacement lines to the cooler azre available. My understanding is that the hottest fluid will be found in the line outbound to teh cooler - and that's where I mounted my sensor. Agruments abound as to wether that is what you want to know or not. I like tracking the highest ATF temp in the box. IMHO

 

[Pat@BD]

The fluid coming out of the transmission is hot, we know that as that is why it goes into the cooler. You are really concerned with the temperature of the fluid that the transmission is relying on for lube. If you ask any transmission builder what temperature they want to know it would be pan temperature. When you have it in the out line a lot of people get what we refer to as "gaugeitis" where they are constantly watching the transmission temp gauge go up and down. You would never think it heats and cools as fast as it does. I would recommend doing it in the pan.

 

[Matt400]

Some good info on changing trans fluid based on the temperatures it sees if needed before the scheduled mileage change can be found here:

TCI - TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Transmission Life Expectancy

One good reason to know how hot it is getting.

 

[amsoilman]

Some good info on changing trans fluid based on the temperatures it sees if needed before the scheduled mileage change can be found here:

TCI - TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Transmission Life Expectancy

One good reason to know how hot it is getting.

That's some good information. To go along with that, GM did some testing several years ago on ATF, and found that 175 F. the fluid would last for 100,000 miles, and for every 20 F. above that would cut the life in half! So at 195 F. fluid would only last 50,000, 205 F. would last 25,000 etc.



Wayne

amsoilman

 

[BILLVO]

The fluid coming out of the transmission is hot, we know that as that is why it goes into the cooler. You are really concerned with the temperature of the fluid that the transmission is relying on for lube. If you ask any transmission builder what temperature they want to know it would be pan temperature. When you have it in the out line a lot of people get what we refer to as "gaugeitis" where they are constantly watching the transmission temp gauge go up and down. You would never think it heats and cools as fast as it does. I would recommend doing it in the pan.

I would debate it this way.



engine temp gauges are mounted in the head where coolant is the hottest.

Who cares what the temp is in the bottom tank of the radiator.



Same goes with transmission temps, measuring it where it is the hottest will tell when a problem exists. By the time the pan temps get toohigh the damages have been long since done.



I ran a pan and line sensor to see the diffat the same time and I found on an overall average the line temps are always 50-60 degrees hotter than the pan temps. so if you run the pan temps to the limits the 60 degree difference could have broken down the oil and given false sense of security.

 

[Matt400]

GM did some testing several years ago on ATF, and found that 175 F. the fluid would last for 100,000 miles, and for every 20 F. above that would cut the life in half! So at 195 F. fluid would only last 50,000, 205 F. would last 25,000 etc.

I recall reading that somewhere but lost it, thanks Wayne for posing it up again.

 

[Ted Jannetty]

The fluid coming out of the transmission is hot, we know that as that is why it goes into the cooler. You are really concerned with the temperature of the fluid that the transmission is relying on for lube. If you ask any transmission builder what temperature they want to know it would be pan temperature. When you have it in the out line a lot of people get what we refer to as "gaugeitis" where they are constantly watching the transmission temp gauge go up and down. You would never think it heats and cools as fast as it does. I would recommend doing it in the pan.

Stick to the phones Garfield :-laf



I build transmissions for over 26 years, I want to know how hot the transmission out temp is, this gives us an instant picture of what is going on.



Look at it like this if we had 300 degree out temps and ran it through Ice water our Pan temp would be 32 degrees, not a very good picture of what is going on inside the trans.



Ted.

 

[Pat@BD]

Stick to the phones Garfield :-laf



I build transmissions for over 26 years, I want to know how hot the transmission out temp is, this gives us an instant picture of what is going on.



Look at it like this if we had 300 degree out temps and ran it through Ice water our Pan temp would be 32 degrees, not a very good picture of what is going on inside the trans.



Ted.

You and your Garfield... lol. This is a question you really could ask ten different people and get ten different answers. If your temps are getting that hot on the out line, you are usually going to have drive ability issues that are going to come along with that. I guess we can agree to disagree:-{} But I still love ya Ted

 

[DieselDoghouse]

Glad to see I'm in the same boat with Ted - heard he's a good rower!! I'll be keeping my sensor right where it is… I can always reset my 'brain range' I still want to know the hottest temp and go from there. As far as seeing driveability issues - I want my gauge to prevent transmission issues - not tell me what damage just happened.

 

[Ted Jannetty]

Glad to see I'm in the same boat with Ted - heard he's a good rower!! I'll be keeping my sensor right where it is… I can always reset my 'brain range' I still want to know the hottest temp and go from there. As far as seeing driveability issues - I want my gauge to prevent transmission issues - not tell me what damage just happened.

Normal temps are around 160-180 in lock up on highway with or without a trailer, it is not till the trans comes out of lock up that the heat starts to build.



You can safely operate the trans up to 240 degrees in a work situations like plowing or backing heavy equipment.



Above 260 the fluid starts to get dark as an indicator it is time to service.



One of the most often asked questions is how often I should service my transmission.



as a rule once a year for average user, towing heavy every 12. 000 miles, and make sure you don't go to on of those service facilities that pumps the fluid through your lines and never drops the pan.



Changing the filter and adjusting the bands is the heart of the service, I don't care if you reuse the fluid as long as it looks bright red.



Ted.