Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) transmission routing?

[Christen]

is this true? the fluid leaves the transmission and goes thru radiator and then cooler and then another cooler alongside pas. side of engine and then back into transmission. well while plowing snow in a confined area, not much air movement, my transmission temp will rise to the top which is 250* and bounce there. i then let her cool down . i have plowed snow for 30yrs and never had a transmission guage and no transmission problems. knock-knock. should i put larger cooler on her? the guage seems to be working alright, did ck sender wire. its good. any input would be a help ! tnx

 

[HoleshotHolset]

The transmission fluid does NOT go through the radiator... . Dodge in their infinite wisdom decided to remove the age-old transmission fluid heat exchanger inside the radiator and place it underneath the exhaust manifold.



SO - the fluid flow chart goes like this: Front transmission cooler port (port side of the transmission/truck) to inlet (rearmost port) on the heat exchanger (starboard side of truck) under the manifold.



Then it comes out the heat exchanger (hopefully at or near coolant temp... ) and goes into the air/oil heat exchanger right beside your A/C Condensor (if so equipped... . ). Once the fluid has exited the air/oil exchanger... it's well on its way to the stern port on the transmission...



If the temps are REALLY getting to 250°F... then you are well on your way to cooking your transmission in a hurry. I would make sure that the temps the gauge is seeing... . are true... . and if they are... . loose the air/oil cooler and replace it with a bigger aftermarket one..... and maybe even put a fan on it.



I'm a firm believer in keeping the OEM coolant/oil heat exchanger (unless you absolutely can't keep it... )... . it helps the fluid get up to temp... . and so long as your coolant doesn't get hot... . you don't have to worry about it overheating your transmission fluid.



Matt



On edit: You might want to consider a Mag-Hytec pan..... even the shallow one has increased fluid capacity..... which has been known to reduce fluid temps quite a bit.

 

[JohnE]

Denny;



If you are running a cold front, it probably needs to be opened up on the trany cooler (driver's) side to allow more cool air.



I hope you haven't removed the radiator fan? That's fine for us commuters, but not for a worker as in plowing.



Matt described the flow well. I would NEVER remove the engine mounted cooler/warmer. It is the best way I get the trany fluid warmed enough for the OD and TC clutch to operate.



How's the engine temps? I'm wondering if you need a Horton fan unit.

 

[Snow man]

D Christen, I plow with my ram,and when your going real slow,your are sheering the heck out of the trans fluid,generating a lot of heat. You may have 3. 55 gears,these are not good gears for plowing,they only aggrevate the situation,and make the trans run even hotter. Try to change your driving habits to keep the trans temp down. Dont sit still in gear ,if you stop for more than 3 seconds,pop it in N. I change directions quickly,but always come ot a full stop first before throwing the lever. Use low range,this is a biggie,you will drop at least 25 degrees just by using low range in tight spots,this helps even more with 3. 55 grs. I have a DTT 91% Race Tc,and I have never gotten over 215 degrees in the hot line plowing,but when my help runs my truck ,i notice the trans is usually 10-15 degrees hotter than when i drive it,the driver makes a difference. I would get the double deep trans pan before you added a cooler,only because adding a cooler is just another spot for a leak,with the beating plow puts on the truck,the shock if hitting things. I just run the Mag hytec DD pan,it stabilizes temps,and keeps your peak temps down a bit.