Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Validity of Deep transmission Pan

[Silver Ratler]

Last week I had my transmission rebuilt and improvements made including a new torque converter to help with towing.



I have been considering installing the extra deep pan to the transmission. Obviously it will make fluid changes easier and the extra fluid should help with cooling.



Does anyone know of any actual figures that show the temperature improvements that are obtained with the deeper pan? It makes sense that it should help, but I would like to see actual figures.

 

[Bob4x4]

Different loads (weight and or power) will all make numbers vary. There will be no simple answer. Another benefit is stiffening of the trans case.

 

[Midnite]

Yep, I completely agree with Bob. Your best bet is to make notes of fluid temps under different conditions in your truck with the stock pan, then do the same tests with the aftermarket pan and note the differences. That way you'll know what the specific benefits are for YOUR truck.

 

[JMcCoy]

I never ran a gauge on my stock pan. I now have an extra deep ATS pan on my ATS transmission. I am consisntantly between 130 and 140 degrees empty. I rarely go over 160 towing. I once went over 200 stop and go. I then watched the gauge drop as I put it in 3rd gear and cruzed for a bit. It only took about five minutes to get the temps bag down below 160. I don't know if this was due to the pan or not, but I was pleased. You cant go wrong. Don't install a BD drain plug in a stock pan. It cost me a transmission.

 

[Midnite]

What's the problem with the BD drain plug--did it come out on you while driving or something?

A friend of mine made me a drain plug for the stock pan on my 1992 and I loved being able to service the transmission without getting an ATF bath at the same time.

 

[Regcabguy]

I had a single deep Mag-Hytec on my '99 w/DTT. My fluid would reach 240* briefly in the border lineup with an 89% converter. I had to constantly put it in neutral to cool it down a little.



All was fine driving under all conditions aside from the wretched border wait.

 

[MasterLow]

Never seen mine go over 190 with the double deep mag hytec pan. Usually runs around 150-160, drops to 120 within 3 minutes of being on the highway. I like!

 

[Hooty222]

Its one of those things that ,make the driver feel better on the overall mechanical condition of their machine. Sure its helps, but moreover that extra oil and drain plug won't cure or change a malfunction in the transmission. Neither will a huge transmission cooler. if there is a problem no amount of oil or cooler will cool those transmissions to an acceptable level... I had a TCI torque converter that would not lock up no how... (bushing not installed from factory) transmission temps got hot and stayed. . Flash FWD I learned the only way to keep our transmissions cool is to be in lockup and hi-way speeds. Oh yea or unloaded they never get hot.

 

[JMcCoy]

What's the problem with the BD drain plug--did it come out on you while driving or something?



A friend of mine made me a drain plug for the stock pan on my 1992 and I loved being able to service the transmission without getting an ATF bath at the same time.

I apologize. It was a B&M drain plug not BD. The B&M plug used o-rings to seal the plug. When you tighten it up, It would push the o-ring out. It would always leak. The bottom of the pan was always wet. Well, I was parked in the mud/water one afternoon and the truck sunk to where water was up to the bottom of the transmission pan. When I attempted to pull out I lost the transmission. I pulled the dip stick and It was contaminated with water. Not only did the B&M plug let fluid out, it let water in. A good aftermarket transmission pan should have a quality plug, so it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[HBarlow]

I have no records to prove the deep pan helps with cooling but I was told by my transmission builder back in '07 when I had one built in the '06 I owned at the time that Bill Kondolay recommends the Mag Hytec deep pan with his high performance or heavy duty transmission builds. Many of you know that Bill Kondolay is owner of DTT and a noted expert and builder of MOPAR automatics.