Well I did the tranny filter change and fluid flush. I also adjusted the bands and boosted the pressure slightly (based the numbers I got from my homemade pressure gauge). I was pleasantly surprised at how little of the crud I actually found in the pan. Just some very fine stuff on the magnet. <br><br>Still not sure which port is the &quot;accumulator port&quot; is it called something else as well?<br><br>Anyways, at the start of the flush, I went to disconnect my cooler line to pump the old fluid out as I added the new. The strange thing that I noticed is that my hot fluid line (coming from the heat exchanger which is the discharge from the torque converter) goes to the fitting that leads to the top of the trans cooler. The return of cooled fluid is at the bottom of the cooler. I checked 3 times and traced the lines carefully. They actually criss cross up behind the radiator support. <br><br>I was tought/told that the cooling function of the oil cooler is more efficient if the hot fluid is pushed up the cooler from the lower fitting, and then returns from the top fitting to the tranny. Did the previous owner cross this line or is this normal to Dodge. It goes against anything I have seen in the past. <br><br>Can anyone comment? Can anyone check their truck and let me know what they find? Look carefully cause the metal cooler line crosses just beyond the rubber hoses near the cooler. <br><br>I will be installing a trans temp gauge in the next few days, and I think I will check temps the way it is now and the way I think it should be. Thanks, Kevin

 

The fluid is being push through and I don't believe it matters which way. If you switch the flow be aware that there is a check valve up at the cooler.

 

Thanks for the reply, a check valve at the trans cooler? That I was not aware of. I do not see anything that looks like a check valve on the trans cooler at all. That would definetly be a problem. I think I need to completely remove the cooler and look closer. <br><br>I suppose if the line was crossed, and a check valve is in place, then the trans would have been toast a long time ago. Kevin D.

 

The check valve is actually on the outgoing (hot) line just underneath the fluid&lt;-&gt;water cooler, not at the front where the finned cooler is. The check valve is built into the flexible hose that the hardline coming from the trans screws into and is designed to keep fluid from backflowing into the trans when the truck is cut off. <br><br>When I finally get around to changing my trans lines I have a replacement hose assembly that I had made that does not have the check valve in it. I just took the one that came on the 95 recall line with the external port down to a local hose shop and had them make one the exact length with the correct fittings. Cost about $30 (them fittings ain't cheap).

 

Hello, yes, I am aware of the check valve at the heat exchanger. Thats why I kind of questioned a check valve at the cooler. I have read that people are removing the check valve as well. Why? Sure would like to know.<br><br>I will be installing a trans gauge, I planned on just using a brass &quot;T&quot; on the metal output line. I have the brass &quot;T&quot; with the compression fittings for the metal portion of the lines, and is tapped on the 3rd leg to accept the sending unit. But now I am thinking I should install at the rubber section just before the cooler. It will take a little more wire, and I need to get a different &quot;T&quot; (so I can use barbed fittings for the rubber hose). but I think installing at the rubber section is better than cutting into the metal lines. I figure while I'm at it, I might as well remove the plastic clip fittings at the rubber hose/metal junction and install a barbed hose fiting (using a compression fitting at the ends that are cut off). This is the only place I have the plastic push fittings and I would feel better knowing they are gone, as well as now making the rubber line easy to replace and CHEAP (just buy 1/2' id tubing).<br><br>Gonna go check out a friends cooler hose routing on his CTD, and will probably check temps with the cooler flow in both directions of flow. Will let you know what I have found. <br><br>Anybody know which port is the accumulator port on the tranny? Thanks, Kevin<br><br>

 

The reason for taking out the checkvalve is two-fold: 1) it is a restriction to the flow and 2) it can become blocked with debris in extreme cases. My TC shredded and sent shrapnel through the system. Trans shop had a fit trying to get all of the junk out of the system until they realized that the check valve was the culprit. Pulled the line and flushed the cooler back to the trans - came clean. The valve was holding shrapnel and releasing it a little bit at a time.

Also, check valve is there to keep cooler from draining back into trans so that when Joe Average gets in and puts in gear to go there is no lag while the lines re-pressurize. Since stock VBs do not circulate in Park the fluid would be able to backflow into trans if there is an air leak in the lines anywhere (with the dang push-in connectors it surprises me that there is not leakage).

I am going to take mine out and up the line pressure some to hopefully extend the life of the &quot;stock&quot; rebuild.

IMHO the best thing to do is get the 95 recall lines and add the sender there. No rubber lines and barbed fittings to worry about and a sender port rigged up at hottest point in system.

 

DC must've changed the configuration on me after 95. My truck has the check valve up front at the cooler like I said earlier. Had to go get my manual out to make sure I wasn't going wacko!
Moroso makes a fuel Y-block that I have used to assemble leakproof lines for mine. I thought it would be handy because it has an extra 1/8 inch pipe tapped hole for my temp sensor.

http://moroso.com/catalog/categorydi...?catcode=32033

 

Well, I keep crawling under the truck and looking for a suitable spot fot the compression &quot;T&quot; fitting. Tmiller24, thanks for the link, but now that I think about it, if I install the temp sending unit up by the rubber lines, then I will not get an accurate reading because the trans fluid has already passed thru the heat exchanger in the block. So placement of the sending unit needs to be between tranny and heat exchanger for most accurate readings. <br><br>I will probably just use a tubing cutter and the tapped compression &quot;T&quot; fitting in line and be done with it. Just don't want to place it in area of stress or tension. While I have had good luck in the past with compression fittings, I don't want to push my luck. I should get the line with the sender port, but I am cheap. Can use the 40-50 bucks for a boost gauge or a new tool ;D.<br><br>I keep telling myself I'm gonna take a break from wrenching, but I just can't stop. To much fun. : Kevin D

 

Try about $100 for the line and that was shop cost.

 

The line is about $100.00+ from DC, I cut the line going to the heat exchanger where it crosses under the trans and installed a brass tee with 1/2&quot; compression fittings at that point and a reducer for the trans gauge. The parts were about $15.00 at Home Depot. When I replaced the trans I replaced the line with the DC line and it was $130.00 but it has the temp sender fitting included in the line.

 

1slram, thats about the same place I ended up putting my &quot;T&quot; in. Not a big hassle either. I found it easier to remove the line first though. <br><br>Gauge is installed and working fine. I only drove it about 30 miles of &quot;city traffic&quot;, outside temp was about 80 degrees, stop lights every 1/3 to 1/2 mile, max speed of 55mph. Highest temp was 188 while in a little stop and go, drops down to about 160 when cruisin in od full lock up (at about 50-55mph). <br><br>Drove back using the expressway, temp stayed at about 150 while cruising at 70 to 75 mph in od. <br><br>I switched the cooler lines today so the hot fluid from the torque converter enters the bottom of the cooler and is &quot;pushed up&quot;. Only drove a few miles and temps seem to be about 10-15 degrees cooler, BUT, it's to early to tell if it makes a difference. <br><br>How do these temps compare to anybody elses??? My GMC (4l60e) ran about 10-15 degrees cooler than the temps listed. Trans on the ram operates just fine, and I really don't hot rod, I just drive with the flow of traffic. <br><br>Tuesday is supposed to be 90 outside, so I will check it out then. I am just a little concerned, if I am getting these temps empty, what will they be if I am in a traffic jam on the highway towing my 6000 lb 5th wheel?<br><br>I am now thinking of a small secondary cooler with a switch activated fan, when temps get to high, I kick on the fan. I will locate it away from the main airflow, so come winter time, I will not freeze the tranny. Might even put a cover on it for the winter time. Thanks, Kevin

 

I would forget small and go with the largest cooler you can get, I have a 30,000 lb stacked plate cooler low restriction type and a 12&quot; temp controlled fan. I also have a bypass unit so the oil doesn't even go through the cooler until the oil leaving the primary cooler is over 160* then it starts to flow to the secondary cooler. I also have the same set-up on the primary cooler.<br>Bruce

 

1dslram, that sounds like the ultimate setup. What kind of temps do you see in various driving situation with that set up?<br>Where did you get the inline thermostat/bypass valve? <br><br>Is your secondary cooler mounted in the area of direct airflow or is it tucked up under? Thanks, Kevin

 

The bypass units and the temperature switches are from Summit Racing. I modify the 180* units to open at about160* but that is not absolutely necessary. The secondary cooler is mounted between the frame and the driveshaft at about a 45* angle with the top towards the front of the truck. The secondary cooler has a 12&quot; fan mounted to it also from Summit the front cooler has a 11&quot;<br>fan mounted to it. The max temp I have seen so far pulling my 12,000# 5er in stop and go on the freeway is 250* on a 90* day before I would have gone over 300* and needed to cool the trans. Normal freeway temp is 140* towing or not. City traffic not towing maxes out when the secondary cooler get full flow about 200*.<br><br>The heat exchanger heats the trans oil so that it will shift into 4th gear, the trans won't shift until the oil temp is above 140*. I live 2 blocks from the freeway on ramp and in the winter I can start my truck and drive slowly to the freeway and when I get on the trans shifts thru all the gears with no problem. I attribute this to the oil returns to the trans until the oil is over 160* then it is routed to the primary cooler, and when over 160* leaving the primary cooler the oil is routed thru the secondary cooler. If you are worried the bypass units they will flow 200 gal. a minute way more than our transmissions need.

 

Yes, more useful information. So I am not being paranoid about the trans temps. I did not know the temps had to be above 140 for 4th to kick in. Nice to know information. <br><br>It seems the dodge trans runs hotter then what I am experienced with (1998 gmc 4l60e trans). So a secondary cooler is definitely in the plans,however, I don't think I'm gonna get it in by friday for the first &quot;pull of the year&quot;. <br><br>Is your primary cooler in the stock location? And if so didn't you have a clearance issue with the grill? Or have you gone aftermarket with the primary cooler as well? If moved to a new location then where? <br><br>It will be intersting to see what kind of temps I get while pulling, at least I will have a baseline to compare the performance of the soon to be cooler upgrades. Thanks alot for your info/advice. Kevin