Just installed an autometer trans. temp gauge. Pulled my 1971, 19' travel trailer over a big mountain pass here in Oregon, and it was reading like
250deg.!!!! Here is my Idea.

Derale trans pan w/cooler tubes $99
Derale atomic-cool aux. cooler w/fan $185
Synthetic ATF $?

Any suggestions??/Advise??

 

It's important to know where is your probe located.

Your plan seems like a good start though.

 

OH, yeah, sorry. Its in the place of the "OD sensor" , I just un-did the sensor and put my probe in its place.

 

Wow i'd think at 250* the trans would already be done...That sounds reall hot.

 

Yeah, I know. I'm probably going to do those three things and pull the same trip. Ill have my fingers crossed.

 

I don't think you will see the results that you will want by adding the pan, fan and synthetic fluid. With temps that high there is no doubt about that your converter is slipping and generating a lot of heat. The extra cooling will just be a band-aid that will cover up the signs of the poor converter.

 

Hmmm. So maybe my money would be better spent on a new converter instead. I will look that up on here. Thanks

 

Depending on where the sensor is, 250 is not that hot "pulling a travel trailer over a mountain pass."

 

He said a few posts up the Sensor is in the hot line right where it's supposed to be in place of the Sensor.

 

That's debateable.

I'm not familiar with the plumbing there, but if that's the tourque converter output along the way to the cooler you're talking about, then I don't know what aybody's worried about. 250 is nothing for that, especially if it's running ATF+4. Probably goes even higher, depending on where/how it's driven and what it's pulling. Wouldn't hurt to give it some more cooling. Coolers and filters are almost never a "bad" thing.

The real question is: Does it return to a normal temp by the time it gets to the bottom on the other side of the pass?

 

Real problem isn't that the temps getting to 250* or better --
The output of the trans goes directly to the fluid-to-fluid cooler on the engine block which is cooled by the radiator....
You're taking a normal 190* water temp and then throwing 250* trans fluid into the mix...If your water temp is not 212* or better you're ok, but I'm willing to be the radiator is trying to cool 215 - 220*...
That's why the factory - dealer - installed aux cooler is routed from the output of the trans to the aux cooler and then back to the stock line - cool down the trans fluid before it gets to the standard cooler and heats up your water.

 

Well I guess since they only gave you the one temp gauge to start with then that makes perfect sense! And if you like being scared by extra temp gauges, then I suppose putting one in the hot line and watching it while dragging a trailer over a mountain pass would be a good idea too.

Heat transfer is a zero sum game. It's at ambient temp when you start it in the morning. If you drive it all day and nothing boils, burns or gets otherwise heat-damaged, then it is disspating the heat at an acceptable rate. Define acceptable. Like I said, coolers and filters are almost never a bad idea. Cooler fluids last longer. Where's "your" trans fluid comfort zone?

 

What's the rated temperature for ATF +4 synthetic?

 

I seen posted on here somehwere awhile back they said ATF+4 is rated for over 300 degrees.

 

The real question is: Does it return to a normal temp by the time it gets to the bottom on the other side of the pass?[/QUOTE]

You bet. It cooled rite down when I got to the top of the hill and started down. It went down to 165 or so pretty quick. I bought this to pull firewood and I will have to pull some hills. Im worried I might fry the tranny pretty quick getting it that hot at times.
Having the gauge in that "hot" line is it reasonable to expect the temp not to go over 220deg.??