I am going to plumb a 2 1/2" hydraulic guage on the trans pressure line, after my Perma Cool trans filter. This is so I can do a visual check of the line pressure after the remote filter, to make sure the filter isn't cloged. If it is, I will have a spare filter in the cab (with a bottle of atf), to swap out the clogged filter.

Anyone know what the pressure is running through the trans lines? I need to know so I can order my guage fron Northern. TIA!

 

Never heard of this before. Usually a filter for a trans lasts 50 thousand miles. It's not like your pumping new fluid in at every gas stop, or introducing contaminates from combustion.

 

Actually Billy's idea is a very good one. The filter he is using will have a much finer filtration level and would be subject to clogging at some point in this application. That would be a very BAD thing. The inboard filters in these trans are nothing more than a coarse strainer - for just that reason. Perfect example of poor engineering on purpose.

 

All,
Thanks for the input I got the idea for the remote trans filter pressure guage from another member here (can't recall the handle at present?). Anyways, I figured the remote trans filter would eventually get cloged up. As Ace mentioned, this would indeed be very bad. I would also guess that the remote filter will slow down the flow of atf fluid (even when new), but would not be enough to cause any trouble?

For those of you using a remote trans filter. Did you use the 3/8" trans hose included, or buy 1/2" hose instead?

 

Go to www,dieselsite.com and get their transmission pressure guage. It is slick, it is color coded with the red color telling you it is plugged. It is made by Baldwin, same people with the filters. I believe it is 10.00. I have this in both my 1st gens.

 

If your filter housing didn't cost much, I suggest strongly to get the housing on www.dieselsite.com. It is a bypass housing. If you are traveling and you see the pressure guage I described above in the red, no worries. It is in bypass mode till you get a chance to put a new one in. Go on that site and check these out.

 

Bigragu,
Thanks for the links! I will definitly check them out! (note: Bigragu was the member who informed me about adding a trans pressure guage). I had a brain fart earlier and couldn't recall your handle (to give due credit on the tran guage idea).

 

Bigragu, under what catagory on the dieselsite.com is the $10.00 pressure guage listed? I can't seem to find it?

 

Bigragu,
Never mind on the guage. I finally located it on Dieselsite.com

 

I found this site when I used to frequent www.thedieselstop.com when I 1st got my 2002 Powerstroke. Dieselsite caters mainly to Fords, with a few accesories for the Rams. His (owner Bob Rielly) filtration products work for our trucks. i would check out filtration kits made for '99 to '02 years for transmission and his coolant filtration kits. Did I say coolant? Yeah, that too is a must have. Mine is mounted on the bracket that hold the radiator assembly on the left side just to the right of the coolant overflow bottle. I tapped into the return and supply lines going to the heater core.

By the way, Bob is a great guy and very respected on that Ford site. He takes good care of all his customers, regardless of what you drive.

 

I am going to call Baldwin in Kearney NE on Monday. I printed out the literature on their filter bases with by-pass capability. I think I can do better on the price of the filter base, than what Dieselsite.com want's for the whole trans filter kit ($175).

For some reason Baldwin doesn't list their PureForce filter bases on their web site store??? You can enter the correct part # and the web search comes up blank? I guess they want you to buy the filter base from a distributor? Odd, because they sell their filters online.

I looked in my Northern Tool catalog, and they do sell hydraulic filters and bases which have by-pass capability (in case your filter is clogged). The only problem is that the Northern Tool filter bases with by-pass capability, are rated at 15 psi, rather than 25 psi (rating of Baldwin's bases with by-pass capability). I don't know if the lower by-pass psi rating of the Northern Tool filter base would pose a problem, when used as a trans filter?

 

Ask for the housing and mounting bracket only! That cost is for all the stainless braided hoses and fittings made for the powerstroke. Housing and bracket only should be under 80.00. The bracket is aluminum, equivalent to 10 gage mild steel(about 1/4" thick)His filter prices aren't bad, about 10.00 each for Baldwin tranny and coolant filters.

 

Bigragu,
I haven't called Baldwin in Kearney NE yet. I will probably do that tomorrow 11/15. I will also email dieselsite.com, and ask them how much for just the Baldwin base and bracket.

 

Billy, FWIW, the trans lube oil pressure on the downstream side of your filter is probably not someting you have to be too concerned about in terms of having a dash-mounted gauge and constantly monitoring. You will probably find the filter lasts as long as need be, at least WRT your fluid change interval, depending on the condition of your trans. But you do need to check it occasionally, just in case.

I plumbed a tee into the filter outlet with a 1/8 pipe plug on my old Chrysler for this purpose. I check it about once a year with a test gauge to see how it is doing. After two years and 3,000 miles there was no pressure drop using a FRAM Extended guard filter. I'll just change the filter next year when I swap out the fluid whether it needs it or not. The 727 in my Chrysler is the same trans as the early 1st gens.

YMMV...