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I guess the point is with the sender in the pan as a reference point you could have done damage to the trans before your gauge reads a problem. With the sender in the hot line you know instantly when its time to cool down, not after your pan is full overheated oil. If your pan temp is rising your converter is building more heat than the cooler can deal with. JMHO

 

I respect your opinion.
It still comes down to the convienence of where you want to put the sender. If you have an available hole in the pan, then use it. Make a note where the temp is running at various speeds and pulling situations. Then monitor. If you start running higher temps, then something is up.

 

First, thanks for this thread, I am about to install a trans temp gauge.

Second, I like the idea of the hot line sender better. if you have a high capacity pan, like the one i had on my last truck, you run the potential of not seeing a major change until you have built enough TC heat to heat up 12 quarts of oil in the pan.

That's my 2 cents.

 

I agree with your assessment completely in your set up. If you do not have the sensor in the hot line, the best you can possibly hope for is an indication of a drastic change. Of course we all know that by the time your gauge tells you that (being as how it installed in the pan), the damage has already been done to both your fluid and the transmission.

Heat is the biggest enemy of your fluid, it looses it's effectiveness to do it's job as the temperature of the fluid rises, with the gauge in the pan you may well be "cooking" your fluid and not even know it.

Why even bother to have a transmission temperature gauge installed if it isn't going to give you the information you need? After all isn't the whole idea to be able to see when you reach a state that may cause damage to your transmissions life blood by destroying the fluids properties?

Here is a chart that may help you better understand that you really need to know how hot you are getting the fluid at ANY time, in order to know if your fluid is still capable of doing it's job. Personally I want a gauge that is accurate and doesn't falsely make me feel good every time I look at it JMHO

 

Actually, the main objective is to watch the gauge, and if the temp gets beyond the norm, do something about it. Be it pull over and have lunch, or pop into neutral and give it some rpm's to cool it down or whatever. Heck, just taking it out of OD will drop the temps quickly. If on a dirt road (going slow) while towing, keep iit n second gear.

If all else fails, get a small 9" 12 volt fan on ebay for about $25 to $30 bucks delivered, install in front of the tranny cooler, and when ever your temps get beyond the comfort zone, turn it on. This simple device works wonders in stop and go traffic, especially when pulling a load. Kevin

 

So which is the hot line on my 93?

 

The front one, closest to the engine.

 

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Yea yea I know, just havin fun. Good information. The stock trans cooler does a nice job of cooling if your at a steady speed. Get into stop and go, or try to back a 32 foot camper into a 1/8 mile drive with lots of trees to go around and your getting hot.

I have noticed while towing on the back dirt roads (25mph's max, lots of slow downs too) that leaving it in second is the best for temp control.

I have also notice that the temps come down quicker if I leave it in 3rd with lock up off, that the temps go down quicker (more fluid circulating thru the cooler).

Also good advice to change your fluid regularly. I like the complete flush by pumping it all out of the trans cooler line into a bucket, and adding new. Just changing the pan gets about 5 quarts, while the whole thing holds about 16 to 18.

Once again great info. Kevin