Hey guys;

I have a question on the tranny temp gauge on my '02 F250 SD PSD. It will start registering temp even before the engine temp gauge. Last night I moved it twice for short times and the tranny temp was going up each time. It was about 30* so I thought that was odd. Is this thing on a timer or something, or is it really reading the temp.

I plan on adding a "real" oil pressure gauge and a tranny temp gauge with numbers and a pyro on the A piller.

I was just curious about the stock tranny temp gauge.

Thanks

Frank

 

That is normal for trans temp to rise when the engine is cold. Remeber that trans fluid is not only as a lubrcant but also a hydrulic fluid that is being pressurized to shift the tranny. When you pump/pressurize a fluid you add heat to it.
Your stock temp guage shows you operating temp, it has a real large span and is there to warn you that your running hot.

 

Yeah, the real large span that causes it to move at about 100 degrees and reaches midrange at 160-180, but doesn't move again until 240-260 when it goes straight to the yellow band and then at 280 when it moves to red. The stock guage is a good indicator, but when it moves above midrange, you need to shut it down IMMEDIATELY or risk major damage. As far a guages go, it's pretty sorry, but all the stock "guages" are dampened majorly. Read the 6.0L bible and look at the section on the oil pressure guage, it will scare you.

 

Bad advice. That will KILL the transmission!

If it gets to the yellow you need to idle in park or neutral to cool the trans. If you shut it down the hot fluid stays in the trans and cooks it. Running in park or neutral will circulate the fluid through the cooler.

 

Yeah you are right. Shutting down when you are too hot might be bad.

I tow a trailer pretty regular. The first time I towed in 105+ temps I discovered that if I shut the truck down immediately, a few minutes later the radiator would overflow and the temp guage would rise since the heat of the engine block no longer was being cooled by airflow thru the radiator.

If I stopped for gas and let it idle for a minute or two, and then shut down, I did not have an overflow and the temp actually dropped some.

Probably what the other guy should have said is, "if the gauge shows you getting too hot, you should slow down or pull to the side of the road to let the coolers dump some of the heat". I have found that dropping from say 70mph down to 55 or so will allow my gauge to drop enough to get out of the "hot zone". I have an aftermarket gauge so I assume it is different from the factory one.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

I can tell you that the stock tranny gauge is no better then an idiot light.

If you want to know the true temp of the transmission you need an aftermarket gauge. I tested them and they are right on the mark. The stock gauge will not move beyond the "normal" untill you have already got the fluid hot enough to cook the transmission.l

I tow a 12,500 pound trailer, so I want to know exactly what the tranny temp, exhaust temp and boost is doing. I used Di-Pricol as they come the closest I have seen to the stock dash.

I have all three in a pillar gauge painted to the same as the truck interior. Looks totally stock.

Pics below

http://community.webshots.com/user/chiefgreid

 

This describes the factory tranny temp guage best. EVEN HAS PICTURES
http://www.itpdiesel.com/FordTransGauge.shtm

 

does the tranny cool down best in park or neutral, or does it matter??

 

It doesn't matter. The fluid flow is exactly the same in park and neutral.

 

I was always told the tranny cools better in neutral???

 

t would be nice to look at the link but as you can see Ken wouldn't make any money off of that so instead it re-routes you to his web-site, gotta make a quick buck right... sad!

 

cut and paste the url into a new browser, works fine that way.

 

You were told wrong.

I've studied the hydraulic flow. It's exactly the same. The only difference between park and neutral is in park the output shaft can't turn because it is held by the park pawl, and if you're not moving in neutral the output shaft doesn't turn.

 

In a ford, that is correct, but in some other vehicles, chryslers and imports i believe, the pump doesnt engage in park. If this were the case, you would definatly want ot leave it in neutral. Again, this would not affect the super duty, but its why some people always say neutral ... just to be on the safe side while making a generalized statement.

 

Thanks for all the input. I will proceed with my plans to add gauges.

Frank