Safe Automatic Transmission Temperature?

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Dec 9, 2006 | 11:58 PM

#16

Spectre 023

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2005

Posts: 128

Likes: 0

From: mission, tx

sorry to revive an old thread, but where would i run the lines for a 5.4L superduty?
and would i have to add more fluid to the tranny to compensate for the cooler capacity?

Dec 10, 2006 | 12:15 AM

#17

thedaddycat

Posting Guru

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 1,154

Likes: 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by krewat

If the temperature of the tranny fluid is above the coolant temperature, it's a COOLER.

If the temp of the tranny fluid is LOWER than the coolant temp, it's a HEATER.

It's both, depending on how hot the tranny is

Or how warm the engine coolant is..... When I first start up my truck, the tranny temp gage always comes up first. Neither the factory tranny temp gage nor the engine coolant temp gage is calibrated in degrees so I have no idea what the temp of either one actually is, just that the tranny gage comes into mid range before the engine temp even gets to the low end of its range off the bottom peg. Maybe this is also part of "the design" to help bring engine temp up faster? Who knows, I'm not a tech or engineer, though I do have a PhD in applied reality..... lol

Dec 10, 2006 | 01:09 AM

#18

Lifted94XLT

Elder User

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 801

Likes: 0

From: Shawnee, Ks

The highest i've ever seen on my Autometer guage is about 155*..... I'm wondering if my guage isn't workin right....... does this sound too low to you guys.
--Ryan

Dec 10, 2006 | 05:23 AM

#19

BIGFIRE413

New User

Joined: Sep 2006

Posts: 13

Likes: 0

i wish my temp was that low all the time i cooked a tc at 225* towing a 16,000 lbs trailer with a brand new tranny and 2 external coolers 1 with a fan that i can turn on and off , my tranny guy also eliminated the radiator cooler why take the tranny fluid temp to 195 -210 then try to cool it off before it gets back to the tranny, before that it ran much hotter in 230 250 range but the tranny was cooked . the second factory cooler is worthless it sits out of the airflow .go big and out in front of the radiatormy temp is now 140-160 around town and 160-180 towing that 16,000 lbs trailer

Dec 11, 2006 | 07:13 AM

#20

Casey

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 2,210

Likes: 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedaddycat

I have no idea what the temp of either one actually is, just that the tranny gage comes into mid range before the engine temp even gets to the low end of its range off the bottom peg.

The trans gauge will get to the middle of normal when the trans warms all the way up to 50°F. If you have REAL gauges you'll see that the engine warms up faster than the trans.

Dec 11, 2006 | 07:15 AM

#21

Casey

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 2,210

Likes: 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIGFIRE413

my tranny guy also eliminated the radiator cooler why take the tranny fluid temp to 195 -210 then try to cool it off before it gets back to the tranny,

Your tranny guy doesn't seem to know much about radiators.

The trans cooler is in the cooler side of the radiator, after the air has cooled the water running through it. It's below 200°F, often WAY below 200°F. How would the engine stay cool if the radiator was sending hot water back into the engine?

Many people eliminate the trans cooler in the radiator. Many people then overheat their transmission because they just eliminated the best cooler in the system.

Dec 11, 2006 | 08:32 AM

#22

krewat

FTE Leadership Emeritus

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 42,561

Likes: 421

From: Long Island USA

As has been argued about in the past, the tranny cooler in the radiator is also a WARMER to help the tranny get up to normal operating temp faster.

Which is why most aftermarket tranny coolers say to install the cooler BEHIND the radiator not in front - because the warm radiator will warm up the tranny fluid instead of leaving it very very very cold.

This is also the reason they make thermostats for trannies. They route the fluid around the cooler until the fluid hits a certain temp. To warm up the tranny faster.

Anyway

Dec 11, 2006 | 10:27 AM

#23

BIGFIRE413

New User

Joined: Sep 2006

Posts: 13

Likes: 0

your wrong on the flow of the tranny fluid , it gos in the radiator first then to the cooler thats mounted behind the bumper out of the air flow , also if that cooler breaks it mixes the tranny fluid with the anti freeze and thats bad , had it happen before and the trannys shot and it takes a lot to flush the block of the tranny fluid