Right now I don't have a tranny temp guage, but its in the mail.

For those of you who do have a guage, can you answer this question.

If the tranny gets hot, or warmer than normal, and you want it to cool off which way does the tranny seem to cool down the fastest once you have stopped?

Leave truck idling in PARK
Leave truck idling in NEUTRAL
Shut engine off

Thanks for your input
ra

 

Going downhill with the converter clutch locked

Actually in Park at a raised idle would probably be safest of the options you gave, as I've heard nuetral isn't intended for extended idling. I can't positively confirm that tho. The more airflow over the radiator you have the faster it would cool too.

 

Thanks for the reply

yes I realize moving with airflow through the tranny cooler and over the tranny itself is best, but the practical application thats on my mind here is this.

Tow a mid size load of about 20K lbs. from a jobsite back to the house, say about 25 miles. I will assume that the tranny fluid is warmer than empty driving, so once home what is the best way to help the tranny cool off the fastest?

Similiar to a diesel engine. I never shut off a diesel engine that has been worked hard without at least 5 minutes of idle / elevated idle to cool turbo and stabilize / equalize temp. of engine.

With that being said, and I really don't much about an auto-tranny, I was thinking that if in NEUTRAL the pump would pump and circulate the fluid through the cooler, even without the added air flow would be better than the hot fluid sitting in the tranny?? For all I know, which is why I am asking, the fluid may continue to circulate in park, but I would suspect not.

I know this sounds like I am confused, but I hope someone will understand what I mean here..........

thanks in advance for your continued replies

 

I know it circulates in Park as I have tested flow that way. Never tried it in neutral tho...

 

oil flows in all positions. some chysler product don't flow either park or neutral I forget which. I would say that park is probably the fastest cool down but I can't say for sure either! Never had to cool one down.

 

In simply observing my temp gauge under several conditions it does not seem to cool down noticably once it reaches about 170. Stopping and starting with in town driving keeps it right up there until you start hitting the freeway, then it settles a bit.