What is the best kit to get?

Where is the best place to install the sensor? I would think the line that goes to the tranny cooler would be an great place, but im probably going to get told thats not an accurate location for temp.

Also where have you guys mounted your gauges at? Im not really wanting to give up my oh *** handle yet for a pilliar pod. I also have an edge evo that is mounted on my dash just above my vent on my left side of my truck. So thats taken.

Also how difficult would you say they are to install the entire kit. I know i can do it, im just looking at more of what kind of time commitment im looking to get this done.


Thanks for the advice fellas.

 

I put on a tranny temp gauge on top of the pillar and it fits perfect. The gauge is in the center of the tach but you can still see the tach gauge as well. I put the sensor in the spare bolt in the tranny knowing that it would not be the most accurate place. good enough for what i was doing..and SIMPLE! bought the gauge and sensor at orielly and the gauge mount online.

 

I installed the sensor in a pressure port on the trans. Once again, some will say that is not the best place but it worked for me. I used a pod that goes on top of the steering column that I got from summit I believe. Fairly simple to install these. I have a pic of the gauge installed on my user page or whatever you want to call it. Check it out.

 

yall bought those gauges from orielly's? were they ford or just general pupose? i got mine from there but they dont work and was told to get auto meter gauges. sorry i dont mean to venture off topic but i was just asking.

 

Mine is an autometer trans temp gauge. I got mine from a performance shop in Denver but I know you can get them almost anywhere.

 

Decide if you want to read the hottest temp out of the convertor or after the fact in the trans.
The gage action is very different at each location.
At the output of the convertor you see the temp result from pulling a hill when the lockup is off and the convetor is slipping, immediately and will be higher than any other place you monitor.
But then as lockup come back on, you will see the temp drop quite soon.
This you will not see in the pan or on the side of the trans case.
In the case or the pan, the reaction time is much longer.
By the time you see to high a temp in the pan or the case, it is already doing damage.
Don't confuse lockup with OD. It's not the same.
You decide.
BTW, temps at the convertor can go as high as 260° no matter where you monitor.
Good fluid can take it as long as you change fluid often enough under those kind of use conditions.
My experience is pulling grosses of 12,000 lbs over the road with the sensor at the converter line just off the housing as well as a large fan cooled cooler up front and a custom built heavy duty 4r70w with a diesel convertor.
The best thing to do to keep temps down is lower gears in the rear so the motor doesnot have to work as hard to pull the load.

 

I wanted to put 2 trans temp gauges on my truck, 97 f150 4.6 4x4 . I was thinking of t taping the rubber lines so i know what the temp is coming out and what it is going in. does anyone have pics of this. or a better way of doing this?

 

The lines from the transmission to the radiator are solid tubes except for the factory flex in the lines.
Any line from the outlet of the radiator to an external cooler and back to the trans return line are usually high pressure rubber hose for the application unless the factory has done something different.
I would see no advantage to 2 gauges in the system as all you will see is the temperature drop across the two points you have the gauges monitoring or you have a special need to see it..
Usually the average temp drop is in the order of 40 to 60° depending on road speed, load, outside temp and size of the external cooler etc..
Another way to get a feel for the temp drop is using an Infrared heat gun to take a look after hard pulling and while the motor is running to keep the fluid in motion.
When opening a metal line to insert a sensor, 'sleightly' flare the tube ends and use two clamps on each location so the lines does not blow apart after the hoses relax a bit from heat and pressure cycling..
Never reduce the size of any hook up lines of fittings because this reduces the flow volume as well as increases the pressure the front pump has to push against. Volume is what carries the heat away for tranfer to the water/air passing the fins of the coolers.

 

So if i mount a sensor on the cooler line right off the pump, what temps are acceptable when towing and what is the danger (to hot zone).

Thanks

 

This to me is a critical temp as it may indicate if the fluid has in fact reached it's limit of protection.

Anyone?

 

As temperature rises the oxidizing of the fluid accellerates.
You can see temps in the 250 + range depending on the load and time in that loading condition.
It's not unreasonable to see temps in the 260 to 280 range at the output of the converter when the converter in not locked up and under high loads.
If you see those very high temps too often from towing, it's a good idea to change the fluid more often.
The temp is there, you can't get around it.
In a common cruise condition under just the weight of the truck and converter lockup, temps in the 145 to 150 is the norm.
As well, the temp at the location moves up and down quite fast in response to load changes unlike in the pan where the temp vaies quite slowly and may never get as high but it's after the fact.
The fluid returns to the side of the case where it lubes other parts before dropping back into the pan so it picks up more heat 'after' being cooled by an Aux cooler. This is part of the pan final temp variations.
Good luck..