Was looking around on ebay and came across this pan. Has anyone ever heard of them or ran one of their pans? They claim it holds 8 qts over stock capacity. Seems to be a good deal at only $150.

DERALE TRANSMISSION PAN COOLERS ? FORD 4R100/E40D/5R110: eBay Motors (item 230517110522 end time Sep-25-10 08:19:53 PDT)

 

What appeal is there to running an extra 8 quarts? I must not understand enough about transmissions. I don't see why I would want 8 more quarts.

 

So when you flush your trans instead of it being $100 for fluid it is $140.

 

I've looked at those pans and considered it. The Mag Hytec cover to be exact. The theory is that it takes longer for more fluid to get hotter. I liken it to a 1 quart sauce pan vs my 12 quart pot. If I fill them both with water and turn the stove on simmer for 20 minutes, the water in the 1 quart pan will eventually come to a boil while the pot won't. Now turn it on high for 5 minutes, the sauce pan will boil much sooner, but the pot will get hotter, but never come to a boil. And if you put a fan next to it the sauce pan would still boil, but the pot would be cooler. Of course the inner workings of a transmission are different. I'm sure the heating and cooling properties of transmission fluid are different than water. An extra 8 quarts vs a factor of 12 capacity. The extra cooling properties of aluminum. And the wind from the outside blowing on the cooling fins. But I'd think the same would hold true to some degree. Over here in SoCal there are at least three big hills here with 1 mile plus 6-7% grades and our summer days can get to 108F. The only way to really find out scientifically if the larger pan works, is to get a trans temp gauge, go on a big hill on a 100F day, measure it. Then put larger pan and do the same thing. I would probably look at getting the 31 row cooler first if you don't have one already. But I wouldn't necessarily discount the idea of a larger pan.

 

That's exactly why I run the Derale in question. On the way into my favorite dirt bike riding area, there is a stretch of very steep (10+%) and very tight switchback corners - stuck in 1st gear the whole way, with TC locking and unlocking constantly - but usually unlocked. With trailer, water, firewood, toys, etc. Heavy load. And it is usually over 100 degrees. All in all, about the worst thermal conditions possible for an automatic...

The extra heat capacity of the extra fluid dropped peak temp in the pressure port (per my autometer gauge) from almost 250 to below 230. The difference is due to the temp of the fluid in the pan (yes, I actually run 2 temp sensors...) staying lower much longer. A few minutes at 250 every couple months is probably not that bad for the tranny, but it is good for my peace of mind. On the other side of the equation, it does take longer to cool back down. I don't shut the engine running until port temp is back down under 180 or so. I have 170K on this original tranny.

For long pulls at over 35 mph (so there is plenty of air over the coolers and the TC is staying locked up), additional coolers up front are FAR better solution.

 

BTW, if price matters to you, Summit Racing has it for $150 delivered.

As far as how it fits and installs, it is pretty much equal to stock pan. It is quite a bit deeper. Still steel so you have to tighten properly (just like stock). I suggest using an OE gasket instead of the one provided. My 12 year old stock gasket with 170K miles sealed up perfectly... I was going to install a fresh one, but dealer did not have in stock so I thought I'd try reusing the old one. Still in there!

The previous one from Derale, the 14108, is shallower, but it interferes with filter on many 4R100's in 4x4 trucks. If you have 2WD and can find one in someone's old inventory, it is better for ground clearance. Natural finish and no temp sensor port.

 

That must be it, Mark.

Mark is frequently on the record that aftermarket pans do not lower temps. Without getting into that debate myself, I would simply ask why you would spend the money on a pan first, instead of spending the money on an improved cooler like a 6.0 retrofit? The cost of the pan, plus the cost of the extra 8 quarts, will pretty much pay for the improved cooler, and it will be far, far more effective.

I would say it is a far better solution in ALL conditions.

 

I know a cooler is a better addition than the pan. The cooler is on order. My question was about this specific pan. Not deeper pans in general. I have never heard of this company and was wondering if anyone had. How is their workmanship? Quality of the pan? Thanks mwsf250 for your input. That's exactly what I was asking.

 

Heck, I'm going to try one out...

 

I have the Derale pan and i love it. GOOD Quality Good cooling.

 

How much cooling are you getting from the pan?

 

I was wondering the same thing. I'm no physics expert or anything, but it seems to me that adding an extra 8 quarts of fluid would be counterproductive unless you also added additional cooling capacity. Sure, it takes longer to heat up the extra fluid, but it's also going to take longer to cool it down. The fluid doesn't cool much just sitting in the pan, that's why it gets pumped through a cooler. It seems to me that adding additional cooling capacity with the stock pan would be far more effective than just adding an extra 8 quarts of fluid.

 

Not a lot. Maybe some. You also might get some additional longevity out of the oil. If it 20 quarts of (X) fluid can do (Y) work, lubricate and carry heat away. The theory might be that 30 quarts can do it better. I dont know...
We might all agree on one thing. It looks cool and aint going to hurt it.