Transmission Q's and recommendations

[Hockeyfm13]

Wondering what I can do to help lower transmission temps drastically. The other day I ran a little over 200 degrees pulling a 7 thousand pound trailer. 

(Built tranny with triple-disk TC, shift kit, and heavy duty bands.) 

Do you guys recommend transmission coolers/fans? Drop some links in the comments of products that you have or have opinions on. Thanks a bunch! 

 

Also, have you guys read about the new Smarty MM3 tuning for 98.5-02's?!?

[JAG1]

I have the Mag Hytech deep dish pan on mine. Holds extra 4 qts. I believe. It is aluminum with cooling fins which helps telegraph the heat away  a little.

[Me78569]

Make sure your oem cooler is in good shape first.

[Hockeyfm13]

Yes, everything stock-related works as it should. 

[Wild and Free]

What speed and driving conditions were you pulling at?

200* is not a bad thing just keep it at or under 230 no issues at all.

[Hockeyfm13]

Mega hill, roughly 55. I'd still like to see what people run for extra or aftermarket coolers.  

[Wild and Free]

If that's the case the converter was likely not in lockup and that would be totally normal then, absolutely nothing to worry about.

Other than adding a bigger pan with cooling fins an added cooler is not really needed in our northern climate unless you are pulling heavy in constant stop go town driving or doing a lot of heavy backing where you are in a constant stall condition.

[JAG1]

I haul a 3000 lb slide in camper. My fluid was nice and red, the way your supposed keep it but on a hot summer day I took a road so steep I had no idea they still paved 'em  like that. Went for about 12 miles. I saw my temps shoot up quickly to over 180. That must be close to burning the fluid cause when I got back it was brown in the pan when serviced, yet it but looked  more red on the dipstick. I was surprised fluid had burned just from those temps. I was at a 25,000 mark for miles  and service.

[Wild and Free]

Another thing I need to know is where you are taking the temps, If measuring it in the pan the actual tranny temps are on average 30* hotter than you see in the pan as that oil is the coldest oil in the system and has just returned from the cooler.

[Hockeyfm13]

Mine is in the passenger-rear port. 

[Wild and Free]

Yep the oil at the servo ports is no hotter than the oil in the pan from all my trans temp probe location experiments.

Edited September 14, 2016 by Wild and Free

[015point9]

Just me, a back yard type guy (with stock everything, except an Airdog), and that doesn't know much compared to some on here......I'm happy with my final result of pulling wives 8,500 pound trailer (and after talking with a retired Cummins engineer) was to put on deep dish  pan.  Deep dish pan...has drain bung for draining and aids in cooling more than I thought it would.    But I still have to take it off to adjust trans bands and more often than I thought.  Was pointed out to me that 30,000 mile trans band adjustment was not good enough.  Now I adjust every 15,000.  Anyways now I only get those temps from very slow driving (no headwind getting to cooler)  and only twice when driving around western US .  Both days in triple digit temps and steep upgrades and start and stop (construction stop and go) traffic.  On mine (47re) when hot I put into neutral in giving it some RPM's. Both times started to cool down in about 2 min.  After install of deep dish pan, now gauge needle usually doesn't move from 185 or 190 all day long.  But I still don't think they are worth over $200.00

 

My first step was to get temps from trans cooler, and see if temps were about the same at middle and at corners of cooler.  Supposed to show any blockage in cooler I was told. Not really sure about physics of it but made since to me about temp change if not good flow within cooler.  Mine has only couple degree temp difference. Another way is a bucket flow test, but not sure about how much fluid for how long.  Mine passed temp test so I bypassed bucket flow test and put on pan.  I'm happy now

 

And after getting to top of big grade, assuming trans temp not overly hot, don't stop!!!  Keep going so headwind of air cools you down.