Acceptable trans temp thread

[Zero]

Ok guys, i want to get a thread going for trans temps that we would like to maintain in extreme weather areas.

For me specifically, I would like to know....how cold is too cold for the trans (I have a B&M 13,000BTU trans cooler added)? I ask because i am now living in Winnipeg (for a film) till dec 4th. It gets extremely cold here...-20 or colder is an average in the winter, along with a ton of snow in this area.

When I drive on the highway at 100kmh, in -2c , my trans wont get any warmer than 120f.


Also, can we all agree that anything above 195f trans temp is where damage, fluid breakdown, heavy wear ect. occur.....yes??


I want to get as much input on this theory as possible!

Z

[bartonmd]

The minimum "warm" trans temp is 160F... This is the low side of the temp range that the transmission is made to operate at, in steady state... Any colder, consistantly, than that, and the trans can't bake the condensation water out of the cluid, and it'll freeze on cold startup, and the trans will act funny (My Caprice, when I had a "too big" cooler on it; wouldn't go into lockup, and sometimes into 4th, and would throw "wrong gear ratio" codes, saying that the transmission wasn't doing what the computer was telling it)...

200F is just on the high end of "optimum"... The fluid (Dex 3, anyway... 6 is higher) doesn't really start to oxidize until either 240 or 260F... However, sump temperature isn't really representitive of max fluid temperature... Even if you've got a MASSIVE cooler that drops 120F off of your fluid temp, if the fluid is 300F coming out of the converter, it's still oxidizing the fluid, even though your sump temp is 180F...

Mike

[Zero]

So I need to bring my temp up a bit? Correct? Should I put a piece of cardboard in front of the cooler?

[bartonmd]

So I need to bring my temp up a bit? Correct? Should I put a piece of cardboard in front of the cooler?

Yes. I would... It would also keep your radiator a little warmer, so the COLD coolant doesn't shock the engine so bad as it comes in... Hard on gaskets and such for the part of the engine where coolant comes in to be cold, and the rest of the engine to be hot... The same piece of metal being 2 different temperatures doesn't make it happy...

Mike

[Diacom]

Do you have your cooler routed before or after the radiator? If it's after, that may be where your getting too much heat loss. Route it through the cooler first then the radiator. It will bring the temp up to operating.

[bartonmd]

Do you have your cooler routed before or after the radiator? If it's after, that may be where your getting too much heat loss. Route it through the cooler first then the radiator. It will bring the temp up to operating.

Nope, mine was run before the radiator (contrary to the "instructions for max cooling"), to try and keep it warm in the winter, but it didn't work so well... I'm sure it helped, but not nearly enough...

Mike

[Gordinho80]

More reason for me to get around to replacing my Tstat... I've been straddling the 160 deg mark for the trans temp for about a week now with the drop in temp outside. I NEED to do this ASAP. Thanks for reminding me....

[bartonmd]

More reason for me to get around to replacing my Tstat... I've been straddling the 160 deg mark for the trans temp for about a week now with the drop in temp outside. I NEED to do this ASAP. Thanks for reminding me....

There isn't a thermostat for trans temp...

Mike

[Hpimichael02]

I don't have a gauge for this is this only for the guys with the upgraded dash with on board telemetry???

[bartonmd]

I don't have a gauge for this is this only for the guys with the upgraded dash with on board telemetry???

$150 Scangauge...

Mike

[Zero]

Scangauge is worth every freakin penny!