Tranny temp gauge and sending unit?

[Esteban86K5]

I am about to pull the tranny to replace the flexplate and wanted to put a tranny temp gauge in while I was there. Who's done this and where did you get the kit. I know that there are inline kits and the kits that you weld the sending unit to the drian pan. Anyone have pros and cons on both? Does one work better than the other?

Thanks /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[willyswanter]

I bought an Autometer electric trans temp gauge. It came with a weld-in fitting. Just weld it to the pan and your set.

 

[heavy4x4]

I've got an Autometer trans-temp gauge. It came with a sender that had 3 different sized NPT fittings. I used just the sender itself without the step-ups (which was, if I remember correctly, 1/4 NPT). I drilled my pan, tapped the hole with a 1/4 NPT tap (only got about 2 threads in the thin metal), screwed in my sender, and JB-welded it to the outside of the pan. It's been working fine since I installed it about 2 years ago. There are pictures in my "Modifications" album in the link in my signature if you want to see where I put the sender in the pan and how it looks.

 

[Triaged]

I have an electronic AutoMeter gage on my s10 (that has a 700r4 like you have). The temp sender is 1/8" NPT...just like the pressure test port on the side of the trans /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif

This is where the main test port for the pump output pressure is:

You will get the temp after the pump and before the cooler so that should be the highest temp in the trans.

All you have to do is take out the plug and put in the sender. Don't use any teflon tape on it because it could clog up the valvebody and will also cause a false reading because it won't ground as well.

 

[Esteban86K5]

Dan, thanks for that info but i want to put this in my Burb with a 400. Not the Blazer. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif

 

[Triaged]

I think the test port is in about the same location on th350, 700r4, and th400...but I could be wrong. I can't remember where I got that pic from but they had pic's of all popular tranny's port locations and size. The th400 might be a 1/4" NPT but it would fit with an adapter....

This shows all but a th350 and th400 but I bet it is in about the same location as a 4l80. All the rest of the test ports are on the other side of the tranny...at least on my 700r4 and th350 they are. If you end up picking the wrong test port all it will do is show goofy readings depending on gear. If there is only 1 on that side use it and call it good. No reason to go through all the trouble of welding in a bung when you can just bolt it in.

 

[DPI]

I have two sending units on mine via a simple switch. I can just flip the switch and see the different temps.

One sending unit is in the return line and one in the pressure port Triaged mentioned. You would not believe the temp variance. Driving down the hiway, the pressure port temp is close to the redline on the b&m guage. I think it reads 260-280. But when you switch it over to the return line from the cooler it is below 100. btw, I have a 28K b&m stacked plate cooler...

The tranny guys I have talked to said the best place would be in the pan...

 

[skratch]

I've got mine in the drain plug in my pan.

I stuck in one of the drain plug kits in the back of my pan and the sending unit is the same size and thread as the plug itself so I only have the one hole in my pan. I used the pressure test port to run my pressure guage off of, I should get the gauges mounted in the next couple days so I can shoot a picture and post it. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[Triaged]

[ QUOTE ]
I have two sending units on mine via a simple switch. I can just flip the switch and see the different temps.

One sending unit is in the return line and one in the pressure port Triaged mentioned. You would not believe the temp variance. Driving down the hiway, the pressure port temp is close to the redline on the b&m guage. I think it reads 260-280. But when you switch it over to the return line from the cooler it is below 100. btw, I have a 28K b&m stacked plate cooler...

The tranny guys I have talked to said the best place would be in the pan...

[/ QUOTE ]

That is a huge difference in temp! I had no idea it would be that large. Mine runs at about 175-180 at the test port in normal driving (it has a sucky fin & tube cooler) and if I push it 190 is about as high as it has gotten. I wonder what it is at in the pan /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif