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Transmission temp gauge

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ace138

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I'm looking for a temp gauge for my 700R, I need to know what to look for. Also what temp should the tranny run at?

Specs 1988 k5 stock 700R
 
installing the sender at or near the transmission end of the tranny to cooler line will give a pretty accurate reading. obvioiusly, installing it after the cooler will give you a reading much lower than the temp of what's inside the tranny itself. i've seen people drill and tap the pan, but there isn't much metal there at all and the senders vibrate out easily.

i've heard that past 200 degrees, every 10 degree increase cuts the fluid life in half.
 
For the most accurate reading you want the sender in the tranny pan. Then you have a choice of either mechanical or electrical gauge. The mechanical gauges are the most accurate. Now, i'm running my 89 with 700R4 and a B&M stack plate cooler and the temp stays around 160* unless it's really hot outside then it will get up to around 180*. Obviously if you're pulling a hill it's going to climb some until you level out again then it will cool down. My sender is in the tranny pan and i haven't had any issues with the sender coming loose. Obviously if you don't tighten it properly it will leak and come loose.
 
Dose the stock pan have an outlet for the sender or do you have to drill and tap your own?
 
No a stock pan does not have an outlet for a sender. You can drill/tap it, but most people drill a hole and weld on a sender bung. That way you've got 3/8" of thread versus 1 thread of engagement of the sheetmetal pan metal.
 
Has anyone actually compared the pan temp to what is seen if a sender is mounted in the pressure taps in the transmission case?

I know someone at one point said they were measuring temp this way, but I'm curious about what temperature difference is seen between those locations and the pan.
 
I run mine at the pressure point (On the 700r , its on the drivers side, just above the pan. Its a lil plug you unscrew and just screw the sending unit in, no drilling or tapping) Around town I run 150Degrees. slow off roading I can hit 175-180degrees, never any more than that. I was told that this is in the right temps, etc. So , I guess im getting accurate readings at the press. point.

Im using AUtometer Ultralight series, silver face gauge.
 
"
I run mine at the pressure point (On the 700r , its on the drivers side, just above the pan. Its a lil plug you unscrew and just screw the sending unit in, no drilling or tapping) Around town I run 150Degrees. slow off roading I can hit 175-180degrees, never any more than that. I was told that this is in the right temps, etc. So , I guess im getting accurate readings at the press. point.

Im using AUtometer Ultralight series, silver face gauge.
"
Thanks!
 
i have been pleased with the autometer sport comp series and i found out after my install this week, that the tranny is running approx 210 (sender is located at the pan). not good, so i bought a b&m cooler that will be going in this weekend :)
 
badmix said:
I run mine at the pressure point (On the 700r , its on the drivers side, just above the pan. Its a lil plug you unscrew and just screw the sending unit in, no drilling or tapping) Around town I run 150Degrees. slow off roading I can hit 175-180degrees, never any more than that. I was told that this is in the right temps, etc. So , I guess im getting accurate readings at the press. point.

Im using AUtometer Ultralight series, silver face gauge.
Click to expand...

Any chance you've ever measured pan temp as well?

I assume you have felt no need to drill your pan, and I don't blame you, I'm just curious about what the difference is. Sounds like this is pretty accurate to me though.
 
I havent measured anything. I just wanted the simplest and most direct place to stick this. I figured if it wasnt accurate enuff, id move it. Its easier to take the least evasive action first. But from reading and researching, my temps are right in line of where they should be, so for now its a done deal. I want to replace my pan with a drain plug pan for easier servicing, so I may move it down or not.
 
Yep, just curious how different the temps are. Based on yours, doesn't appear they can be much off.
 
I was very curious about the difference between the two spots as well, so I ran an experiment with two gauges just to see. I used my motorhome's 4l80 as the guinea pig, one sender in the pan and one in the line pressure port. The difference was negligable with a stock pan, in fact the line pressure port showed about 5 degrees hotter (could have been gauge discrepency). If you run an aftermarket deep pan then putting the sender in the case might be the better option because the filter propably isn't going to be sucking directly off of the bottom of the pan. I haven't verified the deep pan accuracy so I could be wrong.

As far as I'm concerned mount the sender where it's easier and less likely to get damaged. I just don't think the cooler line is a good idea for several reasons, first: the fittings can leak and second: the sender can cause a restriction in the line if everything isn't exactly right. Third: it's a royal PITA.
 
ok, this has me thinking cause I'm getting ready to do mine in my 700. The old th350 was easy in my old 75 burb. But now with my 88 k5 and the 700...where is said port that is being used?
 
its on the drivers side above the shift linkage
 
im not too concerned with i few degrees variance so im lookin to just hook this up as simply as possible where would you recommend to hook up the sender, and if it is in the pan is it as simple as just loosening the pan and fishing it in their and runnin the cable to the dash? this will be a first for me for somethin like this but i gotta do it cause ive blown through three trannys and im try to do it right this time and stayin on top of this. i got an over sized cooler on the thing step one now i wanna keep an eye on the temp.
 
If the temp is the same, as reported above, run it in the pressure tap. It's out of the way, it's a very secure, threaded location.
 
I installed a remote filter unit w/ spin on filter in the pressure side line
that feeds my B/M Stack plate cooler.

The filter housing has a tap for a sending unit. mine runs in the 160 - 210 range depending how hard I'm working the trans...

plus if you run a loose converter ( such as a 2200 rpm stall ) it's going to run a little hotter than normal.

Main thing to remember is,, no matter where your send unit is,,you know what is "normal " for your setup and to watch the gauge and ease up on the skinny pedal when the temp starts to go up.
 
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