Stuper Duty Tranny (4R100) temp gauge install ???

[mbryson]

Putting in a temp gauge. Pretty straightforward except where to put the sender. It looks like there's a 'boss' for it right on the side of the 4r100.


Any experiences out there?

 

[Herzog]

I hear that putting it in the send line between the transmission and the cooler is the best place. That way you always read the hottest temperature that your fluid can possibly be.

That only involves cutting the line and inserting a "T" to accept the sender.

 

[Badger]

there is a boss in the side for doing pressure testing or temperature testing.it does get used for that but from what i understand you want to know what the temp is coming out of the cooler more then anything.that way you know how well it is working.

 

[mbryson]

(been on the phone for a while=browsing the web)

http://www.dieselmanor.com/diy/PSD3-gauge/image15.htm

The location for Tans. Sender on a 7.3L 4R100 Transmission can be found just above the 2nd trans. pan bolt on the driver's side. There is a test port plug here (arrow). Remove it and insert the trans. sender. No need to worry about excessive fluid loss. Only a few drops will come out if the truck is level. Image shown with an 11mm wrench in the plug. READINGS: ATF goes from the pan, thru the oil pump, and then past this port. In essence, this location for the sender will give you pan oil temperature readings (or very close to it). Normal SAFE temps are anything below 200°F. 200°F to 225°F is the WARNING temperature. Over 225°F is TOO HOT.


Illumination source
http://www.dieselmanor.com/diy/PSD3-gauge/image36.htm

1999-2003 7.3L Powerstroke gauge lighting power source. Arrow is pointing to a light blue wire with red trace. To remove the headlight switch, pry the instrument cluster (dash front) out on the left side just enough to gain access to the headlight switch module. With a flat blade screwdriver, push in on the metal retaining tab on the left. Then do the same for the 2 remaining tabs, one on top and the other on the bottom of the module. If you desire you can tap into the same wire located under the dash. It is explained on the previous page for the 6.0L Powerstroke.
NOTE: There are many different locations where you can obtain your dash illumination source. Depicted above is just one example. Irregardless of where you connect your gauge power and illumination source, we recommend that you check these sources first, before you make your connections. For Dash Illumination: Using a voltmeter, ground the black lead from the meter to chassis ground. With the red lead off the meter, probe the read lead of your voltmeter probe the suspected dash illumination source. With the running lights off you should not read any voltage. When you turn the running light on you should see the voltage rise and fall with the adjustment of the dash lighting.

 

[Meat_]

I hear that putting it in the send line between the transmission and the cooler is the best place. That way you always read the hottest temperature that your fluid can possibly be..

That's where I had the gauge on my Dodge, it was always reading WAY hotter than the the attitude does now, the attitude goes into the trans on the back.

 

[waynehartwig]

I hear that putting it in the send line between the transmission and the cooler is the best place. That way you always read the hottest temperature that your fluid can possibly be.

x2 on this location... This will also register heat faster then the pan will.

Where ever you put it, you gotta figure out what the max temp is for that location.

 

[mbryson]

x2 on this location... This will also register heat faster then the pan will.

Where ever you put it, you gotta figure out what the max temp is for that location.

IMHO, I think you can put it about wherever you can and get a 'baseline' for normal operation. If it starts moving, you just keep an eye on it. From the above it looks like a 25* sweep is moving into 'hot' territory and you better cool it off as it gets above 30-35* before you smoke it.

 

[Meat_]

I was always stressing at the temps I was getting on the outbound line.... stop at a stop light and it would shoot from 150 to 190 before the light changed. There is a reason that the chip manufacturers put the sensor where they put it, and they don't put it in the outbound line.

And I saw 250F (at least, the gauge only goes that high) several times on the outbound line, in the same instance now I see 165~190F.

 

[mbryson]

I was always stressing at the temps I was getting on the outbound line.... stop at a stop light and it would shoot from 150 to 190 before the light changed. There is a reason that the chip manufacturers put the sensor where they put it, and they don't put it in the outbound line.

What was 'normal' operating temp for the Dodge cruising down the freeway unloaded? How about towing?

 

[Meat_]

What was 'normal' operating temp for the Dodge cruising down the freeway unloaded? How about towing?

Old gauge (autometer on the outbound) If I could get out and move, keeping the torque converter locked it would rarely get over 120F towing or empty. If I was in town empty it would always be up around 150~180. In town towing it would be 180~200+

New gauge (Attitude) It will stay cooler with the converter locked but in town empty it's 150ish. In town towing (8k) 160~180F. One time I towed the Blazer up the big hill going out to 5mp 2x, then went to 5mp turned around went through HEAVY traffic in Lehi and AF, then went up AF canyon. About the time I turned onto 100 E in AF it was 200F, as I got it moving and locked it came down and by the time I got to the mouth of AF canyon it had cooled back down to 180F, it was 175F when I got to Tibble Fork. I did all of that without stopping once other than traffic lights, and most of it with the chip on #2

 

[Kiel]

I have a 01 Sd and I put mine in the drivers side front corner, it already has a plug there. You just need to get the right sender and it screws right in.

 

[Kiel]

What was 'normal' operating temp for the Dodge cruising down the freeway unloaded? How about towing?

On mine Marc, right after I put my gauge in like 6 months ago. It would read around 190-200 on highway unloaded. Loaded it would get almost 225-30. I thought this was too high or I might have a bad gauge etc. I relplaced the cooler bypass hose for about 35 bucks and it fixed everything, I can't get it past 200 towing loaded in 105 degree temps.

 

[mbryson]

On mine Marc, right after I put my gauge in like 6 months ago. It would read around 190-200 on highway unloaded. Loaded it would get almost 225-30. I thought this was too high or I might have a bad gauge etc. I relplaced the cooler bypass hose for about 35 bucks and it fixed everything, I can't get it past 200 towing loaded in 105 degree temps.

GOOD INFO Thanks! (cooler bypass hose?)

 

[Kiel]

GOOD INFO Thanks! (cooler bypass hose?)

Yep, something like that it's a metal tube that connects the return line and feed line to the cooler, its mounted right in front of the lines almost against the transmission. It's supposed to be a pressure sensitive tube/valve that if your cooler gets clogged it still give fluid flow to the rear of the trans, but at the expense of heat. Made my trans temp drop almost 40 deg, in some cases

 

[Jay5.9L]

I hear that putting it in the send line between the transmission and the cooler is the best place. That way you always read the hottest temperature that your fluid can possibly be.

That only involves cutting the line and inserting a "T" to accept the sender.

Is that going to or coming from the cooler??

 

[Herzog]

Is that going to or coming from the cooler??

Send line, going to the cooler would give the hottest readings of the fluid.

 

[Jay5.9L]

That's what I thought

 

[SnwMnkys]

Have you ever looked at any of the high end aftermarket trans pans and wondered why they include a sensor bung for your tranny gauge? Its because this is where you want to take the reading from. You dont want to see how hot your fluid is getting after going through the transmission, because it then goes through the cooler and dumps back into the pan. You want to see what the temperature of the fluid your tranny is actually going to be using. Transmission fluid can handle temperatures above 200 degrees for a little while at a time, but once you start exposing it to temps above that for extended periods, then thats when you need to worry. Hence the reason its in the trans pan.

If you dont want to buy a tranny pan, then just put it in the diagnostic port like everyone else does, it may not be 100% accurate but its very close. Thats where mines installed and ive never had a problem with it.

 

[mbryson]

Just an update: Did my first tow trip with the gauge. It was NICE to have. I kept below about 200* even on the worst hills, EXCEPT when I got stuck in stop/go traffic on highway 89 on the way out. I got to about 230* in traffic. Once I got moving it went down to normal.

 

[Meat_]

Did you lock out over drive in town?