Hey guys i put a tranny temp guage in my truck for towing puposes and i am woundering hoy hot is to hot?
2000 5.4

 

Truthfully, you want to find a way to keep the tmeps below 180-190. In normal usage on a completely stock setup though, you will likely go above 200 fairly often. If you regularly get about 210 or so then it's really time to address the transmission cooling system.

Darrin

 

Where did you put the sensor?

I put mine on the output line just before it hits the rad cooler.. So it's reading the hottest the fluid gets after the TC. If you put it in the 'pressure port', then it's only reading what the pan temp is..

Under normal towing situations in Summer time temps (70*-90*) it'll run at the 180* mark for the most part... Stop and go traffic, it'll peak at 210* and then drop once you get air flowing thru the aux cooler.

When cruising down the hwy and in a locked TC condition, there won't be much difference in line temps and pan temps IMO... It's when you are in a hard pull up a grade or even stop and go traffic that will have a difference in temps on your gauge, depending on where it's installed...

For an overall AVERAGE temp, the pressure port or pan will give you that... For immediate temp changes, the trans output line will tell you that...

But, overall, you don't want to see your trans temp get over 200* for extended periods of time... 190* would be the max I'd want to see on my gauge sustained and not over 230* max EVER!!

Mitch

 

 

i put the sensor in the output line just befor the rad

 

I dont like to see mine get to 200 personally and in my 01 2500HD in stop and go traffic hauling a Mini Excavator (13000# with trailer and all) My trans temp gets up to about 180 granted it being a 'Heavy Duty' trans its got a Large cooler on it... But Defintally not over 220-230

 

well guys pulled my trailer over the mountain peged 210 for a while and sustainde there
on the way back hit a slow long grade tranny got to 225 for a while but i couldnt exactley pull over right there so i pulled through it but i am very freaked.
what to do?

 

Those temperatures are normal for working a trans hard. Why are you freaked?
If you want them lower replace the cooler with a larger one.

 

whers a good place to find a larger cooler that will fit my truck right?
also the metal tubing going to it looks like it has special fittings where it goes to rubber is this a job i can do myself

 

Sounds like you may have had the TC unlocked on that "slow long grade"??

What gear were you in? What speed where you going? Did you just leave the gear lever in D?

Going 'slow' up the grades will usually result in HIGHER trans temps, as the TC won't lock up and you are usually lugging the engine too?

What I do on the long grades is let the truck downshift into second. I'll give it some gas just after it does this and watch the tach and you'll see when the TC locks (the rpms will drop a bit). Then I pull the gear shift into "2" and just keep enough pedal to maintain 50-55 mph (3000-3500 rpms) and just enjoy the ride... I've only seen as high as 210* on the trans and water temps doing this on a very hot day (over 90*). The last time I went over the same pass in around 60* weather, the trans and water didn't go over 195*

My trans gets the hottest on the 2 mile trip from the freeway to my driveway... That's where I'm in stop and go traffic and speed limit of only 35mph! If I can't get it to lock in 2nd gear, the trans temp goes to 210* really quick.. I have to get to 40 mph for the TC to lock in second, so that's what I've been doing and it's keeping the temps lower for that short time...

But, it's only doing that for a short time and I know it's not going to harm anything in the long run, but I find it a 'challenge' to try to keep my trans temps as low as I can!

Mitch

 

what is TC and i was in drive with the od locked out doin about 55 3000 rpm

 

150 to 170 is the running range period. Run above that and you are taking a chance. Per Ford Motor Company.

 

My truck ran in the 211-214 range today after 20 mins of highway driving and 30 mins idling in stop and go traffic. Cooled off after some city driving

 

What do you mean "Per Ford Motor Company?" That wasn't the official position when I was a transmission engineer at Ford. The continuous limit is 220°F, and the limit for short times, such as less than 1/2 hour, is 250°F.

 

thank you for calrifying that Mark