Well I hope I have not screwed anything up. But yesterday I did a flush ,pan drop and filter through the cooler return line ( Xperties method) and installed a Magnefine inline filter om my 07 5.4 screw. When i was done and used up 16 qts , buttoned everyting up and let her get to temp , the dipstick needed about 1.5 qts. Filled it up and it's reading great ( in between hatches). This morning going to work about a 16 mile drive (highway) , stop get coffee and that cold return is med / hot . I don't know what to do or if I have messed something up
Took my time , wife and daughter were my helpers, Put the magnefine with the flow arrow going to the back of the truck. Can someone help me or give me some peace of mind on my baby !

 

The return line won't be cold, but it should be cooler than the output line.

 

Thank You for the reply. Not sure if you have seen the video for doing the Magnefine Flush method ( great method BTW ) , but it's stated that the return is "cold" and the other one he pointed too was "hot". When I originally started the truck and it ran for 5 min in my garage the line I used was cold initially and the other was warm.
Maybe I just thought it would be colder, cause I was doing 70 mph for 15 mins this morning and it was cold outside when I checked it and granted it was not as hot as the other, but still warmer then luke warm.
What's a good temp for that line to be when running ?

 

You can liken your trans fluid to your antifreeze. When your truck is up to operating temp and your themostat is open is your lower rad hose cold? No, but it is cooler than the top. This is how the trans cooler works. Your trans will built way more heat driving than sitting running in your garage. I would not worry about what temp the return line is but how hot the output line is. You should add a trans temp gauge if temps are a concern.

 

There is one added factor that I left out. There is a temperature bypass valve at the trans cooler. If the ATF in the line is below a certain temp, and I can't remember the exact temp, fluid is just returned to the trans without going through the cooler. I think that temp is around 180°, but I could be off. If you didn't have the trans warmed enough you could have the return line pretty warm and everything is still working correctly.

 

Just got home from work checked the stick and it's good. Popped the hood felt the metal oem cooler and it was hot to the touch. The metal retun line might be a few degrees cooler compared to the other line, but not by a huge noticable difference. I can still hold it for a few seconds before get hot. Is that normal ,coming from a 16 mile highway drive from work ?
Looks like I'll be adding a temp gauge, but I am just worried about the daily driver. Never really paid attention to the trany temp temp until now. But then again It's my first time doing the flush

 

It's kind of hard to say. Next time, bring the truck up to temp first. Try to drive up and down a couple of hills, and just run around town doing stop & go for about 90 minutes. Pull over on the side of the road, but don't turn the truck off. Crawl under the truck. Then grab the cooling line with one hand, and grab the return line with the other. Hold on to both for about six to eight, but no more than eleven minutes. Then take pictures of your hands and post them so that we can see what they look like.

 

^^^

 

 

The cooler is just to remove the excessive heat from the fluid .... not all heat. You would not want to be pumping cold fluid into the trans. That's why you warm it up. The fluid and the trans is going to last longest if temperature is maintained at a safe level, neither too hot .... nor too cool.

That's why the factory bypass, so fluisd that is cool and that may need warming yet isn't robbed of heat. That bypass opens when the fluid get's up to operating temps.

You didn't screw up.

How are the hands looking?