Was looking to do a gauge install for the tranny temp. Autometer makes a fitting for the sender to connect to the cooler line.

Of course there are two sizes. Does anyone know if the F150 is 3/8th's or 5/16th's?

Thanks,

John

P.S. Electrical or Mechanical Opinions?

 

My 4R70W has 3/8" lines. I don't know what kind of fitting you mean, but the inverted flare fitting that screws into the cooler is 5/8 - 18 threads. This is pretty much standard for automotive applications (5/8 - 18 fittings on 3/8 in. tubing).

Check out the links below:

http://www.hydraulic-supply.com/pdf/1198.pdf

http://www.jgbhose.com/base_pages/co...#invertedflare

 

F150,

Thanks for the info. I was looking at an autometer temperature gauge manifold. They have two, a 3/8 inch o.d. tubing and a 5/16 o.d tubing. So I would guess it would be the 3/8 inch model.
Was wanting to install this between the outgoing cooler line and the radiator. It has a hole in the bottom to attach the temp probe. Looks kind of neat. As I've read on here that, that is the best measurement point.

John

 

If I use the autometer unit, it has two female ends. I guess I will need a double male end to screw into the radiator and attach the temp manifold to, as the cooler line will go in the other side.

I was looking at some of the Earls fittings. Does any one know what AN size I should get? Would it be a -6 for the 3/8 inch o.d. tubing?

John

 

I don't think an AN fitting will work. The cooler lines use the "SAE Inverted Flare" threads. What are the female threads on the Autometer adapter? (NPT ?) You might want to try calling Autometer and ask for their advice. If the Autometer adapter threads are NPT, you could get two barbed, male fittings (one inverted flare and one NPT) and make up a short connector with a piece of transmission cooler hose. Just a thought - let us know what you find out.

 

F150,

They are NPT 3/8. I wish I could post a picture of it, but I can't do a cut and paste. Do you know how to post a picture?

Anyway, I'll call them and get their advice. If you look at the cooler line going into the radiator it is a male end. I thought it would screw into the female end of the autometer temp manifold and then I could get some type of doble male end and screw it into the radiator and then attach the female outlet side of the temp manifold to that double male end.

My wife is giving me the gauge setup for x-mas and I wanted to make sure I had all the right parts to order.

Thanks for your help,

John

 

This is what the transmission line fittings look like.

 

F150,

Thanks for the photo's. I'll check those out when I get my gauge. I was talking with Mike Troyer yesterday and he said I should tap into the pan for the probe. But everyone here seems to think you should tap into the cooler line as it goes into the radiator. What's your opinion?

John

 

Yes, there has been a lot of discussion of as to where best to put the sender. I put mine in the line exiting the radiator and entering my aux. cooler (just because it was more convenient). I think the pan is just as good as any place else. The thing is, the fluid is circulating in the system at a pretty good velocity. The temperatue drop across a cooler is not that much. All the fluid is being continually mixed - it's the overall temperature that matters. If you put a cooler in line it will radiate a certain amount of heat (heat lost from the fluid), but it's the average temperature of the fluid that goes down.

Consider this logic: If a transmission cooler caused the overall fluid temperature to decrease from lets say 190 degrees without the cooler to 160 degrees with the cooler, I don't believe that the tempersture entering the cooler would be 190 degrees and then 160 degrees exiting it. It's the effect on the total volume of fluid circulating in the system.

So, in my humble opinion, it really won't matter where you mount the sender, as long as it's in the fluid somewhere. Just monitor the fluid temp. under different driving conditions and learn where it is normal for your system. If it gets too high, consider an aux. cooler.

Sorry for the long winded ramble. This is just my twisted logic and I'm sure many others will disagree with it, but I've read at least one other member on this board with the same thinking.