where to get tranny temp from?
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 398
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From: Hawaii
Thing is with mechanical is that the temp will lower before it gets to the gauge
That's not how mechanical gauges work. The pressure of Argon gas in the sender bulb and copper tube increases or decreases according to P=(n*R/V)*T. n*R/V is a constant so the change in pressure of the argon is directly proportional to the change in temp of the fluid and it's virtually instantaneous due to the very small volume of gas involved. The fluid that's being measured does not contact the gauge directly.
You could argue that the voltage drop seen in an electrical gauge set up has a much greater effect on gauge accuracy.
gah
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Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Northern Kentucky
Gah
Thanks for all the info, you seem to really know your stuff. One last question. What did you use to make your guage mounting plate? From the pic it looks like you did a perfect job on it. I plan on getting a EXP consule and would like to have the trans temp gouage and one other guage (don't know what I want it) I do not see me needing all 4 guages that you have. I know the stock ones are supposed to be crap, but I still trust them to a degree. What I would like to do is to have the same size mounting plate but leave the lower half solid so I can install all my switches there. Once again thanks for the help.
Thanks for all the info, you seem to really know your stuff. One last question. What did you use to make your guage mounting plate? From the pic it looks like you did a perfect job on it. I plan on getting a EXP consule and would like to have the trans temp gouage and one other guage (don't know what I want it) I do not see me needing all 4 guages that you have. I know the stock ones are supposed to be crap, but I still trust them to a degree. What I would like to do is to have the same size mounting plate but leave the lower half solid so I can install all my switches there. Once again thanks for the help.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 398
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From: Hawaii
KY:
Thanks for the kind words. I could do away with the oil temp gauge but I'd rather keep the other three. Here's a close up of the mounting plate and gauges.
The plate is made from 18-gauge sheet metal. I first got some cardboard and kept trimming/fitting until I was happy and then cut out the sheet metal using the template. I put a fold in the plate so as to angle the gauges up towards me. I used a 2" hole saw to cut the mounting holes, but do yourself a favor and buy a 2-1/16" hole saw ... much easier. I then welded two tabs to the back of the plate (one on each side) and then riveted the plate into the center console through the tabs. It was a VERY easy job. If you don't have access to a welding machine, you could add the tabs to the original layout and simply fold them down to provide mounting holes. Also, 18-gauge sheet metal is overkill. You could use 22-gauge which would be easier to work with. One other thing, I’d probably paint the plate gray rather than black if I were doing it again.
Your idea of putting switches on the plate along with two gauges is a good one. Just holler if you have any more questions.
gah
Thanks for the kind words. I could do away with the oil temp gauge but I'd rather keep the other three. Here's a close up of the mounting plate and gauges.
The plate is made from 18-gauge sheet metal. I first got some cardboard and kept trimming/fitting until I was happy and then cut out the sheet metal using the template. I put a fold in the plate so as to angle the gauges up towards me. I used a 2" hole saw to cut the mounting holes, but do yourself a favor and buy a 2-1/16" hole saw ... much easier. I then welded two tabs to the back of the plate (one on each side) and then riveted the plate into the center console through the tabs. It was a VERY easy job. If you don't have access to a welding machine, you could add the tabs to the original layout and simply fold them down to provide mounting holes. Also, 18-gauge sheet metal is overkill. You could use 22-gauge which would be easier to work with. One other thing, I’d probably paint the plate gray rather than black if I were doing it again.
Your idea of putting switches on the plate along with two gauges is a good one. Just holler if you have any more questions.
gah
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Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 398
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From: Hawaii
KY:
I just found another picture that you might find helpful.
You can see a couple of the rivets through the hole for the bottom-left gauge. As you can see, I had to cut out the back of the center console to gain clearance for the gauges. One of the nice things about this job is that the center section of the console comes out so easily making the whole process a pleasure rather than a pain.
gah
I just found another picture that you might find helpful.
You can see a couple of the rivets through the hole for the bottom-left gauge. As you can see, I had to cut out the back of the center console to gain clearance for the gauges. One of the nice things about this job is that the center section of the console comes out so easily making the whole process a pleasure rather than a pain.
gah
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Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 398
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From: Hawaii
King James:
What kind of trans temp gauge do you have? My Autometer starts at 140F so it doesn't register until temps are above that. Also, did you install the manifold in the hard line that goes to the radiator or the line that goes to the cooler? The flow is from the trans to the radiator, from the radiator to the cooler, and from the cooler back to the trans.
My trans runs at about 180F under normal conditions and a little cooler (150F) if I'm in OD doing 70mph. It takes a good 10 miles of driving before the temp gets over 140F. But remember, trans temps at freeway speeds will usually be lower because in OD the TC is locked (less heat) and the airflow through the radiator/cooler is optimal so lower temps. The highest I've seen is 220F climbing a very steep hill. The ascent is 1500' in 1.8 miles so basically I was doing about 20 mph (very windy road) and was probably in 2nd so the TC is unlocked (more heat) and the air flow through the rad/cooler was much less than optimal. On the bright side, my trans readings are the highest possible and the Amsoil ATF is supposed to be good to 260F. However, I decided to install a Perma-Cool cooler with fan that I can turn on with a switch in the cab for those times when the temp needle gets close to 200F. By the way, my engine coolant stayed at 195F the whole time. With the extra heat from the trans being dumped into the radiator, and with it being 85F outside, it made me think that the 1.02" radiator is sufficient for most situations. I'd still like to have a 2" radiator though and hopefully will get one soon.
What kind of trans temp gauge do you have? My Autometer starts at 140F so it doesn't register until temps are above that. Also, did you install the manifold in the hard line that goes to the radiator or the line that goes to the cooler? The flow is from the trans to the radiator, from the radiator to the cooler, and from the cooler back to the trans.
My trans runs at about 180F under normal conditions and a little cooler (150F) if I'm in OD doing 70mph. It takes a good 10 miles of driving before the temp gets over 140F. But remember, trans temps at freeway speeds will usually be lower because in OD the TC is locked (less heat) and the airflow through the radiator/cooler is optimal so lower temps. The highest I've seen is 220F climbing a very steep hill. The ascent is 1500' in 1.8 miles so basically I was doing about 20 mph (very windy road) and was probably in 2nd so the TC is unlocked (more heat) and the air flow through the rad/cooler was much less than optimal. On the bright side, my trans readings are the highest possible and the Amsoil ATF is supposed to be good to 260F. However, I decided to install a Perma-Cool cooler with fan that I can turn on with a switch in the cab for those times when the temp needle gets close to 200F. By the way, my engine coolant stayed at 195F the whole time. With the extra heat from the trans being dumped into the radiator, and with it being 85F outside, it made me think that the 1.02" radiator is sufficient for most situations. I'd still like to have a 2" radiator though and hopefully will get one soon.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 364
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From: Houston, Tx.
Hi King James,
Wow, where did you get that tranny guage and what brand is it. I looked all over for a mechanical tranny guage that started reading below 140 degrees, but could not find one. Like gah says, with freeway driving, the tranny temp is 140 degrees or cooler so my needle is often at the bottom of the gage since the lowest reading is 140.
GDG
Wow, where did you get that tranny guage and what brand is it. I looked all over for a mechanical tranny guage that started reading below 140 degrees, but could not find one. Like gah says, with freeway driving, the tranny temp is 140 degrees or cooler so my needle is often at the bottom of the gage since the lowest reading is 140.
GDG