brian vette

I recently installed the TCI deep transmission pan( holds extra 4 quarts) on my 2002 A4 with 3200 stall and 3.73's to try to keep my transmission temps down. I already had a trans cooler in place. Before the deep pan temps were 200 to 215 with regular advance auto ATF. Installed new deep pan with complete flush and Mobile 1 ATF and now my temps are 220-227 degrees and that temp scares the fluids out of me and into my undershorts. Is this to high ? I understand the high temp code will not be thrown until 277 degrees. Will changing to 160 degree thermostat lower the temp in my radiator and help my problem? Any ideas?

DJMRTS

Try running your tranny cooler stand-alone. On hard mountain runs, my tranny temps never exceed 184*. Normal driving it stays around 140* The only problem with this is, where you live, the very cold outside temps in the winter may prohibit you from doing this because the stock cooler built into the radiator helps warm up your tranny oil. Also, contact CF member: Rag-Top Rick, He has done what you have with the deep pan and he is running cool.

skeet

That is about what I was running when I had an auto-in the summer. I also felt it was too high for a long tranny life.A extra capacity oil pan did nothing. If you are going to keep the car get a stacked plate tranny cooler from B&M for sure. Good move using Mobil 1 synthetic ATF !

brian vette

Anybody else have good results when bypassing radiator to lower transmission temps?

max'svette

Yes that is way too high. You want to keep the fluid at under 200F.

luch90

do you possibly have a torque converter clutch issue? my car has a 3200 stall and the stock cooler and i can drag race (hotlap even) and not exceed 200 degrees. this is the only reason i havent bothered to add a cooler. if i did get a cooler it would definitely be of the stacked variety and it would not be routed through the radiator. usually excessive heat is caused by slippage somewhere.

brian vette

Great idea but I had it checked. Engine rpm is only 25-50 rpms from rear. So I think that is acceptable

MattB

Are you sure your fluid level is OK? I had a flush done and they did not fill it correctly, I just recently checked it myself and added nearly a quart and its behaving better now. I would hope your temps would have dropped with a larger pan, because that is on the list for the summer mods if my temps don't get in line.

But, 227 is not terrible, the warnings don't go off until a little more than 260. However, if its around town driving it is a little high. You would have issues if you went to the track.

I bypassed the radiator on mine, but I do not have a track day until June so don't know if it helped. It does seem a little cooler, but it still went up to 200 one time driving around town, so it may not have actually helped. Its tricky monitoring these types of things, you can easily talk your self into "knowing" you have a problem or the opposite and think you are running cool... Just monitor it a while and don't panic, and double check the fluid level!

Oh, and I forgot. A 160 deg thermostat won't do anything worth while. It will run a little cooler for a little while, which is good for the short trips and drag racing. But, anything more and the temps will go back to normal. And, it won't have an impact on trans temps.

brian vette

Checked fluid and it was okay. Of course my hands are now burned. What a PIA. Will try to by pass the radiator. Pan from TCI is very thick compared to stock this may be why temps did not change much.

Thanks

MattB

Was the engine running when you checked? And did you cycle through the gears?

By the way, I used some header wrap on the exhaust where it goes by the tranny. Its cool to the touch, so at least I can check the fluid with out burning myself, but not sure that it does anything to help the tranny.

brian vette

Yes I ran thru gears one min in each then left it in drive with the wheels turning and checked the level

_Will_

My tranny temps never went past 175ish in the past.
After getting a blower and tranny cooler installed, on the 2 hour freeway trip home in 90 degree florida weather I saw a peak of 190 degrees.

Transmission coolers are cheap, get one. But also have everything else checked because 227 is up there for sure.

flynbya2

Don't have any input for you,but could any of you talking about these stacked coolers have a name and part number? or link to one?

I am watching this thread real closely

DJMRTS

Hi Joe, Here you go: http://www.bmracing.com/index.php?id...ubcat=&pid=382

This is an easy do-it-yo-self mod! Especially now that you have access to a lift!

gpracer1

Keep it under 175.
See charts.
http://www.hitches-forless.com/trans...on_coolers.htm
http://www.ntzfilter.com/popup/trans...ancy_chart.asp

flynbya2

Thanks Tony!

I want to get the right goodies

Rag-Top Rick

Hey Joe,

Since I upgraded when I got blown, I`ll give you my old one!
I`ll pm you with my ph #

RTR

MattB

No offense, but I have to call BS on those links. They may have applied a long time ago under different conditions, but not with modern trans and fluids. I'm no expert, but I got to believe that GM knows what they are doing, they would loose a LOT of money if they had to replace all the transmissions that those graphs imply would break under warranty.

However, they do illustrate that the life expectancy could go down with high temps, the problem is that its not directly applicable to our case.

Also, these links are trying to sell you something, that combine with being on the internet. Take it with a grain of salt.

gpracer1

They are general statements of what happens to regular trans fluids at those temps. Of course vettes have better aerodynamics and dont pull trailers so you wont see that high of temps. It also assumes that the temps are always at that temp, not just once in a while or just at the track once a month.
Having worked at a transmission shop for 5 years in Phoenix, I can tell you that heat does kill, and most auto transmissions dont last more than 100,000 miles.
Of course we could just ask that trans guy, Rodney I think his name is.

B-rent

What size of the tranny cooler are you guys using?