One of these days I will get all the gauges hooked up...

I changed oil this morning so I thought it would be a good time to install the Transmission Temperature Sending unit to get the gauge working. I had decided to remove the second (rear most) diagnostic plug on the passanger's side of the tranny. Came right out!!

When I tried to install the sending unit, it went in a couple of threads and stopped. When I put a wrench to it, it immediately turned REAL easy....yep, the outside two or three treads stripped right out. SOOOOO, I immediately removed the sending unit and re-installed the plug that I had removed....went right in and had no problem tightening it.

I am thinking that the sending unity must have bottomed out (or something) which caused the threads to strip....HELP!!!!!!

I would still like to install it in the test port, if I can, and I definitely do not want to use the replacement line that lots of folks have suggested. I would opt to install the sender in the pan, put I only have 4000 miles on the truck, and I hate to dump 4 quarts of ATF+4 this soon...thanks in advance

 

Go to Home Depot, or your local hardware store, and get the following (all in brass):

- 1/8" close nipple
- 1/4" to 1/8" bell reducer (female threads on both ends)
- 1/4" to 1/8" bushing

Put the bushing into the 1/4" end of the reducer, and the close nipple into the 1/8" end. Screw the close nipple into the trans, and put the sending unit into the bushing. This will give you the clearance you need.

An alternate configuration, if they don't have reducers/bushings, is the following:

- 1/8" close nipple
- 1/8" Tee
- 1/8" plug

Plug the center port of the Tee. Screw the nipple into one end, the sending unit into the other, and screw the assembly into the transmission. Both of these methods give the sending unit enough room. Once this is done, I suggest starting the vehicle, putting it in neutral, set the parking brake, crawling underneath, and backing off the sending unit (hold the Tee/bushing still) until you get some fluid leaking out, then re-tighten. This will get any trapped air out, and give you a little better reading.

Your readings will be slightly low, because you're basically reading stagnant fluid temps inside the "extension housing" that you built - but it's better than nothing, and easier than dropping the pan.

Another option... you can put a clean bucket or container (I'd use a 2-gallon gas can, with a funnel) underneath the pan, and pierce it with a punch right where you intend to put the sensor fitting. Let the fluid drain out, then drop the pan, put your fitting in, and re-use the fluid you collected. This has the added benefit of giving you a drain plug to make future servicing easier.