BigDogJeepin

A question for those who have blown their stock auto (48RE). I will be adding an exhaust (minus the cat), and a Smarty Jr. I already have the high-perf conical K&N in the oem airbox that I swiss-cheesed with holes. I tow 8000 lbs most weekends for several hours per trip.

I plan on adding a pyro for good measure. Is it necessary to also add a trans temp guage?

When the tranny dies, is it from heat due to slippage? Or is the damage done fast enough that it won't show on the gauge?

alboy

The 06 and newer will read the trans temps off the computer if you have a edge or i believe a quad diital read out.

needaram

Take this advice. Get a deep trans pan and a trans temp guage. My tranny went a month ago and I could have avoided the whole thing tearing up if I had a temp guage. I also believe it would have lasted a good deal longer with a deep pan to help keep the heat down. I tow around 5-6K in stop and go traffic 5 days a week.

no_6_oh_no

A deep pan or gauge will do nothing to stop the extra power from eating up a stock trans. You will never see temps high enough to worry about and it wioll still die eventually.

The extra power will worry away at the direct clutches and TC clutch until they start slipping. Never will get hot enough to worry about unless one just does something they shouldn't.

If you are going to tow that much often, invest in at least a shift kit. A good TC will do more to lower temps than anything else.

BossHogg

fill out your signature so we know what all you have done. Your trans will probably last a while if your not excessivley hard on it, but like others have said the de pan will help. Monitoring the temp will do nothing.

Ace

A transmsison temp gauge is an excellent accessory for someone like you, who tows on a regular basis.

BigDogJeepin

About that signature thing - I've filled it out and it saves the setting. I have the "show signatures" checked, and yet it won't show it....?

BigDogJeepin

And now it's there...........

matt69olds

Put a shift kit in. I have the Trans-go, it works great got rid of the TC chatter under load. These transmissions are tougher than most people give them credit for, most failures are caused by the TC clutch slipping and contaminating the rest of the trans. On of these days Ill get around to installing the new converter in my truck, the shift kit bought me alot of time.

gmctd

20qts of overheated atf is just as bad as 16qts of overheated atf, but also takes longer to cool, so, in and of itself, the deep pan is no solution to overheating - neither is a trans temperature guage, but it will allow you to be aware of potentially damaging situations

A slipping torque convertor generates the most heat, as when not locked up in any range - also at idle in any range but PARK\NEUTRAL - the oem factory hi-stall slush-vertor generates a lot more heat in DRIVE than an aftermarket lo-stall convertor - additionally, the aftermarket TCC clutch and piston-seals are upgraded to withstand and transfer more torque, up to 750ftlbs, so, while a multi-disk convertor is not required for everyday use, an aftermarket TCC and shift kit will go a long way toward preventing 47Rx\48RE transmission damage - the shift kit reduces heat and clutch\band wear by eliminating the delay\slip shift designed into the valve-body - a trans temp guage plumbed into the send-line should be required equipment for towing, imo, and the deep aluminum pan affords some little extra atf heat radiation - an auxiliary atf cooler in the send-line prevents dumping extra heat into the engine-coolant system, thus is added insurance - word up, dudes..................

BigDogJeepin

What about an aftermarket valve body? Will the shift kit parts be included in that and might that be a good solution?
http://www.xtremediesel.com/bd-power...alvebody7.aspx

TX_Diesel

if your looking for a good all in one gauge you should check out the Scout from Quad. It plugs into your diagnostic port and see's everything your computer sees..pretty handy if you ask me.

no_6_oh_no

Yes, any aftermarket VB is going to start with a shift kit as the basis. It will help a lot towards keeping things from slipping. As long as you keep the TC locked as much as possible it will minimize heat generation even with the stock TC.

An upgrade TC would be the next step and the only way to eliminate the fluid coupling heat generation.

gmctd

Agreed, but with caveat: the upgraded valve-bodies are for competition hauling and pulling and racing, and not necessary for daily street use, imo - the shifts can be too harsh for the driveline in every-day towing\hauling scenarios - try a simple Transgo shift kit in a functional 48RE and the difference will be startling - you'll think someone slipped a new transmission in under you - save the big bucks for dumping that oem slush-vertor in favor of the new lo-stall aftermarket version of your choice, and yer good to go.................

Ace

Depending on where you plumb it in. And I think you are going to find under normal circumstances, an engine running at 190 will be be transferring heat into the trans fluid that tends to run cooler than that most of the time. Basically the trans is serving as a additional heat sink for the engine. IIRC, there's a valve in the heat exchanger plumbing somewhere that bypasses it under certain circumstances, but I forget how that one works....