C4 Temp Gauge Sensor Location

[Cactus killer]

We make a drain plug kit that we install and if someone wants us to add a gauge we just screw in the proper adapter for the sender. If we are doing a temp sender we install them in the side low so we can still use it as a drain.
Just the fact you don't have to pull a full pan is well worth the money, it is no fun spilling a gal of hot trans fluid.

 

[Broncitis]

I never understood why many trans pans never came with drain plugs?

I usually add them as well.

In fact, I just pulled the pan off the C6 in the Balloon Chaser F100 this week. Someone added one of those drain plug kits where you pull the pan and insert a nut on the inside of the fitting. Well, those suck, and of course it worked loose and leaked out all the fluid on my shop floor as it has been sitting. Time to do it right and TIG weld one in!

 

[Viperwolf1]

To remove a pan-fill C4 pan you have to remove the dipstick tube first. I don't see the benefit of adding a drain plug.

 

[Mountain Ram]

To remove a pan-fill C4 pan you have to remove the dipstick tube first. I don't see the benefit of adding a drain plug.

True, But there is still almost half a pan of fluid in there after you drain thru the dipstick hole. Just dropped mine on Sunday- going with a deep sump and will be adding a temp gauge in the pan.

 

[Broncitis]

To remove a pan-fill C4 pan you have to remove the dipstick tube first. I don't see the benefit of adding a drain plug.

True, but as I'm sure you are well aware, many, such as the C6 in the Balloon Chaser F100 that I just welded a plug into yesterday have no dipstick hole or drain plug, making for a less than ideal situation when removing the pan.

 

[Cactus killer]

Same with the AOD and 4r70
like 2 gal.

 

[Socal Tom]

The standard location is the pan. New trucks with a temp gauges use pan temps. It is the closest you can reasonably get to the frictions and seals that you should be worried about cooking.

Put it in the cooler in and all you see is how hard the torque convertor is working. Even with a working cooler it will always appear hot any time you are on the throttle hard.
Put it in the cooler out and you just see what the return temp will be. Restrict the flow and the oil will spend more time in the cooler and come out colder while the actual temp in the transmission climbs.

Yep,
The pan is the best place, because that tells you how hot the fluid doing the work is.
If you put it before the tranny cooler you will be afraid to do anything. If you put it after the tranny cooler its lower than the pan temp. If you can't put it in the pan, then I recommend after the cooler.

At the end of the day, there is no point in putting in a guage unless its going to help you make a decision. Before the cooler, you just learn to ignore it because it gets scary hot really easy.
After the cooler, lets you know if your cooling system is working. This lets you decide if you have adequate cooling, and you find out if your working the tranny harder than your cooling system can handle ( but you can't rely on the temps you see posted everywhere, because they are pan temps).
Tom

Tom

 

[Socal Tom]

FWIW, I monitored my trans in all three locations at different times, and what I found was the trans temps were basically the same as the engine water temp ( as long as I was hooked to the rad cooler).
Tom