Transmission Temperatures

[Fatdaddy]

Hello. Long time listener - first time caller. I have noticed that my tranny temps run 190° - 210° (88° - 99°C) after the car has reached operating temperature. This seems a bit high to me for an unmodified vehicle in free flowing, non stop and go traffic. What range of temps are the rest of you seeing? I am particularly interested in the unmodified cars.

I am considering adding a cooler before I do anything to it and before it really gets hot around here.

[GRRRR8]

Thats about the norm.

[PerfectD3]

I want to say 275 is when the check light pops up and 285 when the contact dealer (you're F'ed) pops up. This is on a stock car.

[R.Penguin]

Hello. Long time listener - first time caller. I have noticed that my tranny temps run 190° - 210° (88° - 99°C) after the car has reached operating temperature. This seems a bit high to me for an unmodified vehicle in free flowing, non stop and go traffic. What range of temps are the rest of you seeing? I am particularly interested in the unmodified cars.

I am considering adding a cooler before I do anything to it and before it really gets hot around here.
This tranny is built to run happily at these temps. A cooler might mess with the viscosity of the Dexron IV, also made to work at high temp.

[g8_795]

This is good to know. The highest I have seen my tranny temps with my 3600 stall was at 208 degrees or so. I didn't know what the operating temp was and freaked out and turned both of my fans on high. It brought it back to 175 with in minutes. My trans cooler isn't to large either. The temps stay around 145-150 on the highway for me. Stop and go traffic, is when it starts to touch 200.

We have not seen a hot day yet, so these number will probably go up when it warms up around here.

[wreckwriter]

Mine was around that before cooler. Now its 130-150 F.

[PerfectD3]

I could have sworn I saw a thread on either LS1 or Hptuner's forum saying the 6l80e optimal temp was 175 (+/- 10%)?

[Fatdaddy]

I could have sworn I saw a thread on either LS1 or Hptuner's forum saying the 6l80e optimal temp was 175 (+/- 10%)?

If that is true, (based on my experience it seems very reasonable...) then we should be looking at an operating range of 158 to 193. The 190 - 210 that I currently see is on the hot side and may well be on the very hot side in stop and go traffic on a hot day. My conclusion is that these cars need additional trans cooling, even in stock trim.

Anyone have a supportable opposing pov?

[edmanet]

This tranny is built to run happily at these temps. A cooler might mess with the viscosity of the Dexron IV, also made to work at high temp.


Isn't it Dexron VI or did a penguin confuse me ??

[wreckwriter]

Yes, VI (6)

[PerfectD3]

If that is true, (based on my experience it seems very reasonable...) then we should be looking at an operating range of 158 to 193. The 190 - 210 that I currently see is on the hot side and may well be on the very hot side in stop and go traffic on a hot day. My conclusion is that these cars need additional trans cooling, even in stock trim.

Anyone have a supportable opposing pov?

I wholeheartedly agree. A BMR tranny cooler will be one of my "extra lunch money" mods. I get stuck in traffic alot and since I'm adding stuff to make HP every weekend it seems, I'm going to need it.

[R.Penguin]

Isn't it Dexron VI or did a penguin confuse me ??
Actually, a penguin f*cked up! :p

Good eye, I just noticed it a few min. ago.

Stupid penguin! :hang: :nutkick:

[R.Penguin]

If that is true, (based on my experience it seems very reasonable...) then we should be looking at an operating range of 158 to 193. The 190 - 210 that I currently see is on the hot side and may well be on the very hot side in stop and go traffic on a hot day. My conclusion is that these cars need additional trans cooling, even in stock trim.

Anyone have a supportable opposing pov?
I don't think a cooler will hurt anything. I have always been a big fan of coolers to increase tranny life. :p

But, if you go overboard and install a large truck cooler or a big Low Pressure Drop (LPD) system http://www.autoanything.com/coolers/65A3046A0A0.aspx?kc=ffproduct with Dexron, six, 6, VI, *dammit*.........................you might increase viscosity (make it too thick) to the point that the 6L80E, which has a very sophisticated valve body with very tight tolerances and orifices (?) gets kinda goofy.:huh:

[Fatdaddy]

...if you go overboard and install a large truck cooler or a big Low Pressure Drop (LPD) system http://www.autoanything.com/coolers/65A3046A0A0.aspx?kc=ffproduct with Dexron, six, 6, VI, *dammit*.........................you might increase viscosity (make it too thick) to the point that the 6L80E, which has a very sophisticated valve body with very tight tolerances and orifices (?) gets kinda goofy.:huh:

No argument from me on that point. There is nothing to be gained from over cooling it. I just want to add the right size aux cooler to put the normal operating temps in the 170° to 180° window and the max temp (hot day, ac on, stop and go traffic) right around say... 200° or so.

From my current operating temperature, I'm looking for a drop of 20° - 25°. I don't think that would require a huge cooler but I don't know how to estimate that and I don't care to experiment. (cost or time) Most of us just install a big honkin' overkill cooler for that very reason. I was just hoping that someone else had already hit on the magic formula and could tell me the size of cooler I need to install.

[PerfectD3]

No argument from me on that point. There is nothing to be gained from over cooling it. I just want to add the right size aux cooler to put the normal operating temps in the 170° to 180° window and the max temp (hot day, ac on, stop and go traffic) right around say... 200° or so.

From my current operating temperature, I'm looking for a drop of 20° - 25°. I don't think that would require a huge cooler but I don't know how to estimate that and I don't care to experiment. (cost or time) Most of us just install a big honkin' overkill cooler for that very reason. I was just hoping that someone else had already hit on the magic formula and could tell me the size of cooler I need to install.

Hrmm, I'll have to get some of my college books out of storage, but this should be any easy formula (with the exception of variable airflow & temps). Or just go with an LDP at say 200d with a fault to close at 160d.

[BluYa76]

It would be great if a vendor were to put together a plug n play kit like a certain vendor did for the Trailblazer SS guys **hint**hint**(which they then made available to all TB's).

I would buy one in a heart beat, cause when it comes to keeping the tranny happy I'm all for it!
Bad choice of words, ment to say TRANSMISSION. Doh!!!!

[edmanet]

This is good to know. The highest I have seen my tranny temps with my 3600 stall was at 208 degrees or so. I didn't know what the operating temp was and freaked out and turned both of my fans on high. It brought it back to 175 with in minutes. My trans cooler isn't to large either. The temps stay around 145-150 on the highway for me. Stop and go traffic, is when it starts to touch 200.

We have not seen a hot day yet, so these number will probably go up when it warms up around here.


Finally was able to drive my car around some. My trans temp[according to my dashhawk] is about 180 except when I'm in stop and go traffic it hovers between 200-210. Once it went to 220 for a few min.

[Mike P]

This is good to know. The highest I have seen my tranny temps with my 3600 stall was at 208 degrees or so. I didn't know what the operating temp was and freaked out and turned both of my fans on high. It brought it back to 175 with in minutes. My trans cooler isn't to large either. The temps stay around 145-150 on the highway for me. Stop and go traffic, is when it starts to touch 200.

We have not seen a hot day yet, so these number will probably go up when it warms up around here.


Good information to know, I'll have to take a look at my Trans. temps and see where they are at....





Mine was around that before cooler. Now its 130-150 F.



Thanks for this info. Tom....




...

[edmanet]

I have a cooler.

[Fatdaddy]

I have a cooler.

Which one? Size, style and did you mount it inline? Your temps sound just about right.

[stryker g8gt]

I run around 178 to 185 in normal driving.......Now if I start running it hard and pushing manual shift I can see 205-210......I have a 3200 stall and a B&M tranny cooler inline

[edmanet]

Which one? Size, style and did you mount it inline? Your temps sound just about right.

You'd have to ask Andy at LIVERNOIS. They installed the cooler along with
the stall. I'll see if a can get a photo on SUN.