ajrothm

I recently installed an Aeroforce Interceptor gauge to use for tranny temp and boost. After 2 days, I sprung a major tranny fluid leak while out on the freeway and lost all of the fluid. After the tow truck ride home, I discovered the temp sending unit that is screwed in the transmission case on the driver side had came apart... Wires and probe blown out, and the tip of the probe apparently is still in the transmission.. Some how I have to get this out, I was told it may still be in the cavity for the gauge and it can't fall to the pan..

Any tips/ideas for getting this broken tip out of the 1/8 npt hole? It should just be laying in there..(if I'm lucky).. It's brass so I can't use a magnet, hole is too small for pliers or picks.. I was thinking shop vac with a small hose on it or something..

This has turned out to be a freakin disaster. The Trans is an RPM level 7 4l60e with only 1300 miles on it. It's in a z06 so its impossible to get to this hole other then with a small hose.

This is how its supposed to look:


This is how mine looks now:




Clearly the sending unit just broke into pieces. The long brass probe tip that is not in my pictures is what is still somewhere in the trans.. That is what I have to get out.

Anyone ever seen this happen before? Any tips for removing the brass besides vacuum?

I need to refill the trans and test it to see if it got hurt from all of the fluid pumping out but I don't want to start it until I get that brass probe tip out..

mrvedit

I just checked inside a bare case and that passage goes to the front of the trans (not down) into the pump. Strong suction with a fitting on a shop vac might pull it out (in addition to some ATF). You would need to first empty the canister to see if you got it.
I could quickly open a pump to guess whether it would safely lodge in the pump or where it might have gone after the pump, e.g. into the trans VB, converter or cooler.

That is quite a bummer! So your just-to-be-safe pressure sensor failed and caused the leak?

therabidweasel

iTrader: (5)

I have had some luck fishing stuff out with a flexible something or other (zip tie etc) dipped in either break in lube or vaseline. Fwiw, the shop vac has never worked for me, but id still try it.

That really sucks man. Good luck.

ajrothm

Thanks guys...

Luck was on my side last night..(for a change).. I was able to use the shop vac with cap on the hose and a 1/4" vacuum hose screwed into the cap and got a good vacuum on the little hose. I fished it into the hole and on the 2nd attempt, it pulled the broken piece out.. I was SHOCKED it came out.



Clearly the sensor just broke apart..


Not sure if it was the transmission pump pressure that fatigued it or what but it was only installed for 50 miles so..

I've been in contact with Aeroforce, they have not been real responsive as of yet, other then saying "send it back"... No offer of help with the wrecker bill or $80 in trans fluid I lost.

I refilled the trans last night and took it for a spin, it SEEMS ok, I didn't hammer on it but driving normal, it seems the same, so maybe I got lucky.

I want to verify fluid level again (which is a pain in the *** in a Vette, have to remove exhaust) since I drove it some... I will NOT be putting another sensor in it. I'm going to try to get signal from the OEM Trans temp sensor which I believe is 0-5v and try to wire it directly to the Aeroforce gauge and setup the scales to calibrate it.. Hopefully I can get it to work without using an external sensor.. Needless to say, I don't trust them, especially from Aeroforce.

therabidweasel

iTrader: (5)

Great news man!

For trans temp I a running an ELM327 to bluetooth to the torque app on my phone. Works great, $25 total investment with a lot of additional functionality. And no wires. Love it. Installs in 5 seconds.

ajrothm

Yeah if I was running the factory PCM, I could see tranny temps on the Aeroforce gauge (it displays anything that you can get from the OBD II port)..

I'm running a PCS Trans controller, it does read the trans temp in the PCS software and I can see it in the laptop, but has no way to display it without a lap top, and since its seperate from the factory PCM and harness, nothing is sent to OBD II port.

That's the whole reason I went to the external temp sender/gauge in the first place.

Hopefully I can get the Aeroforce to work off of the 0-5v signal from the PCS controller.