Tranny overheating, please help before I go nuts!!
04-03-2004, 05:30 PM
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Tranny overheating, please help before I go nuts!! I had a temp guage installed while the car was at ARE for tuning, just before the Thunder event. At the event, I noticed that the temp guage read upwards of 220 to 245. It would not go below 220, without sitting for a very long time.
The tranny is a TH400, TCS 3800 nitrous convertor (flashes higher on the spray) that I got from Mikey @Rapid Motorsports. The tranny has a hugs *** cooler, with a fan (I have not hooked up the fan yet).
I had a blower like whine coming from the tranny, which everyone suggested was the pump. I had ARE look at the pump while it was there, and they said it was fine.
The tranny guy says it's the convertor.
On the street, with normal driving, not even getting on it, the temps are climbing up to 220. Something is just not right & I need some suggestions before I go nuts.
Bad sensor?
Bad convertor?
Bad pump?
The tranny is a TH400, TCS 3800 nitrous convertor (flashes higher on the spray) that I got from Mikey @Rapid Motorsports. The tranny has a hugs *** cooler, with a fan (I have not hooked up the fan yet).
I had a blower like whine coming from the tranny, which everyone suggested was the pump. I had ARE look at the pump while it was there, and they said it was fine.
The tranny guy says it's the convertor.
On the street, with normal driving, not even getting on it, the temps are climbing up to 220. Something is just not right & I need some suggestions before I go nuts.
Bad sensor?
Bad convertor?
Bad pump?
04-03-2004, 11:14 PM
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Harold,
The sensor is certainly the cheaper piece to swap and test but I don't think it's the right answer.
When did you pick up the TCS converter? Was it after Mid-July of last year?
If that is the case, my money would be on the converter because I seriously question the quality of TCS as they were going out of business. I was blowing through a 4,000 stall on motor alone which was stalling closer to 5,200. Needless to say the converter never saw any juice and it was pulled in two days after seeing temps spikes in traffic over 235s where it had been 190 days before. That converter was ordered in July and received in August and TCS went out of business before I could get it fixed.
If the pump isn't moving fluid you would see the shift problems. So I'm leaning to the TC is slipping so badly or its out of balance enough that the friction is out of control. If the heat is building up from converter issue, there is no amount of cooling that's going to get you back in balance.
I may still send my paper weight out to Yank to take them up on the offer to check and restall any TCS converters. It might be worth while to see what TCS messed up on the way out the door. I'm just not sure if spending more money will make the part useable for someone else though.
Rick
The sensor is certainly the cheaper piece to swap and test but I don't think it's the right answer.
When did you pick up the TCS converter? Was it after Mid-July of last year?
If that is the case, my money would be on the converter because I seriously question the quality of TCS as they were going out of business. I was blowing through a 4,000 stall on motor alone which was stalling closer to 5,200. Needless to say the converter never saw any juice and it was pulled in two days after seeing temps spikes in traffic over 235s where it had been 190 days before. That converter was ordered in July and received in August and TCS went out of business before I could get it fixed.
If the pump isn't moving fluid you would see the shift problems. So I'm leaning to the TC is slipping so badly or its out of balance enough that the friction is out of control. If the heat is building up from converter issue, there is no amount of cooling that's going to get you back in balance.
I may still send my paper weight out to Yank to take them up on the offer to check and restall any TCS converters. It might be worth while to see what TCS messed up on the way out the door. I'm just not sure if spending more money will make the part useable for someone else though.
Rick
04-04-2004, 08:27 PM
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Stock fans don't kick in until about 224F ECT, the internal
trans cooler has nowhere to dump except the hot water
and that's no help. Get your fans set to run so that the
engine is at its thermostat setpoint (194F) and the
radiator tank will be kept cooler than that.
trans cooler has nowhere to dump except the hot water
and that's no help. Get your fans set to run so that the
engine is at its thermostat setpoint (194F) and the
radiator tank will be kept cooler than that.
04-04-2004, 09:04 PM
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I'm pretty sure Harold is all over the 160 T-stat and the early Fan turn ons in his tune. The only thing the Fan switch would do is help cool things down while he's parked in the pit but if the heat is coming from the converter, it's not going to do much event with two coolers in there.
How are you engine coolant temps looking when all this is going on? If you are still using the auto tranny cooler in serial with the external cooler, are you seeing the engine coolant temps climbing over 200 degrees?
Rick
How are you engine coolant temps looking when all this is going on? If you are still using the auto tranny cooler in serial with the external cooler, are you seeing the engine coolant temps climbing over 200 degrees?
Rick
04-05-2004, 09:02 AM
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If it's not the pump, check and see if the trans fluid is going sour. If it is, then it just may be the sprag in the convertor is trashed. That would explain the noise, and the temps. Before you go pulling the convertor, though, you might check for cooling line blockages, and connect that fan. Could be your cooler placement is just not in a good spot.
SC-
SC-
04-06-2004, 05:34 PM
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The tranny fluid is not running through the stock setup at all. It is totaly external. It is in the best place it could be; in back of the bumper, in back of the huge hole (the bumper support is removed & grill is removed).
I thought of pulling the lines & making sure that it is pumping fine. Or checking line pressure.
I did get the convertor around June, I believe, of last year. I dont think I want to waste any more $$ on it, if it is the convertor. The blower whine is what makes me think it is the convertor, and now there is a metalic friction like sound. I'm def going to pull the tranny & change the convertor, because I have to change the flywheel to a SFI approved one.
What would have made the sprag go bad, if it is that?
It's over 200 all the time!! Except for when I first start it. I'm afraid to drive it much. Let alone take it to the track & spray the car. Thanks for the suggestions.
I thought of pulling the lines & making sure that it is pumping fine. Or checking line pressure.
I did get the convertor around June, I believe, of last year. I dont think I want to waste any more $$ on it, if it is the convertor. The blower whine is what makes me think it is the convertor, and now there is a metalic friction like sound. I'm def going to pull the tranny & change the convertor, because I have to change the flywheel to a SFI approved one.
What would have made the sprag go bad, if it is that?
It's over 200 all the time!! Except for when I first start it. I'm afraid to drive it much. Let alone take it to the track & spray the car. Thanks for the suggestions.
