Does anyone have pics of how they installed their temp. sender for autometer gauges? Iv'e done searches but cant come up with actual pics?

 

I dont have pics but I made up a small adaptor for the sending unit to screw in and welded it to the side of the pan. The drilled hole thru the pan was 3/8". Make sure that the sending unit is FLUSH with the inside of the unit or less as there is no real room for an extended sending unit inside of the pan.Hope this helps...

 

EDIT - I thought it asked for suggestions on where to install the guages.

 

I'll post 3 pics for you. But I'll tell you 1st.

I made a T fitting for the trans temp sender from parts at the hardware store. 1 triple female T, 2 double male nipples.

It's installed a few inchs from the transmission case, on the out line.

As far as the gauge mounting. I used a 2-1/16" digital gauge. I took out the lower driver's side heat/AC vent, and ground the opening just a slight bit, then force fitted the gauge in. Looks good there to me.

 

Here's the fitting and sender installed. *the red circle shows where it is*

 

Here's one of the gauge. Not the best pic (sorry) but it will give you an idea where I put mine.

Look to the far left, the gauge on the bottom is the trans temp.

 

Thanks Night rider327. Anybody else do it differently?

 

For a truely accurate reading you want it installed in the pan itself...this is where the oil is going to be sucked ouot of before it enters your tranny. You dont want to know what the temp is coming out of the cooler and you dont need to know what the temp is going out to the cooler, you NEED to know what is going to be going through your tranny!!

While i dont have any pictures, I do have a cast aluminum pan that is drilled/tapped for the temp sensor to trhead into with an adapter. You can get just a cheap 3/8" NPT for drilling and tapping the hole, then use a adapter to screw into the pan and the sensor will screw into the adapter. There should be an assortment of adapters sent with you tranny temp gauge stuff.

I tried the back woods T method 2 yrs ago just in front of the tranny cooler and I could not get a solid temp reading, usually the gauge just stayed stuck on 100*. After installing it the rightr way in '04 with the drivetrain swap it now registers 120-125* riding around town and 180* at the end of a pass. Just do it right the first time so your not wasteing time/effort/and money

 

IHI... I really have to disagree with you on some of your points.

You are right when you said in the pan is the best, but the T will work almost as good.

If you noticed what I said and the pic. My sender is maybe 4" from where yours is.

I'm not taking a reading 3' away from the pan before the color, or after the cooler.

I'm a few (2-3") from the brass fitting on the side of the case. And on the out line where the hot fulid is pumped out of trans to the cooler. As soon as the flud comes out of the trans, it covers my sender

I done back to back testing with the same gauge and sender. I bought an adapter that fits in my pan drain plug, and that my sender will screw into.

I put it there 1st. norm. driving 5 mile drive 183*. 208* at the end of a 1/4 mile pass.

It stuck down too low to the ground and I didnt feel safe with it, so I fabbed up the T

5 mile drive 180* end of 1/4 mile pass 204*

I done a few more test with it too and was NEVER off no more than 4* between pan readings and T fitting readings.


Oh yeah BTW. Did you add a ground to your T? because the rubber line will keep it from grounding.

If you notice the pic of my T and sender, there 5 gear clamps. 1 on each side of the 2 pc. of rubber, then 1 right next to the part of the T my sender screws into... That clamp is there for a ground wire.

I stripped off a wire, and wrapped around the T, and that clamp, then tightened the clamp down, and hooked other end of that wire to my ground junction (coming straight off the - battery post)

 

When I tried the back woods method I had a bracket made that held the T to the cars body, but who's to say that got the pefect ground, so yes that may have played into the readings.

If you've done A-B-A testing and have gotten the results you posted, then it obviously works in your situation. A bit hokie looking, but looks never made something work better

 

IHI... I'm with you on the looks never made something work better deal. With me it's all about how it works. I don;t do stuff for the looks of it.

Yeah man, I do so much testing on many many things it's unreal. I got over 5 gigs worth of data on my computer from all kinda of test that i done with my 88, my old 84, my dad's 84, my 73 c/10 truck, customer cars, buddies cars, etc

I also added a on-off-on toggel and installed another sender after the colors. I found just one big tube fine cooler didnt do much (took less than 7* off the temp) then I installed a BM super cooler with it and the after cooler temps dropped around 22*

So like I have it now. I get 204* out line temps after a pass, and 175* temps right after the cooler

 

I also believe that your trans temp sensor should be located in the pan. Reason being, the temp in the cooler line coming out of the trans (going to the cooler) is your pan + converter temp. The line coming from the cooler and back into the trans is the temp. that your trans. lubrication circuit (bearings, bushings, gears) will see. The pan temp. more accurately reflects what the entire trans temp. is (minus the converter), but includes the clutches, bands, and seals, which is most important.