I'm going to be mounting an aftermarket trans temp sensor soon, but first I just have a couple of quick questions:

1 - I will be connecting it to one of the trans cooler lines. Rather than use a manifold that costs 35 bucks, I have a bunch of brass fittings all screwed together. They go out to a 3/8 tee, because that's the size of the sending unit. Then back down to the 5/16 that's the size of the cooler lines. My question here is will compression fittings work to attatch to the lines, or do I NEED to flare the lines and use flare fittings?

2- Should I put it on the return line or the hot line?


Thanks

 

What did you end up doing because I am having the very same issue?

Kevin

 

I don't know how well a compression fitting is going to work on a steel line. It probably makes more sense to put the sender in the return line, so its measuring the temperature of the fluid as its used by the transmission.

 

I bought a remote filter for my TH350 which has an extra hole for mounting the sender unit instead of tapping directly into the lines or drilling a hole in the pan.

 

Don't you mean the hot line? The return line's already cooled.

 

Compression fittings suck !! When I had steel line and a tranny temp sensor In a tee exactly like you want to do they always leaked no matter what I did. I just got some Stainless steel flex hose and its worth every peeny I payed for it, you should look into it.

 

I have used compression fittings for trans lines, fuel lines, brake lines and steel and aluminum, I have even seen them on high pressure air and hydraulic tubing on heavy equipment and I have never in 25 years of using them had one leak or come apart. You have to make sure the cut is clean, with no deformation of pitting and the tubing is well seated inside the ferrule and fitting.

I do agree that the best method is using flared tubing of hoses.

 

Summit stocks hard line adapters for the 5/16 tubing. I ran across this info from jbenge on this site and am using this information to hook-up my trans cooler. Part numbers are Earl`s. Part number 165056 is the tube adapter, 6an male to 5/16 tube. He also has some excellent pictures of the install, no leaks.