I am going to get the bigger fender flares to be able to fit bigger tires while maintaining lower center of gravity. I have read that the trans in a D2 can get hot when bigger tires are run. So, as part of a trio of Glow Shift Gauges (Water and Oil pressure are the other two), I am installing a trans temp gauge.

I am posting to get input/experience on where the best place to install the sensor would be. When I was contemplating this before, I came across a post or two that had suggestions. However, I have been searching for an hour and cannot relocate the threads.

Thanks in advance

Ross

2000 D2

 

The factory trans temp sensor C0219 is attached near the radiator, but you would want the tranny cooler?

 

Best place, is in the pan.
Drain, remove pan, weld in a bung, and refill with fresh lube.

Even if you have a cooler, the pan is still preferable as it's not like you see a significant change in temp across the cooler, and the bulk-oil temp in the sump is what is coming out of the trans mechatronics and gears/linings - i.e. the temperature that they are "working" at.... The temp of the oil going into the trans (after the cooler - if fitted) is only useful at the very first location the oil gets to - or in conjunction with a bulk-temp sensor (in the pan) to determine the trans cooler efficiency.

 

If the concern is tranny overheat at low vehicle speed high rpm with the big tires, what about adding an electric fan that you control for extra cooling? The AC condenser fan might not be on. Or wire a bypass to force the condenser fan "on".

 

Thanks for the replies guys. If the trans gets hot with the bigger tires, I will be open to all ideas. However, I hope it does not get hot and is never an issue. I just want the piece of mind that if the tranny gets hot, the gauge will let me know before something catastrophic happens.

I currently have the trans pan off of my truck. It is stamped steel and not very thick. I was thinking it is to thin too drill/tap. I did not know what a bung was. Googled, and like Dave posted, welding a bung into the pan seems the best way. With a bung, do i just drill a hole big enough for the sensor and weld the bung over that? Or do I tap the pan and weld the bung around the tapped hole?

I called Glow Shift Tech Install support. They recommended trying to find a test port and use that. I cannot see anything that I believe to be a test port on the bottom or sides of the tranny. Does anyone know where to locate one?

Thanks again,
Ross

2000 D2

 

Don't think there is one. Unless you deided to use the drain plug opening... Also - on the D2 the temp warning light is for both the transmission and the transfer case - two sensors wired parallel so either one turns on the light.

 

So would you recommend the bung access be on the lower side or lower angled sides of the pan to stay away from any obstacles, rather than on the bottom as some articles on the topic suggest? Also, any special material for the nut on the bung, like stainless?

 

Yep, breaking off a sensor and leaving a red streak on the trail would not be fun....