High Capacity or Cooling tube pan

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drtybttr

drtybttr

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Hey ya'll I'm about to install a new tranny pan. I happen to have to laying around and I'm not sure which one to use. The first option is a deep chrome that obviously holds some extra fluid which should help keep everything cool, but I heard chrome pans don't dissipate heat very well. My second option is a stock capacity pan with those tubes welded into it that flow air through the bottom of the pan while you are driving. So which do I choose?
 
It all depends on what you are using the vehicle for. If it's primarily a street car, you can go with either pan. If it's primarily a drag car, I'd go with the tubes pan as well as a good tranny cooler. JMO.
 
Yeah I am going to be running a trans cooler. Its really a debate over more fluid or cooler fluid.
 
Most hot cars run a trans cooler. You say you are as well. So, I vote for more fluid.
 
drtybttr said:
This may sound dumb but if I used the tube pan and a cooler would my fluid be twice as cool?
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Twice as cool? Unlikely. Say you're tranny fluid is running around 160. Twice as cool would be 80 degrees. I don't think that kind of temp reduction is possible (at least from those methods).

I'd guess you'd get a few degrees of improvement from each method.
 
By your interpretation that would mean half as cool. Twice as cool would refer to if you are running at 180 and your trans cooler drops it by 20 degrees, so you are not at 160, then the pan would drop it another 20 degrees. So its not half as cool, its twice as cool, which is cool.
 
drtybttr said:
By your interpretation that would mean half as cool. Twice as cool would refer to if you are running at 180 and your trans cooler drops it by 20 degrees, so you are not at 160, then the pan would drop it another 20 degrees. So its not half as cool, its twice as cool, which is cool.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Cool :glasses8:
 
x2 with what Demonracer said, a deep pan or tube draft and a cooler is cheap insurance. I've been pricing them for my Dart as I am going to run a deep pan which I already have installed AND a large cooler. I'm doing this because I have a 904 with a Cheetah manual reverse valve body, a tci "street fighter" torque converter which I expect to flash at about 3000 and a 2 extra quarts deep pan with a billet filter extension. With everything I've got invested in the tranny I want to make damn sure that the tranny doesn't lunch or have a short life because it ran hot. Check this chart out for expected tranny life based on temperatures. Looks like anything at 175 or below is a go. I was surprised to see that just 20 degrees was enough to cut the tranny life in half!!! I am also pricing tranny temp gauges and the selection is limited and more than what I want to pay so I am going to get a water temp gauge with an electrical sender put fittings in line and relabel it tranny temp, LOL

http://www.tciauto.com/Products/TechInfo/trans_life_expectancy.asp

Here's a listing for an excellent value.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HDA-404/
 
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