Oil preheater in aluminum trans pan

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Duane

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Anyone here done this on there torque flite.
I am contemplating adding one to my bracket car for the cooler months here in the north.
 
i have no idea, but i got to ask, how deep into the "cooler months" do you keep racing?
 
I think the convertor makes plenty of heat
 
I think the convertor makes plenty of heat
My thoughts were to maintain consistency on my dials in especially on the first pass of the day. 15 minutes with the generator to get some temperature in the oil.
I,ve read some good articles on how fluctuating temperatures
Affect the converter.
Just wondering if anyone else does this. But maybe it's not needed.
 
how consistent are your 60' times now? are you using a trans brake? are you on slicks? do you always leave at the same rpm? do you have someone that can hit the rears with a heat gun and keep track of the temps to see if your getting enough heat in them when it's cool outside? do you run a temp gauge on the trans? lots of places inconsistency can creep in.
 
how consistent are your 60' times now? are you using a trans brake? are you on slicks? do you always leave at the same rpm? do you have someone that can hit the rears with a heat gun and keep track of the temps to see if your getting enough heat in them when it's cool outside? do you run a temp gauge on the trans? lots of places inconsistency can creep in.
Your way ahead of me lol. Car is just nearing completion after several years of upgrades. Yes car has slicks, yes 1st time using a transbrake, Will be leaving the line on a two step, yes I have trans temp gauge and also will be installing an engine oil temp.
I asked the question more along the lines of I want the driver and car to be competitive and like you said, I am trying to address variables. Race gas is 18$ a gallon here. Rather than start up a cold engine and run the drive line to get some temp I thought that oil preheater said might be a better way, at least in the cooler months
On the first pass of the day. Good idea on the heat gun, thanks
 
Don't they make tire warmers, or is that for motorcycles only? Figure you could maybe rest one of those up against your pan. A heating blanket maybe? Shoot, I don't know. LOL
 
I really see no need for this. You're not going to be doing burnouts with the car cold. I've never known anyone to pull up to the light with a cold car. Everybody I know gets the car up to temp. So to me it's really totally unneeded.
 
Do like most of us do-
On a good floor jack lift the butt of the car by the center chuck and run the car at low rpm with the wheels lifted before you run.
Warms things up easily.

If not Napa sells a stick on 120vac pad made by KATZ like 150-250 watt. Pad is self stick and made to be perminate. I use them on hydraulic tanks here in New England to keep systems warm during cold temps.
You can easily run off generator. Honestly I don’t see a need for it, it’s your car and I understand wanting to go the extra especially when spending money is involved.
 
I really see no need for this. You're not going to be doing burnouts with the car cold. I've never known anyone to pull up to the light with a cold car. Everybody I know gets the car up to temp. So to me it's really totally unneeded.
Agreed I would prefer not to even fire the motor dead cold.
You live in Georgia, I live in Ontario Canada, it gets cool in October and late September. Race fuel is an expensive way to warm up the car, but I agree on the trans it may not be necessary, but plenty of guys up here warm the oil on there motors up here in the late months.
 
Agreed I would prefer not to even fire the motor dead cold.
You live in Georgia, I live in Ontario Canada, it gets cool in October and late September. Race fuel is an expensive way to warm up the car, but I agree on the trans it may not be necessary, but plenty of guys up here warm the oil on there motors up here in the late months.

I completely agree race fuel is expensive. But man, if you gotta cut corners that you caint even warm up the car properly to run it......maybe collect Hot Wheels? No offense.....just bein humorous.....and serious at the same time. Just seems to me getting the car up to temp is part of the game. And yeah, they make movin vans too. lol
 
Agreed I would prefer not to even fire the motor dead cold.
You live in Georgia, I live in Ontario Canada, it gets cool in October and late September. Race fuel is an expensive way to warm up the car, but I agree on the trans it may not be necessary, but plenty of guys up here warm the oil on there motors up here in the late months.


Put a couple valves in you fuel line and run it on pump gas to warm it up shut off that valve run it till the bowls are empty open the other and run the race gas. Problem solved !
 
Put a couple valves in you fuel line and run it on pump gas to warm it up shut off that valve run it till the bowls are empty open the other and run the race gas. Problem solved !
You have done this? Sounds like a great idea, I even have junior dragster fuel cell kicking around here that I could use. Same idea that the alcohol cars use.
 
I completely agree race fuel is expensive. But man, if you gotta cut corners that you caint even warm up the car properly to run it......maybe collect Hot Wheels? No offense.....just bein humorous.....and serious at the same time. Just seems to me getting the car up to temp is part of the game. And yeah, they make movin vans too. lol
Trust me man I appreciate the humour. There are many times that I wished I had taken up stamp collecting lol, but it's just not my thing. Lol Thanks for your input.
 
Trust me man I appreciate the humour. There are many times that I wished I had taken up stamp collecting lol, but it's just not my thing. Lol Thanks for your input.

Man, I can totally relate. It kills me to see my wife, Kitty, being able to COMPLETE "whatever" craft project she wants, whenever she wants. She has more crap than the crap man when it comes to her hobby. But she'll take a 20 dollar bill and go to the dollar store and come out with what she wanted and still have money left over. Here I am with a pile of parts and nothing finished, because my hobby costs so much. I have forward motion, but it's so slow, it's almost not measurable. lol But that's ok, it's still progress. LOL
 
Man, I can totally relate. It kills me to see my wife, Kitty, being able to COMPLETE "whatever" craft project she wants, whenever she wants. She has more crap than the crap man when it comes to her hobby. But she'll take a 20 dollar bill and go to the dollar store and come out with what she wanted and still have money left over. Here I am with a pile of parts and nothing finished, because my hobby costs so much. I have forward motion, but it's so slow, it's almost not measurable. lol But that's ok, it's still progress. LOL
I totally understand. I am in the same boat but it is starting to come together now and I am very motivated to get it running now.
 
A car might run consistent cold and hot weather because in the cold, the air is denser and produces more power, but the trans fluid is thicker; lowering the stall...so, ya, I'd heat that fluid somehow.
 
A car might run consistent cold and hot weather because in the cold, the air is denser and produces more power, but the trans fluid is thicker; lowering the stall...so, ya, I'd heat that fluid somehow.
If I do this, the only way is an immersion heater. It is made by Stefs and is 200 watts. It measures 4 inches long and roughly 3/4 inch diameter. It is designed not to scorch the fluid. The element is enclosed.
Could you recommend where abouts on the pan I should locate the bung. I am looking at under the low reverse servo because I believe it would clear the filter when taking the pan off.
 
I have used the Moroso stick on heaters on the bottom of deep steel pans before. Trying to keep the car more consistant. I noticed the car would pick up, especially when hot lapping after going rounds. My thought was the increased trans temp. Do you have a temp gauge for the trans ? That is where I would start.
 
I always understood that 175* was the optimum temp for trans fluid, higher than that it would shorten the life and it didn't lube as good..
 
I have used the Moroso stick on heaters on the bottom of deep steel pans before. Trying to keep the car more consistant. I noticed the car would pick up, especially when hot lapping after going rounds. My thought was the increased trans temp. Do you have a temp gauge for the trans ? That is where I would start.
Yes I have a trans temp and will be adding an engine oil temp as well. I do not think a stick on heater will stick to cast aluminum
So I am considering the immersion heater.
 
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