RE: [VAL] Trans temps

["dtidmore" <dtidmore@xxxxxxx>]

There are a couple of other ways to visually check the tranny fluid for
early signs of deterioration.  If you put a drop of the fluid on a white
shiny surface (such as one of the various labels under the hood) it should
be quite pink in color and not tending toward brown.  If it looks dark or
slightly brownish, it has been exposed to high temps.  The other test is to
put a drop on white paper and allow it to dry.  If the outside of the dried
drop is darker than the inside that shows that there is sediment in the
fluid and again that is indicative of running at high temps. Also give it a
good sniff and if it smell scorched, time to replace for SURE. 

It is better to never expose a tranny to high temps, but it does happen from
time to time and so the best advise is to monitor the fluid condition
visually as well as watching the temp gauge and have the tranny fluid
totally flushed (that is now possible without dropping the torque convertor)
and new fluid installed somewhere between 15,000 & 30,000 miles depending on
the type and amount of towing involved. (ensure that the proper
manufacturers recommendations for fluid are followed to the letter as the
old days of only a couple types of fluid are long gone)

I also highly recommend that regardless of whether or not you have the
factory tranny cooling installed, that you consider adding a heavy duty
Hayden, or equivalent, cooler.  On our tow vehicle it had a factory cooler
that should have been adequate, but at about 15,000 miles we noted that the
fluid color was tending toward the brownish side, but no odor to indicate
that extreme heat had occured.  Leaving the factory radiator cooler and the
factory external cooler in place, I added the 13,500# rated Hayden as the
last cooler before the fluid returned to the tranny.  I also installed a
temp operated electric fan in front of the Hayden so that in stop and go
trafficas well as pulling steep grades at lower speeds, I could be assured
that the Hayden was getting a good airflow and therefore cooling the tranny.

As with most other things mechanical, the more you can do to hedge your bets
the less likely you are to encounter failure modes and heat is absolutely
the major killer of auto transmissions.

david