Bought a CC Dually 454 Whipple

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,612
Reaction score
15,235
Got the wiring married up under the dash and the gauges working. I need to bump the trans gauge against the laptop and see if there's a delta. I peaked out around 170 taking the camper to get the propane tanks filled. Wasn't but a 10 mile drive out there, but getting the thing up to speed in the wind brought the trans fluid up at an uncomfortable rate. Having the sensor in the pan is vastly different than in the case, which is what I've read. The temperature swings back and forth more than you'd realize. But the fact remains that an unlocked converter NUKES the fluid and a locked converter = a happy transmission.

You must be registered for see images attach


Turns out there's umpteen different colors to choose from, and I suspect it remembers if you give the gauges constant power which I did not. I figured why? Now I know. Dammit. Probably gonna go back and fix that as there is a pale green color that better matches the Denali/Escalade cluster's backlighting. Next I got a shot of the Artebs lit up with the LEDs, so much cleaner, IMO they should have come stock this way.

You must be registered for see images attach
 

BNielsen

I'm Awesome
Joined
Sep 6, 2018
Messages
2,632
Reaction score
4,070
Location
North Carolina
I need to get my gauges wired up.

My buddy runs those Glowshift gauges in every truck he's had, he likes them except they'll default to whatever they're programed for out of the box, I'm going to keep my eyes on that in case you get it figured out for certain so I can relay the message. I've got an AutoMeter factory match trans temp gauge to put in, and I've got an AEM wideband gauge somewhere in my parts pile.

What headlight bulbs did you put in? I can't remember if you mentioned it somewhere previously?
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,612
Reaction score
15,235
I need to get my gauges wired up.

My buddy runs those Glowshift gauges in every truck he's had, he likes them except they'll default to whatever they're programed for out of the box, I'm going to keep my eyes on that in case you get it figured out for certain so I can relay the message. I've got an AutoMeter factory match trans temp gauge to put in, and I've got an AEM wideband gauge somewhere in my parts pile.

What headlight bulbs did you put in? I can't remember if you mentioned it somewhere previously?

I bought the bulbs that @Ehall8702 recommended, but I had a couple of early failures. Were I more diligent, I think they would have hooked me up, but I slacked off and have what I have now. If you can ask your friend how he wired his gauges, he may save me some asspain. I merged all constant and switched wires to switched power. If he wired as directed and had the same result as me, then I definitely took the easy road.
 

Ehall8702

I'm Awesome
Joined
Sep 25, 2019
Messages
427
Reaction score
364
Location
UP Michigan
I bought the bulbs that @Ehall8702 recommended, but I had a couple of early failures. Were I more diligent, I think they would have hooked me up, but I slacked off and have what I have now. If you can ask your friend how he wired his gauges, he may save me some asspain. I merged all constant and switched wires to switched power. If he wired as directed and had the same result as me, then I definitely took the easy road.
I've had a few bulbs go bad early but usually 1 out of 20 I've put in but qc isn't worth a crap anymore and I'm sure they sub em out . Still when a set of 4 cost less than a single halogen bulb I keep em in stock lol
 

BeXtreme

I'm Awesome
Joined
Jan 13, 2020
Messages
363
Reaction score
359
Location
Salem, OR
Was not thrilled with the condition of the fluid. I'd purged 2.5 gallons through it back in 2020 when the #rona first popped off.

You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach


No trash in the pan though.

You must be registered for see images attach


And this is all I was able to pump out of the pan.

You must be registered for see images attach


Granted it likely took a quart to fill the new cooler, but after dumping what was left in the pan I got less than a gallon out. Then I dumped 6 quarts in and may have to pull as much as a half a quart back out. I seem to remember a filter being a 7 quart job, strange. Guess it wasn't ignorantly low after all. Maybe it just needed more of a purge back when I did it, I remember not finding as much fluid as I'd hoped to. I usually toss 3-4 gallons for a purge.
You should check that the dipstick fill level is correct the next time you have the pan off. They are rarely accurate. The fill level should be flush or 1/4" higher than the pan rail. Also, what trans cooler are you running? I recently went to a tru-cool 40k in the suburban we use to tow our travel trailer and it was a noticeable improvement in cooling.
 

Turbo4whl

Newbie
Joined
Feb 13, 2022
Messages
48
Reaction score
91
Location
Southeast Pennsylvania
Labelled as Dex/Merc, so I assume Dex3 spec. Same stuff I used as the last time so it all matches.

This is not something I would assume, or ever use.

My question, how can one fluid be expected to replace 3 different Dexrons and 4 different Mercons?

My answer, it cannot.

There are aftermarket fluids that are much better than products labeled as Dex/Merc. Spending a little more buying a better trans fluid is much cheaper than a trans overhaul. Maybe it is just the picture you posted, but that fluid looks terrible for only 20,000 miles.
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,612
Reaction score
15,235
I've had a few bulbs go bad early but usually 1 out of 20 I've put in but qc isn't worth a crap anymore and I'm sure they sub em out . Still when a set of 4 cost less than a single halogen bulb I keep em in stock lol

I figure it's the bathtub effect. They'll either fail right away, or after they've given a good life.

You should check that the dipstick fill level is correct the next time you have the pan off. They are rarely accurate. The fill level should be flush or 1/4" higher than the pan rail. Also, what trans cooler are you running? I recently went to a tru-cool 40k in the suburban we use to tow our travel trailer and it was a noticeable improvement in cooling.

Well seeing how 6 quarts was a little too much of a refill, what came out seems like less of a tragedy. I really should see if the t-case is overfull though.

This is not something I would assume, or ever use.

My question, how can one fluid be expected to replace 3 different Dexrons and 4 different Mercons?

My answer, it cannot.

There are aftermarket fluids that are much better than products labeled as Dex/Merc. Spending a little more buying a better trans fluid is much cheaper than a trans overhaul. Maybe it is just the picture you posted, but that fluid looks terrible for only 20,000 miles.

Dex/Merc and Dex6 were my options, so I can't see it being anything other than a Dex3 replacement. And it's not just the pic, it was that terrible. I just upgraded the cooler and installed the gauge. This laden trip to OK and back should be a good test.
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,612
Reaction score
15,235
Trans read 180-200 from CO to OK, oil was showing 220-240. Would drop back down when you stopped. Ambient temps on the return trip so far have been near 100 degrees. Coolant has been hanging around 210, trans 210+, and oil near 250. I shudder at the thought of how hot it ran last year in the Mojave Desert with the smaller blocked cooler, though it was a lighter load with trailer only.
 

HotWheelsBurban

Gotta have 4 doors..... Rawhide, TOTY 2023!
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
9,685
Reaction score
17,568
Location
Houston, Texas
Sweet. In my typical ADHD fashion, I got distracted with other crap in the meantime. Like this seemingly benign power steering leak. Rather than overpay for a reman booster, I overpaid for a $25 seal kit to only use 2 seals from it.

You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach


I decided to leave the booster in the truck and try to split it on the firewall. This was way better than removing the whole thing like every Youtube video who only does the 2 seals.

You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach


I even caught all my mess. Not one drop on the ground! Didn't crack a line loose, nothing. Here's the leaky seal, this one goes around the piston and leaks out the weep hole between the booster and master cylinder when it goes.

You must be registered for see images attach
That sounds exactly like what happened to my truck!
 

Supercharged111

Truly Awesome
Joined
Aug 20, 2015
Messages
12,612
Reaction score
15,235
This thing is tormenting me, I wonder how much I could get for the dump bed? And if I'd have trouble insuring it?


2000 and 8.1 don't jive though, one of those 2 must not be true.
 
Top