Where to mount aux trans filter?

[mr_josh]

The link you provided shows it installed in the "hot" tube, BEFORE the cooler.

That way, contamination doesn't plug the cooler over time.

It does, indeed. I got it in today, didn't have time to take a picture. I ended up mounting it to the passenger's side inner-fender (under-hood side), below the battery, near where the lower rad hose exits the radiator. It's not the most convenient place but it's protected and away from major heat sources so I feel okay about that. With the upper half of the fan shroud removed it's pretty accessible so if I do that once every other year or so, I'm okay with that.

Kit components are pretty okay, not super high quality but certainly useable. Haven't installed the temp gauge yet, waiting on an A-pillar gauge pod for that.

 

[Hoplite]

Bump: How did this turn out? I've been meaning to put one on for ages now. I'd love to see how you ran the lines too.

 

[Caman96]

Seems like another fail point. IDK- I just keep clean fluid in transmission.

 

[BeXtreme]

Seems like another fail point. IDK- I just keep clean fluid in transmission.

The benefit of the filter kit is that it keeps the cooler(s) from getting plugged up if the trans fails. Probably more beneficial in a 6L80 system, since the POF is usually the converter clutch that then pumps metal through the whole system. The flow is usually from the filter/pickup into the pump, then from the pump into the converter and out of the converter into the cooling circuit. Once it comes back in from the cooling circuit it then goes into feeding the clutches/pistons/lube circuits. So an extra filter after the pump/converter will theoretically keep any failure of the pump/converter from plugging and trashing the cooler and the rest of the trans. In actuality I would expect the filter to clog and then you would get lack of fluid flow into all of those parts and it would quickly overheat and trash the trans.

 

[Caman96]

I guess for me anyway, a trashed cooler would be the least of my worries if I blew up the transmission. I’m probably just being too paranoid of tranny fluid leaking out.

 

[someotherguy]

Y'all ever seen transmission fluid hit hot exhaust (manifolds, catalytic converters, etc.) and catch fire? It burns like hell. And as long as you're running and there's fluid in the system, it pumps a huge amount out at high pressure.

It'll make you really think about your hose routing, material, and connection quality for anything you hook up outside of the factory system.

Richard

 

[Caman96]

Y'all ever seen transmission fluid hit hot exhaust (manifolds, catalytic converters, etc.) and catch fire? It burns like hell. And as long as you're running and there's fluid in the system, it pumps a huge amount out at high pressure.

It'll make you really think about your hose routing, material, and connection quality for anything you hook up outside of the factory system.

Richard

No thanks.

 

[someotherguy]

No thanks.

I mean, it's a calculated risk, if you're gonna use a transmission in heavy/severe duty you want an auxiliary cooler and that means hose, hookups, cooler mounting, all that. Would be same situation with someone setting up an aux filter like OP is. Just gotta really be on top of your game with every aspect of it. If something pops, at the least you could damage the transmission, 2nd worst possible thing would be roast the transmission, worst would be roast the whole vehicle. All of those kinda negate any advantage of the mod.

Richard

 

[Caman96]

All that ^^^ and why I just consider it another fail point.

 

[mr_josh]

Bump: How did this turn out? I've been meaning to put one on for ages now. I'd love to see how you ran the lines too.

Sorry it took me a bit to reply, didn't realize the thread had replies. Two years and ~10k miles, no issues. Not an exotic setup, used the included hardware and spliced into the hot side of the trans cooler.

I definitely see the logic in not adding one for fear of another failure point. If the Derale unit didn't have a temp sensor and gauge with it, I probably wouldn't have added it. I appreciate having trans temp on an A-pillar pod. FWIW I changed the filter recently- didn't bother cutting it open. Transmission performance is great.