Are aftermarket transmission pans worth it?

[barkingspider]

I would go aftermarket only if the OEM pan did not have a drain plug. No need for extra fluid capacity

 

[ctechbob]

I would go aftermarket only if the OEM pan did not have a drain plug. No need for extra fluid capacity

I agree. That's just about the only reason I spent the coin for a PPE pan for the Ranger. The drain plug sure does make fluid changes easy.

 

[21_6.7f450]

I run Mag-hytec stuff on ALL of mine. Oil pan, transmission pan-soon, both diff covers...I'm sold. Magnets and ease of service are worth it. My white truck has just front and rear differential covers.

 

[cookand]

Typically, the pan filter is not regularly serviced, the spin on filter is. Unless that has changed in the last 5 years. The lager pan will not cool anything at an appreciable rate. Been down that road. Also, the larger pan capacity does nothing for filter change intervals, so you are going to need more fluid per change. I would not get one, again.

I have got a nice diff cover, yukon, round aluminum type, not flatback. It has a drain and check and fill plug, with magnets....... , and they are nice. The rear end sees a lot of power, with no active cooling, that is where I would invest.

Apologies for this dumb question, but just had my pan dropped and filter replaced. Is there a 2nd spin on transmission filter?

 

[burbguy82]

Apologies for this dumb question, but just had my pan dropped and filter replaced. Is there a 2nd spin on transmission filter?

Looking at your signature, I assume you are talking about the 3.0 Duramax you have. I cannot say if it does or not, I was referring to the Allison 1000, behind the 6.6 Duramax. It has a spin on filter, which is part of the normal maintenance interval service.

It is external, not internal, looks just like a regular oil filter.

Good luck.

 

[mattd]

Other than the addition of a drain plug, No they’re not. Added capacity does nothing for cooling. It just takes longer to heat a larger volume of oil.

 

[clinebarger]

Changing the cooler is not going to have a huge impact because almost all vehicles (especially heavy-duty ones) have a trans fluid-to-engine coolant heat exchanger and therefore trans temps are more dictated by engine temps.

Incorrect, Engine & Transmission temps are 2 separate things, For one....In tank trans coolers are on the "cold" side of the radiator.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Incorrect, Engine & Transmission temps are 2 separate things, For one....In tank trans coolers are on the "cold" side of the radiator.

Even if you keep them in series? That’s what I was talking about.

 

[burbguy82]

Changing the cooler is not going to have a huge impact because almost all vehicles (especially heavy-duty ones) have a trans fluid-to-engine coolant heat exchanger and therefore trans temps are more dictated by engine temps.

The direction of flow should be from radiator to aux cooler and back to tranny.

As I understand the function, the "cooler" in the radiator (fluid to fluid) is more a "moderator" than a cooler, where as a cooler implies a reducer in heat. The radiator warms the fluid also.

Of course, after the "moderator" the more air you can have pass through the air to fluid cooler the cooler the delivered fluid will be. This can be accomplished through square inches of surface area, or by forced air (fan).

Incorrect, Engine & Transmission temps are 2 separate things, For one....In tank trans coolers are on the "cold" side of the radiator.

So the other side is "hot side" this is typically where the engine oil "cooler" is. Should this be deleted?

 

[JTK]

I believe PPE pans are about the best you can get. Very high quality units. They are a very popular replacement for the plastic ZF8 pans.

 

[Astro14]

Just bought a 2023 GMC Sierra AT4 3 liter Duramax (certified pre owned) with 16,000 miles on it. I was thinking of doing a pan drop and filter change just to get the break in junk out and came across the PPE Aluminum trans pan that adds 4 quarts of capacity and a drain plug for about $287.

This pan would sure be nice for future drain and fills but do you think it would add any value for lowered trans temps and or longevity?

OP - you may find this thread of interest…

2021 Chevy Duramax transmission pan replacement (PPE) and oil filter change

The truck (2021 Chevy 3500 Duramax) has 35,000 miles on the clock and I decided to change the trans filter and install a PPE trans pan. I do spill and fills on my transmissions. The 10 speed transmissions don't have drain plugs in their oil pans. This is highly annoying for those who do spill...

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[eljefino]

Even if you keep them in series? That’s what I was talking about.

The radiator water temp is not controlled, it gets a faceful of ambient air.

The engine has a thermostat that lets a random amount of water to the rad. If the system is at its heat capacity, the rad gets close to the engine temp, otherwise it's much lower. If you're lightly using your vehicle on a 60-degree day the rad might be 90 degrees.

You can't directly tell your radiator temperature because your dash coolant gauge shows engine temp, which is controlled by the thermostat. If you have a "real" gauge and note that you're significantly above thermostat temp you can infer the rad is also near that temp.

My Silverado 4.8, 4L60E had a trans temp gauge and I was pleasantly surprised to see it hover around 150 even on hot 90 degree days. It had an aux cooler which I assume was plumbed in downstream of the radiator tank one.

 

[BobsArmory]

Astro14, I did see @wwillson post a while back and decided to get a PPE Pan. Did the upgrade yesterday and made a mess of the driveway. See pics below Since I had the pan off I went ahead and replaced the filter, even installed new OEM one time use bolts that hold the filter in place. I ended up being a bit of an ordeal spilled trans fluid all over the driveway then it started raining then I rolled one of the pan bolt washers into a crack in the concrete, but at least I was under the truck out of the rain ARG! Had my wife run out to get some kitty litter to soak up the majority of the ATF then scrubbed the pavement today. Overall I think I will be happy with the new pan.

Would love to get the Aluminum PPE engine oil pan that adds 2 quarts to the capacity but that seems like a bigger job than I would want to tackle and its 8 hours labor at a shop so out of my budget to have it done.

 

[21_6.7f450]

I like Mag-hytec because the look cleaner to me without the GIANT PPE on the pan. They look well made. My 10r140 Mag-hytec holds 16qts... 6.5 more than factory.

 

[clinebarger]

Even if you keep them in series? That’s what I was talking about.

Probably close to 75% of the heat load put into the ATF is caused by the torque converter working the fluid. I've played around with temp thermistors in different locations (Cooler feed, Cooler return, Line tap, Bottom of sump, Valve body....etc)

Cooler feed is always hotter than cooler return no matter the style cooler/cooler's used. Manufactures use 2 methods to heat the ATF to operating temp quicker.....
*Disable converter clutch operation 'til a certain temp is reached.
*Use a thermostatic bypass to bypass the cooler/s 'til operating temp is reached.

This is my 2000 Silverado, L96 6.0L/6L90E after about an hour of mixed driving in 97° ambient. Using a larger 34" radiator & a stock GMT800 auxiliary cooler. Tuned for zero TCC slip, No TCC apply 1st-4th.

 

[clinebarger]

So the other side is "hot side" this is typically where the engine oil "cooler" is. Should this be deleted?

No, Oil temps can get quite high (well over engine coolant temp) when the engine is worked hard.

 

[TurboTravis]

For those that are switching to a pan with a drain plug and don't want to make a mess, just drill a hole in it to drain it

 

[panthermike]

For those that are switching to a pan with a drain plug and don't want to make a mess, just drill a hole in it to drain it

That's exactly what I've done in the past as long as I was dang sure I had the right pan