Do I need an external filter for towing?

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Oldtom

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Good Morning :-) I have a 2003 Dodge Caravan with 3.3 liter V6. I tow a 1300 pound pop up camper along with camping gear, 3 dogs, and 2 adults. Weight wise, I am close to the 1800 pound towing limit for this vehicle. I have a small trans cooler installed and do a pan drop on the transmission once a year. I replace the trans filter with a Mopar part only, since aftermarket filters fit loosely or fall off before I can get the pan on. I use Castrol ATF+4 for the replacement fluid, just because it is the only ATF+4 my local store carries. Total mileage is about 8000 miles per year, with about 1500 miles towing.

Would an aftermarket trans filter help longevity and reliability with this application? If yes, any suggestions about what brand to buy?
Thanks in advance for any advice :-)
 
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You could install a Magnefine inline filter, some people have complained about leaks, others love them. Honestly if you're doing annual fluid and filter changes, and have a cooler I think you'll be fine. In fact some will say that's overkill driving only 8K miles. ATF+4 is a synthetic fluid, and spec'd for your vehicle so you're fine there too. 1,300 lbs isn't much of a load either.
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
You could install a Magnefine inline filter, some people have complained about leaks, others love them. Honestly if you're doing annual fluid and filter changes, and have a cooler I think you'll be fine. In fact some will say that's overkill driving only 8K miles. ATF+4 is a synthetic fluid, and spec'd for your vehicle so you're fine there too. 1,300 lbs isn't much of a load either.


+1 for a Magnefine. I have not had any leaks. I believe the newer ones have the two parts of the plastic body heat/welded sealed so they are not easy to unscrew. A few people have unscrewed the filter to have a look and then screwed it back together for continued use. That is NOT recommended.
 
Are you changing the Filter once a year ?
Cut your 'used' filter open and see if it's dirty.
If it looks clean, save yourself some money and go longer.

I would put a Drain Plug on the Transmission pan.
It makes changing the fluid easier than doing an oil change.

I was hesitant of buying a drain plug from the Car Parts Stores.
I had someone weld a Hex Nut to the bottom (outside) of my Pan.
I drilled a hole thru Pan and screwed in a magnetic Drain Plug.

I also installed a Magnefine (In-Line) Filter on Transmission & Power Steering Lines.
I plan on changing the:
Transmission In-Line Filter @ 30,000 miles
Power Steering In-Line Filter @ 50,000 miles
 
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Thanks for the drain plug suggestion Larry. I have a topsider oil evacuator that drains the transmission pan before I drop it. A Topsider is one of my favorite tools, good for small engine oil changes and draining the gas tanks for winter.
 
I don't think I'd worry about an external filter, especially where you're dilligent about annual fluid changes.

In addition to the drain plug, I would probably install a fluid temp guage, placing the sender where it can see the hottest fluid (normally on the output line that goes up to the radiator cooler on my trucks, but I'm not sure how the Caravan is configured). The temp gauge will probably be an eye opener on how driving habits influence fluid temp while you're towing.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Honestly, you put an inline filter on a $40K truck. Not a $1500 van.


These 41TE transmissions are super fragile. Normally I wouldn't think of going overboard like that ... but it doesn't take much to kill a 41TE. They could barely make 100K miles in a Neon - much less in a van towing. I'd run a large cooler and an external filter if I had a vehicle with one of these transmissions.
 
Bubba, I live in a greedy state. Sales tax on any vehicle purchase is 6 percent, with a high minimum tax. A lot of people in my area try to keep an old car going as long as possible, to avoid the tax bite on a new or used car. I am stuck here cause my wife wants to be close to family, so, legally paying less tax is my strategy.
 
We towed a large Popup camper for thousands of miles with only an upgrade to a larger trans cooler. Just take it easy accelerating and backing up. Let it idle a bit after towing to circulate the fluid and let it cool the trans a bit. That was a 2000 Grand Caravan loaded up too. Lots of weight...
The van is still on the road with nothing but fluid and filter changes all 200K miles.
 
I've towed pop-ups with a chrysler minivan. the pop-ups don't have the drag that a full height trailer does, and the LWB vans are really nice towing platforms for the weight. Real leaf springs made it more stable with the extra tail wagging back there.

filter won't hurt, but annual changes are already overkill.

Do NOT tow in OD. That raises temps and is not kind to the driven gear in OD.

And if you do instrument the trans in this van, know they run HOT. 180-210F typical in the summer with the A/C on. The extra cooler was a good idea.
 
Originally Posted By: Oldtom
Bubba, I live in a greedy state. Sales tax on any vehicle purchase is 6 percent, with a high minimum tax. A lot of people in my area try to keep an old car going as long as possible, to avoid the tax bite on a new or used car. I am stuck here cause my wife wants to be close to family, so, legally paying less tax is my strategy.


Sales tax is 7% in NJ but I've never heard anyone say they were avoiding a new car purchase due to sales tax ramifications.

Does the filter act as a cooler, also? I could see the benefit of a cooler. Will towing cause more debris in the fluid that would then require enhanced filtration?
 
Dorman makes a replacement pan for your application with a drain plug installed. $27 at Rock Auto. DORMAN Part 265832. I installed one on my Taurus, The construction was pretty nice.
 
Originally Posted By: DerbyDave
Dorman makes a replacement pan for your application with a drain plug installed. $27 at Rock Auto. DORMAN Part 265832. I installed one on my Taurus, The construction was pretty nice.


Thanks DerbyDave ! I will look into this. This would really speed up fluid changes.
 
Given the frequency of your fluid changes, I don't see any appreciable benefit, unless same filter has a magnet. Removing the ferrous material would be a good thing, but I'd hardly say it will make any dramatic difference in the life of your transmission.
 
I have heard of some fabricating units that let something like a PureOne oil filter substitute for a Magnefine. Remote location, spin on and spin off, some kind of extension of one of the two lines that goes to radiator. Is that recommended?
 
I think an external cooler would be a better upgrade than the filter which you have..Do a pan drop/ filter change every 30k miles.Any ATF+4 fluid will be good.
 
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if you do go with a different transmission pan, try to get one that is larger then stock and has cooling fans built into it.

more fluid, less heat etc.

and also a an additional cooler could't hurt.

then you could just drain the pan every now and then.
 
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