HDJ81/FZJ80 Tranny Temp Gauge

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Rubiclone

Rubiclone

Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Threads
22
Messages
187
Location
Victoria, BC
Can anyone tell me the best place to get the transmission oil temp from? I have a 1hd-t swapped into my fzj80 and it has the factory 1hd-t auto tranny on the engine. Im building a custom gauge cluster and need a port to thread a sensor into. Does the factory one go through the ECU or simply to a on off switch for the dash?

I would like to avoid using the drain plug because i dont want my wires hanging down that low, and i am also trying to avoid welding or modifying the oil pan.

Any ideas before i crawl under the truck?... its raining outside.
 
I'll be installing a T in the line from the tranny to the tranny cooler with the sensor in the T fitting.
 
the fittings to the cooler are they JIC? i dont remember what they were after i took mine all apart for the engine swap
 
I was looking through my phone but can't seem to find the picture of it but I had gotten my cooler union on the tranny drilled and tapped for the VDO sensor.

Look up wholesale automatic trans for a picture of it as that's what I have.
 
If you want to keep your stock sender operational AND your aftermarket - you'll need to drill and tap the elbow of the cooler union in a press. I tried doing this and there was no room for error. Ended up buying a new union.

Rodney at Wholesale Automatics in OZ was selling them predrilled - but only with his kit. Not seperately.

You can get an adapter that screws into the stock sender that then accepts the VDO sender. Same as a VW - M10 to 1/8" NPT, I believe. Google is your friend.

That's what I did. If the VDO sender craps out, just screw the stock sender back in. No big deal.

You'll realize real quick that additional cooling is needed, if you have an A442F.
 
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SHREDwagon said:
If you want to keep your stock sender operational AND your aftermarket - you'll need to drill and tap the elbow of the cooler union in a press. I tried doing this and there was no room for error. Ended up buying a new union.

Rodney at Wholesale Automatics in OZ was selling them predrilled - but only with his kit. Not seperately.

You can get an adapter that screws into the stock sender that then accepts the VDO sender. Same as a VW - M10 to 1/8" NPT, I believe. Google is your friend.

That's what I did. If the VDO sender craps out, just screw the stock sender back in. No big deal.

You'll realize real quick that additional cooling is needed, if you have an A442F.
Click to expand...

How much additional cooling? Im running into the stock tranny cooler from the fzj80
 
Seems most people running the stock external coolers with scan gauges don't seem to have a problem. The older bottom rad coolers, like mine, are a problem. I drive steep gravel roads in 4LO or I'll go over 100 C.

Only one way to find out....
 
This is how wholesale crappy matics do it.
Please excuse thier dodgy work (swine's broke the factory temp sender pulling my trans)
DSCF0378.jpg


You could remove the fitting off the trans & drill through from the inside, Use a larger drill to counter sink & line up the fitting in a drill press, Then drill through with the correct size drill.

Hamo
 
Tried to do it that way... but the inner elbow is convex and and your bit will "walk" unless you have a precision press and just the right tools to center - i.e. your own machine shop. So, giv'er!

Edit: You also need to ensure the sender is spaced out an exact amount - like in your pic, so that it doen's restrict flow. VDO senders barely work, but any longer and no bueno.
 
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I just cut into the rubber hose downstream of the tranny before it enters the lower rad chamber and made up some brass fittings with the gauge sender in the T part. Since then I added an aux cooler....can't remember now if it's upstream or downstream of the lower rad chamber but I did it however the install instructions suggested.

Having that gauge is sobering. I believe the factory dummy light goes on at 304F. Driving those steep gravel roads with the TC unlocked puts the temp up to 250+ with no effort at all and without a gauge you'd have no idea. If you don't pay attention the sky is the limit but it seems to stop before the dummy light comes on most of the time. Still, the idea of being that high with no warning just doesn't sit well with me. With the aux cooler and 3rd gear lockup I can keep it much more civilized and in a worst case scenario I just use 4LO and keep it under 50km/h. It's that awkward bit between 50-70km/h that sucks. There's nothing you can do.
 
SHREDwagon said:
My Bad - M14 x 10.5

This is what you need:
http://store.42draftdesigns.com/Universal-Oil-Temp-Adaptor--Drain-Plug_p_58.html

Remember it being posted in another thread when I was installing my gauge.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this doesn't work for the A442F, I bought it in the hopes it would but it's to small.

I ended up buying a new union and had it drilled and tapped by a machinist. The new union was less then $20 from beno and my machine work was free:D

I spoke with Rodney and an autometer rep and they said having the sender in the pan does little to no good. The temp readings could be off as high as 50 degrees. If you decide to go with an Autometer gauge you'll need their shorter sending unit.

I'll post a pic when I get home.
 
Hope these help:
IMAG0066.webp
IMAG0067.webp
IMAG0068.webp
 
Can anyone say which VDO sender they're using to do this? I've read several places they are too long and will impede flow, and can't find a "shallow" version available. Some have used the Autometer 2259 "shallow" sender, but it's scaled to 340F, whereas the VDO guages are to 300F, so the reading would be out using that one.

Edit: Wholesale Automatics uses a VDO gauge in the kit they sell, can anyone who's bought their kit say what sender they're using?
 
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In speaking to VDO and Egauges tech support, I've found the following VDO temp sender length measurements:

323-055 5/8”
323-057 1”
323-423 7/8”
 
I used the user-set trigger in my Auber to operate the temp warning light, replacing the factory switch. Doesn't answer the question, but it works well.

 
If anyone is looking for new A442F unions that have been drilled already, John at @Radd Cruisers on Vancouver Island can set you up with one. They are drilled, but not tapped; so you can tap to the thread/pitch required for your sender.

EDIT update: Looks like we might have a solution for short probe VDO senders for the drill and tap routine of the stock hot out line fitting for those who want to use VDO gauges or have gauges that are calibrated to VDO senders. Found reference on a Patrol forum to these numbers:

VDO
320.028
50-150degC
323 - 18 ohm
1/8"-27NPTf
Button terminal

I have not phoned or tried to source in Canada or the USA yet, but it looks like it is available in Oz. You can get it as a button terminal or 4mm bolt terminal. Not having ordered and installed either of these probes yet take it with a grain of salt, till confirmed.

Sender Temperature 320.072 vdo

Sender Temperature 320.028 vdo

Is this the short probe temp sender that folks are using if they want to use Autometer gauges? AutoMeter Replacement Senders 2259

hth's
gb
 
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