Transmission pan - PML aluminum high capacity (1 Viewer)

[bjowett]

Th below pictured transmission pan is on its way to my place for testing on the Land Cruiser AB60F transmission. It is a prototype in the as cast finish. Fluid capacity has been increased by 3.25 quarts, so the total transmission circuit should hold almost 15 quarts total. How much cooler it will allow things to run remains to be seen. This piece is manufactured by PML, they've been at it for a long time.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

If that fits does three things:

1) works with the stock transmission guard
2) keeps the stock fluid level gauge in the same spot, or has its own longer level gauge that reads at the same OE spot
3) you bless off on it being a solid product

I'll be the first one to buy it. Nothing I love more, than more fluid capacity, especially in hydraulic systems.

 

[bjowett]

Option #2. B&M. They already have this pan on the market.

As far as I am aware, both pans use the stock overflow height.

The stock guard will not work with these, they are about .5" too deep. Designing another guard that is stronger and has has the appropriate airflow could be fn, but will add to the cost.

I prefer top end products, so if it doesn't pass muster, all will hear. PML has a great reputation.

PML claims 3/16" wall with a massive 3/8" flange. Uses a supplied cork (!!) gasket or RTV Sealant. B&M claims 1/4" wall, flange is obviously much thinner, but keeps stock gasket. The PML prototype has multiple drain locations, I can see these being useful for other things.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

oooo, nice. I'll measure the clearance I have with the BudBuilt transmission skid, see what might work.

 

[bjowett]

The pan has arrived. Pics and updates asap.

 

[Atwalz]

It should work with factory skid plates. You can always add a washers or a spacer to clear it if needed.

 

[bjowett]

The pan is baffled to work with the stock pick-up. I may modify the baffles in order to drop the sump to the bottom of the pan, an extension should be easy to produce. PML actually mentions this mod on their web-page. This unit looks great for a prototype. The extra drain plug bosses could make a nice mount for a dip-stick and under hood fill point. The pan is hefty well built piece at 11 lbs.

 

[04UZJ100]

Surprised they didnt make one for the 100.....I'm jealous!

 

[chilibit]

Why drop the pickup? Temperatures? Not likely to be consequential. Tilt?

 

[bjowett]

Tilt. I prefer the pick up to be as low as possible to reduce the chance of grabbing any air.

 

[77HesterSue]

Stupid question pehaps but what is the benefit? Thanks

 

[LINUS]

This should be of interest to all the AB60_ people, esp us who tow, add a S/C, or really strain the trans in whatever way.

Initial thoughts on dipstick / using a boss in it?

Does the cork gasket seem worthy, or will a rubber/RTV type seal be a better option? -Or is the flange milled true enough I could cut a mineral paper one & use a little RTV?

 

[bjowett]

The benifits are reduced temperature and increased fluid life/transmission life.

The dip stick should be easy to add, I see no issues with it.

Cork belongs in decades long since left behind, IMO. I'd like to machine it to take the stock gasket if possible. Toyota /Threebond orange rtv will be my choice after that.

 

[uclafan]

Brian, am very interested in this as well, and I've contacted PML to be a prototype test case. A few questions for you, just to confirm what you've listed in your previous posts:

• The full capacity of the transmission fluid system, with the PML pan, is around 15 quarts?
• I was thinking of going with Amsoil ATF rather than the stock Toyota ATF, any thoughts on that?
• Would it be a good idea to change out the transmission filter at the same time, not sure whether it's needed for a vehicle that has around 80 k on the clock but it would be a logical time to change out?
• What's your thoughts on the value of the optional temperature sending unit, or would a device like a Scangauge II be good enough for the occasional monitoring of the temperature fluid?
• It sounds like the cork gasket is pretty useless, so absent of an aftermarket gasket that would be eventually made for this pan, you would go with a gasket made of Threebond RTV material? Not having any experiences with making gaskets previously, anything to look out for (other than not squeezing out so much material that it gets inside the pan where the fluid comes in contact with the gasket)?

Thanks.

 

[Brett19648]

any updates regarding these high capacity transmission pans?

 

[uclafan]

any updates regarding these high capacity transmission pans?

Had to drop and install the pan 3 times (one time by me and twice by my mechanic) before we remedied the leak from the rear lip of the pan. Turns out that the lip of the aftermarket pan is wider than the stock, so it was catching on the transfer case surface, which is raised slightly higher than the mating surface of the transmission. Once we noticed that, we grounded down the part on the aftermarket pan that was catching, resealed with RTV, and no more leaks. One thing to note is that the transmission guard will not fit over the bottom of this pan, as the aftermarket pan is significantly deeper than the OEM. I don't know if we can get the guard to clear if we put on some spacers. I have not driven around and taken temperature readings of the tranny fluid after the pan change, so I can't say if the change made a significant difference. I'd be curious to hear what Brian's experience was with this pan.

 

[bjowett]

I have no updates as prying the 200 from my wife's hands has been difficult.... she absolutely loves to drive and use it. Now that school is winding down for my kids, I'll have some access to the machine.

 

[linuxgod]

@bjowett, will this actually reduce the transmission temp? From what I've seen with my $20 OBD2 reader, the pan temp will stay around 194-196F no matter what condition. I've put the vehicle in neutral while coasting down a long mountain highway hill and the temp never dropped lower than that. I don't think the min temp is determined by the amount of fluid, but rather by an A/T thermostat and/or the temp of the radiator.

What I have noticed is that the temp coming out of the torque converter easily reaches 220F+ while driving in traffic or on mountain grades in anything but 4th gear. However I've never seen my pan temp exceed 200F, even while climbing the beartooth highway while pulling a 5000# trailer. If you really want to get the A/T temp lower, I would think a secondary A/T fluid radiator would make a much larger difference. That said, I can't see reducing the pan temp down more than 4-5F under normal circumstances.

 

[bjowett]

Geoff, good discussion! There are situations, more so in the Tundra due to lacking the lower radiator atf heat exchanger, than the 200, where the aluminum pan may help shed heat. Again, this remains to be seen. Due to the coolant to atf heat exchanger located on the side of the transmission, we will likely never see temps drop much below that of the coolant. The atf heat exchanger in the lower radiator tank also contributes here.

Where we will really see gains is in atf oil change interval requirements and/or transmission life due to fluid quality. The extra 3.25 quarts of capacity will really bolster the fluids ability to do what it is supposed to do. That's 22% more fluid to lube things, hold contaminants, and sit in the sump before it takes its next run through the circuit. It's a longevity thing.

 

[linuxgod]

If you're thinking about reduce the temp, would it be advantageous to put an external A/T cooler after the cooler that's in the radiator? That would presumably bring temps down below 195F. It would also add another quart or two to the system as the additional cooler holds extra fluid. I vaguely recall from adding an aftermarket A/T cooler to my 3rd gen 4Runner that they recommend installing them before the radiator though, not after them. Not sure if that's because they would cool the fluid too much below operating temp?

Extra fluid should help absorb short term bursts of heat, but more cooling surface area seems like the best way to get the temp down when subject to sustained heat. I'm not a mechanical engineer though.