Big redo of the old bucket

[old round fart]

You guys with OCD make me feel like a real slacker! Lol

 

[Indycars]

I'll put you down for the first unit. But it won't be cheap...

Shouldn't family LIKE US !!!, get the best discount ??? You know something like free or few dollars
to cover testing and development time for the family testers until you go for an IPO !!!

 

[PotvinGuy]

OK, all bucketeers are hereby beta testers, with early access and a goodie bag. Now the unit may cause your car to make like Old Faithful, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing it was for a good cause.

 

[Indycars]

Now the unit may cause your car to make like Old Faithful, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing it was for a good cause.

With beta testing come your personal phone number for 24/7 support I would assume ??? Hey
were family !

Ok, maybe we should get back to some real technical info and stay focused on the thread's intentions.
What is the list of features you have in mind initially for version 0.9 ? Would you care to elaborate?

 

[PotvinGuy]

What, there was an original intent? I'm just a daydream believer. A list, eh? Well, it will work on any vehicle that has the inherent ability to cool the engine, i.e., enough radiator and fans and coolant flow. Without the hardware even my masterwork won't be able to do magic. It will control multiple fans and electric coolant pumps. And features TBA. Prepare your mind for an experience beyond anything SEMA has ever done. And the instructions will actually be helpful.

 

[old round fart]

Im shameless copying your bed mounted radiator with my new car. I’m going to go with Davies Craig water pump and fan system. Hope they have the bugs out.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Ah, I've not seen the Craig Davies system in the flesh. Will be very interested in your experience, please keep us informed.

 

[old round fart]

You bet!

 

[PotvinGuy]

"Take this tranny dipstick and shove it!" OK, it probably won't make the country charts, but I will never touch a tranny dipstick again. Mine is next to the (flesh burning) pipes and I need about 4 more joints in my arm to get to it. So I used one of these:

Rear End Fluid Level Checker and put it on the tranny pan:

Now I can see the fluid level at a glance. The other pan fitting is for the tranny temp gauge, which I mounted in a pod on the floor:

Most rods seem to run a tranny cooler, but I've always wondered about that. I don't use a cooler and the tranny fluid stays below 200° Methinks the SEMA guys are pulling our leg. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[Indycars]

My god what perfect timing!!! I've had my trans out for a rebuild and now I need to check the
fluid level. My dipstick is only 3 inches long and I have the same problem as you do. Besides
it just got worse with the remote cooler and filter right next to the DS.

I gots to get me one of them!!! Are you worried about something knocking it off?

 

[PotvinGuy]

Geez, Indy, intimate details are really not appropriate in this forum. Nah, I don't worry about much of anything. I've banged oil pans and tranny pans for 25 years and the old bucket keeps on ticking. Stress is the killer.

 

[Indycars]

Geez, Indy, intimate details are really not appropriate in this forum

Your mind goes to the lowest levels sometimes, but wait a minute...... look who's shoulder's I'm
standing on to keep my mind out of the gutter !!! LOL!!!

 

[Snicklefritz]

curious, how did you determine the proper fluid level? i love the sight glass idea a lot and was thinking of using it should i run an exposed gas tank.

 

[Gerry]

I have been working and messing with rods, customs and race cars with a buddy who owns a transmission shop (over 35 years now) and we agreed by observation and experience almost ALL autos have a fluid level of just above the sump line. This is true from the old days of BW 35, to the new ZF8HP series.

I did this to convert my 350 to side fill in order to loose the dip stick tube. There is a thread on here showing how I did it. We also dropped the sump and measured the length of the dip stick that was showing, confirming the above.

 

[PotvinGuy]

curious, how did you determine the proper fluid level? i love the sight glass idea a lot and was thinking of using it should i run an exposed gas tank.

Being simple-minded, I figured it should be well above the pickup (to allow for sloshing), but below the top of the pan.

 

[Gerry]

Oh. OK then. The level in the sight glass thing you have in your sump was with the engine running and in P. If the pic of your level glass has been taken without the engine running I would say in my 'inexperienced' way its way too low.

But there are better men than me around who can advise you....

They will all run on a low fluid level, for a while.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Being simple-minded, I figured it should be well above the pickup (to allow for sloshing), but below the top of the pan.

sometimes being simple-minded is the better way. your reasoning makes sense and i may have been overthinking it.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I have been working and messing with rods, customs and race cars with a buddy who owns a transmission shop (over 35 years now) and we agreed by observation and experience almost ALL autos have a fluid level of just above the sump line. This is true from the old days of BW 35, to the new ZF8HP series.

I did this to convert my 350 to side fill in order to loose the dip stick tube. There is a thread on here showing how I did it. We also dropped the sump and measured the length of the dip stick that was showing, confirming the above.

i much prefer this solution over the flexible dipstick tube. not bashing that solution either as i suppose it depends on one's sense of aesthetics.

 

[Indycars]

Being simple-minded, I figured it should be well above the pickup (to allow for sloshing), but below the top of the pan.

To me it all depends on how you drive it. If you like to stand on it and occasionally make a WOT
pass, then you will want it filled higher, up to the gasket line or higher if it don't seep fluid. If you
just like to cruise and never get past 1/2 throttle, then yes a lower level will work. Bottom line is
don't uncover the pickup and starve the trans of lubrication under acceleration. You wouldn't do
it to your engine, so don't do it to your trans.

 

[PotvinGuy]

STOP!! I've just had a bad experience with my wonder gadget. When I turn off the motor, the trans fluid goes all the way up on the sight glass and spurts out the port at the top. And it spurts a lot! Well, what the what? The fluid is obviously under pressure. Perhaps when the motor is shut off the trans pump keeps spinning for a while? Or the fluid pressure in the body needs time to go away? Any TH400 experts out there please chime in now. And I just noticed that my trans doesn't have a vent on top! That doesn't seem right. Would the lack of a vent cause what I'm seeing? How can I add a vent? Just drill a hole somewhere up top? Or does the vent go somewhere special in the trans?