This is a heavily debated topic. My feelings are to put the sender in the hot line coming from the trans. The reason behind this is you get the hottest fluid temperatures there, this can give you an early indication of a problem rather than giving you the 'average' temperature of the transmission. Others will surely chime in with their opinion. That is just my $0.02. Pics below of mine.

 

For the same reasons that smurf gives mine is in the same line, but in the hose in a 1/4" NPT pipe "T" with barbed connectors for in the hose ends and the temp sensor in a 1/4 to 1/8 NPT reducer. The whole setup costs about $8 to $10 at your hardware store. I unsrewed the nut from the check valve and cut the hose to take out the check valve and then ran the hose over the flair in the tubing with a clamp up to the "T", then through a second filter and back down to the radiator cooler hose. You could just cut the hose to the right of where it's shown in smurfs photo and put the T in line. You should get rid of the check valve too though.

 

Did You Buy T Fitting If So Where?

Can You Tell Me Where You Got T For Sensor Install? Thanks

 

The tee fitting came with a B&M tranny temp gauge from Summit. The little switch on the guage pod is so I can toggle between the ingoing/outgoing lines. Yes, I have two sensors.

 

Could one of y'all take a pic of where this check valve is? I have heard lots of bad things about it! Why is it there in the first place? I have not heard of any other mfg having one on their tranny cooler lines? What is it's purpose and should I 86 it even before I install a trans temp guage? Are there any negatives to nix-ing that check valve?

Thoughts?

 

the check valve is located in the bottom line hooked to the radiator i believe it is to keep the torque converter full of fluid

 

If the engine is running and it's in any gear except Park, wouldn' the trans pump keep the torque converter full of fluid? Is this to prevent "bleed down" when you shut the truck off or when sitting overnight or something?

I assume these check valves fail, then the trans starves for fluid, cooks and then it done.

If it's only there to keep it full of fluid overnight or when sitting.......then it's gone. I don't mind waiting a minute or two with the truck in neutral before dropping it into drive to take off.

 

You got it right GTO, you will just have to idle in neutral for a few seconds to get everything juiced up again. They fail by getting hot and melting the plastic ball, which then plugs up the cooler and kills the trans.
I work for a pipe fitting manufacturer so I got my Tee and fittings at work, but they are available at Lowes or about any hardware store. You want a 1/4 NPT T, and a 1/4 to 1/8 NPT reducer and two 1/4 NPT hose barbed connectors for in the hose. I think that's the easiest way to install it. Print the picture and take it to the hardware store and they will hook you up. I've used these T manifolds in two transmission lines and on my little Bro's jeep with no problems.

There is a very detailed thread on this that covers the full spectrum of possibilities and shows a few more aftermarket manifolds, you'll just have to hunt it up.

 

I cut out the check valve altogether. What you see are the tranny lines plumbed to an B&M tranny cooler. Unless the truck sits for a couple of days, I have no issues. Neutral for a minute is no big deal.

 

Thanks Guys..........since my truck is a 2500 series.......I believe it has an external trans cooler mounted between the A/C condensor and the radiator. Do I still have the check valve going into the radiator? or do I only have the external cooler, or are they hooked up in series?

I'm going to post an quick update in my trans issue thread (post camping trip report). If any of y'all have any ides, let me know!

Thanks!

 

More than likely, you have an external tranny cooler. I'm also certain that the tranny fluid passes thru the radiator cooler too. I bought a big B&M stack plate style cooler (see pic) and bypassed both the factory cooler and radiator. Many have done that with no problems at all.