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Worth it? Aftermarket transmission deep pans for pickup trucks

cfherrman

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2022
Messages
1,804
Location
Hays, Kansas
If you have a newer truck always drive with the fart button on, it saves your turbo from getting stuck and probably tries to lock your converter as soon as it can.
 

Tarhe Driver

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Nov 16, 2015
Messages
248
Location
Savannah, GA
Occupation
Comm. Real Est Appraiser-Retired cargo/helo pilot
FWIW, we have a 2000 7.3 crew-cab short-bed with 320,000 miles that for the last 200,000 has been used primarily as a grocery getter (some people have boats but I live on the salt and have a pickup with a bumper-pull equipment trailer). At about 125,000 miles, the son then owning it put a larger xmission oil pan on it, and we've never had a bit of trouble from the original xmission.
 

Steve Frazier

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Oct 30, 2003
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6,609
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LaGrangeville, N.Y.
In my humble opinion if you've gone nearly 170,000 miles without incident or seeing any heat issues it doesn't seem like there's a problem to solve. I honestly don't think there would be a lot to complain about if the transmission did fail at this point, that's a pretty good run on a truck that's working.

I had a 4R100 that failed twice within the warranty period and third time I had an aftermarket trans put in that was beefed up. It's still in it today. In comparison the 6R140 I had went 135,000 trouble free miles until I sold it and the current owner is still running it with no issues. That truck had a transmission temp gauge and I never saw it approach the hot side plus I had it serviced every 50,000 miles.

The only reason I can think to do what you're considering is personal satisfaction.
 

cfherrman

Senior Member
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Jun 3, 2022
Messages
1,804
Location
Hays, Kansas
Unfortunately with fords you can't trust the gauges in the cluster they lie to you, you have to get a Bluetooth adapter and read the live data to see what's really going on, seeing the trans temp guage never move would be normal and I have never seen one move on a Ford irc even though the temp might be higher than a normal reading.
 

RocketScott

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Joined
Sep 8, 2013
Messages
161
Location
Lexington, KY
There's such a thing as running the trans too cool. It's been recommended to me more than once to either run an auxilery cooler or a deep pan, but not both. The ups and downs of both have already been mentioned

Depending on what kind of filter the trans has already an auxilery can help quite a bit. If it's just got a metal screen it's not catching anything but the largest chunks
 

Syleng1

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Joined
May 31, 2019
Messages
123
Location
Communist state of Connecticut
Occupation
Welder- farmer
Original Poster here: so thank you for all the info. With just about 170k on the clock and now the wife and I are going to use the truck to pull our new toy hauler. With both quads were are just about 9,000lbs.
My concern is dropping the heat caused from pulling for 500miles to 1000miles to our destinations. At this point in time I don’t want to loose a transmission due to converter heat because as things get older they tend to slip a tad more, causing more heat. The trans has a spin on filter and a typical pan filter all factory. Pan capacity is 6 quarts. Diesel converter is like 8(or more) but I cannot drain the converter. I run the synthetic fluid ATF+4 in the trans and the transfer case. I’m probably going to do a full flush and filter before the first camp trip in a few weeks. I can go from there. Thank you again.
Syleng1 IMG_5639.jpeg
 

Roadoil

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2022
Messages
166
Location
Vegas
I have a deep trans pan BD on my 08 6.7 Ram I'd say it might help a tiny bit to keep cool but not much.

The biggest issue with the diesel Rams is the 68RFE design the engineer quit.

It only sends fluid to cooler during TCC lock up so when towing heavy like I have 20,000 lbs up a hill even when you downshift to 5th or 4th it's gonna slip in and out of lockup get hot real quick.

You gotta watch temps it will jump quick once past 220 degrees.

It's the Achilles heel of the Ram Diesels and don't get me started in that AS68RC Japanese Aisin from a Range Rover used in the 4500 and 5500 CC trucks very cheap design.

Ford diesels you gotta take the cab off and have that Bosch CP4 pump that blows up class action lawsuit going on same with the Duramax same CP4.

So pick your problems you want to deal with and choose your truck.
 

Roadoil

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Joined
Sep 6, 2022
Messages
166
Location
Vegas
This 500 hp 20k pump and trailer weighed 20k towed back to Nevada from Ga lots of hills to watch the transmission temps jump up fast.

Some hills took 3rd gear the transmission slips in and out of full lockup so it's doesn't break anything.

I bought this truck from Copart said it ran and drove total lie transmission was shot. I had to drop the transmission 3 times 68RFE never rebuilt a transmission before the clutch discs are paper thin and you can fry the OD clutches in 10 mins.

Lots of how to videos on YouTube but they leave out important details I didn't tap all the snap rings fully in grooves first time and second time i was very rough installing piston seals in trans and cut one didn't use proper tools or seat them correct.

Most shops don't want to deal with the 68RFE it's easy to mess up and will fry itself in 5 minutes if something not correct.

But 3rd time was the charm to drop it what's important is a trans sump and oil temp monitor such as a scan gauge 2 to watch your temps and going up hills if it gets too hot you gotta stop or you will destroy the OD clutches it's easy to do.

This truck had spacers on rear wheels didn't give much thought but it totally changes the camber and load rating for rear lugs I snapped them off clean in Texas one wheel a time.

So when you see these Rams with huge wide rear wheels with spacers know they can't tow **** because the rear lugs will snap sooner or later. Lol
 

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Roadoil

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Sep 6, 2022
Messages
166
Location
Vegas
Spacers don't change camber unless they are moving the wheels out enough to cause the axle to flex.
You can't adjust camber anyway on rear dually axle but the spacers definitely reduced the load the lugs could handle.

Snapped lugs off clean flush towing a trailer with equipment had to take 4 lugs off front hub to get to truck stop middle of nowhere another trip when I figured it out.

This trip I busted the rear lugs off hub right at the Amarillo Big Texan steak house exit one of my rear wheels passed me went into a field the inner barely on but I put spacer back on when I put new lugs on in parking area.
 

Roadoil

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Joined
Sep 6, 2022
Messages
166
Location
Vegas
This pic is the second time other rear wheel lugs totally sheared off wheel rolled off into a field 150 yards jumped a fence towing prob 13,000 lbs.

In case anyone is wondering you need to pull axle, caliper and mount, then hub, take disc off hub then hammer out studs not very fun on I40 East shoulder traffic and trucks going by 70mph of Route 66 Casino NM about 10 miles. But took 4 out of front hub got me the truck stop to get new lugs and do proper repair.

Would have been very expensive for a tow and would have had to leave trailer.

Never found the spacer but since I took them both out no more busted lugs.
 

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Acoals

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Dec 15, 2019
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Wisconsin
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Jack of all trades/Master of none
It helps to go through the truck before you start going cross country with it. Usually the first thing you have to do with a new truck is go through and start undoing all the stupid nonsense people have done to it . . .
 

Zewnten

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Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
568
Location
Earth
Put an aftermarket temp gauge in, keep your foot out of it (stop trying to pass everyone) and then if it you see signs of heating put in a cooler.
 

Roadoil

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Joined
Sep 6, 2022
Messages
166
Location
Vegas
It helps to go through the truck before you start going cross country with it. Usually the first thing you have to do with a new truck is go through and start undoing all the stupid nonsense people have done to it . .
It helps to go through the truck before you start going cross country with it. Usually the first thing you have to do with a new truck is go through and start undoing all the stupid nonsense people have done to it . . .
True I did bought the truck at Copart Sacramento said run and drive looked good in pics was during Covid wouldn't let me drive it out I would have passed all the check engine lights and obvious problems but once past the gate i was stuck already paid barely made it to Vegas.

I had to rebuild the transmission, remove EGR added 50 hp, had other issues dead electronic throttle.

Put new water pump, ac compressor, condenser etc was mechanically sound.

Truck had air bags, front steering brace bar other mods drove nice after I fixed mechanical issues.

The spacers on rear wheels gave a wide rear look track didn't occur they would significantly reduce the load it could take found out soon enough when they snapped the lugs.

The first time lugs snapped in Amarillo towing that 20k pump there was enough thread i could throw a nut on drive it with one rear wheel to the Big Texan Steak house truck parking drop the trailer drive to auto parts store get 8 new wheel studs.

Second time other wheel pass side near Route 66 casino NM snapped flush.

So when I see these Dually rams and Fords with fat spacers on rear wheels they have that super wide look you know they can't tow anything over 5000 lbs without snapping the lugs off.
 
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