Keeping tabs on your transmission’s vitals has always been tough, because unlike your engine, most trucks do not have a transmission fluid temp gauge, or even an idiot light. And if you are like us and use your rig for severe towing, those long steep grades can be a serious stress test on your transmission.
Recently, while towing a rockcrawler and carrying a Lance camper on a long trip, we realized our Ford Super Duty’s 4R100 had slightly overheated after noticing transmission fluid all over the rear axlehousing upon reaching our destination. Luckily for us, it only got hot enough to purge fluid out, but not do permanent damage and cook the transmission. Before heading home, we added new transmission fluid to get the level back up and prayed as we hit the next long hill that it would not start slipping—thankfully it didn’t. To put all the stress and anxiety to rest, and more importantly, keep it from ever happening again, we looked for help from a few different companies to keep the transmission happy and also help us monitor the temperature.
We felt that a Mag-Hytec high-capacity transmission pan, a Ford Motor Company 40K-GVWR transmission cooler, and an Edge Evolution programmer with monitoring capabilities would all be good choices to keep our transmission much cooler and would allow us to be able to keep an eye on it.
The Mag-Hytec Ford 4R100/E40D...
The Mag-Hytec Ford 4R100/E40D transmission pan comes complete with an attached O-ring seal, hardware, Allen key wrenches, and can also be ordered with a filter as shown.
Mag-Hytec has been making heavy-duty differential covers and transmission pans for many years and has applications for just about all of the popular late-model Ford, GM, and Dodge trucks. These finned aircraft aluminum pans are all made in the USA, have a deep, high-capacity sump for maximum cooling, a magnetic drain plug, 1?8-inch NPT temperature sender port, an O-ring-type seal, and come with all the hardware needed to complete the easy, do-it-yourself install. You can even get a new filter with it like we did.
This FMC 40K-GVWR transmission...
This FMC 40K-GVWR transmission cooler from PureDieselPower.com is ready for installation and came well-packaged, but be careful when handling it after you take it out of the box, as the fins are easily bent.
With the added volume of transmission fluid to the system, you can expect your temps to be noticeably cooler, which will extend the life of your transmission. Our next order of business was to find an upgraded trans cooler, and we found a Ford Motor Company unit ready to bolt right in at PureDieselPower.com with a whopping 40K GVWR (up from the stock 28K). And since it has a much larger cooling area than the original piece, we thought this setup could do wonders to help reduce operating temperatures. The FoMoCo upgraded cooler is intended for the gas V-10 setup but is compatible with the 7.3L and came complete with all hoses, protective looms, clamps, and attached in the stock cooler location.
The Edge Evolution (part number...
The Edge Evolution (part number 15001) for ’99 to’03 Ford 7.3L’s comes complete with a dash mounting pod, EGT probe, cable and thermocouple, OBD II connector cable, and 3M tape with hook and loop for the pod brackets.
Now we just needed to find a way to monitor the transmission temperature so we would know if the tough demands we put on the transmission were staying within its new limits. We thought about an A-pillar gauge pod that might also include an EGT (exhaust gas temperature) gauge, but after talking with the guys at Edge Products, we decided that using their Evolution programmer as an all-encompassing monitoring device would work perfectly. If we did not already have a chip installed in our truck’s computer, we could also use it to help with performance gains, but the unit can easily be programmed in the future if we choose. Now we were able to not only monitor our transmission fluid temperature, but also our EGTs, engine oil temp, and our turbo boost psi.
 Start by draining the oil...  Start by draining the oil from the transmission, then remove all of the bolts and take off the stock pan. Ours came off fairly clean, but high-mileage trucks may require some extra scraping of the old gasket surface. |  This is a great time to replace...  This is a great time to replace your old trans filter with a new one and save the hassle down the road. Not to mention all the money for the added volume of fluid it now takes—now’s the time! Notice the clean surface ready for the new O-ring. |  Before installing the new...  Before installing the new pan, lay out all the hardware to determine exactly where the shorter front and rear Allen bolts go per the instructions. Also remember to spread an even coat of transmission fluid on the Mag-Hytec pan O-ring to help it seal before you set it into place. Start to install the hardware back and forth on opposite sides and tighten according to specs. |
 Just in case it sat untouched...  Just in case it sat untouched for a while, and especially if you live in a severe weather environment, we put a dab of anti-seize on the threads of the magnetic drain plug to make sure removal would be easy. This nice magnetic plug will help trap worn gear material, promoting fluid integrity. |  Once the Mag-Hytec pan is...  Once the Mag-Hytec pan is installed, you notice just how deep it looks compared to the OE Ford pan. Since a lot of us are both show and go, we liked the nice looks of the A356-T6 aluminum that was powdercoated black, but the gearhead in us appreciated the machined cooling fins. |  After you drill the 21/64-inch...  After you drill the 21/64-inch (5/16-inch optional) hole through the manifold wall, you can use a 1/8-inch NPT (national pipe tap) (as shown) to cut the threads for the thermocouple fitting. Using grease while drilling and tapping can significantly reduce the amount of metal fragments going into the manifold. |
 Install the thermocouple fitting...  Install the thermocouple fitting after cleaning up the manifold. We used Teflon tape that will help form a good seal after awhile. Remember not to tighten it too far, as it should be flush with the inside of the manifold, or it will interfere with the exhaust flow. |  Install the EGT probe into...  Install the EGT probe into the fitting and tighten the top nut just enough to keep it firmly mounted. Try to make sure you route the cable up to and through the firewall with minimal interference or bending. |  Now bring the EGT plug end...  Now bring the EGT plug end through the firewall and route it without interference toward the Edge connector to the ODB II port and plug it into the right side as shown. In order to start the OBD II cable routing, leave the unit plugged into the port and route the pod cable over to the far left, avoiding the parking brake mechanism. |