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Quick question about the drain plug on the MTX.

Pen_Two

Is not easliy amused.
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
9,874
Location
Union Dale, Pa
Well, I have a trans temp gauge sitting here and was thinking of a way to make it work. I figure if I remove the drain plug and find the appropriate sized fitting to fit the hole, I can put the sensor in the fitting.

My question is what is the depth of the hole before it hits something or would interfere with something?
 
i dont think there is anything in the way but im not positive.

why do want the temp gauge anyways if you know its not needed?
 
Take the plug out and stick something (pencil) in there to see how far it will go before hitting something. However putting a sneor that low is not a good idea. If you manage to bottom out at a speed bump or curbe, it will break or rip the senor out and drain the oil and destroy the trans.

What exactly are you expecting to see from this gage? It's not as if it's too hot for some strange reason, you can install a cooler. MTXs don't have internal oil pumps so a cooler will not work.
 
Like I said, it's just for curiosity. I appreciate the answer, but I was hoping to get an idea of what I have to work with without doing a fluid change already.
 
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I took into consideration the danger of hitting a speed bump or bottoming out, but from what I can tell it's not going to be in any danger as I would have to take about an inch of the transmission case off before the sensor would be in any position to get ripped out. The drain plug is horizontal on the lower end of the case and is above the lowest part of the case.

However putting a sneor that low is not a good idea. If you manage to bottom out at a speed bump or curbe, it will break or rip the senor out and drain the oil and destroy the trans.

MTXplug.jpg
 
Like I said, it's just for curiosity. I appreciate the answer, but I was hoping to get an idea of what I have to work with without doing a fluid change already.
No need of doing a fluid change. Just jack the front of the car up. If it was filled to spill on level ground then nothing's going to leak out if you raise the front of the car, right? If it's overfilled, well then....:help:
Karl
 
how is jacking the front of the car up going to help? hes talking about putting one in the DRAIN plug hole. if anything thats just going to make it worse. :troutslap:
 
Oops, I should have read the post better. Thanks! :troutslap: :troutslap: for good measure! :blackeye: I was thinking that the fill plug had a better chance of being nicked by hitting something than the drain plug.
Karl
 
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Like others have said, I don't understand the reason for this. But if you insist, at least put it in the fill plug, instead of the drain plug. Much less risk involved.
 
Like others have said, I don't understand the reason for this. But if you insist, at least put it in the fill plug, instead of the drain plug. Much less risk involved.


theres also never any substantial amount of fluid up that high in the trans to give you an accurate reading. :troutslap:
 
theres also never any substantial amount of fluid up that high in the trans to give you an accurate reading. :troutslap:


When the grears are spinning, there is oil EVERYWHERE! :)
I'm sure it would be as accurate as the drain plug with the benefit that if something breaks on the sensor, the oil wont leak out all at once.
 
Unlike an auto trans, there's no high fluid pressures or friction, so there's really no heat being generated. There's far more heat that gets transferred from the hot engine block to the gearbox, than what is produced by internal friction.

If you're concerned about the temperature, why don't you just stop the car and touch the trans case?
 
i know there is oil everywhere but unlike a system with a pump (engine oil, coolant, ATX) there is not a constant flow of fluid across the sending unit.

As mcgarvey stated there is no high pressures and little friction so there is very little heat produced inside a manual trans.
 
i know there is oil everywhere but unlike a system with a pump (engine oil, coolant, ATX) there is not a constant flow of fluid across the sending unit.

As mcgarvey stated there is no high pressures and little friction so there is very little heat produced inside a manual trans.

Yes BUT that's only if you compare that to an ATX. The friciton of the gears and bearings does generate a fair amount of heat. However as said, there is probalby more heat transfered by the engine than what the gearbox generates. I think that the constant splashing of the oil will be enough to get a good reading on the sensor.

Either way, if this sensor is only going to be installed to put another gauge in the car for show, then it's RICE to me.
 
Well, to avoid the "just for show" look, I'm actually going to make it function. Last I checked, if it actually has a purpose and does monitor something, then it isn't rice. Like I said, it's for MY curiosity. Yeah, there may be no immediate need for one, but that's because it's not common place to put one on an MTX. I'd like to put one on it because not only do I want to see how much heat it actively generates, but I'd like to have something out of the norm.
 
What do you mean "Designed for"? All it does is measure the temperature of the fluid. If I so pleased, I could probably dip the sender unit it hot water and get a temp read out. :shrug:

I don't see how it's "designed" for one application when it's only measuring the temperature of a liquid.
 
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