Just to satisfy my curiosity, I hooked up a temp gauge in my new Level II Bowtie 200-4R transmission. Bowtie recommends 180* degrees as max operating temperature for this transmission. Mine runs at 210* with just normal traffic driving, ambient temp around 95* here in Scottsdale. No AC on. My sending unit is in the pan, coolant lines not kinked, radiator is less than 1000 miles new, engine temp running at 185*. Never had a problem with the previous 350 Turbo overheating, even with the old radiator. Now, I now an external cooler is going to be needed to keep the temp down, but I'm wondering is it the nature of these 200-4Rs to run hot? Any recommendations on the size, type and brand of cooler to get?

 

Have you contacted Bowtie about this? I would be very interested in knowing the outcome! My Level II is in and in the process of being hooked up... Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks,
Dave

 

Dave, I called Rich at Bowtie, he's going to send another gauge in case the one they supplied is defective. He also said to swap the cooling lines so the fluid has to go up into the radiator tank cooler instead of dropping down thru it. The theory is that it slows it down a bit to get better heat transfer. Not sure if i'm buying that though.... Crawled under the car and man is that tranny hot!! The car coasts nicely so I know there isn't a drag on the drivetrain. I'm pretty sure, down deep, both Rich at Bowtie and I both know an auxiliary cooler is going to be needed. I'm looking at a Flex-A-Lite #4126 10"x20"x 3/4" copper and aluminum cooler from Summit, What's another $70 if it keeps it cool, I've also read an large capacity aluminum deep pan helps also, but I think a cooler is my first remedy. Other then the cooling issue it works fine... I am going to add a vacuum switch so when the engine lugs and vacuum drops down in 4th lockup it will unlock.... To sum it up Dave, you might as well plan on an outside cooler to assist the radiator tank cooler.
Harold

 

OK Good to know... I am installing a traditional 4 core radiator in mine... Is that what you have? I talked the application, installation and useage with the for quite a while before I ordered mine.... I was told should not need a cooler with the 4 core radiator... I was a bit concerned as I am putting in a 380 stroker that cutlassefi built for me. I figured upgrading to the LevelII was cheap insurance to start with. I noticed yours is behind a 403...
Same rear gearing as well...

 

You have to run an extra cooler with a 200R4, I use a 25,000 lbs cooler as well as the radiator and an aluminum pan that folds 2 extra quarts. Another thing a lot of people don't know if you are driving a lot in town and the transmission isn't in OD with the converter locked up you don't have full oil flow to the cooler, a 200R4 has to be in OD with the converter locked before full oil flow to the cooler is achieved. I had mine converted to a non lockup converter and the pump modified so I get full oil flow all the time.
I don't know what BowTie does to there transmission but my transmission guy clued me in on this. Had know idea that's how they worked.

 

I think the heat is due more to a slightly higher stall converter that would be the norm of retrofitting one of these trannies.

With probably never checking the running temp on the original trans it may not have been much, if any cooler than the 200 is now. You live in a climate that is hell on cooling any system in the vehicle.

Add an aux cooler plumbed in series w/ stock cooler & temp should come down to optimal range.

 

jag1886, do you have pictures of your cooler install? inquiring minds and all that....
May need them for guidance!

 

It seems like most all the coolers use the plastic rods that get pushed thru the radiator, condenser and then thru the cooler to hold them in place. I've never installed one using that method, it looks quick and easy, hope it works well...... i'm running a three core radiator, but have no problems keeping the 403 cool with the 180* thermostat..... My 200-4R has the 1800 rpm stall converter, certainly not radical by any means. I was told at yesterdays car show, by an ex Olds factory man that 210* for the tranny is no cause for alarm at all, but who knows what the transmission temperature could go to this summer when it can be 110 out and the AC going full bore.... . A big cooler is bound to help....

 

I always build mounting brackets for my coolers, these are built from 1/2" mild steel I got at the hardware store. I try and make them look like maybe it came that way.

 

Inline tube offers a reproduction transmission cooler kit. It is exactly like the original cooler option. Not cheap but looks nicer than the other style. It is also hard plumbed with no rubber hoses. I think they are $300.

 

When I was researching build requirements of using the 2004-r behind my 455 , I was told by 2 or 3 different tranny builders that a high stall converter would generate additional heat therefore requiring a seperate cooler for longevity of the tranny!

 

That seems crazy to me, I'm not disputing you, just that the time you need extra cooling for the transmission is when the converter is unlocked, climbing a long steep hill or caught in traffic for example.

Roger.

 

I agree it is crazy. That's why my tranny guy told me so my transmission would survive here in mountain country. My transmission guy likes 200R4's as long as they are built his way, he told me not to put a lockup converter in because it wouldn't work right where I live and I didn't listen to him, I listen to web sights instead and it cost me another $600 to do it his way and now it works perfect.

 

Is this a lock-up style converters? If so, the high stall speed shouldn't affect trans temp. The factory restricted the cooler flow when the converter is locked to prevent the trans from getting too cool in the winter. Without the slipping of the converter the fluid would get too cold.

I wouldn't be too concerned about your trans temps, especially if its a non-lock-up converter with no trans cooler. I have a trans temp gauge in my 06 Ram with the Cummins, around town the trans runs about 180-190, out on the road with the converter locked it cools down to about 150. Granted, Arizona is a bit warmer than Indiana but the point is the same.

Get a good trans cooler, I bet it cools down. Did you have a trans temp gauge with the 350 trans?

 

Unfortunaly I never had a gauge on the 350 trans I took out, The new cooler is coming tomorrow (Thursday) and not a moment to soon. I did a bit of vigorous combo of city and freeway driving, locked and unlocked converter, temp went up to 230, it's no fun driving with that hanging over my head. And this is without AC on and only 95 degrees out.
If the cooler doesn't do the job, a deep pan is next. I've read the extra 2qt capacity helps a bunch.

 

If your running the stock pan, its common to run the trans 1 quart over full. The reason for that is for some stupid reason Hydromatic decide the pickup point in the filter should be on TOP, instead of on the bottom where you might expect it to be. Under hard acceleration its easy to uncover the pickup and the trans can suck air instead of ATF. The ultimate fix is either a trans pan spacer (basically a 1/2 inch spacer to drop the pan down a little) or a deep pan and a 700R4 filter. The 700 filter is a little taller and wont fit in the stock pan without the spacer. Also, depending on your valvebody code you need to do a little creative fabricating to prevent the pressure switches from grounding out on the filter. I'm pretty sure thats only a issue on certain valve body calibration code that have a 3rd and 4th gear pressure switch.

Are you POSITIVE the trans temp gauge is accurate? If you didn't have one on the TH350 you really don't have anything to compare it to. What are the odds you have a infrared temp gun? If so, point the gun at the pan in the same spot as the sender. If there is a big difference I would question the accuracy of the gauge. 230 degrees seems a bit warm with the converter locked! With the converter locked, no slipping=lower heat.

 

Something just occurred to me, I'm pretty sure the inlet and outlet cooler line fittings are back-wards from a TH350. If so, maybe your pumping hot trans fluid into the hotter side of the cooler? Might ask Bowtie Transmission about that.

 

You could check your gauge calibration by using boiling water... depending on altitude should be near 212 degrees.... accurate and cheap!

 

Did you get this resolved by adding in your cooler? If so, pictures and parts list please?

 

Here's what I did, added a new 4 row radiator, a #4126 flex-a-lite tube and fin cooler(it has 8 18" long rows of tubes, that's 12 ft!) and a 160 degree thermostat. Trans runs around 180 degrees now, except for one day when it was 118 degrees here in Phoenix, and I got stuck in stop/go traffic. It did hit 220 till i got out on the open road again. I wish now I would have gone with the Dexron VI which is backward compatible and can stand way more heat then the Dexron III. If I go to a deep aluminum pan, that's definitaly what i'll do.