Are aftermarket transmission pans worth it?

[BobsArmory]

Just bought a 2023 GMC Sierra AT4 3 liter Duramax (certified pre owned) with 16,000 miles on it. I was thinking of doing a pan drop and filter change just to get the break in junk out and came across the PPE Aluminum trans pan that adds 4 quarts of capacity and a drain plug for about $287.

This pan would sure be nice for future drain and fills but do you think it would add any value for lowered trans temps and or longevity?

 

[eljefino]

It won't cool your fluid as much as an upgraded cooler. I'd drive around and see what your trans temps are and if you feel you need more coolness.

The added capacity would be nice and the drain plug, ditto.

I assume you'd still use the factory type filter. I put a deep pan on my F150's E4OD and needed a "4x4 filter" to slurp from the bottom.

 

[gman2304]

IMO I wouldn’t consider an aftermarket pan until it’s out of warranty. That could open up a huge can of worms if you ever have transmission issues while under warranty.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

If the OE pan doesn't have a drain plug, aftermarket is worth it

Maybe you can use the pan from the Camaro, which also uses the 10-speed and does include a drain plug.

There is no reason to use an extra capacity transmission pan on a new stock transmission.

Keep in mind that these transmissions are still relatively new, and perhaps more aftermarket pans will come out by the time you actually need to change the ATF on your Sierra

 

[4WD]

I have put a B&M drain plug on a few - I swap the nylon seal for a copper washer and a thin film of gasket sealer …

 

[CKN]

Just bought a 2023 GMC Sierra AT4 3 liter Duramax (certified pre owned) with 16,000 miles on it. I was thinking of doing a pan drop and filter change just to get the break in junk out and came across the PPE Aluminum trans pan that adds 4 quarts of capacity and a drain plug for about $287.

This pan would sure be nice for future drain and fills but do you think it would add any value for lowered trans temps and or longevity?

No.-Only if you wanted a drain plug.

 

[thunderfog]

Why are we trying to lower transmission temps? While it's well known that you don't want a transmission to get too hot, I thought I read somewhere it was bad in the long run if transmission temps don't get hot enough routinely.

 

[BrendanC]

IMO, do the superior shift solutions cooler mod and leave it at that. the dealer would have to pull the cooler fitting apart to find it and it will help extend the life of the transmission. after warranty, definitely go with a deep cast aluminum pan. not only do they offer more fluid capacity and some extra cooling, they also stiffen the transmission case substantially.

 

[Lubener]

Just bought a 2023 GMC Sierra AT4 3 liter Duramax (certified pre owned) with 16,000 miles on it. I was thinking of doing a pan drop and filter change just to get the break in junk out and came across the PPE Aluminum trans pan that adds 4 quarts of capacity and a drain plug for about $287.

This pan would sure be nice for future drain and fills but do you think it would add any value for lowered trans temps and or longevity?

A pan adding four quarts is going to place it much closer to the ground and possibly getting whacked if you go off road with your truck. Like mentioned, do the maintenance service then make any upgrades after it out of warranty.

 

[MrHorspwer]

IMO, do the superior shift solutions cooler mod and leave it at that. the dealer would have to pull the cooler fitting apart to find it and it will help extend the life of the transmission. after warranty, definitely go with a deep cast aluminum pan. not only do they offer more fluid capacity and some extra cooling, they also stiffen the transmission case substantially.

With an LZ0 Duramax, this is a 10-speed.

For 10Lxxxx transmissions, the cooler bypass is internal to the transmission, not part of the cooler line fitting like the 6Lxx and 8Lxx transmissions. There is no way to modify or change the cooler bypass short of significant transmission disassembly.

That's true for all but one application: LZ0/LM2 3.0L diesels. These engines do use and external bypass valve assembly on the 10-speed.

Because the diesels use a oil-to-water transmission cooler (as do the 2.7L 4-cylinder trucks), the cooler line setup isn't shared with any other engine. The Superior Solutions (and everyone else's) kit for 6Lxx and 8Lxx will not work with LZ0/LM2 w/ 10-speed applications.

PPE is the only company I know of making a kit (it's an entire block, not just the internals) for diesel 10-speeds.

 

[Bighorn2500]

I put a Dorman replacement pan on my Ram because of the drain plug so I can drain and refill the ATF+4 every 30k miles. No issues with it, I did spray undercoating on it to prevent rust though.

 

[CKN]

IMO, do the superior shift solutions cooler mod and leave it at that. the dealer would have to pull the cooler fitting apart to find it and it will help extend the life of the transmission. after warranty, definitely go with a deep cast aluminum pan. not only do they offer more fluid capacity and some extra cooling, they also stiffen the transmission case substantially.

The truck in question doesn't over heat when used as intended. It's simply not an issue.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

It won't cool your fluid as much as an upgraded cooler. I'd drive around and see what your trans temps are and if you feel you need more coolness.

The added capacity would be nice and the drain plug, ditto.

I assume you'd still use the factory type filter. I put a deep pan on my F150's E4OD and needed a "4x4 filter" to slurp from the bottom.

Changing the cooler is not going to have a huge impact because almost all vehicles (especially heavy-duty ones) have a trans fluid-to-engine coolant heat exchanger and therefore trans temps are more dictated by engine temps.

The bigger pan and higher capacity will help cool the sump area, especially with the added fins, and therefore the fluid entering the filter side will be cooler. I got my PPE pan for the nearly 2 quarts additional fluid, and the drain plug is nearly unneeded- the HPL Green CC I’m using will likely last 100k+ miles. I’ll simply pull some in-service samples to confirm it’s still good, and keep going… 8 gallons of Green CC isn’t exactly something your wallet wants to be buying every 50k

 

[I<3oil]

PPE pan ftw

 

[jjfw]

Just recently replaced the tranny pan on my 2016 ram 1500, with the PPE pan. Nice.

 

[nate379]

Just drill a hole, weld a 3/8 or 1/2" nut on the inside fir a drain.
or FUMOTATO has a valve that is 1/2" thread, drill hole and install that with a nut.

 

[burbguy82]

Just bought a 2023 GMC Sierra AT4 3 liter Duramax (certified pre owned) with 16,000 miles on it. I was thinking of doing a pan drop and filter change just to get the break in junk out and came across the PPE Aluminum trans pan that adds 4 quarts of capacity and a drain plug for about $287.

This pan would sure be nice for future drain and fills but do you think it would add any value for lowered trans temps and or longevity?

Typically, the pan filter is not regularly serviced, the spin on filter is. Unless that has changed in the last 5 years. The lager pan will not cool anything at an appreciable rate. Been down that road. Also, the larger pan capacity does nothing for filter change intervals, so you are going to need more fluid per change. I would not get one, again.

I have got a nice diff cover, yukon, round aluminum type, not flatback. It has a drain and check and fill plug, with magnets....... , and they are nice. The rear end sees a lot of power, with no active cooling, that is where I would invest.

 

[BobsArmory]

I think I'll do a spill and fill leaving the OEM pan on for now. I currently don't do much towing so I shouldn't be stressing it to much. Thanks for all the replies!