Have an idea for transmission pans

[redhat]

Was sitting here thinking about an idea for a transmission pan.

Make an aftermarket replacement pan that does not use the factory transmission filter. Instead the factory filter connection point connects to an integrated filter neck with O-ring/OE style seal. That connection point then translates to spin on oil filter on the outside of the pan… think LSx style oil pan as for a loosely similar visual as to what I mean with recessed filter mount.

Inside the pan there’d be a screen that would be a “rock catcher” to prevent large chunks/debris from reaching the filter.

Then on the flat of the pan, have a removable panel that is sealed by an O-ring that sits in the a groove on the pan, fastened by maybe 5-6 bolts. This panel would house the transmission pan drain plug and also be a spot for the magnet to sit.

You could drain the pan, take the panel off, clean the magnet, change your filter, and be done.

Develop and market them for all popular makes of transmissions. See my crude drawings below.

Would this added “resistance” hurt a trans pump? The Allison automatic has a spin on filter… right… is there anything unique to their pump to accomplish this?

Just thinking out loud.

 

[wwillson]

Would this added “resistance” hurt a trans pump?

All of the oil is drawn through the OEM trans filter. I think if you tried to draw all the oil through the spin-on like happens with the integrated trans filter, there may would have too much resistance to flow.

The Allison automatic has a spin on filter… right… is there anything unique to their pump to accomplish this?

Yes it does, but I don't believe the filter is in the primary circuit. Hence, all of the oil doesn't have to be pumped through the small spin-on.

 

[twouvakind]

Subaru 4EAT has a spin on.

 

[eljefino]

Like wwilson wrote, you're proposing putting a filter on the suction side of the pump, not the pressure one. I imagine it would be somewhat hard to prime. If you want to add a spin on filter, there are ways to do it at the trans cooler lines. Plus you'll probably find a spot better shielded from road debris under the hood. Your "recessed" filter area needs to not have internal tranny guts in the way, either.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Subaru 4EAT has a spin on.

Which, admittedly in stock form, is not much more than a rock catcher TBH. I’ve cut several open and they do have a screened bypass, and so to improve the filtration some I replaced all of mine and the ones I’ve serviced with a NAPA Platinum (Wix XP) that after I changed them, I consider them lifetime use after that point. I still change one jug of fluid via spill n fill about every 20k with MaxLife ATF.

One of the nice things with the 4EAT filter location vs LS oil filters is the Subie filter is side mounted on the trans, up in the tunnel some so it’s not in direct line of fire for road debris.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Like wwilson wrote, you're proposing putting a filter on the suction side of the pump, not the pressure one. I imagine it would be somewhat hard to prime. If you want to add a spin on filter, there are ways to do it at the trans cooler lines. Plus you'll probably find a spot better shielded from road debris under the hood. Your "recessed" filter area needs to not have internal tranny guts in the way, either.

If I was going to do a spin-on it would be on the return line from the radiator, like where a Magnefine normally is installed. However, generally speaking, unless a transmission is on its way out, it’s not making a lot of debris that’s going to make it past the factory filter anyways, especially these days when there’s no dipstick tube to ingest foreign material into the sump.

 

[redhat]

Yeah probably a stupid idea.

Feel free to delete this thread.

 

[wwillson]

Yeah probably a stupid idea.

Feel free to delete this thread.

Not stupid and it's good conversation...

 

[CDX825]

Would be nice to just have a spin on filter with the coarse style media they use for the regular trans filters that could be accessed without dropping the pan. Even if it wasn't a spin on and used a cartridge style that was external that would be nice.

 

[Aredeeem]

The back of a napkin has been the incubator for countless solutions throughout history. Don’t sell yourself short for blazing a trail, Red Hat.

 

[74DartSport]

Chrysler 2.7 oil pan.

 

[eljefino]

Would be nice to just have a spin on filter with the coarse style media they use for the regular trans filters that could be accessed without dropping the pan. Even if it wasn't a spin on and used a cartridge style that was external that would be nice.

That and a drain plug. Saturn's TAAT tranny had both as do many other examples. The worst problem seems to be their getting accidentally drained at Jiffy Lube. Saturn even made the filter can bright red, LOL. Many makes make the drain plug a more esoteric fastener than an external hex so the "tech" needs to think a minute to find the right tool.

 

[redhat]

Maybe a “pan in a pan” would be an idea? You remove a whole sub pan that is sealed to the full pan with a nice o ring in a groove. With this sub panel removed you can easily remove the filter and replace it as well as clean the magnet. Additionally this sub panel would either house a drain or have it elsewhere.

I guess this would only really solve an issue of a factory pan being tough to remove with either transmission lines, exhaust or linkage being tough to weasel a pan out.

Other instances where a pan drop is easy maybe this doesn’t make sense.

 

[eljefino]

I'd like pan drops better if they didn't use tiny 6mm bolts that thread into butter-soft aluminum.