Transmission pan?

syclone0577

syclone0577

Member
Ok..so I am trying to decide if I want to spend $ 130.00 for a new TCI trans pan for the extra capacity and the convience of a drain plug.

For a Syclone with 9800miles, thats not driven rough, do you guys think it's worth it or should I just tap the stock pan and put a drain plug in it? :2gunfire: :lying:
 
Loeryder

Loeryder

New member
Get a Derale from summit.

$75 and you get a deeper pan that still uses a stock style filter and you get "cooler tubes" to help keep the fluid cooler.
 
Syclone#892

Syclone#892

Member
I bought the tci, I had heard people with problems with the derale and the tci looks better. It should also make the trans case more rigid. Oh it uses the stock filter also it has some little stands built into it. I do not think I payed $130 for it though but I could be wrong its been awhile.
 
Syclone#892

Syclone#892

Member
I had heard that they leaked. I don't know if it is true or not but I have not heard it recently it was last year when I bought mine. I am hoping the derale does not leak because my dads ty came with a derale.
 
Loeryder

Loeryder

New member
I never heard a bad thing about Derale and I've ran 2 different pans on 2 diff Typhoons with no leaks.
None around the edge of the pan, none around the drain plug.

I imagine if you overtighten and ream out the drain plug washer it could drip, but that stands true for any of the drain plugged pans.

The drain plug on the ATR chrome rear diff gave me shits of headaches, but the Derale has performed as flawlessly as a trans pan can.
 
SY2932

SY2932

Administrator
I have the TCI pan on my syclone. I bought it after another syclone owner told me a horror story of two Derales he bought leaking, brand new out of the box... When I installed mine at a wrenching session, a ty owner had a brand new Derale (was going with a deeper pan too) and we got to look at them side by side. I was 100% satisfied with my purchase and he ended up sending his back to Summit Racing and getting a TCI.

As mentioned previously, both pans use the stock filter. A longer filter neck is NOT required on either pan. The filter rests on top of the cooling tubes on the Derale and the TCI has "pins" cast in the bottom. The Derale is a stamped steel pan like the stock one. While the "cooling tubes" seemed like a good idea, I wasn't crazy about how they were brazed in. Seemed like too many places for potential leaks IMO. TCI is cast aluminum and is over a quarter of an inch thick all around. The only shortcoming of the TCI is some trucks will require the front of the pan to be trimmed to clear the torque converter inspection plate. I had to do this on mine as did the former Derale owner when he got his. Piece of cake with a die grinder, fiberglass cut of wheel and carbide burrs. The TCI also has greater capacity. Holding two additional quarts whereas the Derale only holds about one.

Heat is the number one killer of transmissions. Second only to high boosted AWD launches of course. A deeper transmission pan and a transmission cooler undoubtly will add to the longevity of your transmission. HTH's

Mike Campbell
 
G

grahamstein

Member
iv got one, hasent leaked yet, i could see how the drain plug might be a little bit of a problem, on mine it just didnt seem like the plug made a tight fit, i put some silicone tape on it beforehand.
 
0966Sy

0966Sy

Code what?
My derale pan leaked, so i bought a TCI. The derale is just to thin of a pan in my perspective. The TCI is nice and thick.
 
Syclone#892

Syclone#892

Member
Well I did a search and came up with nothing about them leaking but I remember a few people had them leak. Who knows maybe derale had a problem and has fixed it since.
 
T

typhoonzz

Got Boost?
I've got one and it never leaked once till I pulled the tranny and accidentally bent the pan....
Totally my fault that it leaks.
So I'm replacing it with the same thing...
 
myclone

myclone

Donating Member
Ive got the TCI pan. I like it. I heard about the leaking derale pan so I went with the TCI.

Pro:

I dropped myclones trans off the floor jack while installing the 9/11 TC by myself from a height of ~2 feet. Right after it bounced off my rib cage it hit the garage floor right on the pan. No damage other than one chipped cooling fin (and bruised/cracked ribs).

Easily drilled/tapped for temp sensor, external cooler lines, whatever.

Adds rigidity(sp?) to the case (see first pro)

Looks cool for eons and is easy to keep clean if you spray it with clear coat before you install it and it gets all cruddy.

Nice racey/manly look that gets oohs and aaahs from other gear heads that look under your truck.

Cons:

When I was monkeying with the shift points in the trans last fall I attempted to drain the fluid and whatever let loose in the trans filled the pan full of metallic debri. This debri stuck to/around the magnetic drain plug and when I unscrewed it the debri chewed up the threads in the soft alum pan. I can prolly chase the threads with a tap and it will be fine but then again this is a sy we're talking about and as we all know it is never that easy. :roll:

If you insist on keeping the cast alum TC cover you'll prolly have to grind it or the edge of the pan for the cover to fit. I dont run one so no worries there.

Comes with socket head bolts which requires you to drag an extra tool under the truck to change the filter/fluid. Id change em to hex head but Im too lazy.

If you dont clear coat it when new and you get greasey finger prints on it you'll never get it clean unless you sand blast it as the alum is so porus.
 
B

Blake

Guest
If you have a Derale and a stock pan and you have to take your truck to a tranny shop, take off your Derale and put on your stocker.
They WILL damage the HELL out of your Derale and then blame the thin wall design(the stamping is a bit thinner than a stock pan)but it isn't so thin as to warrant the damage they will do. Then try to make them buy you a replacement :roll: .
My Derale leaks now and occasionally I'll get whiffs of burnt tranny fluid where it blows up on the exhaust pipe. :evil:
I'll probably go with the cast pan after it warms up outside and I heal from surgery.
Blake
 
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