4L80e extra filtration unit?

[Firstoneman]

Greetings:
Is there a recommended tranny filter mod that places a second, external filter on the frame rail on the passenger side? It looks like a regular oil filter unit, screws on to a base.

I'd like to know if I should just remove it from the system? The body of the filter is leaking and a lot of my fluid is on the ground. I can't get the filter to unscrew from the mounting base.

If I remove this filter setup I'm fairly certain I'm going to have to buy some new lines to route to the radiator cooling. What is the recommended cooling and line solution and should I get one of those in-line thermostats to regulate flow while the tranny fluid heats up? I didn't look, but is there a separate little radiator for the tranny like for the engine oil cooler?


Thanks much.

[Firstoneman]

Greetings:
Is there a recommended tranny filter mod that places a second, external filter on the frame rail on the passenger side? It looks like a regular oil filter unit, screws on to a base.


In between the two sentences quoted above, for clarity, I should have said: Because, on my Suburban I have a filter setup like the following...

[DmaxMaverick]

It could be nearly anything. Almost any hydraulic filter assy of an adequate capacity would fit/work. What you describe would be quite common on many tractors, or commercial rigs with a hydraulic system (tilt, liftgate, agitator, elevator, etc.).

Is this filter inline with the tranny cooler lines, or does it replace the tranny cooler?

[Firstoneman]

It could be nearly anything. Almost any hydraulic filter assy of an adequate capacity would fit/work. What you describe would be quite common on many tractors, or commercial rigs with a hydraulic system (tilt, liftgate, agitator, elevator, etc.).

Is this filter inline with the tranny cooler lines, or does it replace the tranny cooler?


No, it does not bypass the front cooling connection. The filter base is mounted on the frame rail almost directly under the backrest part of the front passenger seat. It is connected to a line on the tranny and also to a line that comes/goes to the radiator. I don't know which direction flow is at the moment.



A question that I have is, why put another filter on when there is one in the tranny?


Thanks again.

[DmaxMaverick]

That was my main concern, whether the filter allowed for the cooling circuit or if it just filtered and sent the fluid back, uncooled. Cooling is important, more so than additional filtration.

Traditional tranny filters are little more than clod sifters, to be sure. They stop the large junk, but don't do much for actual filtering. Transmissions don't need much, so the engineers don't provide much. I'm a fan of filtering fluid, but it's a solution to a problem that never really existed, in this case. The transmissions have their failings, but this isn't a contributing factor.

Leave it, remove it. I don't think it really matters.

[Firstoneman]

That was my main concern, whether the filter allowed for the cooling circuit or if it just filtered and sent the fluid back, uncooled. Cooling is important, more so than additional filtration.


I'm a fan of filtering fluid, but it's a solution to a problem that never really existed, in this case. The transmissions have their failings, but this isn't a contributing factor.

Leave it, remove it. I don't think it really matters.


Removed the filtration unit and joined the lines where they were rather than replace the tranny lines.



Thank you for your thoughts. Helpful.


Cheers!

[DmaxMaverick]

Thanks for the update. Not a bad course, IMO.

If you just coupled it with hose and clamps, do yourself a (future) favor and double the clamps. Use constant-tension types, if you can. An ounce of prevention.