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THE AUTO BUILDER

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CIMTEX RODS SUPER CAMEO: PART 7

“What’s going on right now with this truck is probably one of the most difficult parts of the overall buildup,” commented Cimtex Rods’ Darrell Cimbanin. “Getting everything to fit inside and underneath this highly modified 1956 Chevrolet Cameo half-ton chassis, like the exhaust and fuel systems, for example, requires a lot of thought and careful planning, not to mention the actual fabrication process, which is very time consuming!”

The Year of the Dragon

Dragon Powerboats was founded in early 2002, but the first boat didn’t make its public debut until the 2004 Miami International Boat Show. “I realized there was a higher level of quality and luxury to which performance boats can be manufactured,” said Craig Barrie, president of Dragon Powerboats. This is a pretty bold statement coming from the guy who spent 16 years of his life first as a vice president and then as president and CEO of the famed Cigarette Racing Team. In fact, Barrie was instrumental in the design of some of today’s most popular Cigarettes, including the 35-foot Café Racer, 38-foot Top Gun, 42-foot Tiger and 46-foot Top Gun. That is a pretty impressive resumé for a guy who now plans to build boats of his own.

DEFYING NATURE

Traditional hot rods are all the rage, and while it’s a great experience to run across a true barn-find hot rod, some folks would rather make their own with the perfect blend of colors, textures and just the right amount of sanding. It’s definitely a way to grab attention, as these so-called beaters steal the show from some of the finest rods around, but there’s no doubt lots of time and money is spent to obtain this look.

Spotlighter

Transform Your Transmission: Adding Easy Maintenance with Mag-Hytec!

Mag-Hytec Transmission Pan Installation on a 2000 Chevy Tahoe

OK, we all know that it is easy to ignore automatic transmission maintenance—its messy and time consuming and no one really thinks about it until the trans starts to slip. Most transmission pans are simple stamped steel and do not have a drain plug so draining the fluid makes a big mess on your garage or shop floor. If maintaining your automatic trans was easier and less messy you would probably stay on top of the maintenance wouldn’t you?

Author

Chris Tobin

Words & Photography

Benefits of Replacing Your Factory Transmission Pan

Replacing your factory transmission pan with a new pan from Mag-Hytec can make your next transmission service easier and a lot less messy—it can even extend the life of your tranny by reducing the fluid temperature and catching metal particles in the fluid preventing them from flowing through the transmission.

Features of Mag-Hytec Transmission Pans

The Mag-Hytec transmission pans are made from finned aircraft aluminum with deep high-capacity sumps for maximum cooling. Rather than rely on leak-prone paper gaskets, the pans use an O-ring for the pan-to-transmission seal (727 Torqueflite models use a hard paper gasket) and the drain plug seal. Yes, the pan has a magnetic drain plug which will allow you to drain the fluid without making a huge mess all over your floor and catch metal particles in the fluid. Additionally, the pans are machined to accept a 1/8-inch NPT temperature sender for those who want to closely monitor their transmission fluid temperature. A 1/8-inch NPT pipe plug is installed in the pan from the factory.

Applications for Mag-Hytec Transmission Pans

Mag-Hytec currently builds transmission pans for Dodge 727-DD, Ford 4R100 and E40D as well as GM 4L60E and 4L80E applications. The pans come with a black powder-coated finish with machined fins for a great look. Mag-Hytec includes polished zinc-plated Allen head cap screws with stainless steel washers and all the necessary Allen wrenches to install the cover and service the transmission.

Installation Process

We visited our friends at Advantage Performance Center in Riverside, CA to install the Mag-Hytec pan on our 2000 Tahoe Limited project truck’s 4L60E transmission. To remove the factory pan and install the new one took us a little less than 2-hours with time set aside for photography. If you are performing the swap in your garage without the help of a vehicle lift it may take longer so give yourself an afternoon. Also, be sure to pick up a new filter and transmission fluid before you begin since you won’t be able to use your rig to run down to the local parts store once you start.

Draining the Factory Pan

Draining the fluid with the factory pan in place is messy but easy enough to do, but you may need to remove the heat shield from the passenger side of the transmission to have clearance to remove the pan. For a little cleaner draining, loosen and remove the bolts at one corner more than the others and tilt the pan allowing the fluid to drain from the corner until the level is low enough to lower the entire pan and drain it into your bucket. The old filter can be removed once the pan is dropped and the new filter can be installed in its place.

Installing the New Filter and Pan

With the new filter installed the Mag-Hytec pan is ready to be installed but first you should apply a thin layer of clean transmission fluid to the O-ring to ensure a good seal. Before installing the new pan check the transmission gasket mating surface on the transmission case for dents, irregularities, or gouges. If any problems exist, carefully remove the high spots using a smooth flat file—be careful not to round off the flat gasket surface when filing.

Securing the New Pan

After positioning the new pan, align the bolt holes and install the cap screws and tighten them finger tight before torquing them to 12-16-lb-ft in a cross pattern. Do not forget to check the drain plug and 1/8-inch pipe plug for tightness, they need to be tightened to only 30-lb-in so don’t over tighten them. Finally, remove the dipstick and fill the transmission with the proper transmission fluid (refer to your owner’s manual if you are unsure of which fluid to use). The new pan holds about 3.3 quarts more fluid than most stock pans. Be sure to fill the transmission to the line on the dipstick then check it with the engine running and transmission in park and add fluid as necessary.

Conclusion

Installing the Mag-Hytec pan is no more difficult than changing the filter with the factory pan and provides the benefit of making future transmission service much cleaner and easier. It also offers improved looks and enhanced cooling capability, so consider installing a Mag-Hytec pan on your 4×4.

1. The Mag-Hytec transmission pan comes with everything needed to install in on your 4X4 including the hardware and Allen wrenches.

2. From the inside you can see the machined O-ring channel, internal ribs, magnetic drain plug and machined port to accept a 1/8-inch pipe thread temperature sender.

3. Be sure to have plenty of transmission fluid on hand before you start the installation as you won’t be able to drive your 4x4 down to the parts store if you come up short. We used Valvoline Dexron III/Mercon ATF fluid for our Tahoe.

4. The stock GM 4L60E pan has no provision for a drain plus so draining the fluid can be quite messy if you are not careful.

5. On our Tahoe the heat shield on the passenger side of the transmission had to be removed before the pan could be removed from the tranny.

6. Removing the bolts from one corner and loosening the others will allow you to drain the fluid from the corner with slightly less mess.

7. Make sure the transmission’s gasket mating surface is clean and free of any irregularities that would require careful filing.

8. Don’t forget to install the new transmission filter before installing the new pan!

9. After installing the pan, align the bolt holes and install the Allen head cap screws and washers finger tight before torquing them to 12-16-lb-ft in a cross pattern.

10. With the installation complete the transmission pan looks great and will make future fluid and filter changes much easier and cleaner.