Nissan Frontier Forum banner

Optional Transmission pan for increased fluid cap.

3K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  mtyler11 
#1 ·
Looking to see if anyone has used one of the larger capacity transmission pan from PLM, and any thoughts on buying and installing one on my 2011 Equator CC 4x4 - Looking for feedback. Thanks

I do not go off-road, tow a smaller utility trailer with my ATV and about 85% of miles are on the highway. I dont NEED and a new cover with additional fluid, I just want one.


Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder Deep Transmission Pan from PML

Thanks in advance for any info of suggestions on other 'like' pans.

Sean
 
#5 · (Edited)
I've been running this pan for close to 6 months. I Love it. If you are running (full) skid plates your temps will be about the same. If you're Not running a trans skid your temps will be 5-10deg lower at trail speeds. on the highway my temps bottom at 140 (likely due to the radiator cooler) BUT the biggest thing is that the trans temps drop fast when you get some cool air flowing. It holds about 1.5 qts more than stock and is Heavy Duty. If you're not hardcore offroading in boulder fields you may not need a trans skid (my trans skid has only a few marks closer to the rear crossmember, likely kept me from getting me hung up more than actually protecting anything)
Personally I feel its worth it. cooler temps, more fluid, added strength for the trans case.

I just received one on Friday - yet to install it. Plan on buying a camper soon so have hopes that my tranny will stay somewhat cooler given the increase in volume by 1.1qt. I currently have a trans cooer fan too that helps a lot. as you know, a bit pricey but hope to have the fronty another 3-4 years until I upgrade.

the fins & aluminum keeps it cooler more than the increased volume IMO, but you will see cooler temps, and especially that it will cool faster when you get to the downhill side when towing. I bought mine with the plans of going 250K with it.
 
#8 ·
I've been running this pan for close to 6 months. I Love it. If you are running (full) skid plates your temps will be about the same. If you're Not running a trans skid your temps will be 5-10deg lower at trail speeds. on the highway my temps bottom at 140 (likely due to the radiator cooler) BUT the biggest thing is that the trans temps drop fast when you get some cool air flowing. It holds about 1.5 qts more than stock and is Heavy Duty. If you're not hardcore offroading in boulder fields you may not need a trans skid (my trans skid has only a few marks closer to the rear crossmember, likely kept me from getting me hung up more than actually protecting anything)
Personally I feel its worth it. cooler temps, more fluid, added strength for the trans case.



the fins & aluminum keeps it cooler more than the increased volume IMO, but you will see cooler temps, and especially that it will cool faster when you get to the downhill side when towing. I bought mine with the plans of going 250K with it.
So you had no clearance issues with skid plates?
 
#7 ·
If you haven't bought a new gasket yet, you can either use an OEM gasket @ ~$22 or a Duralast (bought at autozone) for under $15. The autozone gasket is a thick-ish rubber unit, allows for a good seal. The OEM is a paper over metal thing. I went with the rubber one. no leaks in over 5k miles
 
#10 ·
I have had mine for a few years now. I was actually one of the original testers and the reason why they had to do the slant on the front to clear the frames angle supports. The pin installs pretty easily but you need to have an allen driver. The capacity is ~2qt over stock which makes a d/f 6qts total. No temp reading or etc...
 
#11 ·
The current pan is a re-design. It was introduced back in the summer and I was one of the first to receive them. In fact the pics of the 2014 Frontier SV V6 4x4 Hefty Fab Skid Plate is mine.. One thing I would advise is to have them tap & thread the area for the temprature sender, even if you aren't planning to run a temp sensor right now. Better to have & not need, then need & not have....
 
#13 ·
I finally installed the pan last week. Ive had a transmission temp gauge and fan wired to a manual switch for the past 6 years or so and always turned the fan on when the trans temp reached 150deg - which was rather soon after running the truck (i live in the south). The pan over the last week keeps the transmission much cooler alone. well worth the money IMO
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top