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Update: I got the Innovate gauges installed and got everything to steady state at idle last night. Here's what I've discovered so far. The factory lines running to and from the factory cooler are low pressure lines. Cold start showed 12psi from the transmission to the cooler and 9 - 10psi from the cooler back to the transmission. This is good news since it doesn't look like you have to go crazy with high pressure lines and fittings: push lock hose and band clamps appear to be sufficient.
Steady state at idle showed the temperature coming out of the transmission to the factory cooler is 189 degrees and the temperature going from the cooler to the transmission is 192 degrees with coolant temperatures at 199 degrees. At these temperatures, the pressures were at 9psi out of the transmission and 8psi going back to the transmission.
Traditional ATF has been mineral based and these temperatures would be considered rather high as a mineral based ATF starts breaking down above 180 degrees. The Toyota WS fluid used in our transmissions is a synthetic fluid and can take a lot more heat before breaking down. Also, the WS fluid is relatively thin compared to other synthetics and has great thermal stability. Toyota uses this fluid in a number of other vehicles as well to help improve fuel economy.
While the fluid can take a good bit of heat, there are other components in the automatic that can't: seals and clutches. Generally, seals start to harden up around 260 degrees Fahrenheit and clutches will start to slip and degrade quickly at temperatures above 290 degrees. Therefore, we don't really want to be seeing temperatures above 240 - 250 degrees to ensure longevity of the transmission.
One other note is that while installing the gauge sensors, I captured some of the ATF that came out of the factory lines. With only 11k on the odometer, the fluid is starting to darken and there is a little bit of particulates in suspension. The fluid does not smell burnt, but it is getting a little wear. I have done a little spirited driving and I have noticed that the 1 -2 shift with the paddles is rougher than when the car was new.
I'm going to be doing some data logging today with a mix of normal (for me) street driving, highway cruising, spirited driving up and down a mountain pass as well as some light track driving at Adams Motorsport Park in Riverside, CA. Adams is a short technical track that comprises 3 laps per run with about 3 runs in a 1 hour session. The laps are 53 - 57 seconds long and back when I had my manual FR-S, I would top out 3rd gear on the main straight.
Stay tuned for more information as I acquire it.
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