Adding aftermarket trans cooler question

[sponsoredbydad]

What is the normal application? Do you route the lines into the radiator and tie them together and use both or only use the external aftermarket one?

 

[ryoken]

thats kinda a climate thing... if it gets moderately cold in your area, it's best to run thru both... if it's hot all the time, than just the cooler might be better...

the object is to get the fluid in the 170 to 180 range... too cold a climate and the fluid will never warm up, thats bad.. the rad actually acts as a warmer for the fluid in cold conditions.. you need to get the trans up to 150 or so to burn off condensation...

here in jersey during the winter, it would take mine forever to get warm in the winter, and then it would only get to about 140, maybe 150.. i'm pretty sure that contributed to my tranny's demise..

i would say unless your in the hottest of climates, it's best to run thru both... i'm going back to running thru both....

 

[Yo]

On all of my old trucks with autos here in Texas I would run through both, and also run an engine oil cooler as well. However, since my truck is a DD and not really a hardcore 4x, I opted to upgrade to an HD 4 row aluminum radiator and simply skip the secondary factory cooler.

I found that often times my tranny wouldn't warm up to a decent temperature, so that also played into my preference of running only through the radiator.

You do have the added benefit of additional fluid capacity running though both though...

 

[Thunder]

I always run my coolers in this order: radiator ---> cooler --->then back to the trans.

 

[British Slave]

I learned my lesson the hard way. I ran the trans lines to the cooler only, and one rare snowy day the wife got in the truck and sat there and burned the trans up. When I pulled the pan off, there was a pile of clutch plate material in the pan.

 

[DeviousK5]

Being that so-cal is fairly warm all the time you have a few options.
Run the cooler after the radiator, then too the trans. The only downside is that is still runs into the radiator. I have seen a fair share of F'd
transmissions that cross contaminated with coolant in the radiator, most times the trans fluid backs up into the coolant system, but if un-noticed and the truck sits it could just as likely get into the transmission and waste the whole thing. You could by-pass the radiator and get a larger cooler , also there is a transmission thermostat available from the aftermarket(ive purchased and used this, available from transtar industries), to ease the tranny too cold woes. The thermostat bypasses cooler flow until a pre-determined temperature.

 

[cuervo]

Always run the lines Tranny > radiator > external and never use just an air cooled cooler.

 

[DeviousK5]

So you want to re-warm up the fluid?If run through the radiator you're exchanging heat, cooling the fluid, then to the cooler to further cool,the object. So lets say my fluid is 260 for example out of the transmission, then put it to the cooler and possible get it to 200, then to the radiator and get it back to engine temp? .Any perticular reason?or reason not to run just an air to fluid cooler? Though maybe not ideal, it does take the contamination occurance out of the equasion,and if proper size is correct ,especially with a thermostat, why the hell not?

 

[BGKYK5]

Always run the lines cooler > radiator > external and never use just an air cooled cooler.

Your pic shows trans out -> radiator -> cooler -> trans in.

 

[GRINCH]

Your pic shows trans out -> radiator -> cooler -> trans in.

He just mixed up the words cooler lines (Lines cooler) Rad first External second.

Pic is correct.

 

[BGKYK5]

 

[cuervo]

He just mixed up the words cooler lines (Lines cooler) Rad first External second.

Pic is correct.

Thank you, yes bad grammer strikes again. I fixed the post.


Tranny > Radiator > ext cooler > tranny

 

[cuervo]

So you want to re-warm up the fluid?If run through the radiator you're exchanging heat, cooling the fluid, then to the cooler to further cool,the object. So lets say my fluid is 260 for example out of the transmission, then put it to the cooler and possible get it to 200, then to the radiator and get it back to engine temp? .Any perticular reason?or reason not to run just an air to fluid cooler? Though maybe not ideal, it does take the contamination occurance out of the equasion,and if proper size is correct ,especially with a thermostat, why the hell not?

If you are just stitting still you will not be transfering enough air across just and air cooled cooler to keep the fluid cool.

As stated, with your numbers. Tranny out 260 > radiator 200 > ext cooler (while moving) 180 > back to trans.

 

[DeviousK5]

Do also consider the effectiveness of said cooler being installed. I have installed dozens over the years. The real cheapos will have flimsy "fins" and a single bent tube running through . The good ones "plate style" are far more effective in cooling as there is much more surface area meeting air. I exclusively install Tru-cool,(there are lots of makers im sure are just as well) for the above reasons, they do cost slightly more, but you get what you pay for. Also keep the rubber hose to a minimum , and flare or bubble flare the connections. All too often unflared connections under the extreme pressures your transmission is producing will blow the hose right off no matter how many clamps are used. Good luck with the install.

 

[Pookster]

tube and fin are fine, for low level work- I usually put them on passenger cars I own. Stacked plate is the better one, and I use that in my k5- Again, as stated, from the trans, to the radiator, to the cooler plate.

Liquid cooling is more effective than air cooling- but so is the heating. Since your truck operates usually at about 165-180 (depending on idle temps, etc) it will either try to lower your trans fluid temps, or raise it. Raising it is a good thing, helps gets things up to operating temp early. But if its a hot day and you've got the AC up and going..., its very easy for the radiator to be in the 200's without your thermostat necessarily budging noticeably. This also means your transmission is being warmed above its desired level, as it has no ability to shed the heat(other than the trans pan). This is where the additional cooler is of assistance, to drop it lower.

 

[sponsoredbydad]

OK I think I got it. Trans,rad,cooler,back to trans= COOL

Thanks Chris