Yeah,its a 2 way street--having an in the radiator cooler does warm up the trans in winter faster and avoids condensation and sludge build up..which probably does kill more automatics up here than overheating one ..
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
Cooling System Overhaul - Stumped and Frustrated
- Thread starter dhcomp
- Start date
So, i'm thinking of removing my oil cooler. I need to keep the trans cooler, and am too nervous to put a trans cooler under the truck.
Removing the oil cooler will give me more air flow on 1/2 the radiator, and if i need to, i can upgrade the trans cooler to one with a fan.
Thoughts?
I may relocate the oil cooler out of the airflow, and mount it to the bottom of the core support or something. We'll see what the lines will let me do.
Removing the oil cooler will give me more air flow on 1/2 the radiator, and if i need to, i can upgrade the trans cooler to one with a fan.
Thoughts?
I may relocate the oil cooler out of the airflow, and mount it to the bottom of the core support or something. We'll see what the lines will let me do.
Burbdood 74
Giver of not a single damn...
A lot of trucks didn't come with oil coolers for a lot of years and they were just fine. With the oil being better today than it was just 40 years ago, I'd be inclined to totally eliminate the oil cooler and get a good trans cooler in its place.
I tend to agree--having an oil cooler is better than not,no doubt,and is added protection,but plenty of towing got done years ago without them and the oil then was nowhere near as good as todays..
I "deleted" the oil cooler on my 6.2 when the lines got so thin and rotted I feared they would pop,I just made a loop of 3/8" copper tubing connect the two ports in the block together with pipe/compression fittings--I've seen more GM trucks die from oil starvation due to blown oil cooler hoses, than any that roached the motor without a oil cooler..
I noticed barely any oil was in the cooler hoses too,and blowing compressed air thru them didn't produce the oil spray bath I expected..looks like it may have been plugged up or the engine wasn't pumping it through the cooler..
I've scrapped a few 6.2 radiators,and when I removed the oil cooler (because it is stacked steel plates and leaving it in will mean less $$$ at the scrapyard),I was not impressed with the size of it..its only about 2" x 8" and maybe 4 plates thick,about an inch...
I've seen stock tranny coolers in radiators bigger..how much it actually "cools" is debateable..it probably does more good in warming the thick 15W-40 up faster in the winter running it through the hot radiator,than it helps at "cooling" the oil much..
I have considered getting one of the nice coolers with built in fan. But, it would also get mounted in front of the radiator. I'm too nervous to put it under the truck.
For the type of driving I do, I'm considering putting the trans cooler back, and dumping the oil cooler. Sounds like I have some good support here to do that.
I'll try with my trans cooler now, and if I have to switch to an integral fan unit, I will. Thanks guys
For the type of driving I do, I'm considering putting the trans cooler back, and dumping the oil cooler. Sounds like I have some good support here to do that.
I'll try with my trans cooler now, and if I have to switch to an integral fan unit, I will. Thanks guys
Burbdood 74
Giver of not a single damn...
If I remember correctly, didn't one of the companies out there make a combo cooler where you could run engine oil through one side and trans fluid through the other? If they do make one, I wonder how well it would cool the fluids. 
If I remember correctly, didn't one of the companies out there make a combo cooler where you could run engine oil through one side and trans fluid through the other? If they do make one, I wonder how well it would cool the fluids.
I was thinking about that. That would be badass, although i'm sure they'd just transfer heat back and forth. hm...
Edit: That was easy. Here's an example
http://www.etrailer.com/Transmission-Coolers/Derale/D15902.html
Or something like this, mounted elsewhere:
http://www.jegs.com/p/Derale/Derale-Hyper-Cool-Dual-Remote-Mount-Fluid-Coolers/2998011/10002/-1
I like the Jegs one. Not sure which way the heat would flow with the dual unit. As for mounting under the truck, I agree, but I still like the idea if the area was protected. I would have to be laying under your truck to make a suggestion.
Look around under the hood. I would prefer outside, but if you can find a place under there that can get decent temp air and is not too close to the exhaust manifold, go for it.
Look around under the hood. I would prefer outside, but if you can find a place under there that can get decent temp air and is not too close to the exhaust manifold, go for it.
Looked around under the hood, no good space for a remote cooler.
Planning to remove the oil cooler, put my trans cooler back on, and give it a try this weekend. Temps should be in the 70s or 80s, so should be a decent test.
If this isn't sufficient, I'll add a fan cooled cooler in front of the radiator, and if that doesn't do it, I'll find a place to remote mount it under the truck.
I really don't like the under the truck solution, but I'm probably being too cautious.
Thanks Guys. I'll report back
Planning to remove the oil cooler, put my trans cooler back on, and give it a try this weekend. Temps should be in the 70s or 80s, so should be a decent test.
If this isn't sufficient, I'll add a fan cooled cooler in front of the radiator, and if that doesn't do it, I'll find a place to remote mount it under the truck.
I really don't like the under the truck solution, but I'm probably being too cautious.
Thanks Guys. I'll report back
If you still have issues you may want to look at adding a pusher fan on the trans cooler only. Keep the trans cooler a couple inches off the radiator so so you have some air flow between the two.
Yep, on board with that idea. That is what i was referring to in regards to a cooler with integral fan, although adding a fan to my cooler is another possibility.
Edit: as i think more about it, I wonder if spacing the cooler off the radiator would help anything.
Currently, its mounted almost directly against the A/C evaporator, which is mounted in front of the radiator.
Spacing it an inch or 2 off the core support would allow more air to be forced through the trans cooler at speed, in theory, without any other ill effects to the items behind it.
hm.....
spacing it out would be quick and easy with some standoffs, longer bolts and nuts.
Exactly what i was thinking. That will probably happen tonight. Thanks for the idea!
Didn't have oil, so didn't make any changes yet.
Towed my boat up the grade in 90˚*temps, and the truck cooled well. Can't believe how much difference this makes. Truck temp barely moves, and i'm running WOT for long periods of time.
Good diagnostic work guys!
Amazing how much this little improvement makes in my confidence on the truck!
Will be removing the oil cooler and reinstalling the trans cooler this week.
Towed my boat up the grade in 90˚*temps, and the truck cooled well. Can't believe how much difference this makes. Truck temp barely moves, and i'm running WOT for long periods of time.
Good diagnostic work guys!
Amazing how much this little improvement makes in my confidence on the truck!
Will be removing the oil cooler and reinstalling the trans cooler this week.
rampage
3/4 ton status
Wasn't relocating the coolers suggested several times a few years ago?
Why did it take so long?
Wasn't relocating the coolers suggested several times a few years ago?
Why did it take so long?
Yep, it was suggested. I just don't tow that frequently during certain times of the year, and when i do, its too hot for me to be able to remove my trans cooler and not worry.
Now that i've moved, the tows are shorter and more frequent.
That, and i couldn't come up wiht a good way to move the trans cooler temporarily. Once i planned to tow a shorter distance to test it, and it was cooler out, it allowed me to remove it entirely temporarily.
So removing the transmission cooler made the truck run cooler? What, if any, affect did it have on transmission temps?
Unblocking half the radiator helped the truck run cooler.
Trans temps? Hot, hotter than I like. The removal was just temporary.
My plan is to remove the oil cooler (other half of radiator), and put the trans cooler back on.
Hopefully this will have the same affect on the the radiator cooling.
Will let you guys know.
Truck towed pretty damn well the last 2 weekends, until the last grade yesterday. Trans wasn't really that hot, but wanted to start hunting for gears. Hopefully putting the cooler back on, and putting new fluid in it will solve that problem.
DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
Derale performance atomic tranny cooler with fan. -8 ports.
DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
Highway tractors run their external tranny oil cooler between the frame rails behind the cab above the drive shaft.
