Kicking around engine/tranny cooling for my 72

[chalet2506]

Truck is mainly just street use with some offroad mixed in. Trying to decide if I should run a stock radiator and auxiallary tranny cooler when I put the built 400sb and th350 in my 72. Did this on my 76 and it worked fine for its short life, but I didn't like the way I cut the transmission lines by the radiator and spliced in the rubber lines to the cooler.

Thinking about it, the only way to avoid that is to build my own custom lines from trannsmission to the radiator and cooler and buy a transmission cooler with threaded fittings. This sounds ok, and probably easiest with stainless flexible line. But, I'm trying to keep this simple as possible.

I have been reading up on cooling, and apparently aluminum radiators are better than stock. Would like opinions on if this is a good idea. Basically just use an aluminum radiator with integral tranny cooler, and upgrade fan and water pump. Then skip the auxillary cooler all together. Would the upgrades and added cooling power of the aluminum radiator setup work as just as good as a regulator radiator and auxilary cooler?

Entropy aluminum radiator for auto tranny minus electric fans. Would like to keep the mechanical fan. One less thing to wire, keeps the cost a little lower and would probably be easier install.

http://www.entropyrad.com/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=22

Stewart Components stage 1 water pump.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EMP-13113/

Summit Street and Strip fan
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G4918/?rtype=10

 

[AJs72K5]

I put the Entropy radiator in mine... really well made. They also use a stacked plate cooler for the tranny inside the rad. However, using the rad's tranny cooler will never cool as well as an aux unit in front of the radiator.

 

[chalet2506]

The one in your thread looks good, thanks for the link to that guy. Guess I just need to decide how cool I need to keep that tranny.

 

[Greg Ducato]

Being that your converter is not an exceptionally low stall unit or a lock-up, the added benefit of an extra cooler in the sytem will pay dividends in longevity, especially in Texas. Plumb through the radiator first with flexible steel line, then from the radiator to a good stacked plate design cooler, then back to the trans. It is ok to make short runs in quality high pressure rubber line made for this purpose, just be sure to insulate any metal that contacts the lines to prevent abrasion. Be sure all steel to rubber line connections are flaired and use an appropriate sized clamp and you should be good as gold for years. Fix the cooler with good steel braces, do not use the plastic push through straps that some kits include. I can fix you up with a very good cooler when the time comes at a good guy price.

 

[chalet2506]

Thanks for the input, I'll figure out how I'm going to plumb it when I get a little further into the teardown.