since your fan can suck or blow 
I would put in front of the radiator. Are we talking square or gmt800 ?
I would put in front of the radiator. Are we talking square or gmt800 ?CK5
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Transmission cooler install location
- Thread starter BoondocK5
- Start date
73 K10. I'm trying hard not to block the radiator any more than the AC condenser is going to.
I understand not wanting another cooler in front of the condenser ( and totally agree ) but placing the trans cooler off to the side with still enough room to get the benefit of headwind ahead of the radiator should not effect engine cooling assuming the radiator is sufficient enough.
This way the trans cooler is not totally dependent on its electric fan while on the road but can do what it’s designed to do while the going is slow off road.
Take advantage of the free headwind in selecting the placement of this auxiliary cooler and let its fan take care of things when there is no highway air type movement.
This way the trans cooler is not totally dependent on its electric fan while on the road but can do what it’s designed to do while the going is slow off road.
Take advantage of the free headwind in selecting the placement of this auxiliary cooler and let its fan take care of things when there is no highway air type movement.
ok so 8.1 in a square, using the factory 8.1 radiator ?
Another issue with placing the cooler under the hood along the side of the fender is that the ambient temperature is already really damn hot - and will make the cooler not as effective.
if your area between the frame horns is not spoken for (winch or oil cooler like mine) you could put it there. would get as much air flow but fan will compensate.
I am considering moving the oil cooler in front of the condenser, sine I am going to remake the hoses before Moab.
I am considering moving the oil cooler in front of the condenser, sine I am going to remake the hoses before Moab.
I know it sounds like we’re not listening to your desire to keep the real estate in front of your radiator as free as possible but the reality is that a proper size four core radiator with a ( possibly a 9-bladed fan from the 8.1 ? ) high count bladed fan with H.D. clutch will cool with no problem having a few coolers up front.
I wonder if I can get it to fit just off to the side of the headlight, on one side or the other, right behind the grill. I have that fat 12K lb badland winch I scored for $200
Could add a small air deflector immediately after that cooler to force some air movement upwards.
The 94~98 F-250/350’s did this to get more air movement in front to aid the grill and bumper slots on the original Power Strokes - it helped a lot.
That will work - be sure to keep a little room between the back side of the cooler ( as in not flush ) and the rad support wall area so the hot air has room to escape
Was looking at my radiator support....it seems logical to cut the support & put a cooler to the left or right of the radiator....
It will help if all the coolers are tightly sealed to the support with soft foam
I cut my fenders ,+ hood for vents.... If this is for off roading.... it's an option to cut holes in the firewall / cowl area, to allow for ventilation through the factory cowl vents. It will increase noise + airflow lowering the engine compartment temperature ,+ flow more air through the radiator. Basic physics... Heat rises, it wants to go up and out.
It will help if all the coolers are tightly sealed to the support with soft foam
I cut my fenders ,+ hood for vents.... If this is for off roading.... it's an option to cut holes in the firewall / cowl area, to allow for ventilation through the factory cowl vents. It will increase noise + airflow lowering the engine compartment temperature ,+ flow more air through the radiator. Basic physics... Heat rises, it wants to go up and out.
Yep, gonna spend some serious examination time trying to fit this cooler up front, next to the radiator, even if it means opening up the core support a bit.
The PO f'd up the trans cooler install big time, on my truck. I didn't focus on, or notice it for a bit.
1st thing they did wrong installed upside down, so it trapped air.
Not a great picture, but as you the hose at the bottom. There is another hose on bottom left. I think this is an early B&M supper cool .
2nd thing they really f'd up is they put it right in front of the fresh air intake. Heated air straight into the carb.
Once I discovered this I made some changes.
Moved to driver side. Both internal and external coolers being used at this time. Made a difference in trans temps and preignition.
Still was getting to hot under certain conditions. Like towing the boat at low speed in town at 115°+. Not in 4th gear so not locked up. Now I can manually lock 3rd and 2nd. I do use 3rd lock up some, but I have concerns about the lock up clutch being able to handle the torque in second. All that torque converter heat was saturating my cooling system, gradual build up to over heating. So I added thermostat controlled fan.
This didn't help as much as I thought it should. When I was testing in similar circumstance, the thermostatic switch failed so no fan. I wired it hot after that.
Still concerned about torque converter heat in the cooling system, I decided to go stand alone remote cooler only. I purchased the biggest btu cooler I could find on Derale web site, excluding the high $$$$ racing ones. 13870 Hyper cool extreme, advertised at 67000 btu. I mounted under the truck towards the rear. Using -AN 6 fittings in the trans with braided hose to the rear, eliminating the rad cooler.
This work exceptionally well. Just driving the truck in any temp weather the oil temps rarely see 175. Towing my dune buggy or the small enclosed trailer, never goes over 200°, except on steep grades, in lower gears. Moab BB23 never had a trans oil heat issue, lot of 2nd gear only driving. Only came close to cooling system over condition on the up hill switch backs, so i turned off the a/c, no more problem. I have not pulled the boat with this truck since acquiring my 01 8.1 burb it is now on boat duty.
I no longer trust the temp sensor switches offered by Derale, there are many many reviews complaining they do not last. I have the same experience. I do not know when mine quit but the first time I really need it to work it did not, at only a few months old. My current fan is manual switched, to ignition hot. Both temp, and manual switch were/are ground side relay controlling, no fan loads through either. If I forget the fan the oil does get hot rather quickly, I would like to find a quality temp sensing switch to use, so it can automatic. Sometime My brother or the wife drive the truck, Can't expect them to know all odd quirks on this truck.
One other item that might have skewed my results, My 1st temp gauge failed, and was replace prior to BB23. This is where my trans cooling saga stands.
I hope I haven't confused or muddy up the topic to much.
1st thing they did wrong installed upside down, so it trapped air.
Not a great picture, but as you the hose at the bottom. There is another hose on bottom left. I think this is an early B&M supper cool .
2nd thing they really f'd up is they put it right in front of the fresh air intake. Heated air straight into the carb.
Once I discovered this I made some changes.
Moved to driver side. Both internal and external coolers being used at this time. Made a difference in trans temps and preignition.
Still was getting to hot under certain conditions. Like towing the boat at low speed in town at 115°+. Not in 4th gear so not locked up. Now I can manually lock 3rd and 2nd. I do use 3rd lock up some, but I have concerns about the lock up clutch being able to handle the torque in second. All that torque converter heat was saturating my cooling system, gradual build up to over heating. So I added thermostat controlled fan.
This didn't help as much as I thought it should. When I was testing in similar circumstance, the thermostatic switch failed so no fan. I wired it hot after that.
Still concerned about torque converter heat in the cooling system, I decided to go stand alone remote cooler only. I purchased the biggest btu cooler I could find on Derale web site, excluding the high $$$$ racing ones. 13870 Hyper cool extreme, advertised at 67000 btu. I mounted under the truck towards the rear. Using -AN 6 fittings in the trans with braided hose to the rear, eliminating the rad cooler.
This work exceptionally well. Just driving the truck in any temp weather the oil temps rarely see 175. Towing my dune buggy or the small enclosed trailer, never goes over 200°, except on steep grades, in lower gears. Moab BB23 never had a trans oil heat issue, lot of 2nd gear only driving. Only came close to cooling system over condition on the up hill switch backs, so i turned off the a/c, no more problem. I have not pulled the boat with this truck since acquiring my 01 8.1 burb it is now on boat duty.
I no longer trust the temp sensor switches offered by Derale, there are many many reviews complaining they do not last. I have the same experience. I do not know when mine quit but the first time I really need it to work it did not, at only a few months old. My current fan is manual switched, to ignition hot. Both temp, and manual switch were/are ground side relay controlling, no fan loads through either. If I forget the fan the oil does get hot rather quickly, I would like to find a quality temp sensing switch to use, so it can automatic. Sometime My brother or the wife drive the truck, Can't expect them to know all odd quirks on this truck.
One other item that might have skewed my results, My 1st temp gauge failed, and was replace prior to BB23. This is where my trans cooling saga stands.
I hope I haven't confused or muddy up the topic to much.
I'm going to try and not mount mine in front of the radiator either. I've had all of the location thoughts @BoondocK5 has, but I do have one more the throw out there. I do have a very large set of hood louvres, I think they even call them XXL size. I've been thinking a little about if it would be possible to mount the trans cooler so it would be under the louvers and draw in cool air that way. I'm not quite sure if it's practical to mount a cooler like this, but it's something I'd like to consider.
I do agree with what @Wes Harden said about most of the heat coming from the converter. About the best way I've found to cool a transmission is with a lock up converter. I've watched trans temps climb on a long mountain grade and as soon as I can get the converter locked up, they will fall just about as fast.
I'm always wondering if my Derale inline thermostat switch is working. I can't tell if the fan is running on it's own or if it's spinning from the radiator fans drawing air thru. I would recommend adding a little LED indicator light that would tell you if the fan is on, or at least if the thermostat switch is closed. I'd also like to add a manual switch.
I do agree with what @Wes Harden said about most of the heat coming from the converter. About the best way I've found to cool a transmission is with a lock up converter. I've watched trans temps climb on a long mountain grade and as soon as I can get the converter locked up, they will fall just about as fast.
I'm always wondering if my Derale inline thermostat switch is working. I can't tell if the fan is running on it's own or if it's spinning from the radiator fans drawing air thru. I would recommend adding a little LED indicator light that would tell you if the fan is on, or at least if the thermostat switch is closed. I'd also like to add a manual switch.
Trans cooler on the passenger side......power steering cooler on driver side. Drove it on Hell's Revenge trail......No overheating issues.
that including the radiator cooler ?
No....trans cooler only.
that's pretty dam good for external cooler only. Temp gauge on trans ?
Yes on temp gauge. This was with the 350 TBI and 700R4.
