Best Position For Cooler (Tranny)
06-25-2006, 08:45 PM
#1
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Best Position For Cooler (Tranny)
I think its agreed that placing a tranny cooler (but this applies to oil or intercoolers) in the C5 opening in front of the condensors where it gets maximum airflow is best.
My quesion is...... do you get better cooling with the cooler upright in front of the condensor or placed horizontally accross the opening in front of the air dam, away from the condensor.
DH
My quesion is...... do you get better cooling with the cooler upright in front of the condensor or placed horizontally accross the opening in front of the air dam, away from the condensor.
DH
06-25-2006, 10:12 PM
#3
Drifting
Member Since: May 2002
Location: San Francisco CA
Posts: 1,607
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I can't say which is best for the cooler but placing the cooler directly in front of the condenser rather than the opening itself has to be better for the condenser and the radiator.
The cooler will be heating up a lot more of the air that cools the condenser and the radiator, depending on how much of the opening it covers. Also, although air passes through the cooler it does serve as a restriction to airflow. I would rather have some of the air heated and the flow restricted passing through the cooler before it hits the condenser as opposed to most or all the air being heated and the flow restricted.
The cooler will be heating up a lot more of the air that cools the condenser and the radiator, depending on how much of the opening it covers. Also, although air passes through the cooler it does serve as a restriction to airflow. I would rather have some of the air heated and the flow restricted passing through the cooler before it hits the condenser as opposed to most or all the air being heated and the flow restricted.
06-26-2006, 08:13 AM
#4
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2005
Location: merritt island fl
Posts: 2,670
Received 131 Likes
on
109 Posts
C1 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
2016 C1 of the Year Finalist
2015 C2 of the Year Finalist
If you mount it vertically, you want the inlet and outlet on the top. If horizontal, you want the outlet on the top. You do this in order to keep the cooler flooded.
06-26-2006, 02:53 PM
#5
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by dave pawlowski
If you mount it vertically, you want the inlet and outlet on the top. If horizontal, you want the outlet on the top. You do this in order to keep the cooler flooded.
Do you really think that this would make any difference when the car is running full out for 30 minutes??? Wouldn't the fluid be filled within the cooler no matter what its position???
And what do you mean by the "top" if mounted horizontally ...... there is front/back/right/left ?????
Do you have a lot of experience with tranny coolers ???
Thanks
DH
06-26-2006, 05:27 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2005
Location: merritt island fl
Posts: 2,670
Received 131 Likes
on
109 Posts
C1 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
2016 C1 of the Year Finalist
2015 C2 of the Year Finalist
I have experience with heat exchangers- that's all a trans cooler is. If you have a serpentine type cooler it is not a big issue but if it is a tube and fin type what can happen if the inlet and outlets are on the bottom is the fluid flows in from the botton then across through the lower tubes and out the other side without fully filling the upper tubes- they remain full of air. In the end , the only thing that will be compromised is the heat exchanger is not operating at full capacity. By "top" I meant the highest relative to the road. "lowest" would be lowest relative to the road.
06-27-2006, 01:16 AM
#7
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by dave pawlowski
I have experience with heat exchangers- that's all a trans cooler is. If you have a serpentine type cooler it is not a big issue but if it is a tube and fin type what can happen if the inlet and outlets are on the bottom is the fluid flows in from the botton then across through the lower tubes and out the other side without fully filling the upper tubes- they remain full of air. In the end , the only thing that will be compromised is the heat exchanger is not operating at full capacity. By "top" I meant the highest relative to the road. "lowest" would be lowest relative to the road.
I don't know the different types of coolers. What is a serpentine type ??
I did call B&M today and they do recommend having the fittings on top if mounting vertically as you have stated. My Setrab currently is mounted opposite !!!!
DH
06-27-2006, 08:36 AM
#8
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Sep 2005
Location: merritt island fl
Posts: 2,670
Received 131 Likes
on
109 Posts
C1 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
2016 C1 of the Year Finalist
2015 C2 of the Year Finalist
The B&M uses a "stacked plate" design, this allows for multiple flow paths for the fluid. A serpentine cooler is just one long tube folded back and forth. Perma-Cool and Flex-a-lite use this technique- cheaper to manufacture but less efficient. I doubt we would notice the difference in efficiency in our applications but race-designed cars (formula cars, Nascar, etc.) who are worried about efficiency use the stacked plate design. Look in a Summit or Jegs catalog and you can easily see the difference. BTW, all the auto manufacturers do it right on their stock coolers, out at the top.
06-27-2006, 11:20 AM
#9
Le Mans Master
Originally Posted by dave pawlowski
BTW, all the auto manufacturers do it right on their stock coolers, out at the top.
Tranny fluid everywhere when I was flushing out my Crown Vic's replacement tranny.DH, back to your original question. My engine oil cooler is a PermaKool with the serpentine tubing setup. Cooler is mounted horizontally, inlet on the bottom, return on top. Best I can tell, the PermaKool 45K BTU tranny cooler is exactly the same piece.
As far as mounting goes, I'd mount it to the condensor. Main reason is that when you're really needing the cooler (i.e. on the track), you don't really care how well the A/C is working. Plus it's in a high pressure area, airflow is pretty well designed (by GM), etc.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
06-27-2006, 06:24 PM
#10
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by dave pawlowski
The B&M uses a "stacked plate" design, this allows for multiple flow paths for the fluid. A serpentine cooler is just one long tube folded back and forth. Perma-Cool and Flex-a-lite use this technique- cheaper to manufacture but less efficient. I doubt we would notice the difference in efficiency in our applications but race-designed cars (formula cars, Nascar, etc.) who are worried about efficiency use the stacked plate design. Look in a Summit or Jegs catalog and you can easily see the difference. BTW, all the auto manufacturers do it right on their stock coolers, out at the top.
The Setrab I curently have is just like the B&M design
DH
06-27-2006, 06:28 PM
#11
Team Owner
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by VetteDrmr
Yeah, except for those that don't. Ask me how I know. Tranny fluid everywhere when I was flushing out my Crown Vic's replacement tranny.
DH, back to your original question. My engine oil cooler is a PermaKool with the serpentine tubing setup. Cooler is mounted horizontally, inlet on the bottom, return on top. Best I can tell, the PermaKool 45K BTU tranny cooler is exactly the same piece.
As far as mounting goes, I'd mount it to the condensor. Main reason is that when you're really needing the cooler (i.e. on the track), you don't really care how well the A/C is working. Plus it's in a high pressure area, airflow is pretty well designed (by GM), etc.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
Tranny fluid everywhere when I was flushing out my Crown Vic's replacement tranny.DH, back to your original question. My engine oil cooler is a PermaKool with the serpentine tubing setup. Cooler is mounted horizontally, inlet on the bottom, return on top. Best I can tell, the PermaKool 45K BTU tranny cooler is exactly the same piece.
As far as mounting goes, I'd mount it to the condensor. Main reason is that when you're really needing the cooler (i.e. on the track), you don't really care how well the A/C is working. Plus it's in a high pressure area, airflow is pretty well designed (by GM), etc.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
DH
06-27-2006, 07:56 PM
#12
Le Mans Master
DH,
Take a look at this engine oil cooler install guide I put together; shows it a lot better than I can say it:
http://webpages.charter.net/VetteDrmr/
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
Take a look at this engine oil cooler install guide I put together; shows it a lot better than I can say it:
http://webpages.charter.net/VetteDrmr/
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike