2000BSME

I've spent plenty of time overheating my A4 transmission at my local track, Barber motorsports park. I've exhausted all options other than synthetic fluid, and adding a pan pump. I think the limitation right now is the limited output of the unbalanced vane pump that the A4 comes with, but I've added this naca duct intake and ducted output to see what she can do.







I used materials that can withstand the 250*F service temperatures, and I think that I've thought everything out, but I'll get to test it out this coming weekend at the PCA event at Barber.

The intake (dual 3" naca duct riveted into a sheet of 1/10" aluminum plate cut to fill the void between the mufflers and the rear suspension subframe) flows a massive amount of air without the cooler and ducting in place, now I need to see how well everything works when bolted down and sealed up together.

I expect a small degree of improvement on the order of 10*F lower temps.

2000BSME

here is a wooden mock up of the cooler before I installed the baffle and ductwork.

[IMG][/IMG]

shakedown067

Looks well thought out. I dig it! Hope it works out well for you.

Jason

Interesting. I fight trans temps when my wife and I share the car during the heat of summer. I will keep this in mind. Keep us posted.

2000BSME

no doubt I'm supplying enough air intake/exhaust, but the question in my mind now is weather or not I have enough oil flow from and to the to tranny. Right now I'm relying on the stock pump. I don't konw if that'll be enough.

2000BSME

Unfortunately, this didn't work out much better than anything else that I've tried. I was excited for the concept, it seemed like a great idea, but it didn't keep my transmission from overheating. I ignored the high temp warning and got a good 8 laps in during one session, and at the end I measured the oil temp at the cooler of more than 280*F. I will be doing a manual transmission conversion, or buying a dedicated track car. After 14 days of track events over a few years, and an outrageous amount of time and effort spent trying to make the a4 trans track worthy (including an RPM stage IV rebuilt unit) I will be giving up that fight.

2000BSME

On a very interesting side note, a guy at the event had a c6 with the a6 tranny, and he claimed he was putting 700hp through it (it sounded pretty effing mean). After his sessions on track, his tranny temps were only in the 220 range. I talked with a transmission builder at the event, and he told me that the a6 won't run as hot because of it's superior size and strength, but that running 700hp through it was still a recipe for destruction.

Allthrottleandsomebottle

Well, my 97' with the 2 in line coolers running through the radiator and a deep pan (2+ quarts extra) at VIR WOT all day was 275 max on a 90 + degree days with DEX III/VI combo. I am now running Amsoil Torque-Drive® Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATD) I want to get it back there to see how much cooler it runs
cooler on the street & 1/4 mile..........but that abuse is over quick!

Kanmer

Are you coming to VIR with the NCM?

Allthrottleandsomebottle

Not in the cards this year Bob......I called your #, no answer
Just got back from beach week Tuesday...........keep it on track boy!

2000BSME

Yeah, I've got a deep pan, and my oil cooler is so big that it contains 2 additional quarts also. I'm just not excited about the prospect of running the trans over 245ish or so, because I've only had 14 track days, and I'm in the middle of my second transmission. The transmission just gets completely heat soaked and won't cool down without 20+ minutes of just cruising afterward, and still only cools down mildly. These a4's aren't up to the task.

My guess is that the synthetic won't help more than 15*, but let me know please, I'm interested, but I doubt it will be enough to sway me to keep my autobox. I could hear bands or something slipping on every single 2-3 upshift. It sounded like a screech.

I bypassed the radiator tranny cooler back whenever, because my coolant was running 250* at the track, but I've since installed a racing radiator and my coolant is only in the 220* range now, but I'm done with this a4, regardless.