Trans Cooler with Front-mounted Heat Exchanger/Intercooler
04-17-2015, 10:30 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Trans Cooler with Front-mounted Heat Exchanger/Intercooler
For those of us with a "stalled" A6 and a supercharger, there is very limited options available in terms of space to locate the obligatory trans fluid cooler ("TFC").
Most folks make up a custom bracket and run a small plate type cooler with integral fan, but this is both expensive and labour intensive (and I'm both cheap and lazy).
So, when I ran into this problem recently when it came time to install the HX for my supercharger, I had previously noted that there was just about the right amount of space in between the stock radiator and the A/C condenser to fit my 3/4" thick Hayden TFC, which is a plate type 11.5"X11".
So, I simply cut the "spear" type tethers that were pushed through the acc/rad assembly holding the TFC, pulled the TFC out and then I pulled the radiator out of the car and, using some new tethers from Hayden, I simply tied the cooler to the front of the radiator, with the hoses pointing upwards. I made sure that the screw clamps on the hoses were turned so that they don't rub through the radiator or the ACC and put the radiator back in the car and it fit in the space perfectly.
Most folks make up a custom bracket and run a small plate type cooler with integral fan, but this is both expensive and labour intensive (and I'm both cheap and lazy).
So, when I ran into this problem recently when it came time to install the HX for my supercharger, I had previously noted that there was just about the right amount of space in between the stock radiator and the A/C condenser to fit my 3/4" thick Hayden TFC, which is a plate type 11.5"X11".
So, I simply cut the "spear" type tethers that were pushed through the acc/rad assembly holding the TFC, pulled the TFC out and then I pulled the radiator out of the car and, using some new tethers from Hayden, I simply tied the cooler to the front of the radiator, with the hoses pointing upwards. I made sure that the screw clamps on the hoses were turned so that they don't rub through the radiator or the ACC and put the radiator back in the car and it fit in the space perfectly.
04-17-2015, 10:38 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Pulling the rad is probably as much if not more work then making a small bracket and mounting it in front of the wheel. The last thing I would want to do is block more airflow through the rad.
I would be curious to know how this works out though. Keep us posted.
I would be curious to know how this works out though. Keep us posted.
04-17-2015, 11:06 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
All I had to do was pull the upper rad hose and lift the ACC out of the slots and pull the radiator out.
As far as air flow through the radiator is concerned, it's in the same exact location as it was before, albeit now stacked behind the ACC. It worked fine there before, so I'm hoping it will work okay. If anything the HX will slow down airflow much more.
I'm just hoping that I don't need to upgrade to a thicker Dewitts radiator, because that space will disappear then with the wider core of the Dewitts.
I'm also going to now run it as a stand alone, instead of through the radiator. With ambient air temps in the mid 80s already and a 3600 stall, the TFT gets up to operating range fairly quickly.
I will definitely report back on how it works.
04-17-2015, 11:16 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Here it is just after reinstalling the radiator. I ran one of the hoses over the top of the radiator. I cut and bent down the ribs on the top of the core, to make space for that hose (like what you do when you install the ECS system for the intake tube) and ran the other hose to the side right under the ACC hose. With the radiator cover on, everything simply disappears into the engine compartment.
04-18-2015, 03:37 AM
#5
Le Mans Master
I wish you luck but to be honest, this looks like a terrible idea. Besides blocking airflow to the rad, that cooler has no flow around it and limited air going through it.
I could be completely wrong and hope I am!!
I could be completely wrong and hope I am!!
04-18-2015, 10:02 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
It doesn't block any more airflow to the rad than it did before. How could it? It's just moved from the front of the ACC to the back side of it. This is exactly where it would be in a car with no AC, mounted on the front of the radiator. In fact, this is where the instruction sheet shows you to mount it on a car with no AC.
What do you mean "no flow around it"? It isn't designed to have flow "around" it, just through it, just like the radiator behind it and the ACC in front of it.
And with it lowered and centered on the front of the rad, it's directly in the flow of incoming air through the grille. It will certainly will have more airflow through it than if I had it tucked it under the front fender.
Of course, every time you add a heat exchange core to the "stack" it's going to slow down the airflow a bit. Like, if we only had the radiator alone up front there, these C6s would probably never need anything more than the stock radiator to cool them.
But I've had this cooler on the car, in this location, albeit stacked differently, for many months, and it certainly has worked before. If anything, adding the HX up front of everything may add more heat to everything behind it, but there's no way around that.
Trust me, if there was a better location where a decent sized TFC could be located, I would have done it already. The problem I see with locating it under the front fender, in addition to having to cut out the fender liner/body work (or remove a fog light
)to get air flow through the TFC, is that you have to use a very small cooler/fan module. I'll see how this works. If it doesn't, I will let you know.
04-18-2015, 01:21 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
You're kidding, right? How could it be a terrible idea?
It doesn't block any more airflow to the rad than it did before. How could it? It's just moved from the front of the ACC to the back side of it. This is exactly where it would be in a car with no AC, mounted on the front of the radiator. In fact, this is where the instruction sheet shows you to mount it on a car with no AC.
What do you mean "no flow around it"? It isn't designed to have flow "around" it, just through it, just like the radiator behind it and the ACC in front of it.
And with it lowered and centered on the front of the rad, it's directly in the flow of incoming air through the grille. It will certainly will have more airflow through it than if I had it tucked it under the front fender.
Of course, every time you add a heat exchange core to the "stack" it's going to slow down the airflow a bit. Like, if we only had the radiator alone up front there, these C6s would probably never need anything more than the stock radiator to cool them.
But I've had this cooler on the car, in this location, albeit stacked differently, for many months, and it certainly has worked before. If anything, adding the HX up front of everything may add more heat to everything behind it, but there's no way around that.
Trust me, if there was a better location where a decent sized TFC could be located, I would have done it already. The problem I see with locating it under the front fender, in addition to having to cut out the fender liner/body work (or remove a fog light)to get air flow through the TFC, is that you have to use a very small cooler/fan module.
I'll see how this works. If it doesn't, I will let you know.
It doesn't block any more airflow to the rad than it did before. How could it? It's just moved from the front of the ACC to the back side of it. This is exactly where it would be in a car with no AC, mounted on the front of the radiator. In fact, this is where the instruction sheet shows you to mount it on a car with no AC.
What do you mean "no flow around it"? It isn't designed to have flow "around" it, just through it, just like the radiator behind it and the ACC in front of it.
And with it lowered and centered on the front of the rad, it's directly in the flow of incoming air through the grille. It will certainly will have more airflow through it than if I had it tucked it under the front fender.
Of course, every time you add a heat exchange core to the "stack" it's going to slow down the airflow a bit. Like, if we only had the radiator alone up front there, these C6s would probably never need anything more than the stock radiator to cool them.
But I've had this cooler on the car, in this location, albeit stacked differently, for many months, and it certainly has worked before. If anything, adding the HX up front of everything may add more heat to everything behind it, but there's no way around that.
Trust me, if there was a better location where a decent sized TFC could be located, I would have done it already. The problem I see with locating it under the front fender, in addition to having to cut out the fender liner/body work (or remove a fog light
)to get air flow through the TFC, is that you have to use a very small cooler/fan module. I'll see how this works. If it doesn't, I will let you know.
I am just expressing my opinion, which I thought is why folks post stuff up...........to get opinions.
Mounting a cooler in front of the wheel well doesn't require removing fog lights and no cutting at all other then making a small grill in the wheel well liner, and I am not even sure that's a necessity.
Full marks for thinking outside the box, and I do hope it works as you expect it to.
04-18-2015, 04:29 PM
#8
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
Like I said, I could be completely wrong. I just don't like how the cooler is sandwiched there, especially against the rad which is hot to start with. I also am not crazy about the hose routing.
I am just expressing my opinion, which I thought is why folks post stuff up...........to get opinions.
Mounting a cooler in front of the wheel well doesn't require removing fog lights and no cutting at all other then making a small grill in the wheel well liner, and I am not even sure that's a necessity.
Full marks for thinking outside the box, and I do hope it works as you expect it to.
I am just expressing my opinion, which I thought is why folks post stuff up...........to get opinions.
Mounting a cooler in front of the wheel well doesn't require removing fog lights and no cutting at all other then making a small grill in the wheel well liner, and I am not even sure that's a necessity.
Full marks for thinking outside the box, and I do hope it works as you expect it to.
I will definitely honestly and accurately report my findings on how this works. This isn't about me doing any advertising for myself, because I'm not selling anything. Just wanted to share my idea on a possible solution to the "where do I put the cooler" dilemma.
04-19-2015, 08:47 PM
#9
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
I did a little bit of testing today and after about 10 miles of driving in 88 degree weather, with 5-6 half to 3/4 throttle pulls and three short WOT blasts, when I pulled into my driveway, the ECT was at 194*, the Engine Oil temp was at 207* and the TFT was 174*.
This is better than before, because normally TFTs would track ECTs and then even if ECTs dropped back below 190 after some driving, the TFT would stay slightly higher than the ECTs.
I think that so far this looks like it might work. Bear in mind I have it rigged as a stand alone cooler, which tends to help the TFTs stay cooler.
I'll report back how it does once I get the car sorted and take it for a much longer drive and through traffic etc.
This is better than before, because normally TFTs would track ECTs and then even if ECTs dropped back below 190 after some driving, the TFT would stay slightly higher than the ECTs.
I think that so far this looks like it might work. Bear in mind I have it rigged as a stand alone cooler, which tends to help the TFTs stay cooler.
I'll report back how it does once I get the car sorted and take it for a much longer drive and through traffic etc.