Transmission Cooler
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 62
From: West Kingston RI
Transmission Cooler
Need some advice. I am planning on putting on transmission coolers on my 75 and my sons 90. Should I still go thru the rad and any recommendations for best mounting locations. Thanks in Advance.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I think the best place is in the nose across the openings on the under side that faces the ground. Cool air is forced up those holes by the chin spoiler and it would push all that cool air right through the trans cooler.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,480
Likes: 2
From: Circleville Ohio
Vader Vette
Add the shift kit and forget about it ,that tranny should not really need an add on cooler I would not think. Is it the 400 ? and are you towing or racing them?
One more line to watch and if it gets a hole your on the hook.
One more line to watch and if it gets a hole your on the hook.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: Lewisburg WV
thegazman
Dick...If you do install the trans cooler a lot of people run through the radiator first and then to the cooler. That way you cool the oil a little, then cool it more in the oil cooler. Plumb the return out of the radiator to the oil cooler, then back to the trans.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 382
Likes: 24
From: Uxbridge Ontario
Ran mine thru the rad then mounted it on the bumper support just behind the license plate grill. You either need to take the hood off or remove the front grill and the bumper bracket. Works very well, reduced engine temp by 4 degrees and it seems to run at a lower RPM at a given speed. I don't think that is right but normally it was around 3200 RPM at 60 MPH now its 2700 at 60.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,136
Likes: 62
From: West Kingston RI
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,544
Likes: 0
From: Youngstown Ohio
Tranny coolers are a cheap and easy addon/insurance policy. Hook in tandem with your rad cooler and remember....as my wife told me...bigger is better, at least with coolers, put the biggest one in you can fit
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 4
From: Regina Saskatchewan
Ran mine thru the rad then mounted it on the bumper support just behind the license plate grill. You either need to take the hood off or remove the front grill and the bumper bracket. Works very well, reduced engine temp by 4 degrees and it seems to run at a lower RPM at a given speed. I don't think that is right but normally it was around 3200 RPM at 60 MPH now its 2700 at 60.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 9,192
Likes: 27
From: Boca Raton Florida
Cooler is better with Auto Trannys. Anything under 200 and the cooler the better.
I like to eliminate the Radiator from the equasion and run an independant tranny cooler. There is no minimum operating temp like on the engine. Cool it as best you can
I like to eliminate the Radiator from the equasion and run an independant tranny cooler. There is no minimum operating temp like on the engine. Cool it as best you can
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
I think the radiator cooler is a good idea when they don't want to add extra pieces, but the radiator is already hot just like the transmission fluid and I don't see it as all that efficient when compared to a an extremal cooler. In fact, when I bought the DeWitts radiator for my automatic car I got the manual version so I would not have a cooling tank for the transmission on my radiator.
Drifting
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,462
Likes: 43
From: Choctaw Country
I think the radiator cooler is a good idea when they don't want to add extra pieces, but the radiator is already hot just like the transmission fluid and I don't see it as all that efficient when compared to a an extremal cooler. In fact, when I bought the DeWitts radiator for my automatic car I got the manual version so I would not have a cooling tank for the transmission on my radiator.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,173
Likes: 1
From: Liberty Missouri
If you talk to people like BTO you will find that too low of an operating temp can be just as harmful as a high temp. You need to run through the radiator to properly warm up the transmission. I think a cooler is a good idea; just plum it so you go through the radiator just before it goes back into the transmission. That will ensure you are getting to a proper operating temperature.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,248
Likes: 48
From: westland mi
If you talk to people like BTO you will find that too low of an operating temp can be just as harmful as a high temp. You need to run through the radiator to properly warm up the transmission. I think a cooler is a good idea; just plum it so you go through the radiator just before it goes back into the transmission. That will ensure you are getting to a proper operating temperature.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 952
Likes: 0
If you talk to people like BTO you will find that too low of an operating temp can be just as harmful as a high temp. You need to run through the radiator to properly warm up the transmission. I think a cooler is a good idea; just plum it so you go through the radiator just before it goes back into the transmission. That will ensure you are getting to a proper operating temperature.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,112
Likes: 28
From: Florida
Tranny fluids are designed with specs to run properly in a certain temperature range.
Most petroleum based will run fine down as low as 25° at the proper viscosity to prevent foaming, over relief conditions (contaminants) and pump suction starving which are the primary root causes for failure at low temps. We all know that no tranny does run at that low a temp though.
Synthetics are rated even much lower.
Realistically, there are millions of trannys that never see warmup in freezing temps on daily commute situations in freezing temps with no seeming ill effects.
Other than freezing temps and using a quality fluid, I wouldn't worry too much about the cold just the hot end of the scale.
Most petroleum based will run fine down as low as 25° at the proper viscosity to prevent foaming, over relief conditions (contaminants) and pump suction starving which are the primary root causes for failure at low temps. We all know that no tranny does run at that low a temp though.
Synthetics are rated even much lower.
Realistically, there are millions of trannys that never see warmup in freezing temps on daily commute situations in freezing temps with no seeming ill effects.
Other than freezing temps and using a quality fluid, I wouldn't worry too much about the cold just the hot end of the scale.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,270
Likes: 20
From: Central Michigan
If you talk to people like BTO you will find that too low of an operating temp can be just as harmful as a high temp. You need to run through the radiator to properly warm up the transmission. I think a cooler is a good idea; just plum it so you go through the radiator just before it goes back into the transmission. That will ensure you are getting to a proper operating temperature.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 5,593
Likes: 631
From: Brighton
If you talk to people like BTO you will find that too low of an operating temp can be just as harmful as a high temp. You need to run through the radiator to properly warm up the transmission. I think a cooler is a good idea; just plum it so you go through the radiator just before it goes back into the transmission. That will ensure you are getting to a proper operating temperature.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: Lewisburg WV
thegazman
This is absolutely correct. You want to maintain a constant trans fluid temperature and air type coolers cannot do that. They are totally dependant on ambient air which can vary anywhere from 1-100 f. You should also plump the air type first, then warm it back up through the radiator. That way it comes back at the same temp all the time.