Can anyone tell me where to get and what kind of tranny cooler I can get for my 2011 C6 Automatic. Want to try to keep temps lower during track days.

 

Your car comes from the factory with a transmission cooler in the radiator.. If you want additional cooling then any company that sells aftermarket coolers can get you one.

 

Get a plate style cooler, not the tube & fin style. I would hook the cooler up in series with the one that comes in the car for the most capacity.

 

I experienced a 20+ degree transmission temperature drop in the summer just by installing insulating wrap where the cooler lines run near the exhaust by the transmission and where they run near the passenger side catalytic converter.

 

This is great advice. Anywhere the trans lines are subjected to heat is an opportunity to drop trans temps by protecting them.

As for a cooler, we have a rule in the shop: Install the biggest one that'll fit. A large capacity cooler of any kind is going to help drop trans temps.

I also recommend running the Amsoil "severe duty" transmission fluid. We've seen 15 degree temp drops just by servicing transmissions and installing this stuff...

 

My intentions are always to give the best advice I can. I have only used the recommended GM trans fluid the one time I changed the fluid & filter in my 2010 A6 and everything has been fine, but from what I have read on "here" is that mixing in aftermarket automatic transmission fluid with the OEM stuff has caused problems for some members like erratic shifting, etc. Look at it this way, you can't go wrong with OEM.

 

AT, Where and what kind of insulation wrap did you use?

I increased my radiator size by going to a DeWitts with EOC/TOC, my primary goal was to gain engine oil cooling. It worked by my driving skill advanced quickly this year so the temps are back up and I'll have to go to the next level, installing external engine and transmission oil coolers.

You might look at Setrab offerings. Supposed to be well built and have a great reputation in Europe and from what I understand, they are a supplier to Ferrari among others.

 

Stock exhaust in your car, or headers/aftermarket?

And as Mike asked, what kind/how many layers of wrap did you use?

Thanks.

 

100% Be sure to get a Stacked Plate Type "Not a finned aluminum type"

I have one and my trans temps dropped 20+ deg. I run at 180 now in the summer...

Like the above poster said hook it up in series with the factory cooler.. have the trans fluid run through the factory FIRST... then through the aftermarket one...

 

There seems to be some debate about that.

After reading lots of threads by people who have done it one way or the other, I get the impression that going through the extra cooler last will provide lower temps but in cool weather you may never get up to the desired 140'F for proper shifting.

Going through the extra cooler first will lower your temps, just not as much, but they will be more consistent.

Some people bypass the original cooler completely and use only the extra one, not sure how well that works.

There are many different sizes and locations for the extra cooler, so there can be big differences in results.

 

So I'm going to go out on the limb here and ask... is there anyone that has designed a Fin type cooler with a thermostat in line just like our water cooling system with a fan?

or maybe a two hose bypass with a valve you could turn off in the winter.

 

I did this when I installed an extra oil cooler on my 1974 911S. I used 3/4" stainless tubing along with a 3/4" MOCAL thermostat from BAT Engineering. I used the OT2 style:

http://97.74.32.155/files/thermos$.pdf

 

Live in southern california, so the winter thing shouldn't be a issue, I thought about that bypass for people in 4 season areas.

 

My question would be about pressure from the transmission. From the discussions and hydraulic diagrams in the service manual for the A6, it appears the pressure in the coolant line is not positive, but functions as a bypass. That would mean it's possible to completely shut off the flow to the cooler, so that a conventional t-stat of the type used in the engine cooling system would never open, due to no flow of heated fluid. However, by having the t-stat with a bypass, such as the type glennhl linked to would make it functional.
I have all the parts to hook up a pressure gage to record pressures under various conditions, but it just hasn't hit the top of my priority list in the past two years. Maybe 2014 will be the year for those experiments.

 

Brief on what I believe is a good trans cooler setup...

I have a B&M Hi-tek trans cooler which has a fan and thermostat with it. I have bypassed completely the cooler in the radiator.I originally tried it with the thermostat controlling the fan, and found that it ran too hot for my liking. I think by the time the oil at the cooler was hot enough to trigger the fan, the oil at the transmission was already too hot.
Next I wired it to have the fan run all the time. This works perfectly. I usually run around 140 to 160 degree area, and will get up to near 190 if stuck in traffic for long periods. This is with a triple disc stall converter.
There are a few instances where I drove to the track, and found that the temp wouldn't get up to operating temperature so I just pull the fuse on the fan (which I located conveniently under the hood) and this allows the temps to come up quicker.
If I was concerned about getting to operating temps in the winter (which I am not as I don't use my car then) , I would install a switch for the fan under the dash, and just turn off the fan to allow temps to come up.
I also ran braided lines from the cooler right to the trans, and routed them away from the headers. The factory lines are way to close in my opinion, and I am sure cause tons of heat.

Cooler mounted in front of passenger side front wheel....


Braided lines from tranny, all the way front to cooler... with better routing..




This solution has worked out perfectly for me so far....I also like that I am not blocking any airflow to my rad.

 

FWIW, our car is a stock 2009 A6. About a month ago, I started it when the temp in our garage was about 45' and outside about 35'. I drove the car nearly 40 miles on the highway, and the temp had not yet come up to the 140' that HOXXOH recommends.

Today, garage was 35' and outside 25'. I drove about 25 miles, suburban driving with a 30 minute stop in the middle. While the OIL got up to 190' on my way home, the A6 was still 120'. Coolant quickly went to 190-195 like normal, so thermostat is not stuck.

So those folks in cold climates, will want to pay attention to the lower tranny temps.

 

This is what I had to do. In combination with an engine oil cooler and a Dewitts rad.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...-course-t.html

Much the same as realcanuk but geared for the roadcourses in Florida.

 

I'm running coilovers, so I'm thinking of putting a couple narrow coolers up where my horizonal cross leafs went, at least in the front Using some mesh for rock protection??????