Oil flow direction must be determined before installing the cooler or modifying the lines. Now let’s take a look at the existing cooler lines. However, you would lose approximately 40% of its cooling capacity by doing so.
In a last resort effort, the install can be made with the cooler behind the radiator. If in fact you do have an AC condenser, the second pick would be to install the cooler between the radiator and the condenser. This configuration (the cooler is the most forward component) will produce the highest efficiency in overall cooling. The first preferred location would be in front of both the radiator and A/C condenser (if applicable). There are several different approaches here depending on your particular application and the space available. The first thing to consider is the location and placement of the cooler.
Whether or not you choose to run the cooler in series with the factory cooler, the installation is pretty straightforward and only requires a few basic hand tools. The cooler will help guard and protect your transmission from excessive overheating due to pulling heavy loads, mountain driving, sustained high speeds, and racing. Regardless, installing an external transmission cooler is one of the best policies of insurance you can throw at your transmission. Due to time, extreme temperatures, and the relentless use and abuse of the transmission, the cooler assembly and its various components can take quite the flogging! And that’s not to mention the kind of shape the radiator might be in. However, in the demanding world of high performance, they seem to come up a little short. This is fine for most stock applications. Most automatic-equipped vehicles have this type of built-in transmission cooler inside the radiator. The fluid is then circulated through a series of coils or fins and returned back to the transmission in the opposite line. Warm fluid from the transmission is forced under pressure through one line to the radiator for cooling. If you follow their path, they will lead you to the fittings in the lower radiator tank at the front of the vehicle. On the backside of the transmission case towards the tailshaft you will find a pair of fittings with steel lines attached. These fluid driven transmissions tend to operate in the temperature range between 150F–250F. Most transmission oil coolers come complete with the proper mounting hardware and instructions.Īutomatic transmissions generally use the cooling efficiency of the radiator to cool the circulating fluid or oil. Performance gains: a cooler, more efficient transmission capable of handling increased loads and horsepower Tip: Allow the transmission to completely cool before attempting to drain the fluid or disconnect any lines under pressure. Tinware: transmission cooler and installation hardware (included in most kits) And since my radiator had a nice mounting lip on the top and bottom, I chose to use some 1/8" thick 1" wide strap steel I had leftover from my radiator swap.Tools: standard wrenches, small flat-blade screwdriver, razor blade For my set up, I wasn't crazy about pushing those plastic tie straps through the core of my brand new radiator. This kit includes pre-bent hard lines with the correct 1/2"-20 inverted flare male ends for the transmission side and some extra 5/16" hose and clamps. I also opted to use this Universal Transmission Cooler Line Kit.
This is an aluminum 6 pass cooler that comes with 4 foot of 3/8" hose and the EZ-tie style mounting rods/clips. Since my new radiator wasn't equipped with an in the tank cooler, I opted for an External Transmission Cooler. So if you are having issues with a vehicle running hot, switching to an external transmission fluid cooler is an option.
Cooling the transmission fluid this way will also generate more heat in the coolant.
Generally, higher stall torque converters will generate more heat at higher RPM's and trying to cool the fluid with a stock in the radiator cooler isn't enough. Since I have a TH400 with a higher stall converter, I will need something better than a stock cooler in a radiator. This article will deal with keeping that transmission fluid cool and performing as it should. In my last article, I dealt with the installation of a new double pass radiator to help with cooling issues.