I know alot of you guys run automatics behind your engines and I wanted to know if there was a certain brand you would recommend, or to stay away from. This doesn't get discussed often, but after searching for a few, they all seem the same, I know that bigger is better, but what else is there to consider? tok
stay away from those front wheel drive trannys they mount on the side. I really just wanted to ad that Tokyo is running a SBC- I hate crushers too unless they're on hot chicks. Tuck
You guys are sick. The B&M Megacooler is a fairly quality piece. I've also had good luck with the generic ones they sell at Fleet Farm.
Some Dodge Grand Caravans have a big one from the factory! Many larger vehicles have them actually... Hit the recyclers or the scrapyard for OEM quality at a cheap price.
Tok, I used the summit brand in my roadrunner thats rated for 30,000 GVW it never went above 180 degrees even on a real hot day. The trans(a 727 built semi race) was behind a 11-1 383. The price for this in the june catalog is $79.95. I've also seen guy's use old A/C rad coolers. later shawn
thanks guys, and as you said bugman, you have had luck with all types which is why I asked. I will make it a point to try to get to a scrap yard and take a look at what's there. tok
run a trans cooler in your radiator, its a much cleaner installation and chances are your motor would like to run cooler Brendan
if your going to mount it on the frame or some where it's exposed to rocks and debris the stay away from the thin finned ones (like hayden regular series ones). B&m ones are good thick fins and metal caseing around it or just find a motorcycle oil cooler at the boneyard.
How will having the trans heat flowing to the rad make the engine run cooler? Do you mean that the trans cooler will block air flow thru the rad? True, locating the trans cooler properly IS important, but the benefits of using a stand alone cooler can make the locating issues worth the trouble. Besides...if your engine cooling is compromised simply by the addition of a trans cooler out front, you most likely need to upgrade your rad as well. Most OEM installations still run the internal rad cooler in addition to the stand alone cooler. The fluid goes thru the rad first and then into the stand alone for additional cooling, before going back to the trans.
That's how I did mine. I found the line from the radiator which has the exiting tranny fluid, cut into that and connected the aux cooler. I got a generic unit from a parts store and mounted it in front of the main rad.
Tok, Look for a GVW rating if you not building a race motor with a big stall converter this is the best way to size a aftermaket cooler. Most companys put this info in all there specs. Later John
I mounted mine under the floor on the drivers side. You cant see it from the side but it hangs down just a smidge...I thought I remember from my younger days that unless your building some serious heat, either towing or you got a small convertor they are not really needed. anybody sure on this one?
Thanks...maybe a scoop or vents pulling the air up into it and out like the econoline belly pan.? I just cant see putting that in front of the grill on my 34 pu...It was on there when i got the thing with mechanics wire and i couldnt stand how it looked. or is there a better non visable spot?
I wouldnt buy anything for that outfit.. from what I understand the trans cooler IN the radiator is helpful to the trans at startup.. it enables the trans fluid to be warmed by the motors heat.. however after the trans fluid is warm.. the external cooler is necessary.. to keep it cool.. air flow around the cooler is critical.. get the biggest cooler that will fit..
As a general guideline, you can not overcool a transmission. They are happiest in the 150* range, and given the heat they generate, getting down that far can be a challenge. Like Sawzall said, the biggest one you can find is probably teh one you want.
I used one of these from Summit racing. You can locate any where and just wire in to the fuse panel. They are available in different sizes and CFM ratings. I wouldn't use anything but.... http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=PRM%2D12318&N=700+115&autoview=sku I used this on a 33'Willys, 383 sbc, 871 blower, prepped 400 with shift kit trans brake and a 2800 stahl converter. Never had any cooling issues. The new owner now driver this car daily in ATLANTA 110+ temps and still no issues.
i too am looking for a trans oil cooler, for my 51 Buick, it will be running the straigt-8 with a 700R4 trans. I want to mount the cooler on the frame rails near the trans. I already have an a/c condensor in front of the radiator and i want to keep the engine bay as clutter free as possible. what is my best bet? Are these any good? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ALUMINUM-15-FINNED-TRANSMISSION-COOLER-DUAL-LINE-TRANS_W0QQitemZ230024998821QQihZ013QQcategoryZ46095QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I used the B&M Mega coolers for cooling engine oil and tranny fluid as well. I get a lot of heat in the trans due to a higher stall convertor. The engine oil cooler was mounted under the trans pan, hanging out in the breeze. The coupe is a gasser so ground clearance is no problem. I hid the tranny cooler in the rear , just forward of the rear axle. It's mounted to the underside of the trunk floor, with a few inches of clearance. I then bought a used motorcycle cooling fan off of EBAY for about $10. Made a small shroud and mount...and I let it blow air up on the cooler. Worked out great, and it's up out of the way. By the way, the only problem I had with the mega cooler was a crack, caused by vibration. I changed the mount to include some rubber isolation mounts and it's been fine since. -Scott
Some folks more adept at aerodynamic theory argue that a near horizontal radiator will cool more, due to the physics of laminer airflow. As with all radiators, trans or otherwise, surface area is the critical factor - the more the better...
Definitely look at some OEM coolers. When I worked at the Nissan dealer about ten years ago, there was a recall on the coolers the factory had installed on the new Pathfinders. The coolers were doing too good a job and the operating temp. of the tranny was screwing up the computer. They pulled hundreds of them out and I was able to scoop them up by the boxful, most were only used for a few months. They had four mounting ears and nice heavy duty rubber bushings in the mounts and were about 9" long by 6" wide. I'm sure there are plenty of options out there, just head to the scrapyard and look at whats available.
I think that you need all the air you can get. But I had one stuffed up under my full fendered A with a turbo 400 for 16 years. Don't know how it cooled but no problems and still running today.
I talked with another gue who has been running them under his rods for years and not had a problem. I picked up an aluminum one thats round and finned...looks sturdy and I will mount it under the cab again...might put a gauge on it if i get issues...small little 34, no converter... time will tell.
old refrigerator condensers work well, and stand up to more pressure. had one in a 3/4 t dodge, never had a trans problem. everything else broke, but the tranny was always full of pretty ruby juice. that sounds kinda gross
Anybody else running one of those radial finned extruded aluminum trans coolers? (sorry - can't think of the brand name right off-hand) I am and so are several other people I know. They seem to work just fine, and the nice thing is that you can just mount them right along the frame rail near the tranny. Air flow is not as much of an issue because they dissapate heat differently than a typical finned radiatior style unit that needs to have air flowing THROUGH it. They just need a little air gap around them. Plus they are tuff - hard to damage by road debris. I originally chose mine because I was worried that I would have engine cooling problems and therefore didn't want to add more heat to the radiator by having the trans cooler up in front & didn't want to add clutter by running lines up to the front and back. I like the simple stuff.
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