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transmission Cooler

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48 RE operation/personality question from an auto newbie

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A company used to have their product scroll across the top of this forum, it was some kinda super cooler for our trannys. Does anyone remember this? Im trying to locate them so I can purchase one, any help, suggestions or other ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
Sorry I can't help you with the specific company from the banner, but...

I installed a B&M Supercooler (with electric fan) on my truck.

I used braided steel hose and AN fittings and located the cooler

on brackets (I made with L-bracket hardware from local HW store).

The cooler is installed just behind xfer case, just fwd of fuel tank.

It really helped to lower the trans temp. I rarely need the fan

(but I tow a light trailer compared to many of the others here- 7K lb)

Got the stuff through Summit racing equipment and have been very

happy with them as a vendor.
 
JMarketos said:
Sorry I can't help you with the specific company from the banner, but...

I installed a B&M Supercooler (with electric fan) on my truck.

I used braided steel hose and AN fittings and located the cooler

on brackets (I made with L-bracket hardware from local HW store).

The cooler is installed just behind xfer case, just fwd of fuel tank.

It really helped to lower the trans temp. I rarely need the fan

(but I tow a light trailer compared to many of the others here- 7K lb)

Got the stuff through Summit racing equipment and have been very

happy with them as a vendor.





i am getting ready to do my trans lines... ... do you know the AN fitting sizes on the trans ?



thanks

Scott
 
Graphic man said:
i am getting ready to do my trans lines... ... do you know the AN fitting sizes on the trans ?



thanks

Scott



Ditto that, size and where do you tie in at? At the lines coming out of transmission or the trans case itself? Did you remove the stock cooler or leave it on?
 
JMarketos said:
Sorry I can't help you with the specific company from the banner, but...

I installed a B&M Supercooler (with electric fan) on my truck.

I used braided steel hose and AN fittings and located the cooler

on brackets (I made with L-bracket hardware from local HW store).

The cooler is installed just behind xfer case, just fwd of fuel tank.

It really helped to lower the trans temp. I rarely need the fan

(but I tow a light trailer compared to many of the others here- 7K lb)

Got the stuff through Summit racing equipment and have been very

happy with them as a vendor.

Hello anybody home??? Still wondering about the size and where you hooked up the -AN fittings for your cooler. Did you remove the stock cooler?? Did you put the fan on a temp. switch or a toggle switch?? I found a nice one from Perma-Cool I might buy. Biggest one I could find, 10 blade fan.
 
Smokin Joes 2500 said:
Hello anybody home??? Still wondering about the size and where you hooked up the -AN fittings for your cooler. Did you remove the stock cooler?? Did you put the fan on a temp. switch or a toggle switch?? I found a nice one from Perma-Cool I might buy. Biggest one I could find, 10 blade fan.



what Perma-Cool one are you looking at?..... do you have a link?

i have been looking at the ones at Summit,



Thanks

Scott
 
Hello Smokin Joes 2500. Sorry, but I don't always get to check back here every day.



OK- some details... . (grab a cup of cofee... )



The lines are 8AN



The cooler unit I installed is B&M super cooler with integral fan. Summit P/N BMM-70297

This cooler has integral thermostatic switch. I actually wired the fan using a 3-position

toggle switch so I can choose among:



Fan on all the time

Fan off all the time

Fan controlled by cooler's thermostat switch



I also installed a red LED indicator so I can see whenever the fan is

running, even if kicked on by the cooler's thermostat.



Regarding cooler location: I plumbed mine at the end of the line,

trans fluid goes through my added cooler just before it returns to trans pan.



Cooler is physically hung just behind xfer case, just ahead of fuel tank.

It nestles neatly there and is nicely protected from road debris, etc.

I cut the stock trans fluid tubing in one location (just before it turns to enter the trans)

and used an 8AN compression fitting to 8AN hose. Ran the 8AN hose up over the xfer case

to the cooler (used other 8AN fitting as necessary to connect cooler. )

Then back from cooler up over transfer case, and into an 8AN hose-to-male thread

fitting, that connects where the return line used to. (fitting screws into trans)

As I recall, the male thread that screws into the trans is a bit of a neck down,

not as big as the rest of the fluid pipe I. D.



(I also added a mag-hytec deep pan, and that's where the sender for the trans temp gauge is)





There are other posts here which describe this in more detail.

Some quick definitions (for my words below), regarding trans fluid cooling:



stock heat exchanger- is the engine coolant-to-trans fluid heat exchanger.



stock trans cooler- is the trans cooler located in front of the engine radiator.



added trans cooler- is the B&M unit I mounted under the truck.





Stock fluid path is as follows:



Out of transmission, into stock heat exchanger



out of stock heat exchanger then up forward to stock trans cooler



out of stock trans cooler, back to transmission pan



===============================================================



After install of the cooler as I did, path is as follows:



Out of transmission, into stock heat exchanger



out of stock heat exchanger then up forward to stock trans cooler



out of stock trans cooler, back to my added trans cooler



out of added trans cooler, back to transmission pan.



================================================================



There's nothing magic about the stock heat exchanger. It merely

serves as a (useful) thermal link between engine coolant and trans fluid.



If the trans fluid is hotter than the engine coolant, then heat will

be exchanged from the trans fluid into the engine coolant.

(Then yes, some of the trans heat gets dissipated by the engine radiator

in the form of elevated engine coolant temp- I observed this first-hand

when towing in hot weather, BEFORE I added the trans cooler).

(Never had overheat, just observed elevated engine temp gauge and hot trans).



Converse is also true: If the engine coolant is hotter than the trans

fluid (such as during early driving or cold weather with warmed engine)

then heat will be exchanged from engine coolant to trans fluid. I am told

this is a good thing because it's also bad to have trans fluid too cold.



Whether an additional trans cooler is mounted ahead of the stock ones

or after them is a matter of some debate and personal choice. Having the

added cooler at the beginning of the path (NOT what I did) allows the added

cooler to get rid of some of the trans heat first, which lessens the amount of

trans heat that could possibly get added to the engine coolant (via the stock exchanger)



However I've also seen it argued as a chicken or egg situation, because

the value of any cooler is measured by temperature drop. (its output temp

relative to its input temp). Then the other side of the argument becomes

that the added trans cooler just before the fluid returns to the pan (as I did it)

cools the fluid before it enters the trans pan, which is where the trans

is going to pick it up from anyay. Maybe someone else will add their 0. 02

or reference another post here.



I didn't agonize much over the decision. It was pretty easy to tap into the

return line, and subsequent experience has shown me that trans temps are very

well under control now. I've not needed to use the fan yet, but I did turn it

on manually a couple of times just to see if it would produce a further temperature

drop. (it does).



==============================================================================

One more thing I learned (from Summit tech support) about AN braided hose-

AN fittings from different vendors are supposed to be OK to connect to each other,

BUT... .

Regarding where AN fittings connect to braided hose- you want to use hose and

fittings from the same manufacturer because hose dimensions vary among manuf,

and they design their own fittings to match the dimensions of their hoses.



===============================================================================

Only other note I can think to add here is:

Note where I mounted my trans cooler is just ahead of the stock fuel tank.

It's a great convenient location and secure, but you may want to think twice

if you plan to install an added capacity fuel tank, as the bigger fuel tank

may need to occupy some of this space.



===============================================================================

For the record-



I bought my AN fittings and hose and cooler from Summit.

I have no problem with Jeg's, just have never placed an order with them.

I found Summit's web site easier to navigate, and they have given great service.



I bought trans pan, diff pan, gauges etc. from Geno's.

Don't intend this to be a plug, but staff at Genos (esp. Brandon) are top notch.





Amen
 
WOW... ... You did nothing but Steal the Super Cooler design... You could have atleast given credit were credit was do..... reat creative
 
WOW... ... You did nothing but Steal the Super Cooler design... You could have atleast given credit were credit was do..... reat creative



If you had a unique concept you could patent it but people have been doing that system for many years before you. I had that set-up back on my 73 chevy truck. No big deal



Bob
 
I cut the stock trans fluid tubing in one location (just before it turns to enter the trans)

and used an 8AN compression fitting to 8AN hose.



Dumb question, but with the compression fittings, I take it you DON'T have to flare the cut transmission line, correct?



Also, what are some before/after temps?



Thanks for the detailed info in your previous post.
 
Hello again

I'm still not sure what or who was the target of y-knot's comment about "stealing the supercooler design" ? Someone started the thread by asking a trans cooler question. I responded. The person asked for more info. I happened to have some time, so I gave (lots) more detail about what I had done. I never tried to represent my work as magical or superior. I just tried to help another forum user with info about what I had done. Sure hope nobody is jumping on my back about anything.



Anyway- Lips- Correct, once you cut the stock return line, using the approach I did there is no flaring required. It's a compression fitting, which seals when tightened with the wrenches. I've seen lots of coolers installed with just rubber hose, brass adapter fittings and hose clamps. I wanted something a little more rugged, so I ante'd up for the braided stainless and fittings. As far as temps go, I think I replied in a different post some time ago with more info on that. Actually at first I installed the trans temp gauge and didn't add the trans cooler. A trip to Texas in the summer with a relatively light (4K-5K) trailer got the trans temps in the 200 range when I got stuck in crawling traffic on the interstate due to an accident (about 100F outside that day). It was then that I decided to install the trans cooler. I'm not sure about exact numbers before and after the cooler because I don't have a way to duplicate an exact before / after test, but I'd say the cooler gave a solid 20 to 30 degree (F) drop, without the fan. This is a separate story, but after installing the cooler I was on my way North in PA and got stuck crawling up a big hill on a hot day. Maybe not as hot as the Texas day, but around 90F. The trans temp was well contained to around 170 or 180 max as I recall, and I was very grateful that I had gone to the time & expense to install the cooler.
 
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