transmission Cooler

[slowneasy]

Was wondering if anyone has installed an aftermarket transmission cooler with or without an electric fan. If so, where did you install it and did you remove the factory cooler. Was there a noticeable difference in cooler temps after the install?

Thinking about putting one on but first wanted to hear from anyone else or other options to lowering the transmission temp fluid. I already have the MagHytec DD pan.



Thanks

 

[wsurf]

Had a f_rd with the 460 and E4OD with temp. gage. Would tow thru the desert and had temp problems (truck had stock cooler). Put on a cooler from Summit Racing with electric fan (about 9X11 inches) and wired the fan to switch in the cab. Also had a aluminum deep pan on the transmission. No more temp problems !! Would spike temps on long grades but would RECOVER very fast. Go with the electric fan models. Hand to make my own mounting brackets and plumb the hoses.

 

[paccool]

The first gen trucks have the extra fan assist coolers mounted horizontally under the front left corner of the bed. I have one there and I hooked up a manual switch as well as the thermo switch so I could turn it on earlier when towing. One thing I noticed on the last trip was when I had a overheating problem with the engine(thermostat problem), I could watch the transmission temp go up with the engine temp. I feel I was adding heat to the transmission through the water cooled exchanger on the side of the block. I'm going to reroute the transmission lines so I bypass the cooler on the engine and see what the fan assist cooler can do by itself.

 

[RustyJC]

One thing to be aware of is that the 47RE uses 1/2" lines - there aren't a lot of "off the shelf" coolers sized for these transmissions.



I used a B&M SuperCooler that had 1/2" NPT inlet and outlet ports on our 1996 3500 V-10 and plumbed it with 1/2" Aeroquip fittings and lines. I installed this cooler because we were having a problem with the engine running about 230 degF when towing in the summers in Houston stop-and-go traffic. Our problem is that the torque converter was generating loads of heat which got dumped into the 1st cooler in the circuit - the radiator tank cooler. Between the engine and transmission heat, the radiator couldn't keep up with little or no airflow over it. Although these cooler manufacturers normally tell you to pipe their cooler in after the oil-to-air factory cooler, I installed mine before the radiator tank cooler in order to dump heat before it hit the engine coolant. By installing this cooler and a 205 degF fan clutch (stock on the V-10 was 227 degF), we eliminated our engine temperature problems.



If you're trying to get the coolest possible transmission fluid temperatures and don't care about the engine coolant temperatures, install the cooler according to the cooler manufacturer's instructions - after the factory coolers in the return line to the transmission.

 

[Midnite]

Originally posted by RustyJC

One thing to be aware of is that the 47RE uses 1/2" lines - there aren't a lot of "off the shelf" coolers sized for these transmissions.

You're talking about the risk of decreased fluid flow when going with a cooler using smaller lines, plumbed in series with the stock coolers, right?



Can't you get around that problem by plumbing it in parallel with the stock coolers?



Note: I *don't* know what I'm talking about, I'm just curious.



Mike

 

[illflem]

For a reason I don't remember Bill K said not to install coolers in parallel



Couldn't find a website but Thermal Transfer Products Ltd, (262) 554-8330 has coolers like the one below. This one has 1'' in and outlets and costs $69. I've used these on hydraulic systems, very stout unit.





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[Hohn]

I always recommend installing the extra transmission cooler in conjunction with the OEM transmission cooler in the radiator. Ask yourself why they went through the complexity of combining the two coolers instead of just adding a transmission cooler outside the radiator??



Simple-- you CAN have atf temps that are too low. You need some heat in the fluid to burn off moisture. I would say you want a transmission temp of at least 170°F-- maybe more.



By using the add-on cooler with the stock radiator, the engine coolant will keep the ATF warm enough to prevent problems.



I would also recommend what Rusty said about installing the cooler before or after the radiator. If you put the cooler BEFORE your radiator, you will have higher ATF temps, but lower coolant temps.



IF installed AFTER the radiator, you will have higher coolant temps, but lower overall transmission temps.



The B&M supercoolers are great units... .



Justin

 

[slowneasy]

thanks for all the replies

thanks for all the replies from everyone. I hadn't thought that you could have a transmission temp too low... but what is considered "normal" operating temperature? I know different location of the temp probe makes a difference... so what would be average for temperature in the-

pan?

outlet?

My probe is mounted in the outlet line using the Mopar line made for this. I regularly see 180 and sometimes more if I've been backing up a bit. Good, bad or normal?



Thanks again

 

[Hohn]

You trans can run a fluid temp of 180 all day and be fine. Just keep an eye on it, since transmission fluid temp can change a LOT faster than you would think. Once you break 200°, you are leaving the ideal range, and 240 is not uncommon. If you see over 260 for any length of time with standard ATF (non synth), you can expect transmission repair.



A synthetic ATF does a lot better at high temps, so you don't have to worry about varnishing and other high-temp issues.



Justin

 

[rweis]

I'm thinking of a transmission cooler before the water heat exchanger primarily for stop and go driving and backing the 5er.



I can see before the water heat exchanger would help keep the engine cooler which is also good.



Normally when I am backing the engine is 180* or so, so the engine temp is not an issue, jsut the transmission can get to 225 fairly fast because of reverse and no air flow over the front air cooler.



I have the '95 hot line with the port and flex line going into the water cooler. Would be a simple place to get into the fluid line and run to the aux cooler.



I thought the transmission couplings to the water heat exchanger were AN-8, is that 1/2"?



thanks for the info,



Bob Weis

 

[Hohn]

I dunno what size the couplings are (since I have a 6-speed).



But I *can* tell you that -08AN is in fact 1/2". AN sizes are in 16ths of an inch, thus, -6 is 3/8ths inch, and so on.



Justin

 

[rweis]

Well, that helps.



I thought that I remembered that the transmission fittings were AN-8. RustyJC said they were 1/2" and not too many coolers were 1/2". I wanted to be sure fo the crosscheck before I got into ordering fittings and line.



I ordered an H7B fron DTT. I'm sure BK does a cooler that fits the flow rate of the transmission pump and the diameter of the line.



I have the fan and want to put it in the bed pocket on the passenger side. Have to get the circuit breaker, switch, and wire and then find the weekend to do it.



About the wire. I figuer about 8' from the battery and the fan box said a 25 amp fuse for starting (takes 7 amps to run). Would 10 gauge or 12 gauge wire be about right?



Thanks,



That checks that square off, thanks.



Bob Weis

 

[Hohn]

12 ga wire should be plenty for the fan. Better to have a little too big than too small.



I would go with Bill K's advice on cooler sizing. Flow rate matters too. Too much flow and the fluid doesn't have time to cool on its way through. To little and the same will result.



Happy cooling.