Rebuilding a 2001 1500 with 46re, and the trans cooler lines do not run into the radiator, but the radiator has fittings for it. I looked at several previous years at the salvage yard and noticed the cooler lines go into the radiator first and then the cooler. Anyone that can shed some light on this would be a great help.
I can purchase lines for an older gen 2 truck and run it into the radiator first and then the cooler- think its a good idea or stick with the way it is? Also I thought the tranny fluid had to be a certain temp before it goes into overdrive- I live in a northern climate.

in 01 the trucks with out trailer tow only had the lines to the radiator heat exchanger. On the tow pack trucks the lines went to the heat exchanger first, then the cooler, and back to the return. Yes, the trans temp has to be a certain temp before OD, lockup can occur.... hence the reason to run it through the radiator to aid in warming the fluid. believe the temp is around 80 degrees on my 47re before it will go into od.

on my 95, in the desert southwest, a also added another cooler on the drivers side (dodge Dakota cooler fit in the area off to the side of the radiator nicely). When we'd go to the cold in the winter I'd have to cover the third cooler as it would take miles of highway driving to get the temp up.

I just find it puzzling why the factory didn't run the trans coolant into the radiator, and only ran it in and out of the auxiliary cooler on my 2001