help me pick a tranny cooler

Posted By: ffej

help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 04:09 AM

what kind of tranny coolers are you guys running? i got a new tranny from crt and want to use protect my investment. are the cylinder style any good they look easy to find a place to mount(frame rail) or should i stick with the kind that are like small radiators. thanks

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 04:40 AM

I hear the "stacked plate" types are the most efficient but to k.i.s.s. I'd get the largest regular type one that will fit in front of your radiator fins & you'l be fine if you get a large one & I plumb the hot fluid in to the top of the cooler just like hot coolant goes to the top of the radiator. A bit picky but that's me

Posted By: ffej

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 04:11 PM

thanks for the info do most usually also route the lines thru the radiator or just bypass it?

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 04:17 PM

Quote:

thanks for the info do most usually also route the lines thru the radiator or just bypass it?

I would keep it through the tranny heater for now, most foot brake race converters and trannys don't usualy get hot enough to use a auxilary tranny cooler

If you don't have a tranny temp. gauge buy one now and see if you really need the extra cooler, if it runs under 240 F at peak don't add one

ATF needs to be at 160 + F to start to work properly

Posted By: sleddinfool

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 05:07 PM

I used one out of a ford super duty truck.. They are large and have mounting brackets on them... They are pricey through the dealer though. I bought my firs one for around a hundy in 04'.. Now my dealer cost is around 189.. I just pulled one at a pick and pull... Less then $15.00.. Kevin

Posted By: can.al

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 08:51 PM

what are your build specs...are you sure you need an aux cooler?

Posted By: ffej

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/26/14 10:51 PM

its a crt prorace transmission it has the deep pan on it so mabey with the extra fluid capacity i wouldnt need an extra cooler? i guess i was under the impression the cooler the better and it helps extend the life.thanks for the help

Posted By: BigBlockMopar

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/27/14 12:07 AM

Quote:

I plumb the hot fluid in to the top of the cooler just like hot coolant goes to the top of the radiator. A bit picky but that's me

You can't compare the engine radiator to a transmission cooler that way.
You'll want the transmission pressure line coming in from the lowest linefitting on the cooler to properly/quickly expell any air present in the cooler.

With an engine radiator you indeed do want air to end up in the radiator as that's where the vent/cap is located.
On a transmission the vent is in the transmission itself, not in the cooler. So that should be 'airless'.

I reality it's probably not that serious as the line pressure and flow in a transmission cooler is usually high enough to always push out any air either way.

My 2 cents anyway.

Posted By: Rob C

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/27/14 04:28 PM

I run the trans fluid into the stock cooler under the rad. Then to the cooler. Cooler the better for this fluid or any in an engine.
Hard lines would be best to use. It is a lite extra money and time to bend them but worth the time in longevity. The lines I run out of the stock cooler go over the rad support to avoid road debrise. This is how it is done on the OE extra cooler on my '78 Cordoba that came with a 400 P code engine.

Posted By: ffej

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/27/14 06:19 PM

thanks for the help i think ive got it figured out i love all the knowledge and ideas here

Posted By: Darryls-Demon

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/27/14 08:17 PM

If you do not drive your car in the winter there is no reason to run the fluid through the radiator it will just warm the fluid back up.
I use a B&M trans cooler on both of my street cars, its the largest one they sell.
Both cars have 8 inch convertors and I drive both cars a fair amount, just drove my Challenger to Vegas for the MATs and put on over 600 miles. The trans fluid has about 4000 miles on it and looks like new.

Attached picture 8126071-IMG_1273.JPG

Posted By: skajm

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/27/14 10:27 PM

How about a remote filter also

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/28/14 12:59 AM

Quote:

Then to the cooler. Cooler the better for this fluid or any in an engine.

I beg to differ with you on the cooler the fluid the better comment, most ATF has additives in it that are based on general automotive use,based on 160 F operating temps according to Valvoline techs

. I bought a new 1998 1/2 Ram 2500 24 valve CTD automatic with the trailer towing package, I installed several after market gauges including a tranny. temp gauge in it, that trucks tranny temps would never exceed 120 F when running empty, the most I ever saw was 230 F when towing my enclosed 24 ft. car trailer at 70+ MPH up the 17 mile long Baker Grade in SO CA Mojave desert in the middle of the day in August, 117 F outside air temps.

The fluid would start to go darker as soon as I changed it in the winter or summer, I was told it was due to the fluid temps being to low

I did notice the tranny fluid stay brighter if I changed it just before going to a race and back

It would get darker after that driving it around town easy

When it comes to lubricants warmer (140F+) is better than cooler(below that temps)

All the dyno tuning I've done on motors show that they make more HP and torque with hot oil (160F+, the hotter with straight weight oil

) the more power they make

Posted By: gregsrt

Re: help me pick a tranny cooler - 04/28/14 01:39 AM

Pat at SMR Racing transmissions recommended Perma Cool. He said they have no pressure drop. Also no rubber lines, steel or I used PTFE braided lines.
http://perma-cool.com/