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Topic: Hooking up a tranny cooler... (Read 3257 times) previous topic - next topic

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #15
Quote from: Thunder Chicken;146802
I did the opposite of Dogcharmer: I put my cooler in before the rad cooler, so the coolant warms up the tranny fluid after the cooler cools it down.

 I dunno about Ford trannies, but GM tranny lines can build upwards of 300PSI (and GM trannies will also empty the pan in mere seconds and make a very, very big mess if you start the engine with a line disconnected - don't ask me how I know this). Because of my experiences with GM transmissions (remember, I worked in GM shops all my life, so almost all my experience with broken cars is GM) I recommend to always use hoses specifically designed for transmission cooler applications, as other lines may not withstand the pressure.

I dunno why, but I've always preferred a top-to-bottom flow for coolers. I guess it stems from cooling system theory - the water pump inlet will always be connected to the lowest point on the radiator, to prevent the pump sucking any air that might be in the radiator and to allow any air in the system to stay harmlessly in the top part of the rad. I know not much air would get into a transmission or oil cooler, but for some reason I've always just used that same logic.



That reminds my of a funny story.  A few weeks ago I was installing a 18,000K tranny cooler in my new truck (05 Chevy Blazer LS) and could not remember what line was the return for a GM 4L60E so I took off both lines flared them, connected the bottom to the cooler, and decided to test the top one.  I bent the line back slightly from the upper rad fitting, wrapped it in a rag, and went to bump the starter once or twice to see if a few drops of fluid came out. 

However,,,,, I forgot the new GM's have that stupid smart start system, and after turning the key to on the truck "started itself"....  In the second it took me to turn the key off, about a quart of tranny fluid splattered all over the engine compartment and my clean, white garage walls. 

Five minutes later, I'm under the car removing the skid plate to clean up all the split fluid, and my neighbor walks in the open garage.  She starts screaming, thinking the trans fluid splattered all over the walls was blood and that I was lying, hurt, under the truck.  It was very funny afterwards!

Speaking about over cooling the transmission, its is DEFINITELY possible.  I've seen it many times.  Keep in mind I live in a colder climate that you all, but in winter many times we have to let our vehicle's idle upwards of 20min before the fluid will even warm up enough to go into gear.  In winter I effectively block off the entire grill of my truck so no air circulates through the rad or aux. cooler speeding up warmup.

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #16
An electric fan would help you warm up quicker in those conditions too.
Project 3G: Grandpa Grocery Getter-'85 Crown Vic LTD 2-door, 351W with heavily ported/polished GT40 heads, heavily ported/polished Typhoon Power Plus upper & lower intake, Comp Cams 265DEH retarded 1*, FAST EZ-EFI, HD T5, 8.8" 3.73 trac lock with extra clutches, 3G alt. swap, '99 CVPI front brakes, '09 CVPI rear disc brakes, '00 CVPI booster&m/c + wilwood adj prop valve.

Parted & Gone-'88 T-bird Sport, 351W swap, ported GT40 heads

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #17
I did my trans cooler reciently. I just used one from a Bronco I found at the JY. Mounted in fromt of the radiator and high pressure rubber hose to bridge the gap from the trans cooler hard lines to the trans lines. Works great. Now only insted of leaking from the cooler, it leaks from the fittings on the trans. Should be fixed today though

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #18
Quote from: 84 Fila;149822
I did my trans cooler reciently. I just used one from a Bronco I found at the JY. Mounted in fromt of the radiator and high pressure rubber hose to bridge the gap from the trans cooler hard lines to the trans lines. Works great. Now only insted of leaking from the cooler, it leaks from the fittings on the trans. Should be fixed today though



see thats exactly what my problem was... you better get those fittings replaced as fast as possible b/c mine leaked and one day, as i cranked it, i BLEW the trans fittings completely out and nearly killed my transmission.  with the fittings blown i had to run high psi radiator hose from the trans to the cooler eliminating the stock trans cooler and steel tubing.  if the POS trans fittings on either end start to leak, its a deathklok.

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #19
They do leak on the trans. I'm trying to do it tomorow if it's not raining. If it does die oh well. I have a spair trans

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #20
That's an easy fix...remove the lines from the fittings, toss fittings in trash can, install brass fittings with 3/8" hose joining the two and hose clamp appropriately...works everytime.
Project 3G: Grandpa Grocery Getter-'85 Crown Vic LTD 2-door, 351W with heavily ported/polished GT40 heads, heavily ported/polished Typhoon Power Plus upper & lower intake, Comp Cams 265DEH retarded 1*, FAST EZ-EFI, HD T5, 8.8" 3.73 trac lock with extra clutches, 3G alt. swap, '99 CVPI front brakes, '09 CVPI rear disc brakes, '00 CVPI booster&m/c + wilwood adj prop valve.

Parted & Gone-'88 T-bird Sport, 351W swap, ported GT40 heads

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #21
if you want i can dredge up the part numbers for the fittings from summit.  what i think is stupid about the stock fittings is they're basically BARBED "chinese handcuffs" and to me that seems really half assed.

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #22
If you want sure

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #23
Quote from: Autocat;149935
if you want i can dredge up the part numbers for the fittings from summit.  what i think is stupid about the stock fittings is they're basically BARBED "chinese handcuffs" and to me that seems really half assed.


Definitely not the best of designs...they are identical to the fittings in the radiator also if you ever have any problems, same hose fittings...mine started leaking at the tranny after I installed my flowtech F/L headers...it points the O2 sensor on the passenger side right into the tranny cooler lines and after pushing and pulling on the lines enough, it developed a slight leak which only got worse.
Project 3G: Grandpa Grocery Getter-'85 Crown Vic LTD 2-door, 351W with heavily ported/polished GT40 heads, heavily ported/polished Typhoon Power Plus upper & lower intake, Comp Cams 265DEH retarded 1*, FAST EZ-EFI, HD T5, 8.8" 3.73 trac lock with extra clutches, 3G alt. swap, '99 CVPI front brakes, '09 CVPI rear disc brakes, '00 CVPI booster&m/c + wilwood adj prop valve.

Parted & Gone-'88 T-bird Sport, 351W swap, ported GT40 heads

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #24
Sounds about like mine. So fittings to high pressure hose all the way to my trans cooler, then more hose from the trans cooler, then to the trans

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #25
My aftermarket cooler is currently hooked up after the return line from my radiator cooler.  It goes to the rad first, then the aftermarket which is mounted in front of the rad (I have no condensor or A/C anymore....none of that stuff in the way)
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Hooking up a tranny cooler...

Reply #26
Quote from: V8Demon;150206
My aftermarket cooler is currently hooked up after the return line from my radiator cooler.  It goes to the rad first, then the aftermarket which is mounted in front of the rad (I have no condensor or A/C anymore....none of that stuff in the way)


That's how mine was...the right way! lol
Project 3G: Grandpa Grocery Getter-'85 Crown Vic LTD 2-door, 351W with heavily ported/polished GT40 heads, heavily ported/polished Typhoon Power Plus upper & lower intake, Comp Cams 265DEH retarded 1*, FAST EZ-EFI, HD T5, 8.8" 3.73 trac lock with extra clutches, 3G alt. swap, '99 CVPI front brakes, '09 CVPI rear disc brakes, '00 CVPI booster&m/c + wilwood adj prop valve.

Parted & Gone-'88 T-bird Sport, 351W swap, ported GT40 heads