Eliminating in radiator trans cooler

[DailyDrifter]

Get a Hayden stacked plate design.

 

[williamsGN]

External air to fluid coolers are great ADD ONS. But the will never transfer heat as well as fluid to fluid cooling.

 

[Turbo1dr]

Found a better picture...

 

[wickedtt]

Nice, but you don't have a cooler for the motor oil?

 

[DailyDrifter]

External air to fluid coolers are great ADD ONS. But the will never transfer heat as well as fluid to fluid cooling.

But if the fluid is 180 degrees how well is it going to cool? The lowest temp the trans fluid could be is 180 at that point, then you dump more heat into the radiator. I'm not trying to argue FWIW. I also have external trans and oil coolers.

 

[Dr.drivability]

So you are running the bigger of the two that B&M offers. Probably going to mount in the same place. Going to find a new home for my alky pump towards the back of the car.

Putts you in a jam four the turbo saver too!!!

 

[mikestertwo]

But if the fluid is 180 degrees how well is it going to cool? The lowest temp the trans fluid could be is 180 at that point, then you dump more heat into the radiator. I'm not trying to argue FWIW. I also have external trans and oil coolers.

The trans cooler is on the cool side of the radiator so it's not at 180*

 

[DailyDrifter]

The trans cooler is on the cool side of the radiator so it's not at 180*

:biggrin:. Ok, so its only 145 degrees :biggrin:

 

[jaymaechtlen]

trans cooler - both or only external?

I'd think the trans is happier at a constant temperature. I think the fluid should go through the external cooler, then the radiator heat exchanger.
That way, you dump the highest temp to the outside, then if it is still hotter than the water supply temp, you cool it further. Doing it the other way puts more load on the radiator, which you don't need in hot weather.
fwiw
Jay

 

[turbo nasty]

I'd think the trans is happier at a constant temperature. I think the fluid should go through the external cooler, then the radiator heat exchanger.
That way, you dump the highest temp to the outside, then if it is still hotter than the water supply temp, you cool it further. Doing it the other way puts more load on the radiator, which you don't need in hot weather.
fwiw
Jay

That was my thoughts as well. In my situation, my aux cooler is mounted down low between the FMIC piping. So in low speed summer creep stop n go traffic, or stuck on the interstate stopped for 45 minutes waiting for a accident to clear, etc with minimal/no wind blowing on the cooler I wanted the radiator as a back up to assure the fluid is not overheating.

 

[GDNF2ET]

To the original poster, why not use the in-radiator cooler and use synthetic fluid ? Synthetic makes a huge difference .. If your worried about debris, run a filter on the return line before the trans..Napa has them in 3/8 and 5/16..

 

[Alky V6]

To the original poster, why not use the in-radiator cooler and use synthetic fluid ? Synthetic makes a huge difference .. If your worried about debris, run a filter on the return line before the trans..Napa has them in 3/8 and 5/16..

Actually, if you're going to bother installing an inline trans filter, very good idea by the way, it should go in the cooler line that is flowing to the cooler. That way it traps junk before it can plug the cooler.

You want the trans to reach over 160 F to burn off condensation. Normal operating temp for a trans is the same as engine temp. 185-195 F. The higher temp will thin the fluid to provide a slightly higher stall speed from the TC also.
Even though the in-radiator cooler is being cooled by hot water, it is far superior to cutting heat than an air to liquid cooler. Heat a piece of metal to red hot, then try to cool it with an air gun. Heat that same piece of metal to red hot again and place it under running hot water. Note the difference in time that it takes to get the metal to a point where you can touch it. This will open your eyes.
It is suggested that the difference in efficiency between a liquid to liquid cooler and an air to liquid cooler is 14:1. That's why in-radiator coolers can get away with being so small.
Call any external cooler manufacturer and ask them if they will recommend bypassing the in-radiator cooler and using only the external cooler. That will open your eyes also.

For those that are mounting the external cooler flat behind the bumper with only a fan. Take your hand and note the force of the air generated by the electric fan. Now go for a ride and get up to 60 mph. Put your hand out the window with your palm facing forward. Another eye opener. If you're going to bypass a superior cooler and just use an external, you should be using the best air flow source. That would NOT be a fan.

I use only the internal cooler for my race car. Very simple mounting and plumbing. While cruising at 5 mph back to the pits, I am confident that the radiator water is doing a great job of cutting the heat that the TC just finished generating. At 5 mph there isn't much airflow, and no fan can compete with liquid to liquid heat transfer.

I could tell you so many stories related to this very subject. In fact, I've already posted them in past posts.

I think you can tell what my vote is.

 

[SCOOBY DOO]

Run the lighter FBODY rad with twin fans and an external trans cooler...and never look back.