Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

Hey guys,

I'm going to be installing a rebuilt transmission and upgraded torque converter (Vigilante 2600 stall) so I need to install an additional external transmission cooler. I want to add it on after the fluid comes out of the transmission.

Which line coming out of the transmission, the upper or lower, is the line going back to the transmission?

Also any tips for the install? I bought a line cutter to cut the transmission line, unless there are a couple of adapters I could get that would preclude me from having to cut the line (links for them would be helpful).

Here is the cooler I bought:

B&M Supercooler


Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

AlkyIROC

Any higher than stock torque converter needs an external cooler so already, you've made a good decision.

Just like a rad, top line is hot, bottom line is colder. Oil is picked up from the pan by the pump. It goes through a pressure regulator before moving to the torque converter. The pump and converter make a lot of heat. The oil is then sent through the cooler before returning back to the transmission to be used in the hydraulic circuits then finally falling back into the pan.

There are many theories as to how best to route an additional cooler. Just like an engine, the transmission works best at a specified temperature. Too hot or too cold isn't best. Trans oil temp should be measured in the pan since that's the temperature of the oil after it's done all it's work. Typically the transmission should be running around the same temperature as the engine.

The best way to do that is to take the hot oil from the transmission and cool it down as much as possible with an external cooler. Then feed it through the rad cooler before sending it back to the transmission.

If the external cooler brings the temperature down too much, the rad cooler will bring it back up to an operating range. If the external cooler can't bring it down enough, it will still remove excess heat before going to the rad cooler to have more heat removed. This way puts less effort on the rad to cool the engine and transmission oil.

There are many ways you can plumb the external cooler. Pull the line off the top of the rad cooler and run a hose from it to the external cooler. Then have the outlet of the external cooler go back to the top of the rad cooler.

Make sure you use hose that says "transmission oil" on it. It isn't recommended to simply slide the hose over the hard line and clamp it. Using a flaring tool, make a very small flare at the end of the hard line. It needs to be small enough to slide into the rubber hose yet big enough that a clamped hose can't slide off.

For external cooler designs, a stacked plate system is more efficient than tube and fin design. Both will work but a stacked plate can be smaller and just as efficient as a larger tube and fin. That B&M cooler is stacked plate.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

So you're saying I should put the "hot" coolant through the external cooler before running it to the transmission. That means coming out of the top line, going to the cooler, back to the top line and into the radiator.

I plan on putting the cooler in front of the radiator, using some sort of sticky foam to seal the sides.

I will, if they reach, be using the hoses that came with the cooler. I'll just need to get a flair tool.

AlkyIROC

Your typical coolant temp is 180* which is around the same temperature the transmission should be running at. Too cold an oil is just as bad as too hot so you want to keep it as close to the same temperature all the time.

First of all if the hot oil goes through the rad cooler first, the rad needs to cool the engine plus the trans oil. This puts a lot of stress on the rad to do much of the cooling. If the oil goes through the rad cooler first it will be cooled down but may not be cooled down to the rad temperature. If it then goes through the external cooler it will be cooled down even more but how much? If it's going into the rad cooler at 240* then coming out at 200 before going into the external cooler what will it come out at, 190, 160? Oil temperature going back to the transmission will always be inconsistent.

At least if it goes through the external cooler first, a lot of the excess heat should be removed before going into the rad cooler. When exiting the rad cooler, it should be at a more consistent temperature.

Top line on the transmission is the outlet and it goes to the top of the rad cooler. Bottom of the rad cooler returns to the transmission. You want the hot trans oil to go through the external cooler first so air flow across the cooler can reduce the temperature before it's fed through the rad cooler.

As for mounting the cooler, in front of the rad is perfect but don't use the foam pads and through the rad core zip locks to mount it. They won't last and they'll eventually damage the rad fins. Fabricate some sort of a mounting bracket to firmly mount the cooler in place.

paulo57509

Because of limited space in a Safari van and because rubber hoses have a minimum bend radius (IIRC, 6") I went with Earl's 3/8" hard line adapters and -6AN fittings with hose barbs when I plumbed my Tru-Cool cooler in my GMC.

I plumbed it after the radiator cooler.



Like others have mentioned, don't use those foam pads and zip ties. Fab up some good brackets to mount the cooler.



Plumb the lines into the cooler so that the fluid fills from the bottom and exits the top.

You do need to check screw clamp tightness once in a while. Because of limited screwdriver access to the cooler lines, I used spring clamps on the cooler and fuel injection hose clamps at the radiator.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for those pictures! I never thought about using -AN fittings, but that's a great idea.

Not sure how much room I'm going to have under the front to fab up a bracket, I'll need to dig into it one of these weekends to see.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

Are these 3/8" hard line adapters easy to use? Been thinking about putting them on my fuel lines as well to go all -AN fittings and get rid of my rubber hoses.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Foam pad and zips work fantastic for me

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

I don't suppose you have a picture of it installed?

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Eh i'll have to check my albums. If not i can get one tonight. Got an oil cooler and trans cooler mounted this way

heat seeker

iTrader: (5)

Same here, mine was in front of the radiator and held up for 10 yrs that way.

I got a better one (plated) from B&M and mounted it under my car, where the driver seat is located.....works great.

paulo57509

The hard line adapters are easy to use but I found I had to torque them on pretty tight to keep them from seeping. The tech line at Earl's told me this and I found this to be true.

They seal by crushing brass collar between the fitting halves and the tubing.

No issues with the 90-degree -AN hose barb fittings. In my case there was a slight miss match between the hose barb and hose diameters. The hose was 11/32" and the barbs were 3/8". Not a big deal.

When you cut the hard lines be sure to deburr the ID and OD and flush them so you don't introduce any debris into the fluid stream. My trans was out of the chassis at the time so this was easy to do.

AlkyIROC

I was never a fan of those crush sleeve hard line adapters but they do work. I purchased a 37* flare tool (not cheap) and made proper flares to use AN fittings on all the hard lines in my car. You just need a collar and a nut on the line before flaring it.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

I will be doing this in the car, just looking at ways to do this the "cleanest", so if the crush sleeve will work, then that's probably the way I will go. Will it loosen up or leak later on? Or have them been solid since you put them on?

paulo57509

The cooler was installed on 4/28/2014 and has a couple thousand miles on it. No issues.

3rdgenmaro

iTrader: (9)

How are you getting any airflow over it?

I have mine mounted to the core support and the cross bracing just in front of the condenser. Seems to be working good.

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

Do you have any pictures of it? I'd like some ideas before I start hacking away at this. I'm going to mount the cooler before running the lines.

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

Oil cooler on intercooler, trans cooler on rad

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

That's a really clean install! Nice job and thanks for the pictures!

bwmcam

Orr - Very Nice!

3rdgenmaro

iTrader: (9)

I'll try and grab a picture today. It aint in the optimal position, but it was quick and easy. With the taurus fan on, sitting still, a piece of paper will suck up to it, so I figure it is getting enough flow through it.

3rdgenmaro

iTrader: (9)

Here is how I mounted mine a couple years ago.

I have read since then that it should be mounted with the inlet/outlet on the side to prevent an air pocket from forming while filing the system. I havent had any issues with how it is mounted and with as many miles that is on it, any air pocket has worked its way out by now if I ever had one. But if the right arguement was made, I would change it, but I havent heard enough reason yet.