I have seen this discussed, but never really was able to figure out what is the recomended meathod. With the way stuff is currently it would be easier for me to go straight to the cooler and skip the radiator but it says not to do this in the B&M instructions. What do you guys think.

Ben

 

I think everyone has a preference. I run mine through the cooler first and then the rad.

 

Depends on the situation. When I installed a B&M cooler on my truck I followed the directions. The oil goes through the external cooler first then through the cooler in the rad.

The tranny, like the engine needs to operate at a specific temperature range. Oil going to the enternal cooler can be cooled down too much. It then goes through the rad cooler and picks up some heat so that it returns to the tranny at the proper temperature.

An all out race car with a high stall converter is producing a lot of heat in the tranny. All you want to do is get the oil cooled down so the rad cooler is completely bypassed.

Running the tranny oil through the rad cooler first can be done but isn't recommended. The rad is already trying to keep the engine cool. You're now feeding hot tranny oil into the cooler for the rad to remove the heat. If the rad is having problems keeping the engine cool then adding that extra heat will just make the engine run hotter. All that extra hot oil now goes to the external cooler where the excess heat is trying to be removed. If the oil wasn't cooled going through the rad cooler then the external cooler needs to be more efficient or else hot oil is going back into the tranny.

Coolent temperatures run between 160-195F. Engine and tranny oil temps also operate best at these temperatures. A high stall converter can easily bring the tranny oil temp up to 230+. If 180* oil can be returned to the tranny then whatever way you connect it will be doing the job.

My race car has an electric fan on the rad and an electric fan on the tranny cooler. Some day I'll get them thermostatically controlled to come on at 160*.

 

Well, on the b&m instructions it says to put the cooler in the return line to the tranny. Is this a bad idea? Should I put it in the line before the radiator cooler? I do have a high stall converter if it matters. I had planned on just running through the cooler because I routed my lines so that they dont run in between the headers and exhaust so now they come up above the subframe or whatever you want to call it and run beside the fender well the same way the fuel lines do. I can run it through the radiator after the cooler if you think that will work best I guess. I just looked and it wouldnt be that hard. If I do it this way though, I need to know which line on the 700r4 is in and out and which one on the radiator is in and out.

Thanks

Ben

 

ttt

 

Fluid leaves the transmission through the bottom port and enters the factory cooler through the bottom port.

 

Ok, I think unless anyone else has a reason to do it different I will run it through the cooler and then the radiator then.

Ben

 

Hmm.. that's an idea actually. I've got a transmission temp gauge in the car, and I've compared the temperature with the extra cooler and without, but I've never compared running the cooler before the rad and after. Maybe I'll do that in spring.

 

So what was the temp gauge with and without? What kind of cooler do you have? Also what kind of gauge and how hard was it to install?

Ben

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ghlight=cooler
In this old post transfix leo suggests running a trucool cooler by its self. He also states that trucool is the same filter as the b&m supercooler which is what I have. H said that he thinks that the fluid being able to flow is almost more important than temp and that these filters do what he thinks is important and are very effeient. I have also read where probuilt said that he suggests using just the aftermarket cooler. I have also read in another thread where transfix said that even if you have the smallest one of these coolers they make then it should do fine by its self, and I have the next to largest that summit sells at least so I think I should be fine.

Ben

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ghlight=cooler

It's an Isspro gauge with the sender screwed into a weld nut in the pan.

 

I just run the cooler by it's self. This has been on my car for about a year now with no problems, even got a fan infront of the cooler.

 

Heres another question. I have the cooler in front of the radiator and I am converting to dual electric fans. Will it get to hot if I just setup the primary fan(the one that is lined up with the cooler) to come on when the motor hits operating temp. I am probably getting an adjustable kit that they sell to set what temp the fan comes on but I just wondered if the tranny will get to hot before the engine gets up to operating temp? I talked to a friend whos car had the dual fans stock and he said that his car rarely gets hot enough that the fan has to kick on so I would assume that the cooler would be fine without the fan but I would like some input so I know my tranny doesnt get to hot.

Ben

 

I have friends and myself that have run them both ways with no real difference. My cooler is on the secondary side of the radiator in front of it, and works fine when the primary comes on by itself.