Application: Mainly a street/Drag SBC 89 IROC setup with a 4000+ lock-up converter/700R4.

Stock radiator w/trans coolant passages + B&M Racing Trans cooler. It works great so far.

Is it ok to buy a universal style radiator without the Auto Trans stuff in it and just run 1 or 2 B&M coolers. They'd be mounted in front of the radiator.

Yes I'll get a temp guage before trying it but does anybody do this? Will the trans overheat for sure or will it not warm up enough?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

any purpose behind going to a universal rad? the stock rads to a good job and they are relatively light already.

 

You can maintain the tranny oil temperature by still using the original cooler in the rad.

Run the tranny oil through the aftermarket cooler to bring the temperature down quickly then run it through the factory cooler in the side of the rad. This will bring the oil back to the coolent temperature. 180-195 tranny oil temp is fine. The only way to really know your tranny temp is to install a sending unit in the pan.

Using a transbrake and an 8" converter that stalls to 5700 rpm on the brake, I build oil temperature fast. I use a rad from a Pontiac Firefly and have a tranny cooler beside it almost the same size. I watch the temperature climb when I'm on the brake but it comes back down by the time I hit the return road. If I had a fan on the tranny cooler I could bring the temperature down quicker. Although the transmission isn't working for very long like it would in a street car, I don't think I've ever seen the temperature get over 200*.

Dangerous temperatures start getting above 230* for extended length of time. That's when seals start to cook and friction material starts to glaze. Number 1 cause of tranny failures is excessive heat. The tranny was worked too much and didn't have a proper cooler.

 

I'm on a different opinion about running through the radiator, especially on a toy car with a high stall. A factory set-up that will be alright and how all the trucks with the tow package come, first radiator then external cooler.

For my application I run a basic Howie radiator 31x19 to cool the engine only. I run the largest BTE tranny cooler thay have available seperately for tranny only.

Street driving the motor maybe gets upto 160* during the spring/fall and dummer driving it gets all of 180*

Tranney temps when street driving depending on how much I stand on it, rarely go over 120*, event though for racing I make sure to preheat the fluif before i make a pass to 150* before I do a burnout and stage at 160*. End of the run going off the brake I MIGHT get to 180* and round robin racing maybe 190*, but it's easily brought down by cycling the fluid. When I get back to the pits I leave my pump/fans on and they shut down automatically when it hits 140* water temp, I will allow the car to sit a minute, start the car to force the now cooled fluid of out of the tranny cooler and bring some hot stuff back in, then repeat 2-3 times. By next round-even round robin, it's already back down to 150* so I'm right where I need to be.

Trans temp is critical for consistent passes, before I installed the trans gauge, my first pass was always junk, the following 2 were right on. Started getting everything upto temp before first pass, now all 3 usually right on or darn close to each other depending on duration of down time between T&T passes and atmosphere changes.

 

You guys are quick! Thanks for sure.

A new stock radiator looks to be $120 roughly
A new Griffon Universal or similar would be not much more expensive.

I don't know the limits of a stock rad. but I'm guessing a larger aftermarket piece would cool better and I'd like to go that way but I'm definately not wanting to spend $500+ on a Be Cool.

I really hate those plastic ends on a stocker but maybe that's the way to go.

What's better guys?

 

I use the Griffin universal unit with a seperate trans cooler. Hve never had a problem trans heat and the radiator is a great improvement over the stocker. I'm in the prcess of putting a 700R4 in, and I will now have a trans temp gauge to better keep an eye on the temp. The Griffin rad was 179.99 from Jeg's 3 years ago when I put it in. Good luck.

 

For the huge amouont of gain in cooling effiency, the extra $60 for a Griffin or Howie is WELLLL worth it!!!!! Consider how many people on here with stock motors complain about cooling issues, then guestimate amount of ponies I'm putting out with NO cooling issues at all and let that be your guide-I dont run the chin spoiler anymore either. And yes, this car see enough street miles/interstate cruising to have a valid point on this.

 

You want to first run the cooler through the radiator and then through the external cooler - more consistent approach.

 

IHI makes a good point.

"Consider how many people on here with stock motors complain about cooling issues"

Ive found if you bypass the in tank cooler you will have fewer engine cooling issues especially those of us who still have AC . I run the B&M "racing cooler" and it works just fine by it's self. If you run through the stock cooler you will loose the maximum effeciency your aftermarket cooler is capable of. Now if you were using a cheezy 6x6/1 cooler then you would be better off running an inline setup but the better trans coolers are just fine as stand alone units.