I just finished taking probably two weeks, including a lot of time pondering the best way to mount my trans cooler. Every time I wasn't confided about the next step or design of the system I just slept on it and thought it over for another day.

I had previously used the included zip tie things that go through the condenser and radiator, but I'm told that is a very risky way of mounting the trans cooler and often causes damage to the other radiators... I also made the mistake of putting it in front of the secondary fan on the passenger side. While I have a 212/200 fan switch in that side, I had my primary ecu controlled fan coming on earlier to keep the engine cooler, and this was causing my trans temps to remain higher than I wanted so I'm moving the cooler over in front of the primary fan I currently have set to 192/185. For the record I'm running a 180 deg stat.

I went with Aluminum stock cut and drilled to fit and used all 1/4"-20 x 1/2" hardware. All except for the bottom right bracket where I used one captured nut clip and an M6 screw I had left over from another project. There was just no way to get my hands or any tools in there. Everything is blue loctited so hopefully it all stays in place. There was a lot of flex in the top bar going all the way across, so I sandwiched another piece across it and it made it significantly more ridged.

As before I am running the trans fluid through the main radiator cooler first then in the bottom port of the dedicated trans cooler, then out the top and back to the trans. My sensor is currently mounted in the outlet from the trans, but I am reading some places it should be mounted in the return, which I am trying to still wrap my head around...I may experiment with this in the future. Others say the sensor should be in the pan; I guess that is a similar temp to what is in the return line from the cooler...

I'll get all the photos posted shortly!

 

Note on the cooler, it is equipped with an internal thermal bypass, so it only cools down to about 175 f.


This was the previous arrangement.


New setup moved to the other side in front of the primary fan, and with direct air from the fog light duct.

Lower cooler mounting

Note the doubled up aluminum bar at the top for improved rigidity.

Upper cooler mounting

 

I have long daydreamt about putting a large cooler in the rear of the car, laying (mostly) flat up against the storage "sump" floor....or where ever it could fit and use no fan...just the air flow under the car and the large sizing of the cooler core.

This would remove the heat load of the cooler's expelled air going into the radiator, thus allowing the rad to have a better opportunity to cool the coolant. Anyway. Haven't done it, but have thought about it a lot.

Another fantasy that I've had is using an oil>water exchanger, such as those used on the late L98's in the Corvette (IDK if the F-bod got that feature?). Then mount something like an '90's Honda Civic radiator (a small radiator, but huge for a trans or oil cooler), under the rear of the car, use an electric water pump and a thermal switch/relay to run the water pump. Then you'd have actual thermostatic temp control of your oil, not over cooling it on a cold fall day or whatever, but it would kick in and cool the chit out of the oil when it's called upon.

I agree with you that IIWM, I would put the temp sensor in the place where the fluid it the hottest; the trans outlet. That is what I really want to see.

 

Only problem now is that the car won't start! So, I can't check for leaks and test its actual cooling functionality....

I had another ICM go out, the good ACDelco one too, so now I have a new FAST E92 Coil on order. My 20 year old Crane Cams LX92 coil must be failing internally, burning up my ICMs. This is probably my fourth ICM in the last 2 or 3 years... I'll poste back when everything is up and running.

 

if its a stock type of car, there is nothing wrong with the cooler in the radiator.
Even when i ran my 3500 stall i used the rad cooler and it worked fine.
Me personally, the only time i add an external cooler like that is if your doing some raod/track racing and or towing.

 

My factory cooler is still in series before this one. The car is for road and autocross. I just put a decently powerfully 383 with 10.5 cr and big cam, plus 2600 stall 9.5" converter, taller rear end gears, and bigger stickeier tires. I've got a dedicated temp gauge on the trans outlet and as it was before, it would creap up well over 200 f when driven hard.

 

I did mine somewhat similarly although the Griffin rad has no provision for a transmission cooler.



One thing on my radar is a temperature gauge.
While I've no issues with any of the previous transmissions and converters that have been in this same chassis, I've stepped up in stall speed and am now approaching 4000k (technically labelled as 3800 from Edge.)
Last fall, I got in 6 drag strip passes all more or less back to back.
Everything was getting toasty so I'll get a gauge before I'm back to the track again in the fall.

 

beautiful.
im jealous, im kinda scared to take mine to a track event.
I'll probably like it, and have to waste another $50k to do it..