Is it wise to run an "in radiator" trans cooler inline with an external cooler, or would strictly an external cooler suffice? I will be using a B&M Cooler with a 22K GVW rating, but I also have the internal trans. cooler in my Griffin Radiator. I'll be running a 400SBC bored 020 over so I want to keep the engine coolant temp to a minimum, but I don't know what kind of effect the tranny fluid would play on water temp, if i ran the trans. fluid through the radiator first, ahead of the external cooler. I will be running a loose 10" TCI (Street Fighter) Convertor and the car will see alot of street use. Any F-Body Bros have an opinion on this issue??????

 

There is allot of controversy on this matter. If the tranny has not failed, running the raditaor first and then the cooler is how the cooler makers recommend doing it. I prefer to bypass the radiator and have done testing which shows that the tranny (when properly setup) can run cooler, PLUS you are essentially starting out with a new tranny cooling system when you do this which makes it ideal after a tranny O/H and a MUST in some applications where there has been contamination in the cooler. Perhaps some day I will post a picture of a cut open OE cooler. It is worth a thousand words.

 

I appreciate the info, Leo. What is your opinion, if both the Radiator, and ext. tranny cooler are both new. That's my current situation. Thanks again for any light you may be able to shed on the subject.

 

Another reason to run a seperate tranny cooler, without the engine radiator is that if your engine produces a lot of heat, you are actually hurting the cooling process of the trans fluid. As well as the possibility of the radiator breaking down internally and mixing coolant and trans fluid.

Overall, since I just purchased a new transmission from Pro-built, I am going with just a new external cooler because it will be a complete new system and my 406 makes lots of heat...