Trans oil cooler
 

Looking to install one, and between the two popular styles (tube & fin and stacked plate) I'm leaning toward a stacked plate cooler by B&M. Not only because the stacked plate coolers are smaller and more efficient than tube/fin coolers, but because it has a cold oil bypass to prevent pump strain in freezing weather.

Anyone add an auxiliary trans cooler? Any comments or suggestions?

i have one for sale w/ 6an fittings on it. (tube & fin style)all aluminum $50.00

got pics of that? size? lines or just cooler?

I added an aux trans cooler to my explorer for towing. Its not a F body car but adding one to any car is generally the same. I got a B&M one on ebay awhile back. Really helps with towing especially in the summer months. I placed it right in front of the radiator with the clips provided. I think I might have pics somewhere if you want me to post them.

UPDATE:

This thread is kind of old, but I like to keep the info in the same thread rather than starting multiple threads.

Two Saturdays ago I added a 13,000 btu B&M trans cooler # 70268, to my 98 bird. (click here for link to cooler info) . What I liked about the B&M cooler is their history of great products, the stacked plate design with a "thick oil" bypass that lets cold oil pass right across the top of the cooler so it doesn't add much flow friction and therefore load on the trans pump when the temps are -10 F. A serpentine tube/fin cooler is a killer in these conditions. Unless you live in the south or south west, avoid tube/fin coolers at all cost.

Anyway, I installed the cooler. Install went fairly smooth and I used the included 12" long "zip tie" style mounts (a long tie with a 1" wide head and a separate 1" wide button that is slipped on and 'zipped' down to tighten the tie) to install the cooler through both the radiator and AC condenser. In our Fbodies, from under the car, there is no way you are going to be able to install the top ties, so the best thing is to remove the radiator top cover and then its a piece of cake.

The kit from B&M has flanges top and bottom with 4 holes in each for mounting with the ties. After about 20 minutes of holding the cooler against the A/C condenser and bending like a pipe cleaner in a laundry dryer to see the fan side of the radiator, I determined that there is no way in hell that the cooler mount holes will line up with the fan shroud opening. Remember, the ties have to be pushed through the radiator, and the AC condenser before reaching the cooler. To avoid removing the entire fan assembly, and save time, I decided to drill more holes in the mounting flanges to be compatible with the fan openings. So it was a quick trip to the basement drill press and a few extra holes (same size as OE) were marked and drilled so I had 4 more mounting options.

Back to the car, I determined that the new holes would work. So two tie wraps were loosely installed at the top (the easy part now that the radiator top cap is removed) to hold the cooler. Then under the car the ties were pushed through the radiator. This took about 6 or 8 tries to get them to pass through the radiator and AC compressor AND come out within a 1/4" of the new holes drilled. I think 1/4" is close enough, as the fins in the condenser will bend that much horizontally to allow aligning. If they do not align vertically, pull the tie out and reinstall about 1/2" lower. Anything more the tie has to be fully removed and re-inserted. A rather disconcerting process, as who likes to make holes in the vanes of the radiator and condenser?

The rest was easy, opening the trans cooler lines and using the included adapter fittings (which worked PERFECT!) the cooler was quickly connected. The bottom fitting on the radiator is the "out" from the radiator trans cooler, and is where the connection is made. Unscrew the OE flair end tube connection from the radiator, and screw in the supplied adapter w/ hose barb end. Then screw on the flair end to hose barb adapter to the trans line. Then connect one hose from the cooler to the adapter on the radiator, the other hose to the trans line. Easiest part of the install. And easy to get to.

There are two places on the side and bottom of the radiator where the oil lines can pass from the cooler to behind the radiator. I chose the lower opening, and also cut about 4" of 3/4" heater core hose, sliced length wise to fit over the B&M hose where it passes around the radiator. This was done to prevent chafing and leaks. The extra cover makes it hard to install the hoses, so run the hoses, then slip on the 3/4" cover and work it down into place.

The whole time I was fitting the cooler, I left the plastic caps on the cooler to keep crap out of the cooler. The final fitting and install I connected the cooler hose with supplied clamps to the cooler so both ends of the rubber hose connected to the cooler, keeping it closed (in was connected to out with the hose). After mounting the cooler was done, it was easy to determine where to cut the hose to feed both ends to the radiator side of the car.

I planned to mount the cooler "sideways" with the in/out fittings facing the passenger side, but after going through trial fittings, it actually works out best to have the in/out facing down.

Can't give you any temperature change numbers for the trans oil, but I have to admit that the engine temp gauge has been riding lower than usual. No kidding. I'm not sure why, but it is pretty obvious that the engine temp gauge has dropped about 1/16" from its normal cruising position. Its one of those things I didn't expect to see.

All in all the B&M kit is great. It comes with a variety of mounting options, and all the hose fittings needed are included. Nothing else to buy. And no mods to the car like drilling holes or relocating OE parts. Other than drilling a few extra mounting holes in the cooler itself to mach our fan openings, it was basically a simple 2 -3 hour install. No leaks and no problems after 2 weeks of driving.

Regards,

Mark.

I plan on mounting one this weekend (but a 30,000 gvw). Thanks for the tips.

My pleasure, James. 30,000 is a big cooler!!! Going to be doing some hard driving in the fbody, or is it for another vehicle?

It took me longer to read this thread than it takes me to install one... :roll:

It's going in my SS with a 3600 stall converter. Need to keep those tranny temps down especially in the summer heat :nod:.

Yeah, that will get hot. High stall converters are rough on trans oil. Good choice!!!

28,000 gvw is the same as the 20,500 btu model.

SDT, I hope you bought the 1/2" npt fittings if you got that model, I believe its race only and doesnt come with barbed fittings or adapters. I made that mistake with the 70273 model.

Zip tie to cross brace. Win.
http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...A/IMGP0931.jpg

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/w...A/IMGP0932.jpg

Attaching to the cross brace keeps it in the air flow during highway driving, but at stop/go heavy traffic, mounting it flush against the radiator lined up with the fans will ensure max cooling.

But then again, you did get their biggest universal cooler, so it may not matter.

BTW, what brand/type trans fluid do you guys use?


Hey kirkevil, I just realized something looks different in the radiator area of your car. Aren't you missing some air defectors and such under there? What happened to all that stuff?

Its not a big deal having it mounted to the cross brace when not moving because the stall is not going to be generating a dangerous amount of heat at idle.

Im running penzoil atf.

Those plastic pieces came out when I put the new bumper on. The aftermarket bumper didnt line up right underneath where the push locks attach so I had to cut off the bottom part, which is where the plastics mounted. Hence, !deflector.

i am running a 30,000gvw cooler dope style and a tube and fin in front of the radiator and it goes through the radiator too, and its run the opposite of the way i listed it and amsoil atf

Just to clarify what you are saying...You running a tube & fin cooler that is rated at 30k gvw, and the trans fluid passes first through the stock radiator cooler, then the aftermarket?

First of all, the 30k gvw cooler is big with respect to the average size cooler people run (Usually the 15k btu ~ 24k gvw). Second, I think you are taking an unnecessary risk running through both the radiator and aftermarket cooler in series. There is a lot of pressure build up passing through the heat exchanger tubes, and the aftermarket one you run can handle the job by itself.

yes, but in winter, I like to have the fluid semi warm. So I run into the cooler first, then to the rad. In summer, I average 180* pulling my car trailer. No where near dangerous levels by any means.

And also, I couldn't fit it in front of my condenser, so I put it between the condenser and radiator. Haven't noticed any problems even with the A/C on.

i am running it through the radiator then it goes through the tube and fin(its a small one) then it goes to a 30000gvw plate type cooler mounted dope style then it goes back to the trans

I could see maybe running both in cold weather if you have a tube and fin, but the plate designs have a bypass for low viscosity fluid. That bypass solves the problem of pressure build up from low viscosity fluid, so you wouldnt have to pre-heat it.

Those big coolers are great for trucks and other big vehicles. But I would avoid tube and fin coolers, especially in cooler climates due to the thick oil pressure drop.

The 13K btu cooler I used is only 3/4" thick (most a 1.5" thick), so it fits nicely on the upper section of the radiator right over the fan location, and does not block air flow in general. Plus, it is designed to be run in series with the radiator cooler, so in cooler weather, the radiator will actually warm up the trans oil as the engine coolant warms up. That and the thick oil bypass design makes the cooler a perfect match to the car when used as a daily driver.

The 13K cooler will do a lot to extend trans fluid life, and the transmission life in general.

Its a completely different animal than the 30K coolers being discussed.


BTW, I'm unfamiliar with the term "dope style". Does that mean remote?

Oh... my.... God.... why is this thread over two posts long??? In the time it has taken you to talk about these coolers I could have rebuilt the whole transmission... ATF does not get thick enough in the climates we have around here to worry about "bypasses". Also, too cold of a trans temp is no good either, it never allows the moisture to evaporate from the fluid.. I run a tube and fin cooler in my 9 second street car with a 9" 5000 converter and have never had a problem with excessive trans temps..

Thats good to know. Thinking of replacing the factory one with a larger unit in our AWD Sienna. It has the OE tow package, but it could probably still use an upgrade, especially when towing the boat and the car is loaded, AC on, etc. Have to check it out and see what the factory installed.

Thanks!

I've run the aftermarket cooler and also had the fluid go through radiator at the same time and never had an issue....on any car. You're fine, no need to reinvent the wheel.