trans cooler installed! (pics)

[John Boy]

Well I went ahead and tackled this project today, overall it wasn't bad first let me recommend to get extra hose if your going to do this. Those stupid clips for the grille I gave up on and just zip tied it. Whatever happen to plain old screws and bolts. I think am paranoid like every one else, there is no leaks and very little tranny fluid came out of the stock cooler ( Which I think is still draining). But I hope there is enough pressure for the return as the hose goes up about 4 inches before it goes down towards the tranny. I don't know i just do whatever body on here tells me to do.

 

[TrailChaser]

I was told by a mechanic that most auto trannies have an optimum operating temp. Which is usually about the same as the water temp 160F to about 190F, and if you stick the cooler on the outside of the grill your tranny will run too cool at highway speeds. Going by that advice I mounted mine on the inside of the radiator between the fan and the radiator. My tranny temp sensor always read 170deg F at when it was about 80degs outside. The hotter it got out side the hotter the tranny temp would get. Like 95degs outside would be 185f on the sensor. I'm not sure how much this matters if at all, just thought I'd throw that out there.

Also, If you want to bump the engine w/out starting it just pull the coil wire.

 

Since I did the auto to 5speed swap I have an available tranny cooler. PM me for details I don't want to jack this thread with my crap too much.

[gxl90rx7]

Well I went ahead and tackled this project today, overall it wasn't bad first let me recommend to get extra hose if your going to do this. Those stupid clips for the grille I gave up on and just zip tied it. Whatever happen to plain old screws and bolts. I think am paranoid like every one else, there is no leaks and very little tranny fluid came out of the stock cooler ( Which I think is still draining). But I hope there is enough pressure for the return as the hose goes up about 4 inches before it goes down towards the tranny. I don't know i just do whatever body on here tells me to do.

Looks nice man. I used zip ties too, the ones the give you are just about impossible to feed through the back of the condenser. And i ziptied the grill back on too

[gxl90rx7]

I was told by a mechanic that most auto trannies have an optimum operating temp. Which is usually about the same as the water temp 160F to about 190F, and if you stick the cooler on the outside of the grill your tranny will run too cool at highway speeds. Going by that advice I mounted mine on the inside of the radiator between the fan and the radiator. My tranny temp sensor always read 170deg F at when it was about 80degs outside. The hotter it got out side the hotter the tranny temp would get. Like 95degs outside would be 185f on the sensor. I'm not sure how much this matters if at all, just thought I'd throw that out there.

I always thought the cooler the better, to a point. I mean its probably not good to be at temps lower than your atf fluid is rated at (usually 0-180F). But Ill have to look into that that

[mws]

I was the one who recommended the inlet at the bottom to make it self purging - but that is only "really important" if using a plate style cooler - like the B&M's - where all of the passages are, in effect, in parallel. Since air wants to rise, it ends up collecting at the top.

With a tube and fin, it is less important as the passages are in serial. The air will still be trying to rise against the fluid direction, but the fluid is moving faster and will tend to push it on. Also, the faster moving fluid tends to be turbulent so it splashes against lots of the internal surface of the tubing - where it can transfer the heat.

 

You are correct about "cooler is better, to a point". I have also been advised 125 F or so is a good "fully warmed up" minimum to keep the fluid at optimum viscosity.

Edited December 15, 2006 by mws

[John Boy]

I guess on really cold days you could slide a piece of cardboard in front of it. To bad the hose wasn't clear instead of black to ensure proper flow. I'm still wondering about my outlet going directly up before coming back down back to the tranny. I should of drilled a hole next to the shroud to route the bottom hose instead of going up and over.