Tranny Cooler Install

Ran into that same issue with my Envoy. I bought an extra line from gmpartsdirect, cut it and installed barbed fittings (all bought at Home Depot). That way if I ever wanted to return to stock I had the OE line. I did install a tee at the aux. cooler outlet and put in a temp. gage sender. With the aux. cooler, the temp. has never exceded 200F, even pulling a 2800 lb. popup camper.

Try NAPA. Also make sure you rout oil thru tank cooler first then through aux cooler and place cooler over the hotter side of radiator (drivers side) for minimal impact in overall engine cooling.

why fart around with the in-radiator cooler at all ????

cut the cooler lines back at the point where the metal line ends, coming forward

go to NAPA and have fittings crimped on the hose that have a metal compression sleeve to hook to the metal line

hook the other end to the cooler and you're done

I've seen a lot of debate about this in various places. I live in Ottawa, which can get quite cold, and I have been told that the in-radiator cooler will help warm the fluid in this type of climate. Some say dump it (like you) while others say keep it.

Does your opinion change given the cold climate?

The aux cooler is rated for 9,800 BTU, and is the Tru-Cool design which supposedly allows for a bypass when the fluid is colder / thicker.

It is actually installed more to the passenger side, but is set about 2.5 inches in front, not directly against the rad / condenser. Should this be ok?

You would wind up with less cooling capacity than a piggy back setup. Also when you run the raw hot oil throught the cooler first it ages the rubber lines quicker and they can harden and crack in a few years but the pasage through tank cools oil enough to greatly extend the service line of hose several years.

oh, bull f-ing shit

1) IR heat 'gun' sensor readings with series'd coolers and air-cooler alone show that air cools to about 145 pan temps, with both it stays near 165-170

2) your statement about rubber lines is pure BULLSHIT........GM uses a metal-to-rubber transition, and does Ford and Mopar, to the radiator cooler

3) it is impossible for the in-tank cooler to cool the oil to less that about 180 degrees, given that modern thermo's run 196-205

nope

I have friends in the business who routinely bypass the rad cooler in your climate conditions

finally, before someone says the 'gell' word in connection with Dex3........the 'gel-point' of ATF is about -70 F

Better think that statement out. The cooler is on the cold side of crossflow radiators and the bottom tank of down flow radiators. Many variables enter this equation:)

Al

Could be accurate, but what are you using to measure it with and at what distance? IR guns have a specific distance at which to be used and after that the cross section of area that is sampled gets to be very large, and therefore not very accurate for spot temperatures.

a typical 'gun' at about 6 inches

I have 'thought it out', and have measured actual inlet and outlet temps of both radiator coolers and air coolers

I back my statements with a 60K 3 year warranty on every unit I do

Isn't it amazing....you do this for a living...do tons of units, obviously have a good reputation....but you don't know shit about trans coolers according to some folks! F**king automotive trade....where everyone in the world is an expert.

Ian

Appreciate the feedback. I think I will cut into the line and go in series, though, for a practical reason:

If I just remove the lines from the rad, I would still need special fittings to plug the holes. When I had originally removed the fitting from the rad that has the o-ring to see what I was working with, upon reinstalling it, slight pressure while screwing it in caused something to move back, causing some engine coolant to leak. I am guessing that the trans cooler tank 'floats' inside the rad, hence the need for the o-ring to help seal. A normal plug fitting will not work.

Again, from a practical perspective, I need to get this done to hit the road first thing Friday morning, and I don't have time between now and then to go searching. Anyplace handy to where I work or live has already been pinged and doesn't have anyhing to accomodate this fitting type.

I am thinking that the simplest route is to cut the rubber section of the return line near the rad and just use two double-ended barbs to tie in.

Does this make sense to you?

Thanks for your help and patience.

Just curious Ian, how do you hook up trans coolers? I've always put them in series with the flow going through the external cooler first then through the radiator and back to the trans. I've always thought a trans shouldn't be overcooled either. Bob

I can count the number of trans coolers I've installed on one hand. I don't "do" automatic transmission work. I can't see any problem with overcooling a transmission... if that's even really possible. My point was simply that the guy (transurgeon) does it for a living, does tons of them, and seems to know all the in's and out's of properly cooling transmissions.

Ian

Some of the Lincolns won't lock up the torque converter until the trans reaches a certain temp. I know that has shit to do with Chevy trucks, but it means at least a few engineers think that a trans should maintain a certain operating temp. Without a doubt too cool is much better than too hot. Bob

my favorite saying: 'There is nothing so dangerous as a potential customer coming thru the door,clutching a handful of printer paper, telling me he has 'researched it on the internet' and knows EXACTLY what is wrong and how long and how much it should take to fix it'.

why not leave a 'stub' of tubing, capped with a 'vacuum cap' and a hose clamp ?

it beats the 'alternative' that some folks use............sliding a hose over a cut end and trusting a hose clamp................