Here’s my thought process: I have a 2015 F150 without the max towing package. According to ford, my truck is rated to tow 7,000lbs. If I had the max tow package, that rating would go up to 11,000lbs. The only differences I see between the packages are addition of a transmission cooler, 3.73 rear end vs 3.31, and a hitch. Just yesterday I towed a tilt bed trailer with our tractor on it. Was right around 10,000 lbs. The truck did not struggle much. With the ATF/coolant heat exchanger and Amsoil ATL trans fluid, do I really ever need to worry about towing? I only do a few times a year, about 1.5 hours at a time. I don’t see a trans cooler making that much of a difference in modern trucks.
Are trans coolers necessary?
- Thread starter brandon9715
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You would need to actually track transmission temps to really know. "the truck did not struggle much" doesn't mean anything. If its running hot your trans will die early. A few times a year for 1.5 hours - not likely, but still the only way to really know would be to track the temps.
I wouldn't do it without a way to monitor trans temps.
And you don't want the potential for the transmission to run too cool for the rest of the normal daily driving...
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
I am in the camp that cooler is better. my truck has a tru-cool 40k and both accords have a cheap one i plumbed in.
Maybe not if you're never towing up steep grades.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2025
Had the Tru-Cool on my 02 worked awesome. The 2017 6.0/6L90E never got more than 130ish without a load with the stock cooler.
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BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
my 80e is built and running high pressure/loose triple disc converter. it sees 150-200° around town based on how much pedal i give it from stop light to stop light. accords still see 170-200° driving down the freeway. truck’s radiator exchanger is bypassed while the cars aren’t.
Most OEM setups run through an air cooler and an in radiator cooler. The radiator part helps cool when its way too hot, but also helps warm when its too cold. So its doubtful an air cooler would cause running too cold in all but the coldest environments.
Are thermostats used in these systems?
None that I have ever seen, although admittedly my sample size is small.
It's more common in newer cars. Ford trucks and SUVs have them. Our 08 expedition does not flow to the cooler until it hits 192f
OP's should have one.
Any idea of the temp that it fully opens?
Certain Toyota's and Lexuses also, it makes additional cooling moot imo.
Yeah. If you are towing heavy, then it makes sense, but just driving (in any weather) our Expedition just camps out at 192 no matter what.
It doesn't say. However in the procedure for back-flushing and cleaning the cooler it states that fluid must be over 140F to circulate.
Thanks for the input everyone. I agree that a gauge to monitor temps is important. Unfortunately the gauge on the dash is just a glorified dummy light that only moves if overheated.
I added a small 4 pass tube and fin style trans cooler to my 23 year old Subaru about 5 years ago. Probably keeps the trans fluid a little cooler but it's not overdoing it. I don't tow, but I think if nothing else it might extend the overall life of the trans a bit longer.
I've monitored Converter Charge/Cooler Inlet, Cooler Return/Lube, Trans Sump, & Radiator Tank temperatures on quite a few different GM units.
I never saw a situation where the radiator tank mounted cooler did anything other than COOL the fluid, Return out of the cooler was never warmer. And the Tank temps be lower still as the cooler is on the cold side of the radiator.
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