How to install automatic transmission cooler ?

[Junior]

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I installed my stacked plate cooler before the rad cooler...I'm with onion on this one...get the heat out BEFORE it gets in the system.Plus I was always taught that oil to water is far more effcient than oil to air

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The coolest possible outlet temp for the fluid is going to be by routing through the radiator cooler then to the second cooler mounted out in front of the radiator and AC condensor.

None of the heat is "absorbed" back into the radiator. All that happens it the radiator rejects less heat because the temperature differential is less. i.e. the air in front of the rad is a little warmer. The radiator still rejects heat.

A properly functioning cooling system wouldn't even notice the difference.

 

[Gary Allan]

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None of the heat is "absorbed" back into the radiator. All that happens it the radiator rejects less heat because the temperature differential is less. i.e. the air in front of the rad is a little warmer. The radiator still rejects heat.

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I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here ...at least throughout the entire string.

Both ways have their merits. If ultimate trans temp reduction is your goal, then installing the cooler after the in tank cooler is the way to go. What most appear to miss is that JUST because you don't plumb it that way you're not doing your trans a disservice. You're buffering overall system integrity.

Example: Someone installs it the traditional way. Gets, due to some this or that (climate, whatever), down to 165F normalized trans temp. Some other smuck ..doing it the other way ...in a different climate (or being able to use a bigger one ) ..achieves 165F.

who's doing their trans a disservice? The guy @ 165F or the guy @ 165F plumbing it the oddball way? What if the number was 175F for both ...or just one ..and does it matter which one?? The main thing is that temps don't "run away" and get out of control.

I guess if it was a contest, then you'd do it the traditional manner. You'll both reach the same safety zone.

 

[Greaser]

OK then lets say that you are really interested in just getting heat away from the cooling system,like putting your heater on in stalled traffic on a hot day,to get the overall system temp down.Which plumb in would help the most in that scenario?

 

[Gary Allan]

The aux cooler to the in tank cooler ..or so I would reason. That is, if I'm going to include the trans circuit into the in tank cooler ..or I wasn't using a thermostat (in the diverter method I described). In that manner I would think that they buffer each other. To what extent ..I don't know

 

[Junior]

All I was saying is that heat flows from high temperature to low temperature. The greater the temperature differential the greater the heat transfer rate. (yes, I know there are other factors) By placing a trans cooler in front of the radiator heat is removed from the oil and into the air and increases the air temperature in front of the radiator. However, this heat transfer is not going to heat the air to a temperature higher than the coolant in the radiator. So, the air is still going to pick up additional heat from the radiator.

Now say your trans if very overheated, in this situation you may have localized heat transfer back into the radiator but on the average due to its size it is still going to reject heat.

One can plumb their cooler any way that makes them feel good but IMO if you are going to go to the trouble of installing one why not set it up for maximum cooling affect. Especially when the original posters question was about a vehicle that had a transmission overheating problem in the summer.

 

[Junior]

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OK then lets say that you are really interested in just getting heat away from the cooling system,like putting your heater on in stalled traffic on a hot day,to get the overall system temp down.Which plumb in would help the most in that scenario?

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IMO no difference. You are still trying to remove the same amout of heat from the cooling package.

 

[Greaser]

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OK then lets say that you are really interested in just getting heat away from the cooling system,like putting your heater on in stalled traffic on a hot day,to get the overall system temp down.Which plumb in would help the most in that scenario?

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IMO no difference. You are still trying to remove the same amout of heat from the cooling package.

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But you are taking away the incoming tranny heat which should be of some consequence to the overall heat transfer.I know that shutting off your air conditioning, when the relay that turns on your rad fans burnout,saves a overheating fiasco.My wife was looking at the temperature gauge climb steadily on our mini-van so she turnes off the air and the gauge settled back to normal.Turned out the relays went south that turned on the fans.I know there is some heat being dispelled from the system from the tranny cooler so it does help no matter how you hook it up...it's a heat exchanger and thats what it'll do.

 

[Junior]

You are still putting heat into the system. (unlike turning the ac off. AC units reject a lot of heat at the condensor.) Either by the cold side ratiator tank or the trans cooler in front of the radiator. In theory it shouldn't make a difference (assuming the same trans temp differential). But in practice, it may make a little difference depending on heat transfer rate and heat exchanger efficiency.

 

[Gary Allan]

Junior, under your justifications, there should be absolutely no difference. You appear to be saying that it's going to be a 100% trade off between the deltaT between both exchangers ..with the added heat being dumped in front of the rad in either case.

Again, if absolute max trans fluid reduction is desired AND assuming that you put a properly sized auxiliary cooler on (no one appears to think that they can go too small and screw up by eliminating the in tank rad) ..then either stand alone or OEM to AUX is the way to go.

The thing many miss with coolantil heat exchangers ..in addition to the better heat exchange medium with liquid to liquid ..is that in our automobiles we have a tremendous differential between the fluid flows.

 

[Junior]

I think we agree on how to get maximum cooling affect and as long as temperatures stay in an acceptable range you are fine.

 

[Greaser]

I talked with a Hayden Rep. and he said sometimes putting the cooler after the OEM cooler is not feasible due to time/access for many mechanics so the aftermarket is installed before the OEM cooler giving the heat transfer a 5% loss with this set-up.