Should I block the cooler?

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msmoke00

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The truck is an 07 F150 with the factory tow package which includes a decent sized transmission cooler. I have a Gryphon programmer that shows several things including trans temp. Been watching it as the ambient temperatures drop, and with outside temps at 40 degrees F it takes over 30 miles at 70 mph to get the fluid to 145-150 degrees. During the summer I run 150 to 160 degrees normally. Should I block the cooler to get to normal operating temp or is cooler always better with the transmission?

And since we are BITOG, the current trans fill is Motorcraft Merc V with Lubegard Red and a Magnefine filter added. I serviced the trans 10K miles ago and it did use to run a few degrees hotter before the new fluid and Lubegard.
 
Well I know heat kills automatic trannies. Now will it being to cold affect it,I cannot say for sure.
Here in Saskatchewan I put a piece of cardboard in front of my rad on every winter driven vehicle,it gets so cold here I'm not concerned about them overheating.
Perhaps a small piece of cardboard just over the tranny cooler is a good plan. Try it out. Worst case scenario is you pull over and rip it off right.
 
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Why not track down a thermostat for the coooler line?


What temperature tstat should I run? Around the normal 150 temperature or something else?
 
My Taurus was in need of a thermostat on the cooler. The torque converter lockup was controlled by the transmission temperature - on cold days, the torque converter would never lock up. Killed gas mileage. I'm not sure if the newer Ford autos pay attention to this.
 
With the Gryphon I can also see TC lock/unlock and current gear. It does lock the TC at cruise like it should even when cold.

I just changed the fluid a while back, so won't be changing it for probably a couple years. Off hand does anyone know what the lowest visc Mercon V is?
 
All of those F150s I've serviced have a factory thermostat. If you follow the cooler lines back towards the transmission, you can see it. Feel the lines to see if it's opening up too early, those transmission seem to take awhile to get warm without a big load on them so it may still be working fine.
 
Originally Posted By: jjcom
All of those F150s I've serviced have a factory thermostat. If you follow the cooler lines back towards the transmission, you can see it. Feel the lines to see if it's opening up too early, those transmission seem to take awhile to get warm without a big load on them so it may still be working fine.

+1 It should already have a thermostat. But, since the fluid is not run through the radiator, it wont get heated up.
I know my CV has a thermostat on the trans cooler and about 140-160 is all it will do during the winter.
 
Quote:
since the fluid is not run through the radiator, it wont get heated up.
How does the fluid get warmed inside the cold tank of the radiator in winter? The coolant in the cold side of the radiator will be nearly as cold as the air temperature.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
Quote:
since the fluid is not run through the radiator, it wont get heated up.
How does the fluid get warmed inside the cold tank of the radiator in winter? The coolant in the cold side of the radiator will be nearly as cold as the air temperature.


Exactly. I've never understood the whole "the radiator warms the trans" thing. Until the t-stat opens (first few miles), the radiator is stone cold. Even after that, unless it's been running for a while and has the engine under a good load, the cold side of the rad (where the trans cooler is) isn't all that hot.

The only thing that will sufficiently keep trans temps up in the winter without taking away too much cooling capacity is a thermostat in the cooler lines.
 
Was actually thinking about this topic last night. Not the same vehicle, but an ATF cooler and automatic transmissions in general, nonetheless.

It gets VERY cold here in the winter, and we haven't even reached those temperatures yet. Ambient early in the morning the past few days have been as low as 5F (-15C), and that's what my temp gauge reads when I start up (parked outside right now, as I'm doing some work on the garage before it gets really cold). I installed the temp gauge on the cooler line that comes out of the transmission and goes into the radiator. I also have an auxilliary cooler added after the radiator.

The cooler I installed is supposed to be thermostatically controlled - cold temps, it is basically an extension of the line, without running through the fins, and opens up as it gets warmer.

In driving, I rarely see it get over 100F now, unless I'm stuck in traffic, then 120F at best. Highway, forget it going over 60F. Yet as far as I can tell, the vehicle drives and shifts fine after the first couple of minutes of driving (before that, it refuses to go into OD, which I've seen many modern ATs do so not concerned).

In another post here, I read someone say that ATs employ a host of cold weather strategies. Which leads me to wonder, can/do ATs keep the majority of the ATF internal, without going through the cooler lines as a means of reaching operating temperature in cold weather? It would explain the low temp reading, as it's not measuring the temp of the fluid in operating conditions, but rather fluid that for the most part is cut off from the flow.

Perhaps someone with indepth AT knowledge can shed some light.
 
^ To go along with that, I'm wondering how much MPG loss I'm suffering. The Merc V is around a visc of 37 @ 40 degrees C and only 7.5 @ 100. So that cold fluid surely takes more power to push it through everything.
 
Cars heat up pretty fast, nowadays [coolant].

In tank radiator coolers keep the tranny warmer when needed, and cooler if the tranny gets too hot. It is a win/win situation.

Since this guy has a gauge, for sure block things in the dead of winter.
 
I have the same setup, though a few years older (2005), and I have been seeing about the same temps. My truck is the 8200 GVW F150 with a 15K# tow rating which has an even bigger radiator than your '07 and possibly a bigger cooler. I also run a Gryphon but also have a regular gauge. And I live in NW Ohio, which likely has the same climate as the OP.

Your truck most definitely has a thermostat that bypasses the cooler because the converter won't lock up until fluid temps reaches 85F at the transmission's internal sensor (which is mounted in the valve body). I have had sensors in the pan and my "real" gauge is in the cooler line and this built in sensor seems to read a composite of temps but is mostly pan temp. Cooler line is a LOT hotter, especially when the converter is unlocked. For that reason, I con't consider the 145-150 temps listed a problem.

The thing you must realize is that at freeway speeds, you listed 70 mph for 30 minutes, the converter is locked and there for the trans is not generating much internal temp.... as it would if the converter was unlocked (your temps will rise quickly then).

I don't think any special precautions are necessary in this case. The oil is getting plenty warm IMO. It would be a problem is you were: a) staying under that built-in converter temp threshold, or b) you were staying under 100F and short hopping. Even then, my latest studies indicate that transmissions don't have many issues with moisture condensat, so cooler is Ok.

Since you have the Gryphon, set it to monitor engine oil temp, which reads off the built-in pan sensor. Engine oil is one place where you really NEED hot oil, both to bake out fuel dilution and moisture but to activate the anti-ewear additives.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen


Since you have the Gryphon, set it to monitor engine oil temp, which reads off the built-in pan sensor. Engine oil is one place where you really NEED hot oil, both to bake out fuel dilution and moisture but to activate the anti-ewear additives.


After 2005 Ford eliminated the oil temp sensor. So my Gryphon has the display for it, but I can't use that feature with it. That's one thing I wish I had on it. It's weird about the temps when I get off the highway, they will actually go down when I stop at a light. My guess is the shifting changes the fluid through the other solenoids that haven't be used for a while. My drive is pull of the driveway-drive 65-70 mph for 30 min-one stop light in a 45 mph zone-and then another 55mph for 20 mins.
 
Originally Posted By: msmoke00


After 2005 Ford eliminated the oil temp sensor. So my Gryphon has the display for it, but I can't use that feature with it. That's one thing I wish I had on it. It's weird about the temps when I get off the highway, they will actually go down when I stop at a light. My guess is the shifting changes the fluid through the other solenoids that haven't be used for a while. My drive is pull of the driveway-drive 65-70 mph for 30 min-one stop light in a 45 mph zone-and then another 55mph for 20 mins.


That I didn't know. I guess I just made the "cut." Sounds like your driving situation is about ideal in most respects.
 
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