Transmission Cooler

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

weebl

Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Messages
732
Location
Canada
The temperatures I've observed since installing my temperature gauge have me thinking a cooler is a wise choice - maybe not a do now or die situation, but something I should get nonetheless. Up to 210F in summer stop and go traffic A/C on and 245F climbing very steep mountain grades while towing in the summer (talking elevation over 5,800 feet). Didn't stay that hot for long and when it was a long grade, I stopped for a while when I started to worry to allow cooling down.

Otherwise, normal city driving tops out at 190F and flat highway stays below 150F, towing or not.

I'm looking at Dana's Long Tru-Cool LPD4454, rated for 13,000 BTU cooling and 18,000 GVWR. Perhaps overkill, but I'm not worried about overcooling on these. I like the "Low Pressure Drop" design on these which incorporates a cold bypass - eliminating worries of overcooling or of winter operation. Other coolers would require me to add an external bypass.

I know these are also branded and sold as the following:

B&M Racing SuperCooler
Mister Transmission cooler

Any others? I can't tell if U-Haul's is a Dana/Long or Hayden (or something else). Are Napa's Hayden as well?

Are there other good coolers of similar cooling capacity with an integral cold bypass that I should consider?

Good places to buy from for price? Seen some great deals online, but they are in the USA and it seems that shipping charges always kills it.
Pressure Drop" design on these which incorporates a cold bypass - eliminating worries of overcooling or of winter operation. Other coolers would require me to add an external bypass.

I know these are also branded and sold as the following:

B&M Racing SuperCooler
Mister Transmission cooler

Any others? I can't tell if U-Haul's is a Dana/Long or Hayden (or something else). Are Napa's Hayden as well?

Are there other good coolers of similar cooling capacity with an integral cold bypass that I should consider?

Good places to buy from for price? Seen some great deals online, but they are in the USA and it seems that shipping charges always kills it.
 
Occasionally spikes over 200F are not a problem. However a cooler is always good to have, I don't think the makes matters much, after-all any cooler is better than no cooler at all..
lol.gif
 
18000LB is not over cool, or overkill, you'll want that trans as cool as it'll go under normal driving.I really don't listen to those who'll say that a trans operates "only" best within a warmed-up mode.I've been around hydraulics all my life and I find ..the cooler... the better.It's not like an engine.
 
I've used one of the B&M coolers and was very happy with it. I got a really big one (it was almost the size of the AC condenser!!) and found it caused my diesel Blazer 700R4 to run way too cool (often under 150 and sometimes around 100F) so I actually had to swap it with a guy for one two sizes smaller and that was about right.

I still contend 245F for short periods is nothing to worry about, especially if you have a top quality ATF installed. Your other temps are about perfect. Oddly, they match my F150HD truck (which has a factory 9-row cooler standard with the 8200# GVW package) almost exactly.

If you do get a cooler, consider adding an oil thermostat. I not sure which is the best these days but with such a device you can have it both ways... supercooling without overcooling.
 
I'm curious, what sort of issues did you see when temps were well below 150F on the Blazer? I did a drive this weekend at night, we pretty much went straight onto the highway after about 10 blocks, drove half an hour, and then another 4 blocks off the highway home. Temps stayed around only 120F.
 
Originally Posted By: weebl
I'm curious, what sort of issues did you see when temps were well below 150F on the Blazer? I did a drive this weekend at night, we pretty much went straight onto the highway after about 10 blocks, drove half an hour, and then another 4 blocks off the highway home. Temps stayed around only 120F.


No long term issues because I didn't let it stay that way long. I installed the cooler at the end off summer after numerous hot ATF problems four-wheeling in the Utah desert (and 700R4s run notoriously hot). As I said, there was a massive drop in temps across the board but when fall came, I remember seeing only about 90F (measured in the pan) after a 10 mile jaunt down the freeway in low 40's F weather. I figured winter would take an even bigger bite come full winter, so I reduced the size of the cooler. I experimented with putting the air to oil cooler in front of the radiator cooler too.

I haven't seen much documentation on the effects of ATF being run too cool. Slow warmup might be one and since converter lockup is based on fluid temp in modern electronic rigs, there is an operational component to this that remains unknown (you can be the guinea pig, eh?) You can imagine the possibilities of not being able to bake out the moisture but I don't think the realities are too dire given the head the converter generates, but a log run on the freeway (converter locked) in cold weather... who knows. All this is why I suggested an oil thermostat... so you don't have to worry about the experimental possibilities... which are low risk I admit.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: MuzzleFlash40
No need to over pay for a fancy cooler. A Hayden cooler from Advance auto goes for around $50.


I realize the Haydens and others can be had for less, but half the year, the vehicle will see VERY cold temperatures. By that, I mean ambient temperatures that can reach as cold as -40, and commonly averaging around -20F. For that, I need to have a cold bypass. The others require I buy one separately for $30 to $35, putting me right back to the price of the Long Tru-Cools, if not more.

Plus in theory, a cold bypass would prevent any overcooling in the summer. Standalone bypasses typically prevent the auxiliary cooler from kicking in below 180F, the Tru-Cool sounds like it is a gradual phased in flow the warmer it gets (haven't found the temperature specs yet).
 
I've also seen the Tekonsha label on a Long Tru-Cool cooler.

The "Made in Canada" is the telltale, if in fact they are still made there. Long Mfg. is owned by Dana, but their factory is in Ontario.

It is easy enough to rig a bypass line with a small ball valve. Just open the bypass valve and let the cooler sit in the system with no circulation through it. The ATF will take the route of least resistance through the bypass valve (probably 3/8").
 
I bought my LPD cooler from the bulkpart website.
The 4454 is $56.72.
I installed the 4452 on my Toyota Sienna.....easy install.
I bought a length of 11/32 hose from them.

You might think about adding a Magnefine inline filter....which they also sell.
If the vehicle is new, then the recommended ideal location for the filter is in the cooler line TO the cooler.
If the vehicle is not new (5000 miles or more) then the recommended ideal filter location is in the cooler line FROM the filter TO the transmission.
 
What risk is there in removing the factory in-radiator heat exchanger and replacing it with a cold bypass equipped cooler?

I know some people who have had water get into their transmission and cause mass destruction due to radiator failure. These were in vehicles less than 10 years old. I have been considering taking that out of the equation but am worried that much of its purpose is to get ATF temp up to or near coolant temp, or keep it there when you are on the highway with TC locked.
 
CBR - I've got just an 11x11 cooler with no thermal bypass and the rad cooler bypassed on the Jeep. Even in 2* F weather, the transmission gets up to the 50* required for OD and TC lockup in about 1/3 of a mile or less, and behaves perfectly fine, with no symptoms of overcooling.
 
Originally Posted By: Ken2
I've also seen the Tekonsha label on a Long Tru-Cool cooler.

The "Made in Canada" is the telltale, if in fact they are still made there. Long Mfg. is owned by Dana, but their factory is in Ontario.

It is easy enough to rig a bypass line with a small ball valve. Just open the bypass valve and let the cooler sit in the system with no circulation through it. The ATF will take the route of least resistance through the bypass valve (probably 3/8").


I've heard the Tekonsha branded ones are Tru-Cools as well, but I can't find them available anywhere. Not even mentioned on their website (nor under one of the related Cequent brands). Glad to hear they are still made in Canada, I heard rumours some were now Chinese.

Originally Posted By: wiswind
I bought my LPD cooler from the bulkpart website.
The 4454 is $56.72.
I installed the 4452 on my Toyota Sienna.....easy install.
I bought a length of 11/32 hose from them.

You might think about adding a Magnefine inline filter....which they also sell.
If the vehicle is new, then the recommended ideal location for the filter is in the cooler line TO the cooler.
If the vehicle is not new (5000 miles or more) then the recommended ideal filter location is in the cooler line FROM the filter TO the transmission.


What generation Sienna is yours, and what physical location did you place the cooler? I am thinking of putting mine in front of the radiator (second generation van), but haven't investigated it really.

Van isn't new, far from it now (almost 5 years and over 69k miles). I have been toying with the idea of some kind of inline transmission filter. Do the Magnefines have a replaceable element?
 
How about keeping it VERY simple?

Get an OE GM flat plate cooler and mount it in series with the existing cooler in the radiator? Very inexpensive and attached bracket will fit your truck!

Also, note the pcm monitors trans temps and will do a variety of things to control overheating, including unlocking the converter, downshifting, and reducing power.
 
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
I installed the cooler at the end off summer after numerous hot ATF problems four-wheeling in the Utah desert (and 700R4s run notoriously hot).


Jim, what range of temperatures were you seeing while four wheeling, and what kind of problems did you notice (other than the temp)? Just curious. I have heard a lot of other people say the same thing about the 700R4/4L60/4L60E's being hot running transmissions.

Thanks
-Tom

(ps.. not trying to hijack the thread!)
 
My Sienna is a 2003, the last year of the "1st gen" Sienna.
I mounted the cooler on the front of the condensor coils.
The transmission fluid flows from the transmission through the in-radiator cooler, then through the auxillary cooler, then back into the transmission.
THIS is the way that the flow is if you have the factory towing package cooler, which is located inside the bottom of the front fender, driver's side, in front of the front tire.

I mounted the auxillary cooler above the bumper, behind the grill.

I used the nylon "zip tie" strips that they provide with the cooler, there are thin foam pads that you put at the corners and you sinch it up against the condensor coils.

I was able to remove the fans, lift the radiator away from the condensor coils and run the zip ties through the fins of the condensor coils, but not through the radiator coils.

The magnefine filter is a unit that you replace the whole thing.
Recommended replacement interval is once a year or 15K miles, although they are good for 30K miles unless you have something going on.

PARTS


COOLER INSTALLED


MAGNEFINE INSTALLED

 
When I did the radiator in my 97 Subaru Outback, I added the largest cooler that would physically fit in front of the AC evaporator (which isn't all that big of a transmission cooler in reality). I daily drive this car, 25% stop and go city driving, 75% high speed interstate, 100 miles PER DAY.

Not sure I needed it, but its peace of mind. I used a standard tube-style cooler (I'm not sold on the stacked-plate design) and plumbed it between the radiator return and transmission inlet.

Even with temperature below zero, the cooler still gets hot. And the transmission shifts normally. The factory cooler in my 99 dodge 2500 truck wouldn't even allow the fluid in the pan to reach 50*F on a cold day (when it got to 50*F outside, my Autometer gauge was pretty much useless), and it operated just fine. As long as you have it plumbed through the radiator, the fluid will still warm up, just not as much as it would before the cooler install.
 
Originally Posted By: wiswind
My Sienna is a 2003, the last year of the "1st gen" Sienna...


Very nice work, glad to see you chose the stacked plate design. Their superiority is well documented, plus they can be very small but very effective.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

O
Bypass Transmission Cooler
Replies
9
Views
1K
gamefoo21
D
  • Locked
hayden vs b & m
Replies
12
Views
13K
DJ
S
  • Locked
Transmission Cooler hose size or adaptor?
Replies
5
Views
5K
Rhymingmechanic
J
  • Locked
2004 jeep transmission cooler
Replies
18
Views
4K
jeep58
Isaac
  • Locked
External Trans Cooler Size -How to know what size?
Replies
10
Views
9K
Isaac
Back
Top Bottom