Seems transmission coolers really are beneficial...

[savage1987]

I'm in the process of replacing my 500,000+++km VN V6 engine with a rebuilt VR V6. While preparing to remove the original motor, I dumped the transmission fluid, having driven it approximately 15,000km since the last change. Usually after 20,000km (my regular auto service interval) the fluid is a murky brown colour. Last time I did a fluid change (15000km ago) I installed two additional transmission coolers, making three in total.

I will post up photos shortly of the fluid in the bottom of the pan. It looks like it was changed only yesterday. I am extremely pleased to find this and will look at increasing the service interval for my automatic transmission to possibly 30-40,000km.

Sam



photos:

15,000km fluid:






ATF cooling path:

passes through radiator in-tank cooler first


then out the side and through this Hilux diesel cooler


then around the front and through this random other cooler I found


then back to the transmission

[immortality]

yep, auto transissions live or die by the running temp of the fluid. get it too hot and the fluid can create a varnish on the inside of the trans, when this happens it looses it's ability to transfer heat (i.e. it looses it's cooling properties). excessive heat will also harden seals and other plastic/rubber parts.

[savage1987]

I was stunned. I have never seen fluid this clean come out of a transmission in my life. It made me so happy

[Ado]

Hope they arnt the tyres you drive on.

[savage1987]

Yerp. Not for long though. You should see the other set

[rob drag racer]

i ran one on my fairlane and i have to say it dose stabilize the fluid temp far better with a trans cooler and as for shift performance it helps and long lasting trans fluid for sure unless you tow huge weight often so yeh a trans cooler is the way to go

[savage1987]

I've had a couple of people comment that three coolers are a bit .. well.. overkill. Here's how it came about:

I was only going to add that one at the front but I ran out of hose and needed the car back on the road immediately. I hunted around the shed and found two short bits of hose but nothing I could use as a joiner. Then I had an idea that another cooler could do the job as a joiner.. I found one I had lying around and figured out I could mount it on that convenient diagonal rail in front of the passenger wheel

Was never intended to be 3 of them, but it seems to work quite well!

[v8_bomberdore]

dont run the lines through the radiator, it will run even cooler again

[savage1987]

I doubt it. The ATF leaves the gearbox a hell of a lot hotter than the coolant at that end (cool end) of the radiator. That fluid heat transfer that occurs in there is far more efficient than the air cooling that occurs in the other two.

edit: just noticed, this is my 2,345th post

[eurekamad94]

damn! thats preety clean for 20,000k fluid

[rob drag racer]

i agree best to run it via the rad after all in a normal situation the rad isn't to bad i wouldn't run the a/t to cold you may cause damage

[savage1987]

I don't think it's running too cold. Not much chance of that really with the amount of heat soak from the engine

[Morton]

You should rotate your diagonal cooler to actually face oncoming air

[savage1987]

Too much like hard work. It still radiates, that's good enough for me

[jas98]

i put one one me vs the other day..however im not sure if i hooked it up right as i ran the top hose from the radiator to the cooler then cooler back to the trans..? is this teh correct way? as i want it to go from trans to radiator then radiator to cooler then back to trans but dunno if if i hooked it up right:P

cheers

[savage1987]

I THINK you actually need to put it in the bottom hose. The top one is the feed line FROM the auto. At least, I really hope it is otherwise mine are in wrong


**someone able to verify this?**

[PaRaDoX]

looks like red cordial....

[savage1987]

my transmission must be so happy. It didn't even stink

[pando666]

So does anyone know for SURE which hose to put the cooler in bottom as you(savage)has done or top as Jas did?.

[azzfox]

So does anyone know for SURE which hose to put the cooler in bottom as you(savage)has done or top as Jas did?.

Id say bottom which is the return line. The radiator cools the fluid to engine temp which is still quite hot. You dont want to cool the fluid through a cooler then heat it up again before returning to the trans.

[savage1987]

lmao yeah man it's the bottom line

If you want to make sure, try cranking the motor (not starting) with both lines removed.. fluid should piss out the top one. Mine blew off on first startup of new motor. LOL

[azzfox]

It works on the same principal as the radiator, funny that . Heat rises, so the bottom is the outlet.

Unless someone replaced the hoses and mixed them up it should be right lol.

[savage1987]

It works on the same principal as the radiator, funny that . Heat rises, so the bottom is the outlet.

Dude.... that makes so much sense. How the crap did I not think of that?

[greenfoam]

Azzfox is half German, he can't help it, it's in ze blood to figure stuff out

[Jayme]

The reason a lot of people bypass the radiator is the radiators have a tendency (esp fords lol) of cracking and sending water through your gearbox. when it gets water in it, all the glue on the clutch linings fail and they all end up floating round in the gearbox and you end up with a dead auto. this exact problem happened to my parents falcon a week ago. according to the auto mechanic the BA falcons are the worst culprit of doing it. im buggered if im gonna risk that, im air cooled only about A4 sheet size cooler.