Can I run a transmission cooler under normal driving conditions?

[Anthony .]

Hi all,
I have a 1994 VR Executive V6 sedan (auto). Long story short, I have a brand new universal (PWR brand) transmission cooler kit and am wondering if it is fine to install on my car.
I don’t tow anything. I only give the car a good squirt here and there. Car is daily driven.

My questions are:
1) should I still install the kit at the same time I get my transmission serviced? Any negative consequences? Will I get a longer lasting transmission in general?

2) Is there a such thing as “transmission operating temperature”. Opinions seem to be 50:50; some people say that “transmission fluid can not be over cooled”, while others suggest that transmission fluid that is too cool can indeed “be harmful”.

Looking forward to hearing some opinions

Cheers,
Anthony

 

[Immortality]

It's not going to hurt and slightly cooler is better than slightly hotter.

The number one enemy of automatic transmissions is heat.

 

[losh1971]

Get one installed you will benefit from one regardless if you tow or not.

 

[figjam]

My questions are:
1) should I still install the kit at the same time I get my transmission serviced? Any negative consequences? Will I get a longer lasting transmission in general?

If you can afford it ........... Yes, do it.
Not necessary, but a far better mod than a big exhaust, impractical wheels and tyres, and dumped on its guts lowering.
There is another thread today about a 'strawberry milkshake' which won't happen with a separate cooler.

 

[J_D 2.0]

The only concerns I’ve heard about is the initial warming of the transmission fluid from dead cold, which is why you normally run the extra cooler in line with the existing cooler line in the radiator.

The radiator cooler will heat the fluid up quicker on a cold start and the external cooler will shed off more excess heat once the system is already hot.

My thinking though is that scenario of requiring quick heating is probably mostly related to North America or Europe where sub zero temperatures are a regular occurrence.

 

[Immortality]

The only concerns I’ve heard about is the initial warming of the transmission fluid from dead cold, which is why you normally run the extra cooler in line with the existing cooler line in the radiator.

The radiator cooler will heat the fluid up quicker on a cold start and the external cooler will shed off more excess heat once the system is already hot.

My thinking though is that scenario of requiring quick heating is probably mostly related to North America or Europe where sub zero temperatures are a regular occurrence.

I do like this "theory" but I do believe it is an internet myth.

Lets think about this logically, The radiator does not begin to heat up until the engine has reached (or is near) it's operating temp and the thermostat starts to open. Even then, it will take some time for the radiator to fully heat up. The internal transmission cooler is normally located in the cold side of the radiator so it won't start to put any heat into the transmission fluid until the engine has been running for some time.

I would suggest that the transmission fluid will heat up quicker than any heat that could potentially come from the internal radiator cooler.

Modern automatics run a thermostat in the cooler circuit so no cooling is provided until the fluid reaches a set temperature.

 

[figjam]

^^^^^ .......... my thinking is to divert the fluid past the radiator altogether, straight to the cooler. It will reach operating temp quick enough for normal use.

But I am sure that there are members with transmission temp gauges who will have varying opinions.

 

[Immortality]

I had a temp gauge in our old VS. That had a factory fitted external cooler and I don't think it ever had any issues getting up to temp. The caveat being I had placed the temp sensor in the transmission cooler line and not in the transmission pan. The fluid going to the transmission cooler comes directly out of the converter, the part of the transmission that creates the most heat so my temp reading would most likely have been slightly higher than if I had the sensor in the pan.

Plan is to fit a temp sensor in the pan on the VT just so I can see what it reads there (still have the gauge from the old VS down in the garage somewhere). Just need to weld a bit of plate on the side of the VT trans pan so it's thick enough to drill and tap a thread.

 

[losh1971]

Bypassing the rad is not the best idea as it doesn't tend to provide enough cooling. This can work if you fit a really big trans cooler, but your average $100 Davies Craig won't be anywhere near big enough.

 

[J_D 2.0]

I do like this "theory" but I do believe it is an internet myth.

Lets think about this logically, The radiator does not begin to heat up until the engine has reached (or is near) it's operating temp and the thermostat starts to open. Even then, it will take some time for the radiator to fully heat up. The internal transmission cooler is normally located in the cold side of the radiator so it won't start to put any heat into the transmission fluid until the engine has been running for some time.

I would suggest that the transmission fluid will heat up quicker than any heat that could potentially come from the internal radiator cooler.

Modern automatics run a thermostat in the cooler circuit so no cooling is provided until the fluid reaches a set temperature.

Engines warm up quicker than transmissions do, especially if you’re sitting around idling your car to warm it up because it’s snowing outside. Like I said it’s probably more of a potential issue in countries when it gets bollocks freezing than here in Australia.