STICKY: Automatic Transmission Cooler Install

Courtesy of s-10driver

pretty simple to do, didn't take too long.

I removed the battery, and then the tray to get to where i ran the hoses.

(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w313/boostbeef/100_6568.jpg)

black hoses are the tranny cooler lines.  there is a small steel hose with a fitting that replaces your stock cooler return line from the rad.  one hose hooks up to it.  The other hose clamps to the return line.  All you have todo is remove a small clip on the return line and the fitting comes right off.  the flare on the hose should be good enough to hold the rubber line.

(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w313/boostbeef/100_6567.jpg)

I trimmed the rad support for more clearance and wrapped the hoses with scrap hose for rub protection.

done.

(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w313/boostbeef/100_6566.jpg)

bling bling!

(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w313/boostbeef/100_6572.jpg)

another from wicked's LUV build

I tend to think that tranny coolers are heavily under-estimated on vehicles. My Blazer actually has one, looks to be built into the rad, which I had though was just an oil cooler for the engine, but is being used on the tranny with a pair of hard lines, which I'm pretty OK with.

how good are the barrel style coolers compared to the normal tube and fin?

I'm thinking about changing to the barrel style to get the cooler off my condenser and rad for less heat soak

how good are the barrel style coolers compared to the normal tube and fin?

I'm thinking about changing to the barrel style to get the cooler off my condenser and rad for less heat soak

im pretty sure for comparison per size, a stacked plate > tube with fins > barrel with fins in terms of cooling performance.

so looking over some trans cooler sites and links, I have found they suggest you run an external cooler in series with your stock cooler in the radiator.  when my cooler was installed by a shop they capped off the stock rad cooler and just have the external cooler running the trans. 

so should i hook the stock rad cooler back into series?  I figured that would put more unneeded heat back into the rad, and with the V8 i need to keep all heat I can out of the rad

I would hook up the internal cooler as an oil cooler personally.

Don't most s-series rads have an oil cooler integrated into them already?  I know mine does because the damn lines have been dripping since the day I bought the truck.

Where? I have a tranny cooler in the rad.

mine has a power steering cooler and a trans cooler.

interesting.
mine had an engine oil cooler on the left and trans cooler on the right endtanks.
i'll be using the trans cooler in series with the stock one,
eliminating the stock oil cooler.... since i broke the fitting anyways.

The end tank coolers can be used for pretty much whatever you want.  You could even use one or both as part of an intercooler system, but like Artos is getting at they may help some, but they aren't the most efficient out there.

Mine actually needs the oil cooler, my oil temp is rather high compared to my water temps, maybe I'll look around for one that has both, I was just going to get an external, but I'm sure a junkyard rad with both would be cheaper, and better than nothing.

Mine actually needs the oil cooler, my oil temp is rather high compared to my water temps, maybe I'll look around for one that has both, I was just going to get an external, but I'm sure a junkyard rad with both would be cheaper, and better than nothing.

harley and i picked up oil coolers off older ford rangers ( i think it was)

found many of them had the same thing so im assuming its factory.

schweet.

Most of them were off of mid 90's explorers.  They have simple barbed fittings that you'd use a screw clamp and rubber hose with.  From what I remember of the fluid smell I'd say they were transmission coolers.

alright, then I guess you can if you want run the rad cooler with the external.

and yeah rangers and explorers have the small trans coolers.....i picked one up to use as a oil cooler and get the stock oil cooler out of the rad for less heat soak