Tranny Coolers...

ayeyew · 25-03-2008, 08:16 PM

Lookin to get one in the next couple of weeks.

There are some PWR units on ebay.. would i just be better off getting something from supercheap or repco or sumn?

Repco had a deal on PWR transmission coolers for $118, but it ended today, lol..

**Mechan1k** · 25-03-2008, 08:28 PM

There's more on the market than used to be.
I'd be looking for a transmission cooler than states it's a Low Pressure Drop type. This type of cooler doesn't allow transmission line pressure to drop (making shifts sluggish).

B&M make decent coolers ... but at a price as well.

That said though ... my PWR tranny cooler has been working perfectly and has been in the ute for 2 years now that I can think of (well over 100,000km). I got the V8 sized cooler.

JC · 25-03-2008, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

There's more on the market than used to be.
I'd be looking for a transmission cooler than states it's a Low Pressure Drop type. This type of cooler doesn't allow transmission line pressure to drop (making shifts sluggish).

B&M make decent coolers ... but at a price as well.

That said though ... my PWR tranny cooler has been working perfectly and has been in the ute for 2 years now that I can think of (well over 100,000km). I got the V8 sized cooler.

PWR or Exedy make good trannie coolers. General rule is go the biggest one you can (ie, get a V8 one - it really relates to size rather than engine type). Also, I recommend bypassing the radiator completely when fitting it, otherwise there's not much point fitting one at all.

Chamelion · 25-03-2008, 09:13 PM

I bought one of the PWR coolers off Ebay. Took a couple of hours to install (I am a newbie) and works well. Shifts are a noticeable ammount better once the car is hot than it used to be.

Can take some rough pics of the install if you like...

Matt.

InfernoSR · 25-03-2008, 09:51 PM

My Davie Craig one has been in an accident and 2 cars... still running strong years later...

MADED-6 · 26-03-2008, 06:11 PM

i got one its about 300mm by 280mm by i dont no its pretty thin.
do u recon thatll be alright its for me stroked windsor.
and also i have been told not to bypass the radiator completely do u's recon i should?.
cheers josh.

bodes-sh · 26-03-2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MADED-6

i got one its about 300mm by 280mm by i dont no its pretty thin.
do u recon thatll be alright its for me stroked windsor.
and also i have been told not to bypass the radiator completely do u's recon i should?.
cheers josh.

YES whatever you do, bypass the radiator, the whole idea of putting an aftermarket one on is to avoid the risk of the radiator collapsing and pumping coolant thru your transmission

Chamelion · 26-03-2008, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodes-sh

YES whatever you do, bypass the radiator, the whole idea of putting an aftermarket one on is to avoid the risk of the radiator collapsing and pumping coolant thru your transmission

Exactly the reason I put mine in. $175 versus $1000 (transmission cooler versus a second hand transmission fitted).

Matt.

InfernoSR · 27-03-2008, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chamelion

Exactly the reason I put mine in. $175 versus $1000 (transmission cooler versus a second hand transmission fitted).

Matt.

Agree'd... running the extra hose length doesnt make a difference... but a larger and more efficient cooler will give you more gains.

Plumb the old cooler into the power steering, and add a good Oil cooler to the Trans lines... you will notice the difference straight away.

bodes-sh · 27-03-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLUEPRINT

Agree'd... running the extra hose length doesnt make a difference... but a larger and more efficient cooler will give you more gains.

Plumb the old cooler into the power steering, and add a good Oil cooler to the Trans lines... you will notice the difference straight away.

just wondering as to why you would do that? the power steering has it's own sort of cooler and i definitely wouldn't want my steering rack to get pumped full of coolant while driving down the highway at 100km/h...i would be thinking major loss of steering control...

JoesAu · 26-03-2008, 06:44 PM

aNYTHING other than factory is so much better than the factory setup, Mines Made by DERALE its about the size of a magazine works well, you notice it.

Chamelion · 27-03-2008, 09:57 AM

Much better airflow around the grille, surely.

Matt.

InfernoSR · 27-03-2008, 10:33 AM

open up the holes and run some ducting upwards... but the coolers should be mounted in the grille area.

blueoval · 27-03-2008, 04:02 PM

What kind of improvements were you guys noticing with an aftermarket cooler?
Firmer shifts?
I have no idea what I have on my car, I can only presume its stock. I'll have to take a look.

Dark Horse · 27-03-2008, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueoval

What kind of improvements were you guys noticing with an aftermarket cooler?
Firmer shifts?
I have no idea what I have on my car, I can only presume its stock. I'll have to take a look.

More consistent shifts over a wider range of operating temperatures, mainly to lengthen the life of the BTR 'box.

Dishpig, those ducts whilst they do look quite purposeful are about as useless as engaging ECON mode in the Adaptive Shift auto for the quarter mile.

BlacklistedXR · 27-03-2008, 04:10 PM

can you have transmission coolers on a manual. i heard that you dont need one on manuals because they dont have torque convertors but if it makes any difference to the temperatures of a manual transmission then i will get one.

philstoj · 27-03-2008, 04:26 PM

Yes you can have one on a manual transmission, though it would require running a pump setup to pump it through the cooler and then back into the box.
Very similar to an engine dry sump setup, most forms for racing cars have them, and also coolers for the diffs as well.

Not real necessary for the street and the occasional race meet.

BlacklistedXR · 27-03-2008, 04:51 PM

yeah i dont think i will bother then. if it was as easy as it is for the autos then i wouldve done it, but it doesnt look like its a worthwhile mod for the manuals.
cheers

MADED-6 · 27-03-2008, 06:10 PM

ill put mine in on the weekend and throw some pics up probly.
ill put my little one and if it still gets hot then ill throw a biug one in it.
cheers josh.

Pedro · 27-03-2008, 08:04 PM

Instead of worrying about air flow through the cooler, why not instal an integrated fan type cooler that can be mounted just about anywhere?

JC · 28-03-2008, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedro

Instead of worrying about air flow through the cooler, why not instal an integrated fan type cooler that can be mounted just about anywhere?

Great idea. How much, and where from?

Pedro · 28-03-2008, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC

Great idea. How much, and where from?

The one I pictured is from Rocket Industies and costs $315 + GST.

This is their description:-
BM70298 - 10"X7-1/2"X4-1/2in TRANSMISSION COOLER with 7" Diameter Fan.
The newest addition to B&M's line of SuperCooler transmission and engine oil coolers is the Hi-Tex cooling system. Fitted with a high quality 12 volt electric fan and built-in mounting brackets, these coolers handle tough cooling jobs. They include a thermal switch to activate the fan when the fluid temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Can be used for racing,R.V. and street rod and performance vehicles.
Fin and plate cooler construction
Includes 12 volt high flow fan
Pressure tested to 200PSI
Units include 1/2 inch NPT fittings & thermal switch
Black Finish

blueoval · 28-03-2008, 10:04 AM

Thanks Dark Horse. I suspected that would be the benefits. Not a bad insurance policy I feel.

mattp · 29-03-2008, 01:19 AM

I've decided to put one on mine as well, since I'll be putting one on my dad's BA XR8 I thought I might as well practice on mine first! I think B&M are certainly the way to go, and ideally the one Pedro has suggested is the duck's guts it seems, but on more of a budget I reckon I'll go with the B&M 70264. It's still got the LPD and temp bypass niceties, but no integrated fan. Costs $94 + GST though, not $315 + GST ! Had some good reports on this model from guys in the B-series forum.

ayeyew · 29-03-2008, 06:33 PM

Just got a big momma PWR tranny cooler off ebay for $159

280MM X 300MM X 20MM

Should be sweeeeeeet as

Maded 6: That'd be a great help if you could show some pics, it says that this cooler comes with full instructions with photos, but any extra help would be fantastic!

This will prolly be my project next weekend sometime

MADED-6 · 29-03-2008, 08:20 PM

it should be easy man just run some lines from the standard spot around to it and ur done i think?
well yeah mine is a 300mm by 220mm by 20mm so should be big enough i might get a bigger one.
cheers josh.

private9 · 29-03-2008, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MADED-6

it should be easy man just run some lines from the standard spot around to it and ur done i think?
well yeah mine is a 300mm by 220mm by 20mm so should be big enough i might get a bigger one.
cheers josh.

I'd personally be going a bit bigger with a 3k stall, particularly if you like to use it!

carrie · 29-03-2008, 11:26 PM

Not trying to start a fight, just wanting to clarify.
Someone said
"the whole idea of putting an aftermarket one on is to avoid the risk of the radiator collapsing and pumping coolant thru your transmission"
I was told by my radiator shop that I needed extra cooling if I was doing a lot of towing or hard driving as both these things are likely to make the motor and therefore the radiator run hotter.
they fitted the cooler inlet to the outlet of the rad. cooler as the end result is cooler fluid than if they fitted it to the gearbox, in other words, its more efficient if the fluid entering the new external cooler is "partly" cooled already.
comments?

private9 · 29-03-2008, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carrie

Not trying to start a fight, just wanting to clarify.
Someone said
"the whole idea of putting an aftermarket one on is to avoid the risk of the radiator collapsing and pumping coolant thru your transmission"
I was told by my radiator shop that I needed extra cooling if I was doing a lot of towing or hard driving as both these things are likely to make the motor and therefore the radiator run hotter.
they fitted the cooler inlet to the outlet of the rad. cooler as the end result is cooler fluid than if they fitted it to the gearbox, in other words, its more efficient if the fluid entering the new external cooler is "partly" cooled already.
comments?

That is true, but the problem with the standard in-radiator cooler is that the lines corrode, and you can end up with coolant in your trans which isn't pretty!

If you bypass the radiator, you avoid this issue, and the majority of external coolers out there, cool better than the radiator cooler.

Some people cite that trans fluid can actually be too cool, and you should run an external cooler in series with the radiator to bring the fluid up to temp quickly, and while I'm sure this is true, I wonder how many people actually notice anything.

JC · 30-03-2008, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carrie

Not trying to start a fight, just wanting to clarify.
Someone said
"the whole idea of putting an aftermarket one on is to avoid the risk of the radiator collapsing and pumping coolant thru your transmission"
I was told by my radiator shop that I needed extra cooling if I was doing a lot of towing or hard driving as both these things are likely to make the motor and therefore the radiator run hotter.
they fitted the cooler inlet to the outlet of the rad. cooler as the end result is cooler fluid than if they fitted it to the gearbox, in other words, its more efficient if the fluid entering the new external cooler is "partly" cooled already.
comments?

Well, it's your radiator shop against my transmission shop. The mob that look after my transmissions in all my cars for the last 10 years or so, fit trans coolers to taxis, and they ALWAYS by-pass the radiator. But they also use the V8 coolers on the I6 models too - around the size maded-6 was talking about.

But, having said that, if you do fit it "in series" then, yes, putting the cooler after the radiator is the right way to go.