Trannny cooler question

[carlos_knology]

On my recent trip to T3 in Atlanta, I had an external transmission cooler installed on my '95 J30.

The cooler was placed in front of the radiator. I have read several posts that say you should place the cooler wherever it gets the most air flow. Some even suggested getting a transmission cooler with an electric fan.

This makes sense since it would make the cooler more efficient. However, is it really that big a deal? It seems like that transmission cooler would cool the transmission fluid a lot better than the OEM radiator cooler ever would - regardless of air flow. After all, the OEM cooler sits inside the hot radiator water.

It seems like even with no fan or reduced airflow, the transmission cooler would cool the transmission fluid more efficiently. The way I figure it, even in a hot summer day, the ambient temperature near that cooler may be around 100-130 degrees or so. That seems a heck of a lot cooler than that radiator.

Am I off-base here? Missing something? Since I got the external cooler I've been obsessing about whether or not it's getting enough air flow and if it isn't, is my transmission fluid now hotter than with the OEM cooler. I'm thinking this may be overkill on my part.

Comments?

Carlos

[AZhitman]

You're fine. A fan would be nice but probably overkill.

Your summers are nothing like ours, and 99% of the Q's here have no cooler on them. We're exercising an extra measure of safety just by adding one.

[AZhitman]

BTW - Your engine fan is drawing cool air thru the trans cooler then the radiator, so if anything, you may want to make sure your radiator is in top-notch shape, with a 70/30 mixture and a bottle of Redline WW.

[HeavyDuty]

BTW - Your engine fan is drawing cool air thru the trans cooler then the radiator,

Condenser?

[AZhitman]

That too.

Wasssup Heavy! Call me brotha!

[elwesso]

Agreed... You dont need any fan...

Thats why I put mine in between the radiator and condensor.. I started up the engine with the cladding off, and that fan really pulls a lot of air through there.....

[boomstriker]

I stuck a cooler in front of the radiator on mine after I rebuilt the trans and it cooled the fluid too much. The control unit only allows the torque converter to lock after the fluid has sufficiently warmed up according to the sensor in the pan.

My TC wouldn't lock in freeway trafic with temps colder than 40 deg.

In hot weather, the stock cooler in the lower radiator tank keeps things cool, and in cold, it warms the fluid some.

A new or aftermarket cooler is required by some trans. builders for warranty reasons because the stocker has internal fins and is prone for clogging when the trans goes south.

Maybe if the cooler were behind the radiator it would be OK. It would be much easier to run the lines too.

I would suggest an ultrasonic back-flushing of the stocker or getting a new radiator.

Kirk

[Q451990]

The Q's definately need an external cooler! The factory "cooler" actually works as a heater in the summer when the coolant mixture is warmer than the preferred operating temperatures for the transmission. I used the B&M Cooler since it supposedly sends cold (thicker) fluid back to the transmission without it going through the cooler. That with Mobil 1 ATF has worked well for me - and Q45Tech who got 150+K out of a transmission with the cooler.

Heath

[lfootmatt]

I've been told to just bypass the cooler in the radiator and just go through a plate type external only cooler.

I'm in Tucson so the vehicle will rarely see cold weather.

Thanks, Matt

[elwesso]

Yes thats what you want to do!