[96broncoman]

ok, i have a 96 with a 302. i do not have an auxilary tranny cooler, i dont think. but i do have lines leaving the transmission and they go into the radiator, or it looks like it. what would happen if i mounted an aftermarket cooler and pulled those lines out of the radiator?? would it leak?? also, it looks like there are two full radiators, or is a radiator two pieces?? i know how noob this sounds, but im clueless. i flipped through the haynes manual too, and it didnt help me either. if this is not clear, i can probably post pictures in a few days. thanks.

 

[bigbroncojeff]

one is a radiator and one's a a/c condensor.... if you have a trans cooler i think for your year (and prob all) it will be where you can see it through the grille at the top passenger side of the a/c condensor/radiator area

 

[Oldyeller]

And if you pull the lines from the radiator two things are gonna happen, it's gonna spray tranny fluid all over, and Burn up your tranny (once all the fluid sprays out. So leave the lines where they are, and yes, the external tranny cooler is visible through the grill on the front of the radiator (if you have one)

 

[JahWarrior]

I think he meant can he re-route those lines from the rad to the cooler. The answer is yes, you can. However, I would simply add the extra cooler in, why bypass the radiator?

 

[96broncoman]

cooler i dont have.
this is plug ugly's truck, but that cooler on the left, i dont have one, even though its a 96. i wasnt thinkin about taking the lines out now, or keeping them out, i was just brainstorming how i would mount an auxillary tanny cooler when the time comes. what i am thinkin is that i would leave the exit line(line leaving the bottom of the radiator) alone and take thesupply out (top line) andi would running that to the cooler i buy, and then running the exit from that cooler back into the radiator, where the supply line went to begin with. would that be a sensible way to run it?, like before the radiator, or should i run it after?? or does it not matter??

 

[RLKBOB]

Leave the line into the radiator alone so it goes through the radiator cooler first. Cut the return line and run a line into the aftermarket cooler then run out of the aftermarket cooler back to the return line where you cut it(cut out a few inches to avoid the lines from chafing the hoses). The cooler kit will come with plastic ties to allow you to mount the cooler to the a/c condenser. The kit will also come with directions showing you where and how to hook it up.

 

[plug ugly]

I strongly disagree, bypass the radiator. The thermostat on your motor is 197, well above what the tranny should be at. Yeah, people will say thats not what you will see at the radiator, but its still gonna be hotter than the tranny wants. GO get an external cooler out of the junkyard, or at napa or something.

 

[JahWarrior]

I strongly disagree, bypass the radiator. The thermostat on your motor is 197, well above what the tranny should be at. Yeah, people will say thats not what you will see at the radiator, but its still gonna be hotter than the tranny wants. GO get an external cooler out of the junkyard, or at napa or something.

If the radiator was dissipating more heat into the tranny fluid than it had when it entered the radiator (heating it up instead of cooling it down), I don't think every major car manufacturer would have designed it that way. :scratchhe Seems to me that bypassing it only bypasses additional cooling capacity. Now in Raf's case, its too bad he didn't bypass the radiator, but that wasn't a cooling issue. :shrug

 

[RLKBOB]

I agree that the t-stat is set for a higher temp than you want for your tranny fluid but the trans fluid is a lot hotter when it leaves the trans than it will be when it leaves the stock cooler. So putting the aftermarket cooler after the stock one will cool the trans fluid even more. If you put the aftermarket one before the radiator trans cooler then you will probably just heat the fluid back up.

Keep the radiator cooler and put the new trans cooler after that.

 

[Blue'87GT]

I agree that the t-stat is set for a higher temp than you want for your tranny fluid but the trans fluid is a lot hotter when it leaves the trans than it will be when it leaves the stock cooler. So putting the aftermarket cooler after the stock one will cool the trans fluid even more. If you put the aftermarket one before the radiator trans cooler then you will probably just heat the fluid back up.

Keep the radiator cooler and put the new trans cooler after that.

That's right, and also the way that was recommended in the instructions included with my aftermarket tranny cooler.

 

[plug ugly]

ok, do what you want, but Im speaking from experience. I used to continually have problems with my tranny overheating while wheeling (how many manufacturers plan on their vehicles being subjected to what we put them through) and the tranny always ran right around the 180 mark on daily driving stuff. When I changed the plumbing, it runs at 140 to 150 on DD stuff, the water temp went up 10 degrees (the tranny fluid was acting like a heat sink) and now my tranny rarely if ever spikes to 190 or above.

So, who of you can talk numbers like that? Trannies are not designed to be run at 180 or more continually, the fluid breaks down way faster, and when you hit 200 and above, it breaks down very fast.

BUT, do what you want.

 

[Blue'87GT]

Plug-I cannot put numbers to my theory, just the instructions of the cooler on the line. A question begs to be answered though--why would car companies of all makes route thee tranny fluid through the rad if it only heated the fluid up?

Seems there's ten different ways one can do this install, and they all think they're right.

 

[Blue'87GT]

DP

 

[Streetgang]

ok, do what you want, but Im speaking from experience. I used to continually have problems with my tranny overheating while wheeling (how many manufacturers plan on their vehicles being subjected to what we put them through) and the tranny always ran right around the 180 mark on daily driving stuff. When I changed the plumbing, it runs at 140 to 150 on DD stuff, the water temp went up 10 degrees (the tranny fluid was acting like a heat sink) and now my tranny rarely if ever spikes to 190 or above.

So, who of you can talk numbers like that? Trannies are not designed to be run at 180 or more continually, the fluid breaks down way faster, and when you hit 200 and above, it breaks down very fast.

BUT, do what you want.

When you say changed the plumbing.....are you talking about bypassing the in rad cooler and just running the ATF through the aftermarket cooler......or are you talking about something else??

 

[plug ugly]

I had the stock external and added my b/m while bypassing the radiator. Granted, the added external fudges my numbers some, but by the water temp going up by 10 degrees, indicates the ATF acts like a heat sink.

as for the directions, etc. I dont think most manu's want to tell you to bypass factory stuff from a warranty and poularity issue. LIke I said, we arent doing normal things with our trucks (heay, molre power, wheeling, towing, etc)

Again, do what you want, but it solved all my problems.