Automatic Transmisison Temperature

[HotRodPC]

Here is a Trans Temp Chart that makes understanding of how heat shortens trans life very easy.

 

[HotRodPC]

Whenever possible, if you choose to add a transmission cooler, its highly recommended that you DO NOT bypass your radiator cooler to use an aftermarket cooler. Bare in mind, using your radiator trans cooler is dual purpose. It will also warm your transmisison fluid quicker in cold winter months. Cold thicker trans fluid can actually do as much damage as to much heat. Here is a diagram of how the ideal trans cooling system with an added cooler should be installed.

Out of the feed line of the transmisison, into the radiator cooler.
Out of the radiator cooler, into the aftermarket cooler.
Our of the added fin type/air cooler and return to the transmisison.

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[bucket]

What about intermittent spikes in temp? Will that really hurt it in the long run?

 

[Old77]

So who needs a trans cooler and who doesn't?

 

[HotRodPC]

Short term spikes are expected for certain situaitions, like towing a heavy trailer and climbing a grade, or your truck is stuck and you are rocking it to get out of a mud hole etc. You certainly want to minimize the spikes to be as short as possible. Its best to add a cooler if you have reasons to have spikes quite often.
A good example of that, I had a buddy that would make a trip to the dump probably 3 times a week to dump a trailer load of roofing material. And to go to the dump, he was climbing probably 4 miles of steep hill to get to the dump site. Doing that 3x week probably pulling 6000lb of trailer and roofing up hill. I told him to add the biggest cooler that he could reasonably fit in front of his radiator. I also told him to change his fluid and filter about every 30,000 miles instead of what I'd normally reccomend of 50,000 miles for average daily driver.

 

[HotRodPC]

So who needs a trans cooler and who doesn't?

Anyone who is towing should have a trans cooler period !!! If you frequently carry heavy loads in your truck, if you offroad, as in wheeling, or muddin, you for sure need a trans cooler. Any type of abuse you put a vehicle through, should have a cooler. Also, even to add a small cooler just because isn't a bad idea regardless of the abuse. The cooler the trans, the longer it lasts.

 

[89Suburban]

Awesome animations dude!!!!

 

[austinado16]

Here's a few shots of how I keep mine cool. This is the 11x11x1.5" Tru-Cool, which is the same as the B&M Super Cooler, just reboxed. Remember, if you had a cooler, the fittings can not be facing downward as you can see in a couple of my photos. With the fittings facing down, an air bubble will form inside the cooler and the ATF will bypass the entire cooler by just going through the first 2 rows.

Additionally, I replaced my transmission pan with the B&M cast aluminum pan that holds an additional 3.5qts. I have a mechanical temp gauge bunged into the pan.

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[gpmorgan]

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g4969/overview/

This is the cooler I'm using. It's plumbed like in post #2. Also have a finned aluminum pan on the trans.

 

[austinado16]

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How do you feel that performs? I've always heard that the stacked plate design, like the ones in my photo (the one on the driver's side is the factory engine oil cooler) are more efficient.

 

[HotRodPC]

I've been told, and it seems to make sense to me, that the stacked ones like the OEM coolers work best for dropping the temp, but they cool much less fluid. The ones like the aftermarket one you posted just above this post, work well and drop the fluid a few degrees but they also cool a much larger volume of fluid because the tubes are much bigger and circulate more fluid quicker. I guess the only way to really know is to try both using Temp gauge and see for ourselves.

 

[gpmorgan]

How do you feel that performs? I've always heard that the stacked plate design, like the ones in my photo (the one on the driver's side is the factory engine oil cooler) are more efficient.[/QUOTE]



While the one you have probably works better, I'm sure the one I have has to have some cooling ability.(10 1/2 x 21 x 1 !/2) It's marketed as an oil cooler and I've seen this type on numerous applications.

 

[Sublime]

I am adding an aux transmission cooler. I have a TH350. The instructions state to route the hot transmission fluid line to the radiator cooler, then to the aux. cooler, back to the transmission. There are two ports on the transmission, one above the other. My question is which port on the transmission is the "pump / hot" and which is the return/cool port? My research found a 50/50 split. Currently I have the trans pan down and the torque converter is out. I am also replacing the trans cooling lines from the trans to radiator so I decided to blow thru them from the radiator end to remove any remaining trans fluid from them. The lines were still connected to the transmission. Nothing came out of the top port but fluid came out of the input shaft (converter shaft) when blowing thru the bottom port. Can i assume the bottom port is connected directly to the pump and the pump is feeding the hot fluid to the cooler? Or is the returning "cooler" fluid going to the pump (this does not sound logical)?
And while we are on the subject, should the hot fluid from the trans go to the top of the radiator cooler or bottom - does it even matter?
Thanks much

 

[77 K20]

I've always read and heard that if you live in a cold climate route from the transmission to the aux cooler then through the radiator cooler. Why? In winter when it is very cold the ATF will go thru the aux cooler, get colder but then "warm" up a bit in the radiator before going into the transmission.
Summer time the aux cooler will still do a majority of the cooling and then the radiator cooler will not do much to change it one way of another. (My thermostat/radiator runs at 180*).

 

[mtnmankev]

I am adding an aux transmission cooler. I have a TH350. The instructions state to route the hot transmission fluid line to the radiator cooler, then to the aux. cooler, back to the transmission. There are two ports on the transmission, one above the other. My question is which port on the transmission is the "pump / hot" and which is the return/cool port? My research found a 50/50 split. Currently I have the trans pan down and the torque converter is out. I am also replacing the trans cooling lines from the trans to radiator so I decided to blow thru them from the radiator end to remove any remaining trans fluid from them. The lines were still connected to the transmission. Nothing came out of the top port but fluid came out of the input shaft (converter shaft) when blowing thru the bottom port. Can i assume the bottom port is connected directly to the pump and the pump is feeding the hot fluid to the cooler? Or is the returning "cooler" fluid going to the pump (this does not sound logical)?
And while we are on the subject, should the hot fluid from the trans go to the top of the radiator cooler or bottom - does it even matter?
Thanks much

I too am curious as to which port in the radiator should get the fluid from the hot side.
It would seem logical to me to have the flow from top to bottom, as the radiator coolant is "colder" towards the bottom instead of pumping the ATF in at the bottom only to retain as much heat as possible before it exits.

As to which line from the trans is hot, that should be easy to figure out, disconnect both lines at the radiator/cooler, and have an assistant start the engine for a brief second and watch to see which line has pressure shooting out.
Unless I am wrong .........