Cooling for automatic transmissions

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Photos of an Olds car in the shop.  Our transmission, not our install.

This install illustrates  incorrect install of trans cooler, trans lines, cooler location.

Cooler is not in air flow for proper cooling.  Cooler is undersized for the job.  Tube and fin design is lowest  quality for heat removal

Rubber hose is clamped onto the steel lines, with no flare on steel lines or a brass fitting with barbs.

If you must run a trans cooler under the vehicle, use a fan on the cooler to move air.

In a colder climate, this may operate just fine, I still do not like it.  Not good for use  in warm climates

[phat46]

Nice looking Olds. I wonder why they chose to put the cooler there? Does the deep finned pan help much for cooling? I would have at least used two clamps on those lines, but the flare would be much better. Are those  "anti rattle" pads on the exhaust where it passes above the frame?  

[kb426]

I agree with the "nice looking Olds " comment. As a sidebar, there seems to be lots of cars that the paint or interior is better than the rest of it. Sometimes it's the mechanicals that are excellent. It's not often that a car is really good everywhere.

[river1]

Cooler is undersized for the job.  Tube and fin design is lowest  quality for heat removal

What design and size do you recommend?  especially in this hot AZ

I agree nice looking car. It looks like the cooler was an afterthought and put where they could fitit.

Thanks

Later jim

[Warpspeed]

I have always owned stick shift cars, but am now building an A with a 4L65E because lack of room for a clutch pedal and my big feet.

On a bit of a learning curve here with this auto.
Just curious, what sort of max line pressure does the cooler see ?
What sort of flow area (pipe size) do you recommend ?

[1800guy]

I would like to expand the question a bit.  Should the added cooler be in series with the original in-the-radiator cooler, or should it replace it completely?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Photos of Derale brand cooler.  AN fittings on it, -6 size.  Use of  -6 hose or 5/16 inch steel lines on streetrods is a  fine size.

Best air to oil cooling is a plate - fin design cooler.  Best cooling over-all is liquid to oil  as the ''in radiator'' design.  The radiator cooler can also warm up the fluid in real cold temps.

Most folks use the tube and fin design cooler.  Fit the largest cooler you can.  Air flow is the KEY.  Cooler must be in air flow or have a fan.

Fan type coolers on tube and fin design will run around 150 dollars.  Plate - fin design with a fan can run 200 to 300 dollars.

The extruded aluminum fin coolers that mount on a flat surface under a car ...  I have never cut one open to see how the fluid flows. I suspect the oil simply is piled in one opening, and exits the other IF both fittings are next to each other.  This does not seem efficient to me.  I know folks that have used them on mild T-350 or T-400 trans applications with no problems

Cooler line PSI in most transmissions used in streetrods run 20 - 60 PSI depending on how hard the throttle is pushed.  In a higher HP situation the cooler line PSI can run 80 - 100 PSI under max loads.  Trans cooler system will flow in the area of .75 to 1.5 gallons per minute.  Some trans are less

The PSI in the trans cooler system is the reason the Olds car in this discussion should not be using the cooler line setup he has.  IF  the rubber hose comes off, look where the exhaust pipe is.  Trans oil can flash over to a fire real quickly when spraying on a hot exhaust pipe.  Fire is usually HIGH on a person's list to avoid!

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I would like to expand the question a bit.  Should the added cooler be in series with the original in-the-radiator cooler, or should it replace it completely?

Either method will work.  

Run an AUX cooler after the radiator is what many folks do. I have installed AUX coolers after the radiator and before the radiator.  Both setups seem to work well.

You can ask 5 trans folks the same question and receive 7 answers. LOL

If you run a AUX cooler only, run a larger one than if you run the "in radiator" cooler inline  too.

[Warpspeed]

Thanks Tony.
That is hugely helpful.
And a merry Christmas to yourself and your family.