tranny cooler question

S

scoutaddict

Member
I got a 76 Scout II with a 345/727/20 combo. I want to add an aftermarket transmission cooler. Anybody know of a quality one? Do I go with a fan or not? Need somebody to steer me in the right direction.

Thanks
 
This post should be in the transmission tech section...

The first question: what is the climate like where you live?
Then: will you tow or carry a max load with the vehicle? What is your gearing/tire set up?

There are few types of oil (atf) coolers: tube & fin, plate, and tubular.

I used to use a tube & fin type, mounted in front of the radiator. I have now switched to a tubular dual-pass type of cooler, mounted under the radiator. This type of cooler is basically a finned aluminum cylinder, with the inlet/outlet ports on one end. They come in a multitude of lengths, so you can usually find one to fit your vehicle.

I don't think the added cost and complexity of a fan-equipped oil cooler is worth it, except in extreme situations.
 
Thanks for your response erik. I see you are from petaluma. I am I vallejo. That should tell u the climate. My gearing will be 4.10's with 33" tires. Nothing too extreme. I just want to hear what other people have. Thanks again.
 
I'm moving this thread to a more appropriate forum.

I use only a parallel flow (prf) auxiliary transmission cooler in my work. They are somewhat more efficient than any serpentine or tube and fin version in a much more compact package. Those are sometimes referred to as "plate" type heat exchangers

those should always be plumbed in series with the oem heat exchanger system in the radiator which provides a somewhat thermostatic control. It's entirely possible to run the transmission "too cool" on these rigs which is not good for the 727. Installation instructions for any prf-design cooler will advise the same.

I also "seal" the space between the cooler and the air-on side of the radiator using dense neoprene tape ("camper tape" around the perimeter of the cooler, about 1" wide. That allows the fan to pull air through the entire cooler package which enhances it's performance, other wise much air is "spilled" around the cooler and reduces it's effectiveness. This phenomena can be easily seen in "smoke test" when these systems are run in a wind tunnel.

This pic shows a hayden prf cooler mounted on my personal tow rig, an older pic, this setup has been refined somewhat over the years as the radiator is now mounted in an isolator setup to prevent on-going failure due to frame/front clip/radiator core support flex.
 

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It seems like running those zip ties through the fins would be bad in the long term. Would it be better to fabricate some brackets to mount the cooler on?
 
1972scoutii said:
it seems like running those zip ties through the fins would be bad in the long term. Would it be better to fabricate some brackets to mount the cooler on?
Click to expand...

Those are not "zipties"!!

Those are a dedicated fastening system. Some designs make 'em removable for future service, some do not.

I've been using that nylon mount system for over 40 years with all three common design heat exchangers, never had a failure, never had a problem. If the mount system was not up to par then no manufacturer of these aftermarket parts would accept the potential liability of using that system.

Maximum efficiency of the prf-design heat exchanger comes from sealing it as described to the radiator air-on face.

The oem trans coolers used by ihc and all other oem back in the day were tube and fin units or a very early form of parallel flow. And they leak constantly (mechanical failure) when mounted to brackets in a "stand-off" mode due to radiator core support flex and vehicle vibration. Also since they were not sealed to the radiator, their efficiency is very poor, most have at least one inch of dead air between the two heat exchangers. Back then, items like that were a total afterthought. But the heat exchanger technology (for all types of applications) in the last 15 years has changed tremendously and today are an actual engineered unit but have to be somewhat universal in their mounting arrangements.
 
My B&M super cooler came with those mounts, and it just looked cheezy to me. But your logic about airflow does make sense given the density of fins in the cooler. I will have to take a look at my super duty but I could swear it has its transmission cooler on a bracket that sits at least a inch off the radiator, it appears to be the same design as the B&M

doesn't mean your are not right and Ford just made a compromise.

Good info either way thanks
 
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