Using an AC cooler as a trans cooler?

Brian K

Brian K

Member
First off, mm, your write-up on sealing those shift-shaft seals on the 727 is pure gold. Saved me tons of head-scratching trying to figure that stuff out. Mine are all sealed up now good as new thanks to you!

On another note.....I'm about to rip my a/c system out of my "wheeler." the truck already has a beat-to-shit trans cooler mounted face-up (?) underneath the radiator. When taking a peek to determine if I should put it in the proper place up in front of the radiator, I mused if the a/c cooler already in place could be used as a radiator cooler instead?

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Brian
 
Yeah...don't do it!

First off, the a/c condenser is full of schnizz left over from it's previous life!

If it's a "serpentine" design (which it probably is) then it has tiny orifices through the "ovalized" tubing that make up the multiple refrigerant paths (I believe those are a "five pass" which means within the tube itself there are five individual tubes orifices), those in turn are full of compressor/hose trash and are way too small to serve as a plumbing path for atf. A huge restriction in atf flow will be introduced.

Yes...it is a heat exchanger...but a very specialized form suitable for a/c refrigerant condensing only, not as a tranny cooler.

Spend the $45 and snake a real atf auxiliary cooler! Use a parallel flow (prf) or "plate" type, the tube and fin version is only a few dollars less and much lower heat rejection capacity for a given physical size. And the prf design is easily sealed to the radiator air-on face with plenty of room for access even on a Scout II.

An example of a prf design would be the B&M "supercooler" line, the hayden "rapid-cool", the derale "stacked plate" stuff, etc. The hayden 26,000lb. Version is what I normally use around here.
 
Mayben,

thanks again for setting me straight before I do something stupid.....again!

1.) off to find a helicoil set for two bad holes.
2.) going to get a microtorque wrench to adjust those bands per your excellent (again) writeup.
3.) likely going to use either some hylomar or right stuff when I put it back together with a rubber gasket. Am having bad luck with the chrysler reusable gasket. It's weeping for some reason around the edges. Might be due to the two bad bolt holes, but it's bugging me.

You're an International Harvester national treasure. Thanks for all you do to keep us sane and helping us to not taking sledgehammers to our rigs in abject frustration.

Brian
 
Brian k said:
mayben,

thanks again for setting me straight before I do something stupid.....again!

1.) off to find a helicoil set for two bad holes.
2.) going to get a microtorque wrench to adjust those bands per your excellent (again) writeup.
3.) likely going to use either some hylomar or right stuff when I put it back together with a rubber gasket. Am having bad luck with the chrysler reusable gasket. It's weeping for some reason around the edges. Might be due to the two bad bolt holes, but it's bugging me.

You're an International Harvester national treasure. Thanks for all you do to keep us sane and helping us to not taking sledgehammers to our rigs in abject frustration.

Brian
Click to expand...

Thanks for the props son!

Don't use hylomar ever on any "rubber" gasket, makes it slippery as owlgoreshit and the gasket will squeeze right out! On the rubber gaskets I use either 3m trim cement (gorilla snot) or "gasgacinch" (good old motorcycle stuff). The 3m is more viscous, both products are nothing more than contact adhesive in two different viscosities.

Those chrysler re-useable pan gaskets are normally the katz azz! But after one use I still use an adhesive when I put 'em up the second time. You are right though, all bolts need to be able to clamp!
 
Gasgacinch

I've heard mayben throw out gasgacinch before and thought it was one of his made up 'springtucky' words, I had no idea what he was taking about. I usually spend 0.025 seconds trying to translate his stuff and then move on.

But just the other day I saw gasgacinch in a parts catalog and realized he was using an actual word and it was the real name of the product.

gasgacinch site

I'm going to pick some up if I ever see it in person....
 
Re: Gasgacinch

chris pucci said:
I've heard mayben throw out gasgacinch before and thought it was one of his made up 'springtucky' words, I had no idea what he was taking about. I usually spend 0.025 seconds trying to translate his stuff and then move on.

But just the other day I saw gasgacinch in a parts catalog and realized he was using an actual word and it was the real name of the product.

gasgacinch site

I'm going to pick some up if I ever see it in person....
Click to expand...

In the northwest, you will normally find gasgacinch in a can under the edelbrock label. It's not found in the shitbox stores like autoz, etc. Baxter's should certainly stock it but probably not napa. The consumer packages are 4oz. Cans, though it's packaged in much larger cans also that engine builders use. It does have a shelf life and never leave the lid loose.

It's applied with a dauber attached to the lid, and the word is "dauber" spelt d.o.b.b.e.r.

Gasgacinch is the prefect product for sticking a rubber, composite, or vegetable fiber gasket to any component to position it during installation. It is contact cement, plain and simple but is somewhat thinner in viscosity than typical contact adhesive used in household applications. That means ya apply a light coat with the dobber, then let it flash for a minute or two. Then stick in place and peel off immediately and allow contact with air...then re-apply and don't move the gasket or you May damage it.

Gasgacinch does not have any filling properties such as hylomar, permatex #1 or #2, or 3m trim cement. Those products are much more viscous, but it will stick a rubber gasket in place (such as a slushbox tranny pan) and not lubricate it so that when the pan bolts are snugged, the gasket squishes out. I use it primarily on valve cover gaskets (stick 'em to the valve cover, do not apply to the head side), oil pan gaskets, tranny gaskets, transfer case gaskets, etc.
 
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