Tranny Cooler Installation

[jermil01]

I decided to do a small write up on my tranny cooler installation. Nothing earth shattering but maybe it will help those of you who are attempting to do this. The installation itself was really easy, the hardes part was figuring out where to mount the damn thing. All in all it took me about 45 minutes.

Tools you'll need:
Small tubing cutter to cut down the tranny cooler line
Screwdriver

Materials used
3/8 inch tranny cooler line, several feet
2 plugs for plugging the holes in the radiator where the stock line goes
4 small hose clamps

First I found a tranny cooler at the salvage yard, this one was on a van and was in really good condition.



Second I used the tube cutter to cut down the orignal tubing, you can see where I made the cuts circled in red.



Next, I plugged up the stock holes in the radiator using these brass plugs, any decent hardware shop should have them.



Last, after attaching the hose and clamping it tightly to where I made the cuts, I ran it up to where I mounted the cooler and clamped it there as well. Can't see that in this pic but I have a few more on the way.



Maybe its my imagination, but the tranny seems to shift better since doing this. A couple of notes, even though I used the plugs some tranny fluid continued to leak out for a couple of days, I guess they didn't seal perfectly. The tranny cooler I found had nipples on it instead of threaded fittings which made things a lot easier. All in all it was a worthwhile mod, and easy to do. I'll get some pics of where I mounted it up in a day or so.

[Marauder]

Thanks! Ive been thinking about doing this but just didnt know what exactly it would require to do and the difficulty of it. This write up is very helpfull for me. Thanks again

[jermil01]

I'll get some pics of how its mounted. The bracket that attaches to the cooler bolted into one of the existing holes on the core support and then I used a self tapping screw to mount the bottom. It sits just in front of the condesor.

[bnkrtstk]

Why not just run a line from the outlet of the radiator cooler to the newly installed cooler and then to the trans? It woudl give you more fluid capacity and increased cooling. Or do you plan on using the radiator cooler as a power steering, or engine oil cooler?

Not breaking balls, just thinking out loud.

[jermil01]

Hadn't thought about that, but looking back it would have required messing around with more fitting and it just seemed easier this way. And yes, you are breaking balls..thanks man..

[Lonestar_Bronco]

Do you have a fluid temperature guage? It would be nice to have some numbers (i.e. how much the cooler helped).

As for the shifting thing, cooler fluid is more dense than hot fluid. In theory, this gives you more fluid pressure (like higher crankcase oil pressure when a truck first started) resulting on firmer shifts.

That is pretty awesome if this cooler helps that much

[jermil01]

Fluid temp gauge will be next, unfortunately I don't know what the temp was before I installed it, so I won't have anything to go by.

[plug ugly]

jeremy,
you are prolly gonna want to flare the lines where you cut them. i did the same sorta thing when i did my tranny cooler rework, and it seemed fine at first, but over time the tranny fluid started seeping through.

Its easy enough, i used a brakeline flaring tool and it fixed my problem.

Maybe I will throw all my pics ( i have to take some more for someone who is doing this swap anyways) and give my tidbits of info, that way it will all be in one place. Altho I thought I had posted something on this a while back


EDIT: here is the link to when I was talking about this stuff. Now I will have to get my pics together and posted here.

[plug ugly]

OK, heres my pics to go with Jermil01's stuff. Hopefully between us, we will cover all the basis. this is on my 94 with an E40D

Here is the cooler on the bracket i made




installed






next to the stock auxilliary cooler





again








Here is where i spliced the lines. the one on the right is the supply line from the tranny. I cut the stock "radiator Cooler" out of the system like Jer, but ran a soft section seen here, to a piece of the hard pipe that goes vertical to another piece of soft hose that runs into the bottom fitting on the new B/M cooler. From there the fluid travels up the cooler, out the top fitting, and into the stock auxilliary cooler, and then follows the stock return lineback, which is on the left here.







Sorry I couldnt get more pics of all the lines. I didnt feel like removing that rubber mud gaurd from under the radiator again. maybe if there is enuf interest in how I plumbed it I will.


here is (btw) the temp sending unit in my E40D. Its a pressure port on the drivers side.






there may be better explanations on my superford site of he pics too.

[jermil01]

Good pics Damon, so you kept your stock cooler and added the B&M one to supplement it. So the B&M cooler is spliced inline between the tranny and the stock cooler, is that right?? And that pressure port where you mounted the temp sending unit, what was in the hole before you put the temp sending unit there?

As for the flare tool, that's not a bad idea, how much to they typically cost?

[plug ugly]

Originally Posted by jermil01

Good pics Damon, so you kept your stock cooler and added the B&M one to supplement it. So the B&M cooler is spliced inline between the tranny and the stock cooler, is that right?? And that pressure port where you mounted the temp sending unit, what was in the hole before you put the temp sending unit there?

As for the flare tool, that's not a bad idea, how much to they typically cost?

yes, yes, it was just a plug, and I think about 20 bucks

[Crazed]

I put in a cooler from a F250 on the passenger side, with all the same lines, (still goes thru the radiator for now), then I took the smaller stock one, flipped it 180, and use it for a PS cooler...so now I dont have those curly lines on the crossmember...(always thinking SAS)

[godless]

What is this flare tool that you brought up?
Never heard of it, (Not surprised though).
Where can I find one and how does it work?
Sorry for the lack of brain power on my side.

Damon thank you very much for the pics. I really appreciate it.

I cant wait to get this started. I too am going to use both tranni coolers.
I bought this model from summit:
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5204&view=2047

I am going to do exactly like Damon did. Cut the lines, plug the holes on the radiator, then run the tranni line to the new cooler, then from that cooler to the stock cooler, then of course back to the tranni.

Hopefully with the help from these bronco brothers, and some ideas of my own it will work out well.

I am going to install a temp guage before I do this, so I will have numbers before and after the swap since they will help out a lot.

[351Bronco]

Hey beerman...no need to buy one, just borrow mine I can bring it this sunday if you would like, or we can set something up when you get closer to installing it.

I picked up my Perma-Cool tranny cooler from autozone for 30 bucks. Came with everything I needed. Works really good, my tranny does seem to shift a but firmer since I put it on, plus it never hurts to have a little extra cooling.

Now as for using the 'radiator cooler' as a PS cooler, has anyone done this? I think thats a good idea, it would work for the wheeling i do, and maybe get rid of some of my PS whine. Is there a tech write up already?

[BlueBronco]

Guys, Rather than just blocking it off, use the radiator tranny cooler to cool your enginge oil. That way you want need a thermostat to maintain the oil temp at operating temperature. Just use a sandwich adapter to run lines from the oil filter mount over to the radiator.
It will give you a place to mount an aftermarket oil pressure sending unit also.

[metalsmith]

Originally Posted by BlueBronco

Guys, Rather than just blocking it off, use the radiator tranny cooler to cool your enginge oil. That way you want need a thermostat to maintain the oil temp at operating temperature. Just use a sandwich adapter to run lines from the oil filter mount over to the radiator.
It will give you a place to mount an aftermarket oil pressure sending unit also.

That is a remarkable idea, I tried one of those oil coolers from a mustang or explorer police pakg, but it hit the cross member. this would work well I think.

[plug ugly]

Originally Posted by 351Bronco

Now as for using the 'radiator cooler' as a PS cooler, has anyone done this? I think thats a good idea, it would work for the wheeling i do, and maybe get rid of some of my PS whine. Is there a tech write up already?

Nah, ps fluid is the same as tranny, it doesnt want to be that hot. Run an external cooler or the stock one should work fine. It whines because its a POS.

I run a small tranny cooler from Napa as my ps coooler, but I cant use my stock one anymore, but it worked fine when Idid. The saginaw swap will cure the whine

Now an oil cooler may not be a bad idea if you can get it to work.





A flare tool is a bevel tool that screws into the tube to flare the ends out. It comes with a little clamp like thing to hold the tube. You will need one if you ever do brake lines, and they are not too expensive.



For temps here is the deal

Stock cooler setup thru radiator and aux cooler
normal operating temps 200 to 210, while wheeling slow and climbing 230 to 250 on big climbs, all the time. Now account about 10 degrees less than these temps due to placement of my temp sender, but I was lazy and it was easy.

Now, normal is about 130 to 150 on a warm day, to 180 when HOT outside (90 plus degrees). While wheeling it stays about the same but will spike to 200 to 210 max on big climbs, and cools down quickly.

[Stokes]

i wouldnt block off the line going into the radiator, when the tranny gets hotter than the engine, it helps out alot to lower the temps, especially if you are towing, as you know just run the after market cooler after the radiator cooler to get even better cooling, then if you live in very cold climates, the radiator will help bring the tranny up to oporating temps faster so you slip less. not to mention i have been warned by a few people to stay away from B&M, my tranny shop and all the guys down at the local Mustang shop have nothing but bad news with there overall exspirience with B&M

[godless]

Originally Posted by plug ugly

Now account about 10 degrees less than these temps due to placement of my temp sender,

I dont understand?
I thought the place you mounted your tranni temp sensor was the ideal place?
Is this not correct?
I am not questioning you at all, and I dont mean any dissrepect, but I am curious if there is a better place to mount the sensor for the most accurate reading?
If you can think of anything let me know, but damn I thought the pressure sensor mount was a pretty damn good idea.

[Sixlitre]

Nice Job Jermil01 !

Thought about adding one of these ?



You can see the rest of the pics here;


http://www.superford.org/registry/ve...=17326#content

Sixlitre