Trans cooler fliud route
Although I've been towing for years, and have always had a transmission cooler on every tow vehicle, I can't remember whether the fluid should come from the trans thru the cooler then to the rad and o...
Forum Discussion
BigToe wrote:
I have never found an OEM set up where the OTA cooler was plumbed before the OTW cooler either, on any brand. Water is a more efficient heat transfer medium than air. The bulk heat is taken out of the trans fluid by the OTW (radiator cooler), then further cooling is enabled by the OTA (independent transmission cooler). If choosing between following the recommendations of an aftermarket cooler seller, vs following the vetted practices of most OEM manufacturers, I would put more faith in the practices of the OEM manufacturers, especially when the practice is consistent across all makes, models, and brands.
The instructions for the Tru-Cool Max on my 7.3 PSD say to put it before the radiator, so that's what I did. I understand the reasoning with putting it AFTER the radiator, so I don't argue the point. However, in my case, the aftermarket cooler is very large, so there may not be much difference in location. The OEM cooler was about 1/4 the size (physical dimensions) of the aftermarket model. Either way, with my current setup on that truck, my trans won't see 190 degrees on a hot day in the mountains with a heavy tow. The only time it got over that was 1 incident where the TC wasn't locking up. Otherwise, I run around 170-180 when towing my 5'er with that TV. Notably, though, I don't use that truck anymore for 5'er towing. Truck in my sig is better for that purpose.
