Added transmission cooler (I thought)

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:

lawrosa wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

lawrosa wrote:

Its 8f here in NJ now. If I didnt have the rad cooler the trans would never get warm. In this cold it barely gets over 110f. But if I idle, it warms it up.

The increase in your tranny temp has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the rad cooler which as I said in my original post WILL NEVER WILL WARM THE TRANNY FLUID regardless of how cold it is outside.

Larry

Nonsense.. If I start my truck and not drive it at all the trans temp with come up to engine temp exactly 190f.. So How is my trans warming up??? Its simple matching the coolant temp..

But when moving the coolers come into play. So as you saw in my video I had 230 coolant temps and a 175 trans temp... Because i'm moving and have a massive cooler..

Be aware that the "coolant" temps you are reading are from the engine block, not the radiator. Typically the coolant temp sensor will be near where your upper radiator hose attaches to the engine which also is where your Thermostat lives..

Coolant temp at the top of the block AND radiator will typically MUCH hotter than the bottom of the radiator and block..

So, you can easily have 230 reading on the top of the engine and 210-220 at the top of the radiator and only have 190-200 at the bottom of the radiator and block..

Top of engine block retains more heat due to large metal mass than the top of the radiator (small metal mass)..

Water cools down in the radiator and the COOLED water SINKS to the bottom of the radiator..

Just the way gravity works..

You can prove that theory the next time by adding a few remote thermometer sensors.. One at the top of the radiator and one at the bottom..

While you are at it, do the same with transmission lines..

The results will be a surprise to you that your large extra external cooler is shedding only 10-30 F..

Yes, shedding even 10 degrees F can help prolong your transmission life so it is not all that bad of an idea, but overall not always going to help.

Not quite sure about your cold water sinks deal since most radiators are cross flow design now.
I have always wondered however what the delta is between the hot water tank side of the radiator @ ~200F and the cold return side of the radiator after the air has cooled it...

My extra large trans cooler (6.0 diesel) was 3 times larger than the OEM 7.3 cooler. Before towing up big mountains at 110F ambient was 225F and now it is NEVER over 165F ever. That is a 60 degree difference, so they do work but its all about size and design.

Crossflow radiators STILL do the same thing, cooler water will sink to the bottom of the cold side tank, Trans cooler loop is on the cold side of the tank closer to the BOTTOM of the tank..

If gravity didn't work there would be no need to put HOT side connection HIGH and and the COLD connection low would there..

I have yet seen a trans cooler loop placed on the top of the radiator tank or at the top of a side tank of a crossflow..