I will have to tow a trailer soon, and cannot postpone auxiliary tranny cooler any longer. I went to AutoZone and got a $30 cooler. It came with a rubber hose and hose clamps.

I need some specific instructions on how to (and where to) add the cooler. I learned from this forum that the radiator bottom line is return, and I have to "insert" the cooler in this line.

Do I disconnect the metal connector on the radiator? Or do I cut the rubber section of the return line? Is it really okay to use rubber hose/clamp? Is it as good as hard steel tubing and threaded connectors? I read about Troy cooler, but it is way too expensive for me.

Any suggestions (with specific how-to's) would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

if you follow the lines from the tranny and back...

you will see they go into the radiator and then back out(providing you do not have a tow package already)

you need to put the cooler in line and bypass the radiator reguardless

you can mount it in front of the radiator with the provided "clips"
or mount it behind the grille with big wire ties

standard hose clamps are just fine for the job and so is the rubber tubing

myself..i bypass the radiator



some do

some do not

it won't hurt

...zap!

 

No offense Zapster but this is complete misinformation. Fluid to water heat transfer is MUCH greater than air to fluid heat transfer. It is simple physics. He needs to mount the external after the radiator cooler then back to the trans leaving the radiator cooler functionable. Like I said, no offense.

 

No offense Zapster but this is complete misinformation.(quote)



no not really

like i typed some do and some do not

in everything i have ever owned i bypass the radiator reguardless of the situation...and never had a problem...


there are many ways to do the same thing...

in drag race dragsters we NEVER use the radiator for cooling the tranny


its all up to what you want to do


...zap!

 

Thanks for the tips.
1) How do I mount it in front of the radiator? Directly on it, I mean, on the fins? Does the plastic tie go through the fins of both tranny cooler and radiator? I haven't checked the possibility of mounting it directly on the backside of the grille.

2) If I bypass the radiator (2 parallel coolers), how do I make the connections? and where?

3) What about for serial connection (radiator > cooler)?

Thanks.

 

Yes most mount it to the fins with the ties. I would probably make a bracket and mount it to that (like a factory cooler). You have to check and make sure which is the outgoing line from the radiator by loosening the line put a rag over both ends and have somebody start the truck and turn it right off. I'm pretty sure it is the top line, but make sure. The kit should include a fitting to screw into the radiator and put a hose onto. Sorry Zap if I came off a little harsh I didn't read your original post completly.

 

Yes, the kit includes a fitting that screws into the radiator. But the other end is flared. If I cut off the flare, I will have a smooth tubing. How can I clamp a hose on this piece? Is there a way to form a ridge on a smooth tubing?

What about the other end that ties to the return line, which was disconnected at the radiator? Do I cut off the flared end and slide a hose over? Again, how can I made a ridge?

Thanks.

 

The only time I wouldn't bypass the radiator cooler is in winter climates where you need the rad to heat up the coolent in below freezing conditions.

Adrianspeeder

 

(quote)Sorry Zap if I came off a little harsh I didn't read your original post completly.



no problem bud

you need thick skin around here

but in the world of drag racing where 95% of the doorslammers and dragsters
all have automatics...
you would never want a leak from inside the radiator to contaminate the fluid going to the tranny and converter...
those are $$$BIG$$$ and that would be a bad way to loose either..

besides most racing radiators do not have cooling lines in them in the first place

hope this clears up some of the confusion




...zap!

 

That's completely wrong.

The thing in the radiator is a COOLER, as you said! It is NOT a trans heater. The coolant in the cool side of the radiator is near outside temperature in cold weather. The trans cooler is in the cool side of the radiator, so it can only cool the fluid up to outside temperature in the winter.

When it's cold out the engine doesn't send a lot of hot water to the radiator, and what does go there is cooled almost back to outside temperature.

If you don't believe me, and I'm sure most of you don't, drive your truck around on the next cold day to warm it up. Then touch the side of the radiator where the trans cooler is located. Wear a glove, it will be COLD!

 

My point (and I think Zap would agree) is that you get much better cooling if you use both coolers because of the Physics behind heat transfer. Trans fluid dissapating heat in the coolant will be much more affective than air cooled fins only. Zap has a great point in that a 10 to 12 thousand dollar motor and race applications it isn't commonly used for reasons he stated. In street trucks because of torque management (trans slipping between gears for a smooth shift) my opinion is it is beneficial to run both because of heat when towing. Like Zap said it is your truck do what you want. I am just trying to give you something to consider.

 

guys

there is your way
there is their way
there is his way
there is her way

i by-pass the radiator in everything
just my way

...zap!

and by the way
the car in the sig has a lenco in it


have a nice day

 

Apparently, all of you are knowledgeable in aux tranny cooler. Let me ask you a simple question.

The kit I bought at AutoZone came with rubber hose and hose clamp. If I slide the hose on a smooth tubing and tighten the clamp, will it hold the pressure? I am afraid of the hose popping off because of the pressure. Thanks.

 

Now it's myyyyy turn.
I run summer towing with no radiator cooling but use Two aux coolers.
My system cools "below" pan temp as measured with an infrared heat gun at the outlet of the last cooler in line compaird to the Pan temp..
I will be putting the radiator back inline this week shortly after the last time I tow, for the rest of the winter temps.
If I don't do this the trans will take a long time to shift into OD in very cold startup temps until the trans catches up. There is a temp sensor that senses all this.
I also have a two row large capacity radiator in lue of the original and tow at about 12,000 combined weight with a 4.6/3.55 combo.

I reccomend you put a 'small' flare on the metal tubing before sliding the rubber hose on and double clamping. The rubber will relax if you don't and could leak and blow off.
When everythings cold the pressure is much higher. Been there before.
You being in FLA makes some difference in how you handle cooling as opposed to the north east.

 

While there is plenty of arguement over putting the aux cooler before or after the radiator cooler, I thinks its pretty much the industry standard to include the aux cooler in the piping. Thats the way Ford does it, Thats the way the transmission shops do it.

If you end up in stop and go traffic on a free way some where you might wish you had that water cooler hooked up.

While the radiator might feel cool in the winter, I assure you that if its -20 your radiator isnt. Using the radiator cooler WILL help warm your transmission.

Even if you think its a total load of crap, Why on earth would you add an auxillary cooler to help cool your transmission then disconnect the perfectly operational factory cooler???? Seems to me that if you had both working it would only increase your cooling capacity????

I also think the "Not using the Radiator cooler to prevent contaminating the transmission" is kind of reaching in an F150. Im sure it has happened, But the occurances are extrememly rare. Hes far more like to fry his air cooled transmission in a traffic jam.