did the 97 f150s come with tranny coolers? if not, what brand do you all recommend i go with? I want to get one before i tow my car cross country. thanks everyone

 

If your F150 has the factory towing package, then it should have an auxillary cooler on the passenger side low in front of the A/C condenser like this:



It's tilted at about a 30° angle.

As for aftermarket coolers, bigger is better. B&M and Derale are two names I see often. I replaced my stock cooler (pictured) with one from an F250 for improved cooling. That may be an option for you, as well.

Andy

EDIT: I just saw a thread where a member commented that all 5.4-motored trucks had an aux trans cooler, and the towing package simply increased the size. He mentioned that 4.6-equipped trucks did not get the aux cooler.)

 

I'll go check there to see if i have one. I have the factory tow package but it's also a 4.6L

How do you like the F250 aux cooler? Work pretty well?

 

The F-250 cooler dropped my temps about 20-25 degrees based on just a short tow. The biggest difference was in town. The F-250 cooler mounts in front of the radiator, and the fan draws air over it even at low speeds where the original cooler had virtually none where it was located.

Pics of the F-250 Cooler installed:




Andy

 

damn, that thing is a beast. I checked it out and mine does have a cooler. It's like the smaller one pictured above. I think i'll upgrade to an F250 unit as well. Thanks for the pictures.

 

The F-250 cooler is a nice setup because it bolts straight in with no bracket fabrication needed. All you have to do is get the cooler lines to it.

Darrin

 

It's wider, but shorter and thinner. IIRC, I calculated the total "fin" area to be only about 17% larger. It is more efficient due to this, but the location, I'm sure, has a lot to do with it, as well.

Andy

 

I actually had to fab bracket extensions for the lower mounting points. I don't know, though, what year this came off of. Maybe that's the issue.

The one referenced in THIS WEB PAGE looks larger than mine (and does bolt up fine.)

The one in THIS POST looks more like mine, but appears to fit fine, as well.

Dunno. All I do know, is I didn't mind the extra effort and mine's working just fine.

Andy

 

Oh, If you do end up going with an F-250 unit, and are considering a used piece, first, verify it did not come from a vehicle with a blown transmission, and be sure and back flush it real well. I'd also suggest installing a MAGNEFINE #R038M inline filter. (This is the same as Ford P/N XC3Z-7B155-BA, which Ford lists in TSB 00-23-10.)

It is also available at NAPA as their P/N ATP-18514.

Andy

 

Here's my new trans cooler. Just installed a few days ago.

 

v-10 super duty cooler-the only way to go-available from the diesel site