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Transmission Coolers
How to add auxiliary heat-dissipation
Tom Morr / autoMedia.com
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The cooler your automatic transmission runs, the longer it'll last. Car manufacturers know this. To dissipate heat from the automatic transmission fluid (ATF), they route transmission lines through a cooler that's either built into or in front of the radiator. Air enters through the grille and sweeps across the cooler or radiator's fins, helping cool the fluid.
The cooler your automatic transmission runs, the longer it'll last.
Towing and hauling in particular can place extra demands on an automatic transmission. Most people have experienced "gear-hunting" as an automatic-equipped pickup or SUV toggles back and forth between gears while going up a steep hill. In scenarios like this, all vehicle fluids tend to heat up, and adding a load and/or trailer makes matters worse.
More Fins
Adding an aftermarket transmission cooler is one of the best performance upgrades that can be done to an extreme-duty automatic vehicle. Consider it cheap insurance against an expensive transmission rebuild.
When choosing an aftermarket cooler, apply the bigger-is-better rule of thumb: Select a unit that's rated at least three times more than the vehicle's GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) or the largest model that will fit in an area of the vehicle that receives airflow.
Installation
Most transmission coolers come complete with all the fittings, plumbing and hardware necessary to do the job. Racing-application models often allow the buyer to furnish their own hardware, which can either be sourced at a good hardware store or in a separate trans-cooler mounting kit.
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Transmission cooler kits typically come complete with mounting hardware and plumbing components. This heavy-duty unit is marketed for racing, so the plumbing kit is sold separately.
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Attach the adhesive mounting pads to the cooler's mounting flanges. Then screw the supplied hose fittings onto the cooler's inlet and outlet ports, using Teflon tape to seal the threads.
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A common installation involves inserting the kit's mounting rods through the radiator or A/C condenser and into the cooler's mounting flanges. Lock-tabs then slide onto the mounting rods, and excess rod material (shown) can be cut off.
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High-temp rubber hoses (normally supplied with the cooler) are spliced into the transmission's return line. Route the plumbing as far away from hot and moving parts as possible.
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This job used barbed fittings on the cooler. The rubber hoses attach to them, effectively making the fluid take a side trip through the cooler on its way back to the trans. Add ATF as necessary, start the vehicle and check for leaks.
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Re: Why is my car overheating?My guess is what you're experiencing is every rubber part in the car dying at once. Have you ever changed the radiator hoses? Heater hoses?
Another g ... more... |
Re: engine smoke
How big was the overhaul? Could be poorly installed rings. Did the guy hone the bore?
Did he replace the valve guides?
I'd take it back to h ... more... |
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