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Derale transmission cooler

viper982

Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
334
Loc.
Beaverton
Hey guys,

I ordered a derale 13900 external cooler today for my transmission. I have decided to try just using the external cooler to try and keep my trans temp down when offroading. I saw that BC broncos mounts the coolers on the passenger side fender. I see that some of you are running this setup. How does it work? What direction are you running your fan? Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Matt


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Amac70

ME
Joined
Mar 27, 2002
Messages
3,269
i run mine on the passenger side fender, but i run it as an aux to the cooler in front of my radiator. I only turn it on when trans temp goes above 200. works great.
 

rwill

Sr. Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2010
Messages
522
MIne is on passenger side fendor. Does no keep it cool enough. ON at 180* off at 165*.
Called Derale to get different thremostate but that is all they offer. Mine is a C4.
 
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OP
viper982

viper982

Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
334
Loc.
Beaverton
Anyone else that just runs the cooler on its own have any issues keeping their transmission cool?


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bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,918
I run the tranny cooler only on the pass. fender elevated about an inch and a half. It has a fan on it that I have blowing down. It is a big cooler and works geat.
I have put the temp gun on the AN line fittings hooked to it and even under pretty tough conditions it has never exceeded 170°F with the fan on.
I have to turn the fan off from time to time to be sure I'm exceeding 212°F so that the condensation that builds up in the tranny is boiled off.

Chuck @ BC did the same thing and ran Baja with it.
 

OKLA70

Jr. Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
154
Loc.
Skiatook, Ok
I have a cooler/fan like others have post, but I've cut a hole in the inner fender where it's mounted and wired the fan to pull from the fender well. It gets cool air instead of blowing around the hot air from the motor. It has worked very well like that.

I did put a vent cover (a house vent cover from Lowes) under the fender for some protection. With it painted black it looks pretty good and has lasted for years now.

Tim
 

bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,918
I have a cooler/fan like others have post, but I've cut a hole in the inner fender where it's mounted and wired the fan to pull from the fender well. It gets cool air instead of blowing around the hot air from the motor. It has worked very well like that.

I did put a vent cover (a house vent cover from Lowes) under the fender for some protection. With it painted black it looks pretty good and has lasted for years now.

Tim


I almost did that too but the mud and sand here in central Florida is relentless and everywhere so I am pulling hopefully cool air from the hood vent with the air intake seal removed. I was worried this wouldn't be enough. I thought about putting one of those little fiberglass scoops (LMC) on the inside of the hood to direct the airflow toward the tranny cooler. As stated above it just ended up not being needed.
I've seen some guys attach a tranny cooler and engine oil cooler to the underside of the hood where the hood vents are. Of course this is only possible if the vent and heater intake assemblies are removed.
 

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anoblefox

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2011
Messages
251
I installed an B&M 70266 Automatic Transmission Super Cooler rated at
28,000 GVW/20,500 BTU sized at 11'' x 8'' x 1-1/2'' with a 1/2" NPT Inlet/Outlet at just over 110k miles as the only trans cooler mounted under the vehicle below the passenger seat. It never got over 170 degrees even in LA traffic. The original transmission finally had to be rebuilt for the first time at 264k miles. I have never before has any automatic last more than 90k miles before on any vehicle. When it was rebuilt the fluid was still bright red. I have now added a small electric fan that comes on via a thermostat switch. It only comes on in very heavy traffic or when off roading in low range. Before it went to the rebuilder I tapped the trans inlet/outlet out so I could attach a AN6 hose fitting directly to the transmission. There are many ways to skin a cat but this method has proven its worth over time for me.
 

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
I have mine sitting right below the passenger side hood vent. Pretty sure it sucks cold air in. If it doesn't, I need to change that.

My bearings are done on that fan :( I have it routed through the radiator and it just never seems to turn off once it gets hot. Maybe that's why the bearings are toast. I've been thinking about running just the Derale and see what happens.

EngineBay-M.jpg
 

KyleQ

Bronco Guru
Joined
Apr 24, 2008
Messages
5,480
Mine cools power steering fluid - but I've got it mounted here. Gets tons of free air -

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MarkH@Wildhorse

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2012
Messages
282
Loc.
Stockton, CA
I just dumped my B and M coolers to go to the Derale Extreme coolers.
#15870

The main reason is a waterproof and dust proof fan.
We will start carrying these as well as I was impressed with them.
Mine is mounted where my AUX tank use to be.
 

u10072

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 18, 2007
Messages
2,249
I think the OE's and racers have it right up front in the free air. Had mine under the hood and when the fluid is measured in the pan it was hot. Called Rusty at the Torque Converter Shop on Lake Havasu and he told me free air out front is coolest and best. A big cooler can be mounted out front but the turn signals have to be modified.
 

MarsChariot

Contributor
Planetary Offroader
Joined
Oct 12, 2004
Messages
2,518
Loc.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
What I did on the 76. The convection cooler on the left is a pre-cooler. The fan turns on and goes off even during crawling. It works well. Since this picture I have added a screen mesh to keep pea-size gravel out of the fan.
 

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bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,918
I think the OE's and racers have it right up front in the free air. Had mine under the hood and when the fluid is measured in the pan it was hot. Called Rusty at the Torque Converter Shop on Lake Havasu and he told me free air out front is coolest and best. A big cooler can be mounted out front but the turn signals have to be modified.

My "big" cooler fit without turn signal modification when it was in front of the radiator.
The fan almost never came on because it actually over cooled my tranny fluid. It was also blocking alot of airflow from my radiator.
When I heard about Chuck @ BC installing his under the hood with a fan then ran Baja I was sold. It's safe from all potential damage and keeps my tranny below 200°F.
I used to think the cooler the better and to a certain extent that is true but my tranny cooler location is giving me the best of both worlds.
 
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viper982

viper982

Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
334
Loc.
Beaverton
I received my cooler and mounted it to my passenger side inner fender. My question is what kind of pressure is pushed through the cooler lines? I was planning on using rubber hose and barbed fittings if the pressure isn't too high.


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bronconut73

Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
9,918
I received my cooler and mounted it to my passenger side inner fender. My question is what kind of pressure is pushed through the cooler lines? I was planning on using rubber hose and barbed fittings if the pressure isn't too high.


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Back in the 80's my auxiliary tranny cooler was plumbed into the stock steel lines with rubber/neoprene hose slipped over it with hose clamps. It was ugly but worked fine for the 10 years it was like that.
Since the early 90's I've had Earls stainless braided lines with AN fittings. Not "too" expensive since it's only a few fittings and a short section of line.
 
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