Type/ location of trans cooler

[mgb0302]

So recently I discovered my trans is running hot (4r70W). Currently just running a tube and fin cooler and figured that would have been enough but a couple of days ago, I happened to be scanning through the read-out screen on my US Shift Quick-4 and I noticed it was up to 240. I plan to run the lines into my aluminum champion radiator and then into a new after market cooler but I have a few questions for those with an aux cooler.

What Make/ model. I am definitely going with a stacked plate style.

LOCATION: Where did you locate yours?
1) My inner fender well is my first choice (with an aux fan) but some of that real estate is taken by my MSD ignition box so I am left with about 11x 10.5 in.
2) Second choice is in front of radiator so space is less of an issue there (no aux fan intended there).
3) Under the body (above T/C or somewhere away from flying debris). However, If I put it under body, I am worried about deep water crossings and an aux fan because few months ago, I went through some deep water and forgot to shut of my radiator fan and it fried (I have since gone to explorer fan so no issues there anymore). I assume there is good airflow anywhere under the body so having an aux fan is not necessarily required.

And since I know some will ask.
35s, 4.56, stock Explorer stall converter (whatever RPM that is).

 

[garberz]

If your Champion radiator is the 5.0 conversion model (swapped inlet and outlets). That’s not gonna be of any help. They have the heat exchanger in the hot side tank, the tank that the upper hose flows into.
A stacked plate cooler would be a minimum, that’s what the Explorers came with. Putting it out front of the radiator would be the most efficient.

Mark

 

[68rockcrawler]

I have one on my inner fender with a fan on it and my transmission cooks. Regularly at 260, but that is rockcrawling. I'm going to add one in front of my radiator.

 

[mgb0302]

Thanks. And YES, I have the Champion 5.0 conversion dang it!!!!

Anyone have a stacked plate mounted on the pass inner fender well? Pics? Type model series?

 

[mgb0302]

Anyone have any pics?

 

[sanndmann3]

here is mine but it is hard to see/photograph. may have to zoom in...
stacked plate trans cooler from F350 Superduty. 22" long and 7 inches tall. the thing makes ice cubes... (I have the 4R too)
Actually its too big for me as trans temps barely get warm and it blocks a significant portion of the radiator.
I want to downsize so I'm paying attention to what others post up.

 

[garberz]

8x11” stacked plate out front, plus a 9x13” with an aux. fan under the hood. I don’t use the radiator heat exchanger and this is for cooling my C4.

Mark

 

[mgb0302]

Garberz and sandmann, thanks

Garberz- What make model of cooler is that? And I can't tell how you have it mounted.

So I tried the same cooler from a post by CA650 and it fits, but then radiator air dam won't fit.

To make it all worse, Im out in the garage fighting this while is 95 and 90% humidity in Nashville.

 

[garberz]

Garberz and sandmann, thanks

Garberz- What make model of cooler is that? And I can't tell how you have it mounted.

So I tried the same cooler from a post by CA650 and it fits, but then radiator air dam won't fit.

To make it all worse, Im out in the garage fighting this while is 95 and 90% humidity in Nashville.

Mine is a Tru-cool by Long Manufacturing. Model #4707. But for the 4r70w, you need a bigger cooler that has 3/8” fittings. To make up for the efficiency of the radiator heat exchanger, you should run an additional cooler. Any additional cooler will need to be remotely mounted and use a fan for ventilation. The GWVR for cooler sizing should be close to 50,000lbs. When combining the two coolers. That’s what it takes when you delete the heat exchanger in the radiator. When you look at the cooler in the Super Duty or Excursion’s, they’re huge. But they have the room, where the EB’s don’t.

https://www.trucool.com/products/tru-cool-lpd

Mark

 

[txhawkeye]

I have a heat sink cooler mounted as shown. It has worked well, I have a 4R70W and had the same overheating issues, the location I used may not work if going off road but this one is my daughters and doesn’t go off road as far as I know.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Broncobowsher]

The lack of an effective in radiator transmission cooler sucks. It just means really stepping up the oil to air cooler. An inner fender cooler with a little fan isn't going to cut it. Might work if you don't drive it.

The big factory super duty cooler in front of the radiator. Probably at least twice the size of what you were thinking of running. With that as the sole source of heat rejection it needs to be big.

Another forum I am on there is an issue with the in radiator cooler developing a pin hole leak. Drops coolant into the transmission. So there was this huge thing about bypassing the in radiator cooler. The good sized oil to air secondary cooler was keeping people cool. Then reports of cooked transmissions. The oil to air was good, thick 10x10ish stacked plate. But if worked hard at low speeds, loading the convertor for a bit, not enough cooling. That is where I like the super duty cooler, twice the size.

About 4 years ago I was behind the scenes of an off-road film shoot. Got called in as the transmission was going into a limp mode. Watched them run, asked about cooling. The in radiator was bypassed to keep the heat out of the engine coolant. Between scenes we were pouring ice water on the little oil to air cooler as it wasn't large enough. Lack of airflow was another issue, no fan shroud, thus the hot running engine and why the cooler was bypassed. He quickly realized his flaw. I heard it was fixed once he was home.

 

[mgb0302]

Txhawkeye and broncobowsher. Good info.

I don’t think I can run a heat sink up front since I take it off road quite a bit. I may build a protective cover from heavy steel and place it under the body.

 

[toddz69]

The lack of an effective in radiator transmission cooler sucks. It just means really stepping up the oil to air cooler. An inner fender cooler with a little fan isn't going to cut it. Might work if you don't drive it.

The big factory super duty cooler in front of the radiator. Probably at least twice the size of what you were thinking of running. With that as the sole source of heat rejection it needs to be big.

Another forum I am on there is an issue with the in radiator cooler developing a pin hole leak. Drops coolant into the transmission. So there was this huge thing about bypassing the in radiator cooler. The good sized oil to air secondary cooler was keeping people cool. Then reports of cooked transmissions. The oil to air was good, thick 10x10ish stacked plate. But if worked hard at low speeds, loading the convertor for a bit, not enough cooling. That is where I like the super duty cooler, twice the size.

About 4 years ago I was behind the scenes of an off-road film shoot. Got called in as the transmission was going into a limp mode. Watched them run, asked about cooling. The in radiator was bypassed to keep the heat out of the engine coolant. Between scenes we were pouring ice water on the little oil to air cooler as it wasn't large enough. Lack of airflow was another issue, no fan shroud, thus the hot running engine and why the cooler was bypassed. He quickly realized his flaw. I heard it was fixed once he was home.

I had a pinhole in my in-tank cooler years ago and ended up with a little red in the coolant, which led me to bypassing the in-tank cooler. That was several radiators ago.

I've run a large B&M stacked plate cooler (probably made by Long) for years in concert with the large Super Duty cooler with both my C4 and now with my 700R4. I had the SD cooler either in front of my radiator or down behind my front bumper (not as ideal but still seemed to work ok). The B&M has part of it sitting in front of my core support which I don't think is ideal so someday I'll swap it with a narrower Setrab that I have.

I swapped the SD cooler for a Setrab a few years ago just to try something different and to give me the option of adding dual fans if I felt I needed them. Constantly debating whether to put the SD cooler back in instead. My trans got up to 200 over the weekend of the 4th with some slow, hard trail work on a hot day. I wish I could keep it below 190 or below at all times but that doesn't seem possible.

Todd Z.

 

[mgb0302]

ToddZ69- I have had a couple others mention the Super Duty cooler. I have found various different models. Do you have a part number for the one you use?

 

[toddz69]

ToddZ69- I have had a couple others mention the Super Duty cooler. I have found various different models. Do you have a part number for the one you use?

This is what I bought:

https://shop.broncograveyard.com/Tr...4kNyBw_PJbnss14haL13yJd3J55tXIU8aAtq0EALw_wcB

In the past I've used junkyard coolers but those are harder to find these days in any kind of decent condition. Plus I really want something that's clean and doesn't have goo from a 200K transmission in it.

There are at least 2 other coolers I'm aware of - the 6.0 SD cooler, which is really tall and the V10 SD cooler which is slightly taller than this one.

Little known fact - the cooler shown is all that Ford used in their '99 SD trucks (no radiator cooler) and it proved to be a problem when packed with mud, etc. They soon went back to adding a radiator cooler with it.

Todd Z.

 

[nvrstuk]

Mid '90's SD cooler someone mentioned at appr. 22x7 WITH another cooler and you'll be good.

Like Broncobowsher was saying... an oil to air cooler isn't very effective so don't think trying to blow 200deg F heated engine compartment air is going to cool your oil very well. Get the cooler OUT from under the hood. Best thing you can do.

I run a stacked plate Derale with 8" fan between the front crossmember and the front bumper. I found out years later that this was where Stroppe Broncos mounted theirs. Mine has a FULL 3/16" skid plate that is mounted 1" from it for full air flow. The fan on this has not turned on for at least 9, yes, nine years!

I work everything pretty hard. I run 40"s, 4r70W, 460SBF, locked both ends and use my rig in 100+ heat to -20F.. Hottest temps I get are when it's usually below 20F and I'm plowing thru 3-4' deep, heavy slushy snow at 5K rpm and the tires spinning at 40-45mph. That is when the tranny is working the hardest... idling on a hot trail through rocks generates less heat than this. Only time my engine heat gets above 200F also.

Anyway, I run from the 4r70W in steel lines (they cool whereas rubber holds the heat in) up to the Derale. Then I run up to the SD, then back.

People think stacking coolers reduces airflow... if so, then how do OE vehicles cool so well with little plastic radiator tanks and 3 coolers stacked in front? Ron at RD Radiators, Griffin, and a couple other radiator builders all said the same thing... no issue with the right spacing setup.

My 4r70 usually runs between 90-120F year round...IF I am running sand dunes over and over without shutting down I can get up to 150F...snow is the worst...HUGE load pushing wet, heavy, spring snow bumper deep ...

I can get you some pics tomorrow of what the SD cooler looks like (I just pulled it out since I need 1/2" coolant lines now for the 6r80) but I can get you a pic of the Derale if you'd like.

I have run 11 years with the Motorcraft Syn trans fluid year round w/o one issue or stumble so don't let people say that the oil has to be 190F to work properly. Did a lot of homework before not worrying about preheating the oil.

 

[ZOSO]

I run dual coolers. First setup was a smaller plate cooler in front of the radiator. Then it went to a fin and tube fan assisted cooler under the rear of the bronco. I could get the trans warm in the 210-220 range with this setup. I do not run through the radiator. I went to a 20klb stacked plate cooler and moved it from behind the 8274 so it gets a bit more airflow. Still run the tube cooler under it. Have run it a few times in 100* heat stop n go and never seen above 170 temps now.

As said get as big as you can and put it in front of the radiator. Don't rely on just a fan assisted one(been there when the fan died. Now no cooling at all). As brian said keep the fan assisted backup out of the engine bay. I have mine under the bronco above the rear axle.

 

[CA650]

I just went through the same thing
here is the thread discussing it:

https://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303417

I went with this Fluidyne unit in the front of the grill
I run an AOD and this unit is sufficient to cool the transmission without linking the transmission cooler to the champion core

I bypassed the core because I felt like it was helping to heat the transmission fluid not cool it. But, that is probably because I have the wrong, smaller fan on my 302 bronco. After I replace the fan I may route this Fluidyne back through the main radiator core.

I think i put some links to video in that thread as well.

 

[nvrstuk]

Additional info...

Stacked plate cooler total sq in surface area will need to be about 200sq in (more is fine) in order to cool your trans on hot summer days or in ANY conditions, working the unlocked converter hard. Better to have more cooling capacity than to:

-hope that 240deg trans gauge wasnt hotter 10 min ago

- wish you could keep going but you have to stop and cool your trans

- hope you didn't destroy your tranny as you're waiting for the temps to cool

 

[mgb0302]

ToddZ- thanks for the link. Do you by chance have the dimensions for this (length and height)? I looked at JBGs site but no dimensions listed. Same for Summit- no dimensions listed.

I am limited to about 13" wide by 4" high if I mount on the bottom of the core support. If I mount vertically to the L of the hood latch, I am limited to about 10" high by 6" wide. Deoth for either mounting location can be up to 3 inches.

I would prefer to not have to mount between bumper and crossmember because that will require some fab of a protective mount since I wheel it pretty hard.