Tranny cooler install on the 81

big2bird

big2bird

Charter Member, Founder Bird-Run, Cruise-In Bird-R
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
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Location
Anaheim, Ca.
I finally got around to this project today. The cooler is 6" tallx 24" wide by 3/4" thick, and is an aluminum plate type. (Noonie turned me on to the manufacturer).
It runs from one side to the ther of the condenser frame, and with some simple aluminum tabs heliarced on, tek screws right on. It has 1/4" clearance from the hood when open, and has 3/8" barbed inlets and outlets on the driver's side. It just clears between the A/C condenser and the headlight actuators. (I had to loosen them to install).
All in all, a productive day. I hope this solves my o-heating on the hills in low gear. The cooler holds about 1 qt.
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Twin_Turbo said:
Who did the welding on the tabs? You have a tig setup?
Click to expand...

A local guy here in town does all my work for cheap. Those tabs were $15.00 fabbed and welded complete. He is a great guy who takes care of me.
 
BTW, this project cost me all of $80.00 or so. A great investment for tranny longevity.
 
I like that you don't have the thing sitting against the rad. That always rubs me the wrong way, additional coolers attached with straps or pins against the rad.
 
Twin_Turbo said:
I like that you don't have the thing sitting against the rad. That always rubs me the wrong way, additional coolers attached with straps or pins against the rad.
Click to expand...

My radiator guy LOVES those silly tywraps thru the core. It's just a matter of time before the vibration saws thru the core. Manufacturers NEVER do it that way. They ALWAYS have space between..
 
I drove the car today up to Doug's. About 4-5 miles I figure. When I got there, we opened the hood and pulled the tranny dipstick. The fluid was COLD!!. LOL. Works GREAT.
 
I plumbed the pressure port to the cooler, then the return goes thru the radiator to keep the fluid at minimum temp.
 
big2bird said:
I plumbed the pressure port to the cooler, then the return goes thru the radiator to keep the fluid at minimum temp.
Click to expand...

I used to plumb the tranny coolers the route, until my kid's S10 overheated and also heated up the tranny fluid enough to turn it dark brown. May have saved the tranny by immediately changing the tranny fluid.

Undecided if I am going to run the trans fluid thru the radiator ever again.
 
Dsagers said:
big2bird said:
I plumbed the pressure port to the cooler, then the return goes thru the radiator to keep the fluid at minimum temp.
Click to expand...

I used to plumb the tranny coolers the route, until my kid's S10 overheated and also heated up the tranny fluid enough to turn it dark brown. May have saved the tranny by immediately changing the tranny fluid.

Undecided if I am going to run the trans fluid thru the radiator ever again.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the motley crew of the Flying Dutchmen....

:friends: you handle looks familiar....:oh:
 
Dsagers said:
big2bird said:
I plumbed the pressure port to the cooler, then the return goes thru the radiator to keep the fluid at minimum temp.
Click to expand...

I used to plumb the tranny coolers the route, until my kid's S10 overheated and also heated up the tranny fluid enough to turn it dark brown. May have saved the tranny by immediately changing the tranny fluid.

Undecided if I am going to run the trans fluid thru the radiator ever again.
Click to expand...

It's more important in cold climates. Too cold/thick is almost as bad as too hot/thin. In the southwest, it's probably no big deal either way.
 
Another way!!!

Bird,
I also mounted a transverse trans cooler, but used one of those cylindrical ones with a dual pass system. In other words, the inlet and outlet are next to each other on one side of the cooler. It is about 12" long and I mounted it BEHIND the radiator.

There are three small self tapping bolts that hold the front brake line to the cross member. I made up a bracket using bits of 1" x 1/8" and mounted this bracket to the cross member using the same three bolts. Then I mounted the cooler to this bracket and bent up some bundy tubing to connect with the original trans lines near the fuel pump.

I should state here that Bubba previously had cut the original trans hoses WITH AN OXY TORCH!!!!!!!!:sweat: and used rubber fuel lines that wandered around between the chassis and the lower control arm (and rubbed on the moving parts !!!) to connect them to two short metal lines into the radiator. (also cut with a torch!!) Needless to say, the thing left a puddle every time I parked it.

I cut the rough ends of the trans lines off with a proper tubing cutter near the fuel pump, then used compression fittings to join them to two new metal lines that I bent with a tubing bender so that they lined up with the transverse cooler. After putting a "flare" on the end of the tubes, I used short sections of transmission rubber hose to join the metal lines with the cooler. Plus clamps.

I had previously fabricated a fibreglass fan shroud that lays parallel with the radiator and fitted it with a 16" electric fan, so had plenty of room down there. The system might well look Bubba, but it works a treat. The cooler is out in the open, and gets a blast of admittedly hot air only when the fan is on. But the fan comes on only when the water temp is around 220*.

That might sound bad, but I look at it this way. The water only gets hot when the car is idling, say in traffic, and the trans is not working (hard) then. When the trans, or more correctly, the converter, is working hard, the car is moving and the resultant air flow through the radiator cools the engine and the fan switches off.

It works for me.

Regards from Down Under:drink:

aussiejohn
 
big2bird said:
Dsagers said:
big2bird said:
I plumbed the pressure port to the cooler, then the return goes thru the radiator to keep the fluid at minimum temp.
Click to expand...

I used to plumb the tranny coolers the route, until my kid's S10 overheated and also heated up the tranny fluid enough to turn it dark brown. May have saved the tranny by immediately changing the tranny fluid.

Undecided if I am going to run the trans fluid thru the radiator ever again.
Click to expand...

It's more important in cold climates. Too cold/thick is almost as bad as too hot/thin. In the southwest, it's probably no big deal either way.
Click to expand...

I have noticed that trannies tend to shift harder when cold than hot....if the fluid is thicker I would assume they shift softer because fluid dont flow so fast.....in fact my experineces over the years say just the opposite....
so my opinion is that it's nearly impossible to run any auto tranny at too cold a temp....

but with stick shifts...take out the gear oil and use 30 w synthetic engine oil....sure improved my Muncie for several years there...shifted slick as any import...

:clobbered:
 
aussiejohn said:
Bird,
I also mounted a transverse trans cooler, but used one of those cylindrical ones with a dual pass system. In other words, the inlet and outlet are next to each other on one side of the cooler. It is about 12" long and I mounted it BEHIND the radiator.
aussiejohn
Click to expand...
That's what I used except I bolted mine to that bar that runs from side to side of the car in front of the radiator. I made the same setup for a power steering cooler...
 
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

That's what I used except I bolted mine to that bar that runs from side to side of the car in front of the radiator. I made the same setup for a power steering cooler...[/QUOTE]

Saudi,
Great (antipodean!) minds think alike!!! There's plenty of room behind the radiator if you use a non-stock fan shroud. What shroud do you use?

Regards from Down Under:drink:

aussiejohn
 
I'm using a shroud off a 77 John. It was given to me in a Christmas giveaway a few years ago and fits my 82 just fine.

But, there's just enough room on that transverse bar for both coolers...
 
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