DO I NEED A TRANS COOLER?

[re-animate]

Hi guys; I have a 727 in my Cuda with a 2800 rpm stall converter. I bought the transmission package set up this way. I have a brand new 22" radiator in the car.  Do I need an external trans cooler if I am running this 2800 rpm stall or is the cooler in the radiator adequate enough to keep the fluid temp at safe levels? I will be using the car for street and highway driving and I'm sure I will beat on it a little here and there.     Thanks,Dave

[brads70]

Wouldn't hurt?

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[drewcrane]

YEP

[Topcat]

A deep pan wold be a good idea as well. B & M sells finned one's.

[js29no]

  heat is a transmissions worst anime.

[re-animate]

Thanks for all of your input guys. I will install a cooler just to be safe.      Thanks,Dave

[Chryco Psycho]

2 ways to do it , you can bypass the cooler in the rad & run with just a separate cooler or you can go through the rad & out into the additional cooler & back to the trans

[msbaugh]

I like the b&m stacked plate coolers they seem to do well compared to the finned ones. I run mine before the radiator, theory is the coolant actually heats. Maybe just bypass it all together.

Heat kills slush boxes

[quagmire]

Coolant temps should never be anywhere near where they would need to be to break down ATF, or you have much bigger problems to contend with! 

It's also possible to overcool fluid, and that can be bad too.  I'd keep the radiator cooler in line and the external cooler after it to drop the temps a bit more.  The radiator cooler is capable of much more efficient heat exchange and has a stabilizing affect since the thermostat is regulating coolant temps.  With the two inline you'll be able to keep your ATF in that sweet spot for maximum life.

To eliminate the radiator cooler altogether would require a very large air to liquid external cooler to get the same affect, and without a thermostat there would be times where it is cooling too much.  An external cooler in an ideal world should only be a supplement to the main cooler in the radiator.

[re-animate]

I agree guys. I did some research to find that out. I ran the line to the external cooler,then to the radiator's cooler and then back to the trans. I still never found out what the maximum torque converter rpm can be before an external trans cooler becomes necessary. Anyone have any figures on that?

Thanks,Dave

[Chryco Psycho]

Look at it this way physics tells us we cannot distroy heat / energy just change it so if the converter is slipping it is making extra heat & that has to go somewhere .