My new to me toy ('74 f100) has a radiator with damp spots, intake that leaks at the China walls, and a transmission that needs a filter change. So I have been putting a parts pile together. Champion radiator (the front support will need cut but I get more radiator), gaskets and filters and such. My question is does this 302/c4 need an auxiliary trans cooler? I'm believing you can't over cool trans fluid. It might get to pull a load from time to time.

 

The worst thing for automatics is heat. It's your truck. If it will give you piece of mind to have one on there, well, there is plenty of room for it. I don't think any would tell you it's a bad idea to have it.

 

So I believe I would want the auxiliary cooler after the radiator regarding flow. Can any one say which is the input line vs. the return, driver or passenger side where they attach to the radiator?

 

The cooler is a good idea. Also agree mount the auxiliary cooler on the cold side of the radiator cooler for best results.

You can tell the "hot" line by where it comes out of the transmission case. I do not know which is which on a C4.

There is another way to check. Start the truck dead cold. Put it in drive for 10 seconds then shut it off. Then feel the trans cooler lines going into the radiator. The warmer line is the "hot" line and should stay attached to the radiator cooler. The other gets the auxiliary cooler in series.

 

Delete. Wrong post.

 

Derale aux cooler uses a spal fan and although I installed to cool a 6R80 6 speed it worked extremely well. Mounted under the drivers seat with isolators to keep it quiet and used -10AN lines. I fabricated a small deflector shield for rocks that may be kicked up by the drivers front tire and installed a trans temp gauge to keep an eye on it. My rationale was if one was hauling anything significant, especially up a hill or stop and go traffic where your speed decreases the radiator fan has to cool both the truck and the trans as ram air would be at a minimum thus an aux cooler could help and I live in Arizona so I had the radiator to keep the engine cool and not pull hot air off the trans cooler directly into the radiator. Cheap insurance on the very hot days.

 

That's a thought, but in really hot pulls in the summer, seams it would get hot on / under my Wife if I were to put the trans cooler under her seat. I mighrt would soon become uncomfortable as a result.

As to the thread ... mine is hanging between the radiator and fan, is plumbed into return line to transmission.

 

I'm in Phoenix and I know heat, and I can assure you, she won't know it's there, it pulls air away and down, it's not pointed up toward the cab. That would be a hell of a deal aim it right at the cab.

 

I see now .... frame was so clean I somehow thought you mounted it in the cab under the seat .... (I can't even explain how I did that.)

Where you have it as I see on seciond look, is great!