I have seen people make their own in-line kit using brass fittings from the hardware store, but I think that would likely be a real PITA trying to find the right fittings.

Summit Racing and JEGS sell the pre-made in-line line kit posted above. I have that kit, and the only problem I saw with that kit was the weight of the manifold. I don't think it would last long bouncing around unsupported. In my opinion, you should probably either mount the manifold to the frame, or bend a small piece of metal to make a bracket for it somewhere.

 

Good discussion thanks..Got a sensor installed in my finned aluminum extra capacity C6 pan and in normal conditions the temp is mostly 20F or 30F higher than the motor. Usually about 220F in highway cruising on 75F days. Higher than I want. And gets super hot if I try repeated fast launches...its a hot rod truck..and I hope to do a little quarter mile bracket racing but tranny heats up too quickly. No radiator cooler..just a in line unit along the frame. Maybe I can get a better cooler. Tranny shifts good and fluid good color etc..why so hot..485hp?

 

And also another thing..don't know much about auto trannies..this is the first I've had and I'm told at the NAPA that I need to continue using the ATF-FA fluid(the original spec). And i did read here earlier about "better modern fluids" holding up to higher temps better etc.

So is the ATF-FA what I should be using? Or something newer? Or is the current ATF-FA just better than what it was back in the old days? Been using the NAPA brand.

My truck is modded with a tilt front end so I don't need a stock radiator etc and now I'm using a new aluminum crossflow style. Fins are about 18.5"tall 26" wide with tanks on both sides (no tranny coooler). I bought it from a catalog new, but at this moment can't find the specifics, but it wasn't a super hi priced Desert Cooler or similar. I run a 180 thermostat and motors mostly at around 195F but goes up quickly if I idle too much in stop and go traffic or start hammering the accelerator hard. I'm using a mechanical fan and a Hurricane fan shroud..looks adequate to me. Its never boiled over or even close..but I've seen the temp go up as high as maybe 220F or in that neighborhood when I being demanding. But I only do demanding stuff briefly..not towing or being in longish races etc. I back off and temp goes down eventually.

By the way for the first time ever I saw the tranny temp go to 320F or so the other day and that's why I'm rethinking studying up etc. I was out doing some practice drag racing starts..maybe 5 or 6 starts in a 10 minute period using a two step type rev limiter..not foot braking or otherwise placing hi resistance on all just limiting revs at launch for a second with the ignition and then going full throttle up to maybe 50mph..Temp went Redline in my gauge..never seen that before. And also wondering about gauge itself. Saw it kinda clicking up and down by maybe 20F a couple times..the dial not moving just kinda skipping. Temp wouldn't go down with driving along easy for 10 minutes or so..went home and parked it.

And today i drove it 10 miles or so before the tranny temp gauge moved off of the bottom where it reads 100 or so and the motor was already reading 190F..so?? Maybe nothing/maybe something..Not sure.

What would be a good radiator with tranny cooler option to replace my existing stuff..or should I look at other solutions?

Had the tranny rebuilt about 2000 miles ago by a guy at met at the race track and not so sure he did as good a job as needed. Had a leak by the gear selector lever on the driver side and realized he didn't swap out that little "old" rubber seal/washer like thing at the location. I was able to replace it with the tranny still installed. Wondering what else he might have done better. Can I somehow check the pump volume? Can I disconnect cooler line and observe volume into bucket at idle or similar troubleshooting?

Or can I just get by with a better tranny cooler. I'm using a medium sized longish unit that attaches to the outside of the frame below the passenger area..and as I look at it the heat from the headers are inboard of it but forward..so It might just not be enough. The cooler is just some aluminum tubing with cooling fins..should I get something bigger? better with a fan of its own?

Sorry for so many questions just thinking out loud/various options available. Budgets an issue but don't want to scrimp on cooling..could afford a high end Rad with tranny cooler if the best option.

 

You MUST use an ATF that is compatible with the clutch/band material that the trans builder used. If he told you to use this fluid, then your choices are to use this fluid or have the trans fail.

That's WAY too hot! The best way to cool a trans is fast idling in park or neutral.

That is how one checks pump volume. Unfortunately I don't know the spec for a C6.

That sounds like a cheap, totally inadequate cooler in a very bad location. No wonder your trans is so hot.

The best way to cool the trans is a cooler in the radiator followed by a cooler from a 6.0L truck. Second best is just the 6.0L cooler. The cooler must be in front of the radiator. Having it on the frame is about as useful as not having a cooler. It isn't getting enough airflow to do any good.

 

Thanks Mark..good info. Looked around briefly and those 6.0L rads are great, but the ones I see listed are about 42" tall..haven't got that kinda head room-unless it comes in a less tall config. But I think for sure I need to get a wider crossflow radiator with a oil cooler built in. I'll look for suggestions. If I can find one that offers better engine cooling too.(otherwise not)

I need a max height of about 28inches and a width of about the same. Maybe I can mod something and get a little more width, but unlikely to improve on height limitation.

And in the mean time I might try a bigger/better stand alone cooler that I can mount up front to the side of the rad.



Tom

 

I went out testing this morning..its about 70F versus 90F the other day, and i didn't have any hi tranny temps. Course I didn't do as many hard launches as before. I did a few but thats all. I think that was the problem. 90F heat and too many hard launches.

I drove around the county this morning for maybe 40miles or so and never got the tranny temp above 180F, and the motor stayed around 195F. In super hot weather its not gonna do this good, but I'm usually just driving around my area for short trips or the few times each year I drive to the local drag strip.

I'm still thinking about buying a better tranny cooler but will probably stay with current radiator..Its hard to fit all and what I've got now is working at a level that allows the Street/Strip use.

Here's the current cooler:



Thinking of upgrading to the Flex-a-lite 45908 tranny cooler with its electric fan and such just haven't yet seen where I can put it..but there's probably a place.
http://www.summitracing.com/search?k...LX-45908&dds=1

 

That trans cooler looks like it is next to useless. And where it is mounted finishes it's uselessness. It won't get any airflow there, so it can't even reject the little amount of heat it is capable of rejecting. Dump it.

The Flex-a-lite isn't much better. It is a tube and fin. That's where one tube snakes back and forth and has fins on it. They do not cool well at all. You need a stacked plate design. This cooler won't cut it.

 

Well could you give me the brand that would fit my application and you think will work?

 

My 1988 E350 cutaway/motorhome has a test port, on the driver's side above the shift linkage?

 

There are two ports. I assume its left of linkage. What is the one behind the linkage?

 

Do you mean the square head? If so, that is used for band adjustment.

The test port I used is the one to the left of the linkage in the picture.

I have 2 test port locations on mine. The one in your pic and one by the vacuum canister that was discussed earlier in this thread. I am curious if the different test locations have any variance on your reading? The fluid leaving the torque converter is substantially hotter, but I don't know if the shift linkage ports proximity to the converter would raise temp readings at all? Just thinking out loud.....anybody know the answer?

 

Thank you Jayro88 and everyone else posting here. Over the 10+ years owning a 7.3 idi, this forum has taken me from not having a clue- to driveway mechanic status. I put an electric gauge on the test port and in the process of putting one on the cooler return line so I can see how well its cooling. Call me fanatical but I plan to haul 17k lbs year round with this motor/trans and I like to know what is what. Reading this thread has tempted me to put one on the trans out line, but decided not to for now.

 

Be sure to post your results with those two sender locations! :-)

 

Thanks for this thread, guys, it's been a big help. Got my sending unit installed last night in this test port. I'm getting about 150 degrees with mixed driving, with 85* outdoor temp.


What are you guys reading from here under normal driving, and under heavy load? At what temp should I push the panic button when pulling a big trailer?

 

I have a digital autometer gauge in the test port by the linkage. It seems to be affected by outside temp a bit, but I have to really try to get it over 170*. At outside temps above 70* mine will get up to the 165-169* and then stay there. If the outside temps are 90*+ and I set the cruise at 85mph for an extended period of time I will see up to 173*. Pulling a 5000lb trailer in rolling hills my temps stayed in the 165-169* range with the cruise set for 65mph. I usually don't go any faster than that if I am pulling any kind of load.

I was a little worried when I first installed mine since temps were a little higher than I wpuld like, but since they stay there under load I think it may just be that my gauge or the ports proximity to the torque converter causes it to a be a little higher. I have never had it get to the temp where my trans cooler thermostat needed to open more than the 10% it always is (195*).

As far as panic temp, I have read that you should not run sustained temps over 200-210* since it can greatly shorten your ATF life and cause tranny wear. I would say 220* is where I would pull over or slow down quickly. Keep in mind that todays ATF fluids can handle the heat much better than those of days gone by.