Tranny cooler ?

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Nov 27, 2012 | 07:47 PM

Bootlegger's Deluxe

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Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Oct 2010

Posts: 1,690

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From: Delhi, Iowa

Tranny cooler ?

im a 5 speed guy, and have been since i started driving. Never really cared fordriving an automatic, and usually avoided buying them whenever possible.

Now im bringing home an 81 F150 with what, if i can count pan bolts correctly, is a C6. i was surprised to find a C6 in a 2wd longbox with a 300, but hey, we all have off days. anyways, from what i understand there are two key things about having a long life with an auto transmission: keeping it serviced regularly and keeping it cool.

Servicing it is easy, i plan on putting in a new filter withing a few weeks of owning it, and i have a transmission flush machine at work, i plan on flushing the fluid every 30K and filter every 60k. those intervals seem right to you guys?

keeping it cool , i have a few things in mind, and would like some input on each of them. First off is a deep trans pan. i like the idea of extra capacity, and i would get one with a drain plug, which would help with filter changes immensely. are they worth the hassle?

Secondly, the truck has no trans cooler. I have a few spare trans coolers off of F250's and Broncos (92-96 models) i have stashed away over the years. will the addition of one of these be enough for me, or should i look into buying and installing one from a 99-up super duty? also, which line do i want to run it from, or doesnt it matter?

finally, i was wondering about putting a trans temp gauge in. this truck will see some towing duties, for the days when the F350's arent available, or are under the weather. so lets say occasional towing duties, from the pickup trailer, to the 24' open car trailer. is the trans temp gauge a worthy investment, to keep tabs on my tranny to make sure i dont cook it?

any and all suggestions are welcome.

Nov 28, 2012 | 03:23 PM

garthneddy

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Joined: May 2012

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From: Franklin, IN

I would just install the largest cooler you have laying around. That along with the finned trans pan you already have planned will keep the C6 cool enough to live a long life.

Nov 28, 2012 | 04:38 PM

IDIDieselJohn

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Joined: Feb 2009

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From: Ottawa, Ontario

Now about putting the "biggest" cooler around, if you don't plan on towing with the truck, or towing very often, to over do it on a cooler.

A transmission is just like an engine, running to hot is bad, but running to cold isn't good either!

If you want to insure a long life, put a tranny temp gauge, and keep the temps inbetween 160* and 180*

Start with a ~7" by 10" cooler, and run it inline, after the radiator cooler.

Nov 28, 2012 | 05:09 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

I do not think a deep pan is necessary, and a gauge is not necessary either. All the time I have had these trucks, and towed with them with the c6, never had the need for either of these. There is a need for a cooler, and always use and keep the cooler that's in the radiator.

I have tried to kill one of these c6's and never could. When I towed heavy with my old truck without a cooler, it still worked fine, though I noticed it shifted a little different. Checkd the fluid and it was brown. Changed the fluid, and all was back to normal. Added a cooler and it it never cooked the fluid again.

By the way, you do not need a fancy flush machine to change the fluid. The best way is to pull the pan, and turn the engine around by hand till the drain plug on the torque convertor comes around, and drain it too. It will take about 13 quarts to fill it back up.

I never have figured out how a tranny flush machine worked. How much fluid do they push through the tranny? Do they push 13 quarts through and call it good? Do they push twice that much through and charge you for it? They don't put any of it back in do they?

Nov 28, 2012 | 05:40 PM

IDIDieselJohn

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Joined: Feb 2009

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From: Ottawa, Ontario

This is how I do it.

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Reinstall pan, fill back up to capacity.

Start 'er up and let 'er run for a couple minutes. Shift through all the gears a couple times.

Now get a 5 gallon bucket (or any good size pan) and a piece of rubber hose.

Disconnect the trans feed line from the radiator (or aux cooler) and shove on the rubber line on that and aim the rubber line in the bucket. Tape the line to the lip of the bucket so it doesn't come out while it's flushing.

(to find the feed line, disconnect both lines to the radiator and start the engine for a second, witch ever line squirts out fluid is your feed line.)

Give a couple shots of compressed air through the radiator (or aux. cooler) to send all the old fluid and crap out.

Put a good funnel on the transmission dipstick tube.

Now prepare at least 10 *OPEN* quarts of ATF ready, at easy hand reach.

Fire the engine up, and start pouring the ATF down the dipstick tube, and don't stop! As much fluid will be coming out as you are putting in.

When the fluid coming out and dumping into the bucket looks as nice and clean as the fluid you are dumping in, stop the engine.

Reconnect the feed line to the radiator (or aux. cooler). Make sure BOTH lines are well connected.

Start up engine and check level. Add as needed. Make sure level is correct.

Go for a good drive, when you get back, check level again and your done!

It's a good idea to be 2 people doing this, one sitting in the drivers seat of the vehicle waiting for commands by the person doing the work outside, just incase something happens that you need to turn off the engine quickly. You don't want your transmission to run dry.
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Nov 28, 2012 | 05:57 PM

kermmydog

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Joined: Oct 2003

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From: Western Central NV

I pulled a 10,000# trailer with mine when I owned it. With a 460 in front of the C-6 with 4x4. I only used the factory cooler with no issues. As Dave said killing a C-6 is pretty much a BIG JOB.
But if you don't have a factory trans cooler then from my experience the best bang for the buck are B&M Supercoolers. They are small, very efficient, & cheap price wise. ($50 Jegs or Summit)
I have run 5"x11" I believe is the size on 2-Chevy Blazer 4x4, & 1-on a 98 Jeep GC Limited 5.9. On my 97 Blazer 4x4 I drove it 75,000 miles without a service & with LubeGard & a B&M SuperCooler. When I had it changed I asked the tranny shop how bad was the fluid. I knew what it looked & smelled like. They said it was just about due for a change. I said that fluid has 75,000 miles on it. They couldn't believe it.
LubeGard is an additive that is a friction modifier that has been tested & proves to drop tranny temps 40 degrees in hard pulling situations. You can buy it from NAPA I know, maybe the box stores like A.Z. etc have it.
Craig

Nov 29, 2012 | 12:18 AM

Bootlegger's Deluxe

Thread Starter

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Oct 2010

Posts: 1,690

Likes: 32

From: Delhi, Iowa

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franklin2

To be honest, towing with a straight six is not something i enjoy doing often. Its a little torque monster but it doesnt go too fast. theres a line of big block trucks for that.

Really, ive heard the pan is overkill too, but i really want a pan with a drain plug.. i may just make a drain plug for my current pan at the first filter change.

i've changed fluid many times the way you've mentioned, by dropping the torque converter, etc. The only reason i would use the trans flush machine from work is because its free forthe using, and it works

as for your question about the flush itself: when i do flushes ( i did three today) i pump 16 quarts through a tranny. the machine has a bladder system that keeps your old fluid separate from the new fluid going through, there is approx. 5% crossover ( what the rep told me as i was asking questions, when we got the machine) so basically, you're getting 95% new fluid. While some may argue that with a pan and torque converter drop, you would get it all, we all know, unless you go to severe lengths, that theres always some residual fluid in there. the machine always puts in as much as it takes out by the end, so if the transmission only holds 5 quarts, you have 5 quarts left. if your tranny was a quart shy before, its going to be a quart shy when you're done as well. when we first got the machine, one of my coworkers did a flush on his turbo 400 that had 100k on his original filter and fluid. after 10K, he pulled the pan to change the filter, and we took a sample to send in for analysis. it came back in excellent shape.

my personal belief is that auto trannys need regular servicing, just like engines. just not the same mileage intervals. i plan on doing both flushes and filter changes, and i think, as for tranny cooler, im going to try the cooler from my Bronco i parted out, lets see how well that works

Thank you all for your input.