Depending how you want to use the vehicle, this is not a good idea. If your cooling system is in good health, then there is no need for this. The transmission, especially if it is being worked at all, needs the radiator cooling in the loop since it works MUCH better than an auxiliary air cooler. Without it you are just asking for your trans to overheat and die.

I would be very interested to see if an automatic transmission really increased the cooling load on the system much.

 

what I learned is everyone has their own choice Thanks joey!

 

Joey I apologize I sent your thread off the rails here. It seems like I do that fairly often ( not intentionally ) .

The 302 and 300 will both get the job done. In stock form the 302 will need higher rpm's to do the same job the 4.9L will do at a lower rpm. A small load like a small boat or utility trailer will be nothing for either engine. But on heavier loads both will work harder then a larger engine would though.

Mileage will depend on what vehicle they are in and how much weight you are towing. They get pretty similar mileage when working hard. The 302 will get a couple mpg's better when empty.

In stock form the 300 was way restricted when compared to the 302. Just compare the two throttle bodies or carbs side by side. See how well the 302 would perform with a tiny throttle body or 1V carb. I think Ford did this so it's "base" engine wouldn't out perform one of their V8's.

Here's a picture of my old 87 F250 with a 302/NP435 4spd and 3.73 gears with one of the loads I hauled with it. It was a 84 F250 4x4 extended cab with a 351W/ 4spd. It pulled it with no problems.





I don't have the pics of the loads I hauled with my 300's. Most of them looked pretty much like the 302 one. I lost them all when my last computer crapped out ( didn't back them up ) . The only one I have left is my old 78 F150 4x4 ( 300/4spd ) that had most of a late 90's dodge caravan in it's box.





It's really just the persons preference. If you are a V8 guy then you'll prefer the 302. If you are a 300 fan then that's the engine you'll prefer. I know I can build a 300 that will out perform a 302 for towing. But most people aren't as into them as much as I am.

 

I didn't say in FRONT OF the radiator. I said BEFORE the radiator. Plumb it in between the transmission output and the radiator, so you dump heat to the air before it enters the radiator.

By the way, take a look at the AC heat exchange or transmission cooler on any factory setup. Where are they? In front of the radiator. They dump more heat than the radiator absorbs, even though it may absorb some (depending on the relative temps). At the very least, the radiator will lose less heat than if the trans cooler were NOT there, so you are right in that it's not the best place for it.

 

Not really. Yes, fluid to fluid heat transfer is much more effective, but radiator trans coolers have very little surface area, so there's a trade off.

Look at modern trucks and you'll find they often have THREE coolers - before the radiator, the radiator, and after the radiator.



There's No mystery on that. There are tons of data. Yes, they do.

But, unless you are towing heavily, it's not an issue. There's plenty of cooling capacity in the stock setup for casual use.

 

The trade off would depend on the size of the oil to air cooler. Use a bigger cooler and the would be no trade off. This is what I did with the C4 in my Comet before the swap to the Toploader. And I spaced it as far away as I could from the radiator, probly 6 inches if I recall

 

Exactly. Ever see the trans cooler on an F550? It's a monster.