hi all:

i have a factory trans cooler. it measures 7 1/2" by 10 1/2 by 2". the feed line looks to be maybe 5/16". can some one give me an idea of the cooling capacity (btu's) and would this cooler size seem to be big/medium/small?

should it matter it is on an e40d trans, 4x4, 302,1996

thanks for any words of wisdom....the owners manual doesn't say anything about it

 

it's a small one. if you can put a bigger one on it doesn't hurt. i think for every degree coller you can get your tranny its like an extra 1000 miles of life. so in theory if you drop the temp 20 degrees it'll last an extra 20k miles and save you on the rebuild that much longer

 

Cooler trannies are good, up to a point. You can over cool a tranny. From reading and talking with tranny shops over the past 30 years, you do want a cool tranny, say below 180 degrees but you don't want a huge cooler especially if you live where it gets to freezing. A tranny runs better at normal operating temps. All three of my mid 90s vehicles appear to either lock out the locku clutch or let the tranny slip about 500 RPM when they are cold. it takes a few miles at freeway speed with the RPM slowing dropping to the normal cruise RPM, so I assume the factory builds in a temperature sensor to allow faster warm up. My F250 runs below 100 for maybe 5 miles on cold days. On 70 degree days on the freeway it may get up to 140. This is with the factory installed aux cooler and in tank cooler. I haven't paid attention yet to what it reads when towing my 8,000# trailer up 20mph long grades in 100 degree weather. I plan to check this summer.

Unless you tow, and assuming your truck is a 150, your cooler is probably fine. If you do want a bigger cooler go with the stacked plate type since they are smaller and more efficient than the older larger tube types. Pick a cooler that is rated as much or a little more than your total expected load. Let's say your truck GVWR is 7,000# and your trailer GVWR is 7,000#. I would choose a cooler that is about 15K to maybe 20K rated and plumb it in line with the radiator cooler and remove the one you have now.

Two tranny shop owners who could have sold me a new cooler but didn't and several magazine articles also give the same advice, cool but not too cool.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

thanks for the good info folks.......ya'll always come through. yes it is a 150 and yes i do tow. the present setup has always seemed sufficient but i'm gonna have to make a to from MO to atlanta at, or very near, the max gcvwr. just wondering if i should go for a larger cooler.

think i'll go ahead and install a trans temp gauge and then i'll know for sure how the temp is running,,,,,as u say jim i don't want way too much

thanks guys