Keeping cool
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 89
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Keeping cool
George,
Nice pictures. Looks like not much trouble to remove the hot filter without spilling oil. Thanks for sharing your site.
Yours looks like a single filter unit and I need to find space to mount a remote double [2]-oil filter unit, and be able to remote the filters without spilling oil.
Also, can you describe what a stacked plate oil cooler looks like? Or, why are there is less back pressure? I don't think my cooler is a stacked plate design but it has been in operation on this third E4OD trans for over 60K miles. I've had three E4OD trans replaced. The first was covered under ford warranty. The other two cost mucho dinero!! So I don't want to do it again. The ford tranny person said that you cannot buy a completely new E4OD trans from ford, you can only get a remanufactured unit. These remans vary in quality and in the trouble you will find with them. I was also told by ford trans person the life of E4OD's is less than 100k miles even with regular oil changes.
Is that horizontally mounted electic fan in the front corner part of the tranny cooler? If it is, why did you opt to cool the cooler that way vs. inline w/ the other radiators. I stacked the tranny and engine oil coolers side by side in front of my radiator, and they have not impeded airflow to cause any thermal problems.
best,
Ron
'90EB 351W sportsman block, edlebrock upper/lower intake, gt40 ci heads, 2020 crane cam, msd6a, jba headers, borla catback, tokiko & edelbrk IAS shock, FMS lightning power pkg [30# inj., modif ECU, 80mm maf,air intake system] 190k miles
Nice pictures. Looks like not much trouble to remove the hot filter without spilling oil. Thanks for sharing your site.
Yours looks like a single filter unit and I need to find space to mount a remote double [2]-oil filter unit, and be able to remote the filters without spilling oil.
Also, can you describe what a stacked plate oil cooler looks like? Or, why are there is less back pressure? I don't think my cooler is a stacked plate design but it has been in operation on this third E4OD trans for over 60K miles. I've had three E4OD trans replaced. The first was covered under ford warranty. The other two cost mucho dinero!! So I don't want to do it again. The ford tranny person said that you cannot buy a completely new E4OD trans from ford, you can only get a remanufactured unit. These remans vary in quality and in the trouble you will find with them. I was also told by ford trans person the life of E4OD's is less than 100k miles even with regular oil changes.
Is that horizontally mounted electic fan in the front corner part of the tranny cooler? If it is, why did you opt to cool the cooler that way vs. inline w/ the other radiators. I stacked the tranny and engine oil coolers side by side in front of my radiator, and they have not impeded airflow to cause any thermal problems.
best,
Ron
'90EB 351W sportsman block, edlebrock upper/lower intake, gt40 ci heads, 2020 crane cam, msd6a, jba headers, borla catback, tokiko & edelbrk IAS shock, FMS lightning power pkg [30# inj., modif ECU, 80mm maf,air intake system] 190k miles
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,882
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From: Nevada
Keeping cool
Without the trans/engine oil coolers you'd have plenty of room for a double filter mount. I don't run a dual filter because I didn't want the additional oil pressure flow impedence.
I don't understand the back pressure statement. The tube type coolers have no restrictions, and that's one of their problems. To achieve maximum efficiency, you need to add a thermostatic bypass to avoid running cold oil for too long a period of time, especially in winter climates.
The stacked plate design acts as a thermostat, allowing cold oil to bypass the plates section of the cooler until viscosity thins by the trans/engine oils reaching normal operating temps. You want the engine/trans oils to reach normal operating temps ASAP to avoid premature wear.
The mounting plate for the coolers (bottom, you can't see it) has 1/2" holes driiled like swiss cheese to allow airflow to be pulled through them by the 10" puller fan. I chose mounting them there to avoid any restriction of the radiator. I run uncoated headers and at idle/off-idle with A/C on in summertime temps of 110+ degrees in the desert, 460 performance engine cooling becomes an issue. I have two 12" pusher fans in front of the A/C condenser, which, when combined with the 7-blade mechanical fan and shroud, keeps summer idle temps at 200-210.
I don't understand the back pressure statement. The tube type coolers have no restrictions, and that's one of their problems. To achieve maximum efficiency, you need to add a thermostatic bypass to avoid running cold oil for too long a period of time, especially in winter climates.
The stacked plate design acts as a thermostat, allowing cold oil to bypass the plates section of the cooler until viscosity thins by the trans/engine oils reaching normal operating temps. You want the engine/trans oils to reach normal operating temps ASAP to avoid premature wear.
The mounting plate for the coolers (bottom, you can't see it) has 1/2" holes driiled like swiss cheese to allow airflow to be pulled through them by the 10" puller fan. I chose mounting them there to avoid any restriction of the radiator. I run uncoated headers and at idle/off-idle with A/C on in summertime temps of 110+ degrees in the desert, 460 performance engine cooling becomes an issue. I have two 12" pusher fans in front of the A/C condenser, which, when combined with the 7-blade mechanical fan and shroud, keeps summer idle temps at 200-210.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 189
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Keeping cool
I have tried your same set up. I bought the dual electric fans and installed a 4 core new brass radiator, (out of a f-350) I have a 180 degree thermostat. The truck ran warmer with the brass radiator than the original aluminum radiator. I ditched the brass rad. for new Modine Radiator and it works great. I am having the same problems with my fans that you are, I love the power gains but they are not reliable. The thermostat box recently melted and I am waiting for a new one from flex-a-lite. I dont care what anyone else says the flex-a-lite fans pulls much harder than the stock pulley driven fan. I can drop a piece of paper in front of the car and it sucks it right into the radiator, something the stock fan can't do. Where do you have the thermostat box mounted, if you have one?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,882
Likes: 0
From: Nevada
Keeping cool
According to Flexolite, each one of those 15" dual fans pulls about 2500cfm for a total of 5000cfm. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but on a technical basis using a piece of paper I don't understand how 2500cfm (which is the maximum air thru radiator pulling capability of each fan) can be considered superior to the 5000cfm of one 16-18" original equipment manual or electric fan. Had you replaced your original fan clutch? They go south pretty fast and are a common cause of inadequate fan performance.
It's normally voltage draw that melts plastic electrical components. All the plastic mass market aftermarket switches and thermostats I've seen and used are rated for 20-25 amps and that rating is real questionable. I fried two 'rated' at 25amps before I went to quality switches intended for pure electrical, not mass market aftermarket automotive electrical applications. Those Flexolite fans are probably drawing 30-40 amps on a spike basis. I'd be curious as to why the thermostat fried and didn't pop a fuse before melting as there are a lot of other underhood plastic parts not affected by heat. Sounds like it functioned as a fuse.
I'm not trying to discourage you from using electric fans for cooling, but if you don't use quality products designed for a specific application it ain't no fun being stranded in the woods two days from a tow truck/parts store or mid-way up a long grade on a busy interstate.
It's normally voltage draw that melts plastic electrical components. All the plastic mass market aftermarket switches and thermostats I've seen and used are rated for 20-25 amps and that rating is real questionable. I fried two 'rated' at 25amps before I went to quality switches intended for pure electrical, not mass market aftermarket automotive electrical applications. Those Flexolite fans are probably drawing 30-40 amps on a spike basis. I'd be curious as to why the thermostat fried and didn't pop a fuse before melting as there are a lot of other underhood plastic parts not affected by heat. Sounds like it functioned as a fuse.
I'm not trying to discourage you from using electric fans for cooling, but if you don't use quality products designed for a specific application it ain't no fun being stranded in the woods two days from a tow truck/parts store or mid-way up a long grade on a busy interstate.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 152
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Keeping cool
Just an update...I've decided to go back to the origional set-up: clutch, fan, and shroud. Runs perfectly cool no matter what load i put under it. Gotta hand it to ford on this one. It's worth the slight power drain caused by the fan than the large power loss due to overheating. I guess the electric fans will just be saved for another project some day. Thanks everyone.
E-man
E-man
