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tranny cooler installation

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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 07:46 AM
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tranny cooler installation

O.K. I'm going to try and install a new BIG tranny cooler this afternoon. Here is the pic of my stock crap one. When I disconnect the two lines from the stock one do I just connect those two to the new one? Surely it's not that simple besides mounting it. Also, what size are these stock lines? This seems like a simple install but nothing ever seems to go simple for me.

 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 08:03 AM
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What size Trannny line are you going to use?
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Aireeek
What size Trannny line are you going to use?
I think the cooler I have found locally has 1/2 inch lines. My wife is picking it up on her way back from taking our 3 yr. old roller skating. I found it at a local Speed shop and they sell to a lot of truck guys.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 08:21 AM
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The one I put in yesterday has 1/2 inch lines as well but you need to step up to that at some point a 3/8 (or what ever it is) to 1/2 inch adaptor, then back down again to return it. Are you going to run it through your radiator or just bypass it as you are now?
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Aireeek
The one I put in yesterday has 1/2 inch lines as well but you need to step up to that at some point a 3/8 (or what ever it is) to 1/2 inch adaptor, then back down again to return it. Are you going to run it through your radiator or just bypass it as you are now?
I'm just going to bypass it as it is now. Can you explain exactly what you mean by stepping up from 3/8 to 1/2 and then back down again? I really want to get this done this afternoon.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 09:41 AM
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Okay, I have a little more info now. The line from your tranny is a 5/16 line and the one going into your cooler(at least mine is) is a 1/2 inch line so you will need a 5/16 to a 1/2 inch adaptor before the cooler at some point. Then the return line is the reverse 1/2 inch back to 5/16. The adaptor is hard to find so start early. NAPA doesnt carry them and refered me to EVCO House of Hose here in Salt Lake. I plan on rerouting my line back through the Radiator since I have read ( Thanks TJBEGGS) that this does help pull some heat initially from the tranny fluid before it enters your cooler. I mean, the whole point here is to lower the fluid temp, why wouldnt one take advantage of all the tools available to to them to get the job done more efficiently? Reek
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Aireeek
Okay, I have a little more info now. The line from your tranny is a 5/16 line and the one going into your cooler(at least mine is) is a 1/2 inch line so you will need a 5/16 to a 1/2 inch adaptor before the cooler at some point. Then the return line is the reverse 1/2 inch back to 5/16. The adaptor is hard to find so start early. NAPA doesnt carry them and refered me to EVCO House of Hose here in Salt Lake. I plan on rerouting my line back through the Radiator since I have read ( Thanks TJBEGGS) that this does help pull some heat initially from the tranny fluid before it enters your cooler. I mean, the whole point here is to lower the fluid temp, why wouldnt one take advantage of all the tools available to to them to get the job done more efficiently? Reek
I'm confused now. I looked at mine and the line coming from the bottom of the stock cooler goes to a small metal line that goes to the tranny. The line coming from the top of the stock cooler goes to the bottom of rad on lower right side of rad if your facing the truck. Then (if facing truck) another line comes from left lower side of rad and goes to another small metal line that goes to the tranny. I don't know How all this is supposed to be hooked up.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 10:55 AM
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Upon futher investigation, I will bypass my radiator and just run it through my cooler.So your pressure line is going through the radiator first then to the cooler then back to your tranny. If you dont bypass the radiator you will hook it up exactly the same. IN your set up the cooler is the last thing the fluid is seeing befor it goes back to the tranny. ie leave Tranny --> goto radiator--> Exit radiator--> Enter cooler --> leave cooler--> back to Tranny is the order your fluid is going in.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 11:03 AM
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From: Whitewright, Tx
Don't panic yet. Looking at your "crappy Stock" cooler that has worked for 270k miles, disconnect the two rubber lines where the hose clamps are at the cooler. When you see what it is you are buying will need to adapted (connect the existing small hoses to the thought to be 1/2" fittings) to the new cooler. Without seeing the new cooler I would use two 5/16"hose barb X 1/2" NPT male fitting and two 1/2 hose barb X 1/2" NPT female. Thread the 5/16 fitting into the 1/2" fitting. Connect the 5/16 hose the the 5/16 side and the 1/2" hose the the 1/2" fitting once the cooler is mounted and top off the tranny.

Next eat lunch.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 11:07 AM
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Originally Posted by MLCinNCTX
Don't panic yet. Looking at your "crappy Stock" cooler that has worked for 270k miles, disconnect the two rubber lines where the hose clamps are at the cooler. When you see what it is you are buying will need to adapted (connect the existing small hoses to the thought to be 1/2" fittings) to the new cooler. Without seeing the new cooler I would use two 5/16"hose barb X 1/2" NPT male fitting and two 1/2 hose barb X 1/2" NPT female. Thread the 5/16 fitting into the 1/2" fitting. Connect the 5/16 hose the the 5/16 side and the 1/2" hose the the 1/2" fitting once the cooler is mounted and top off the tranny.

Next eat lunch.
I will get the new one in about 2 hrs. I hope some of y'all are online cause I'll probably need it.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 11:17 AM
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From: Whitewright, Tx
I have about 10 ac of hay to go cut now, I should be done in about 2-21/2 hours. I will check the board when I come back in.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by MLCinNCTX
I have about 10 ac of hay to go cut now, I should be done in about 2-21/2 hours. I will check the board when I come back in.
Man sure wish we had soem hay to cut right now. I help a family friend who has about 500 acres and 165 of registered Black Angus. I cut about 75 acres of hay in the spring and it hasn't rained more than 2 inches since and that was back in May. We might be in serious trouble for the winter.
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 01:19 PM
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Tndiesel, I will pass on some final info for you. When you are all done, you check your fluid level with the truck started. Add the fluid ALITTLE at a time until you get it to the right mark. I changed all my hoses and put in a new 6.0 SD cooler and it took less then a quart of fluid to get it back up to the correct cold mark. I will check it again when the truck is warm to verify the level is correct. Good Luck. Eirik
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 01:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Aireeek
Tndiesel, I will pass on some final info for you. When you are all done, you check your fluid level with the truck started. Add the fluid ALITTLE at a time until you get it to the right mark. I changed all my hoses and put in a new 6.0 SD cooler and it took less then a quart of fluid to get it back up to the correct cold mark. I will check it again when the truck is warm to verify the level is correct. Good Luck. Eirik
The guy I bought this truck from told me it had the correct tranny fluif in it. That is Mercon, right? It is something else besides Mercon, like Mercon...
 
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Old Aug 9, 2007 | 01:48 PM
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From: Whitewright, Tx
Originally Posted by tndiesel
Man sure wish we had soem hay to cut right now. I help a family friend who has about 500 acres and 165 of registered Black Angus. I cut about 75 acres of hay in the spring and it hasn't rained more than 2 inches since and that was back in May. We might be in serious trouble for the winter.
In this part of Texas we had just the reverse problem. It started raining in March and did not quite until three weeks ago. I am cutting first cut hay. I have been lucky so from in that the bale counts are almost twice the average. If we get some September rain I will get another cut in late September or early October.

Did the cooler get there yet?
 
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