I've heard that transmission coolers can increase the life of the transmission by quite a bit. Since I like my ranger very much and would like to have it for a very long time to come, I'd like to get one for it. Where should I buy one and what should I look for in a tranny cooler? My Ranger is a 2007 XL with a 2.3 i4 and automatic tranny.

 

For what your looking for with that truck, you can go with the inexpensive tube and fin style found at most auto parts stores, RV dealers, and even at U-haul full service centers. (about $40)

I would do the install myself though if I were you, the directions are pretty straightforward. You will probably want the smallest one available and put it in series with the radiator transmission line connections. This will prevent "overcooling" in cool weather.

Whether you install it yourself, or have a shop do it, double check the fittings for leaks after a test drive, and again about a week later.

 

If you are going to bother installing a tranny cooler, you should do it right. B&M makes a plate type cooler with an internal bypass. You can get them at Summit. I run one on my van, and right now, the trans temp runs between 120 and 160.

 

I'm looking into these coolers.
Amazon.com: Hayden, Inc. 401 Transmission Oil Cooler: Automotive
Amazon.com: Flex-a-lite 4110 TransLife 4-Pass Transmission Oil Cooler Kit - 10,000 GVW: Automotive
I'm leaning toward the Flexalite one since the copper tubing should help it cool better. What do you think?

 

Your truck doesn't have a cooler? Interesting. Honeycomb type coolers are the most efficient. jd

 

My 1999 regularly tows 2000 lbs. plus, and several times a year 5000 lbs. plus. At 87,000 miles (with the stock cooler for 73k, and an aftermarket tube and fin to date) it shifts like it did when new. last year When I changed the fluid, it was still its translucent red color. The no cooler set up is sufficient, so a simple inexpensive tube and fin is plenty.

If you can find a plate type for the same money, so be it. but spending more doesn't make sense to me.

 

Both are tube and fin type coolers. They are not that efficienct at transfering the fluid from the tubes to the fins, nor are they that efficienct at transfering the fluid from the fluid to the tube. A plate type cooler is much more efficient. Take a look at this cooler

B&M 70268 - B&M SuperCooler Oil Coolers - summitracing.com

Yes, I know it costs more, but it fits better, and I use this one myself. It was very easy to install, and the temp gauge on my tranny indicates the temperatures fluctuate between 120-160 going up hills right now, and its 95 degrees outside. This cooler gets rid of heat very efficiently. In addition, it has an internal bypass valve, so that when the fluid is cold, it bypasses the cooler, allowing the transmission to reach operating temperature rapidly.

The factory cooler is a tube and fin, and it is nearly worthless. You can have a smaller plate cooler and still get much better cooling. A smaller cooler is much easier to install, looks better, and does not restrict the airflow to the condensor and radiator as much, and can be mounted in more locations.

As I mentioned earlier, if you are going to replace the factory cooler, replace it with a really good alternative, as opposed to something that is maybe 10% better, jump to something that is 110% better. The B&M cooler is rated to 23,000 lbs by the same test standard as the tube and fin you are looking at.

 

Alot of the newer vehicles are comming out of the factory with tranny cooler's allready installed. I would double check my truck to make sure I didn't allready have one.

 

Well, I just checked it. The tranny fluid IS cooled. Two aluminum lines run from the tranny to the radiator. Judging from the distance between where the fluid enters and exits the radiator, it should provide very good cooling. Thanks for the help anyways, guys.

 

All automatic trannys are cooled that way. What everyone here is talking about is an auxiliary cooler. The FX4 Ranger comes with one, for instance. They're meant to cool the oil during periods of heavy loads (towing) or hot weather.

 

Alright. What do you think of the two coolers that I posted?

 

The radiator mounted cooler really does not cool the tranny very well. If you look inside a radiator, that cooler is nothing more than a large tube that runs through the end. No fins, nothing fancy. It really acts more as a tranny warmer, getting the fluid to about the same temperature as the water in the cooling system. An auxillary cooler is much better.

I already stated my opinion of the two coolers you posted, they are better than nothing, but your system probably already has an auxillary cooler. As I mentioned, the heat exchange from the tube to the fins is rather poor, so that have to be large to work well. Tube and fin coolers are popular because they are cheap to build. A plate cooler requires more tooling and fabrication. But there is a world of difference in the cooling performance.

It would be not unlike comparing a BMW to a Metro. the Metro will get you from point A to point B, but the BMW is the ultimate driving machine. One can get the job done, the other not only gets the job done, but rides like a dream, has power to space, luxury surrounds you, and it makes your neighbors envy you.

A simple tube and fin cooler is cheaper, and does help cool the fluid, but a plate cooler will keep the fluid cool regardless of the driving conditions, even if you had a 5500 lb fully loaded trailer and a bunch of kids and lugauge in the back, without even flinching. You get abundant cooling, where the tube and fin cooler would still let the fluid overheat under the hardest loads. The tube and fin cooler has no bypass either, so when you are driving the truck in cold weather, lets say its 23 degrees outside. Even though your tranny is still cold, the cooler is chilling it, and the transmission will have a hard time getting up to operating temperature. This penalizes fuel economy, can have an adverse effect on shifts, and can overall do more harm that good. The plate coolers often have an internal thermal bypass, so that when the fluid is cold, it flows straight through and bypasses the fins. This allows the transmission to warm up to the correct temperature quickly.

A quick synopsis. A tube and fin cooler has the large tubes that fluid flows through. It flows through these tubes quickly, and the heat transfers to the fins where it is disipated. In a plate type cooler, the fluid flows directly through the fins, and constantly shifts from one passage to the next, which maximizes heat transfer. The fin coolers cool more than twice as efficiently as a tube and fin cooler of the same size.

The plate coolers are also much stronger. As you drive, your car gets repeated hit by small rocks, sand, bugs, etc. These repeated impacts can damage and clog the fins on a cooler. A plate cooler is much stronger, and does not rely on thin fragile fins to cool properly. If it gets plugged, simply spray or brush the bugs and debris off. Cleaning a tube and fin cooler is much more involved.

 

If you run the auxiliary cooler in series, this isn't as much of an issue as you might think. The coolant is thermostat controlled to warm up as quick as it can, and the trans fluid goes through the "warm" radiator to ensure it isn't getting critically overcooled.

And yes, there is always a better mousetrap. But people still have success with $1 spring snap ones with peanut butter on them.

 

It would probably be best for me to go with B&M plate type, since we can get pretty frigid winters here in Illinois. So which model would I get? 70255?
http://www.bmracing.com/index.php?id...ubcat=&pid=382

 

Well, that should be good, just pick a mounting spot and make sure the unit you get will fit in the available space.