Hi,

I have a GM350 with a TH400 tranny inmy '38 Pickup. Do I need to have a cooler? I do not haul anything but me and my gal and no racing.

Thanks, DM

 

No you don't need a cooler as long as your radiator has the cooler built in. I think I'd scrap the chebby motor and slide a 302 or 351w in it with an AOD transmission. You'd get a LOT better mileage and very similar performance.

 

Its a bit late about the motor and tranny. Both totally rebuilt and mounted. I'd heard though that the coolers were not needed at all, secondary or in radiator if you are not using it as anything more than transportation. Wrong?

Thanks, DM

 

Yeah way wrong. Any hydraulic unit without proper cooling will overheat and start destroying all the soft components. How do you have it set up now? Please tell me you don't have both cooler lines plugged. If you have the lines plugged say good bye to the transmisson the return line is used to lubricate the output shaft bushings on its way back to the pan.

 

someone help him find a real engine for that truck

 

Jeez you guys... I'm sorry about the motor and tranny! But in reality if they had not come with this half finished project, I'd have done as you suggest. I know this will be probably the first Ford with GM components in its......... Anyway, no I do not have those tubes plugged. I do have a cooler on the tranny, just didn't know how essential it was. Thanks for the infor. I'll cool er!

DM

 

Don't fret about the SBC, it's way less headache in your truck than fitting in a SBF engine.

If you have an external cooler only, make sure it's located in front of the radiator so the fan will draw air through it...but it's best to plumb through the correct radiator to keep the tranny fuid temps down.

 

its call hot rodding