Well summer is here. After seeing the Trans Hot light a couple times in heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic on a hot day, I decided to revamp the trans cooling. Never have liked that the radiator cools both the engine and the trans, so I switched to a Derale 13504 as my standalone trans cooling. Test drive today, it was 5 degrees C warmer than a drive I take regularly, and the trans ran 6 degrees cooler - great success!

During installation, I noticed something - there wasn't a whole lot of fluid that came out of the trans portion of the radiator, so I started to think: How much of the radiator is actually used to cool the trans? Nothing major - more just a curiosity.

Might be time to do the radiator soon though - had a tiny leak from the bottom left of the rad - it is definitely ATF. Even though I'm not using those channels for cooling anymore, I still don't like that a crack has started.

 

Cooler in the radiator isn't real big, it's essentially just a tube with fins running up inside the end cap of the radiator. For the most part, it doesn't need to be real big, as a fluid to water cooler is MUCH more efficient than a fluid to air cooler. (which is why the add-on coolers tend to be much bigger)

That said, considering where you live, your trans should NEVER get hot, regardless of what you are doing. Think I might be tempted to flush the trans cooler lines out, and make sure you are getting good flow thru it.

 

Fair point. The fluids and filters are due in 10k, might do them a little early once I get my new shop set up.

Thanks, was more just a curiosity about the radiator.

 

New shop? We want pics.

 

Haha we take possession on the 3rd... I convinced the missus we need 220 and a tire changer and balancer. She got her kitchen, I got my shop! Pics when it's done lol

 

LOLOL. Awesome! Lookin' forward to seeing it.