Which would be better for my 01 B2500 with a 5.2? Add a trans cooler or add a larger trans oil pan?? I only plan to tow maybe a car once in awhile. I'm a little nervous about taking the metal lines out of the radiator and turning them into rubber lines with clamps. If one springs a leak, oh baby. Maybe just a big oil pan will give similar results. I doubt that I need both, external cooler and larger pan. Can anyone shed some light on this?? Thanks.

 

I personaly would go with the external cooler. I would add double clamps to the hoses for the connections. And just route the hoses away from any sharp and hot objects. I ran one on a truck I had and the rubber lines to the cooler were better than the old steel lines it had.

A large pan could interfer with ground clearance, and you still have to cool the fluid. I don't like things sticking below my frame and axles.

 

Go with the cooler. A larger pan only means more fluid, it does not offer a way to cool the fluid other than dissipation. Although the larger pan will offer more dissipation than a standard pan, it will not do any cooling of the fluid unless you are moving. The cooler on the other hand, if mounted in front of the radiator will not only have access to cooler air, but the radiator fan will draw air across it while moving slow or at a stop.

 

Thanks for the ideas. I'll probably go with the external set-up. I been thinking about using an fittings with steel braided lines. Costs alot more, but would provide the most reliable set-up. What about running the external cooler in series with the current radiator cooler?? Any thoughts on that one??

 

It's a good idea because in the winter, the heat from the radiator helps to warm the tranny fluid. This is good because cold tranny fluid doesn't flow good and will shorten the life of the tranny. The flow should go from the tranny to the external cooler, then to the radiator cooler, then back to the tranny. Otherwise the external cooler will cool the fluid that was just warmed up by the radiator cooler.

 

I would use it in the winter but not in the summer. For summer I would bypass the radiator cooler to help in the transmission long life. In winter I would use it to help bring the transmission up on its tempature.

ADDED I like what Alloro said about reversing the coolers in the winter. I also recommend running the coolers that way in the winter.

 

a cooler will do more cooling than just a larger pan.

i'd recommend adding a drain plug for convenience, either in the stock pan or the aftermarket. lowering an empty pan is a lot easier than dropping a full one.

rubber hoses are fine, just so long as they are 'transmission hose'. double clamps are added insurance. steel braided are overkill.

pics...
https://dodgeforum.com/m_717634/tm.htm


best price on Hughes Deep pan.
i think it was $160 including filter and gasket.
store currently down. temp or perm ?
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