Transmission Cooler Question

[sailingdo]

I have a 92 SVX LS-L. On my 3rd Transmission in 3 years. I am interested in extending transmission life. I am looking for advice on the transmission cooler recommendations. I have been through some of the previous posts and am just left confused.

What is the problem we are trying to solve with this modification? What is causing the transmission failures? High ATF temp, Low ATF Flow, Both? Is this supported by any evidence?

Second, is there any evidence that any cooler modification will extend transmission life? If so, there are other questions?

1. Parallel, Series, or Bypass Stock Completely?
2. Air cooled or Water cooled?
3. Which specific cooler is recommended?
4. Is cooler modification recommended by Subaru?
5. Will it void my 2y/24k Subaru warranty on my 3rd tranny?

Thanks for your help.
Eric.

[zsvx]

Originally posted by sailingdo
I have a 92 SVX LS-L. On my 3rd Transmission in 3 years. I am interested in extending transmission life. I am looking for advice on the transmission cooler recommendations. I have been through some of the previous posts and am just left confused.

What is the problem we are trying to solve with this modification? What is causing the transmission failures? High ATF temp, Low ATF Flow, Both? Is this supported by any evidence?

Second, is there any evidence that any cooler modification will extend transmission life? If so, there are other questions?

1. Parallel, Series, or Bypass Stock Completely?
2. Air cooled or Water cooled?
3. Which specific cooler is recommended?
4. Is cooler modification recommended by Subaru?
5. Will it void my 2y/24k Subaru warranty on my 3rd tranny?

Thanks for your help.
Eric.

Sorry to hear about your tranny troubles. I think the consensus on this one is if you have gone through 3 transmission in 3 years then they are obviously not being installed correctly. What I mean by that is when you get a new transmission don't just replace the transmission. Replace all the lines that the ATF flows through, make sure the external filter is installed, and add the cooler when the new transmission is installed, bypassing your obviously clogged up radiator.

There is a lot of argument over parallel vs. series set ups but in your case where radiator flow restriction is pretty much a given I would bypass it completely. The problem is the cooler in the radiator gets clogged there by restricting the flow of ATF through the cooler making the ATF run at much higher temps than it should. You should also consider installing a transmission temp. gauge along with your cooler. The most popular cooler is one of the B&M series. You may also want to consider using a Perma-cool unit that includes a fan however I'm not sure if this is overkill or not (I installed one myself just haven't got the temp. gauge in yet.)

[1994SubaruSVX]

i opted to bypass my stock cooler. if i bypass the damn thing i know for sure it wont clog and destroy my tranny. plus the b&m cooler is rated to cool auto tranny's on much larger vehicles than my 3485lb SVX. my cooler is rated at 19,000 gvw. go online and do some research on tranny coolers. trust me, you will find plenty to read. beyond bypassing the stock cooler i would run them parallel. running them in a series seems counter inuitive. if you run them in a series and the first one clogs then it doesnt matter what the cooling power of the second one is because it will not work either. hopefully we have helped you make a more educated decision. :)