tranny cooler and freezing temps

[Landshark]

i was thinking about sticking a thick piece of cardboard in front of my tranny cooler to allow the fluid to heat up to operating temps quicker in this freezing weather - you know how pick-em-up trucks have those grille covers for quicker warm-ups? anyways, it would be a royal pain in the arse, because that would involve removing the grille, and we all know how fun those clips are! i'm surprised that modern cars don't have a system to this automatically based on temperature. my 928 had flaps in the front that would close after 50mph?, but that was mainly for aerodynamic purposes. Subaru should put something like this in future cars, considering how many they sell in colder climates.

anyone have any ideas? i have a bad headache right now and can't think.

[mbtoloczko]

If the tranny cooler is attached to the front of the radiator, then you could slide a piece of cardboard in from the top. Just pull back the foam. If its in front of the a/c condensor, then I don't know of any easy way to get a piece of cardboard in there.

If you want a more permanent solution, install an ATF thermostat in the line to the ATF cooler. That's what I did. Works like a charm. Tranny fluid warms in about 10 miles, and holds at 150F (inlet temp) no matter what's happening (as long as the outside temp is below 50F).

[LarryIII]

Why are you putting an ATF cooler in a '97 ?
Just put in a good grade of synthetic ATF and change it once a year or every 15-20k mi.

[Landshark]

Originally posted by LarryIII
Why are you putting an ATF cooler in a '97 ?
Just put in a good grade of synthetic ATF and change it once a year or every 15-20k mi.

because i'd like to keep my transmission for a while.
the stock 'tranny warmer' is still not adequate to keep the transmission from cooking itself. after installing the aftermarket cooler, my temps stay at a nice 170-185, even in stop-n-go traffic on 90deg summer days. you can take your chances if you like - 96's and '97's aren't excempt from cooked transmissions, although their odds are much better. do you feel lucky?

mbtoloczko - yes, i can pull back the foam to stick it in. i had a migraine earlier and was thinking i had to pull the grille, but it is in between the rad and condenser. brain fart!

Mychailo, Would your setup work in very hot area? I live in AZ. gets 120 at times.. Would a tranny cooler work in a standalone install? I think i want to bypass the Rad. cooler.. Any ideas guys?

[mbtoloczko]

Originally posted by gamblergw
Mychailo, Would your setup work in very hot area? I live in AZ. gets 120 at times.. Would a tranny cooler work in a standalone install? I think i want to bypass the Rad. cooler.. Any ideas guys?

In a place like AZ, you could ditch the radiator cooler as you are thinking and then use the thermostat to regulate the temperature. Make sure to use an ATF cooler with sufficient capacity to cool the tranny under all conditions. Mount the cooler in front of the condensor, or alternatively, mount it in the fender well and use an electric fan to pull air through when driving in traffic. You can find cooler/fan units like that at Summitracing. I went with the Hayden thermostat because it opens at 160F while the others open at 170F. This thermostat is hard to find though.

[oab_au]

You all are missing the point. The cooler in the rad does two jobs, it cools and heats the ATF to maintain the temp of the oil at the operational temp.

Why do you think they used a water cooler, if an air cooler was better. The problem is fitting the air cooler, after or instead of, the water cooler. An additional air cooler must be fitted before the water cooler. This allows the air cooler to blow off excess heat, and allow the water cooler to stabilize the temp to maintain the correct temp for the box to operate correctly, even in frozen temps.

If it is pre 94 model, I would reverse flush the rad cooler to remove any dirt first, then fit a filter, then an air cooler, then the water cooler, in that order.

If it is a post 94, I would still fit a filter, as it is small pieces of dirt that flow in the system that jam solenoids in an operating position. The additional cooler depends on the area you live and if it is flat or hills.

Harvey

[mbtoloczko]

ok. Yes, if it gets cold enough during the winter months, then it is necessary to have the radiator cooler to warm the ATF and keep it warm when driving on the highway with the TC locked up. In that case, my pref would be to run the ATF through a filter, then the radiator, then the aux cooler with a thermostat in the aux loop.

[oab_au]

Originally posted by mbtoloczko
ok. Yes, if it gets cold enough during the winter months, then it is necessary to have the radiator cooler to warm the ATF and keep it warm when driving on the highway with the TC locked up. In that case, my pref would be to run the ATF through a filter, then the radiator, then the aux cooler with a thermostat in the aux loop.

Yes mate I know you like the thermostat system, nothing wrong with that, just a bit more money. But I would still have the water cooler last, regardless of the type of system.

Harvey.

[mbtoloczko]

Originally posted by oab_au


Yes mate I know you like the thermostat system, nothing wrong with that, just a bit more money. But I would still have the water cooler last, regardless of the type of system.

Harvey.

Yeah, its probably more a matter of pref. :-)

[oab_au]

Originally posted by mbtoloczko


Yeah, its probably more a matter of pref. :-)

Yep

Harvey.

[LarryIII]

Landshark,

If you feel you need an auillary ATF cooler on the '97, run both the stock ATF cooler and auxillary ATF in parallel. You will get the best of both wolrds and all it takes is some additional hoses and fittings. If you valve the hoses, you can shut off flow to the stock ATF cooer in the summer time, so all the ATF flows through the auxillary cooler. You can open the valves for the winter so you get faster warm-up of the ATF.

Good Luck.

[Landshark]

Originally posted by LarryIII
Landshark,

If you feel you need an auillary ATF cooler on the '97, run both the stock ATF cooler and auxillary ATF in parallel. You will get the best of both wolrds and all it takes is some additional hoses and fittings. If you valve the hoses, you can shut off flow to the stock ATF cooer in the summer time, so all the ATF flows through the auxillary cooler. You can open the valves for the winter so you get faster warm-up of the ATF.

Good Luck.

i do feel the need - it was the first mod i did to the car when i got it. i may do this when i have time, but sticking a piece of cardboard in is a lot easier for right now.

Thanks guys for the info. I am going to install a trans fluid temp gauge, where in the line should i install it? (sending unit) Fluid coming out of the tranny or fluid going in.? Thanks again.... Jim

[Landshark]

Originally posted by gamblergw
Thanks guys for the info. I am going to install a trans fluid temp gauge, where in the line should i install it? (sending unit) Fluid coming out of the tranny or fluid going in.? Thanks again.... Jim

all (auto) SVX's should have one. if you get a Perma-Cool external filter, there is a receptacle for a sending unit. my filter is placed between the tranny and the cooler, so the gauge reads the temp of the hot fluid coming out of the tranny.