What kind of transmission cooler should I get?

[SVXalter]

Hey I'm looking into getting an SVX and want to put a transmission cooler on as soon as I get it.

What are your recommendations as for what is best??

[longassname]

Get a good plate and fin cooler with its own fan and thermostat and mount it in the drivers fenderwell. Connect to it only and forget about the cooler in the radiator all together--it is a huge restriction and should not be used. http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku


Forgive the copy and paste and I know it's a lot more information than you are asking for but I was just explaining to another member who already has a blown transmision how and why SVX transmissions fail. I think the explanation will help clarify why your decision to get an aftermarket cooler is so wise

I'm now offering partial rebuilds for $999 (assuming it isn't literally in pieces and doesn't have hard parts damage). Having rebuilt dozens of these things now I have found that they almost always fail in the same few places most of which are caused by a failing high clutch.

The SVX version of the 4eat has the strongest clutch pack arrangement of the OE 4eat transmissions (phase 1 transmissions) but the high clutch still isn't quite strong enough to hold well with the heavy svx. It slips at light cruise while the rpms are low. This is a clutch pack capacity/fluid pressure problem. When the high clutch slips while you are cruising around at speed it wears quickly and creates a lot of heat. The reverse clutch frictions spline into the outside of the high clutch drum. Since the reverse clutch frictions are riding on the high clutch drum they catch a lot of the heat from a failing high clutch. On the earlier models which have smaller reverse clutch frictions they are not able to disperse the heat quickly enough and fail along with the high clutch. The brake band operates on the reverse clutch drum and also becomes a victim of the heat from a failing high clutch. About 80% of SVX transmission failures are these high clutch with accompanying brake band and on the early production units reverse clutch failures.

Almost all of the remaining 20% of failures are a crumbled thrust bearing on the nose of the rear support caused by overheating of the bearing which hardens it until it crumbles. This can be prevented by installing a good aftermarket atf cooler and not using the oe atf cooler at all (the cooler in the radiator is a huge restriction and it should not be used). In addition, when I build a transmission (or a valve body)I modify the valve body to increase the lubrication flow to prevent this. A failed bearing causes a lot of hard parts damage. I can not do a partial rebuild on one of these transmissions and prefer not to rebuild them at all. A transmission that has failed in this way will have bearing rollers in the pan. If someone sends me one as a core they do not get their core charge back.

Since the rest of the clutch packs are always in relatively good condition I can do partial rebuilds of SVX transmissions that don't have the failed bearing at a very affordable price. I replace only the bad parts in these transmissions--upgrading the high clutch with better frictions and more frictions to increase its torque holding capacity so it doesn't slip anymore and modifying the valve body to increase the clutch apply pressure to further increase its torque holding capacity. With these partial rebuilds you end up with a transmission that shifts very fast and no longer has the weeknesses which take out almost all SVX transmissions.

There's no longer any reason for SVX owners to live in fear of an inevitable transmission failure that will cost more than their car is worth to repair. If you use a good aftermarket cooler and completely bypass the cooler in the radiator you won't get hard parts damage and when your high clutch and brake band do start showing symptoms if you send it to me to be rebuilt/upgraded you can get it back much better than ever for an affordable price.

[NiftySVX]

I still maintain that the newer radiator without the screen and an updated valve body would be good for a daily driver, don't you think?

[longassname]

Nope, there's a forum member who's taken pictures of one pulled out a disected radiator. I'll let him post them. You won't believe your eyes when you see them. It's a huge restriction and not much of a cooler. It just doesn't make any sense to use it.

Originally Posted by NiftySVX

I still maintain that the newer radiator without the screen and an updated valve body would be good for a daily driver, don't you think?

[ensteele]

Originally Posted by longassname

Nope, there's a forum member who's taken pictures of one pulled out a disected radiator. I'll let him post them. You won't believe your eyes when you see them. It's a huge restriction and not much of a cooler. It just doesn't make any sense to use it.

If you can, please get the pictures posted or have them send them to me. I would love to get those into the How-To Docs. Thanks

[Freeman]

Sorry it took so long... OT's internets is down and I just plain forgot.. Here's the pics we took..







Hope that helps..

[immortal_suby]

Michael, what do you think about the cooler in the PWR radiator?
I went from using 2 inline coolers bypassing the radiator (one with fan), to using only the PWR this winter.
So far the temperature has been only slightly higher than with the previous setup but it hasn't been really hot out yet this year.
Do you know if the PWR cooler flows better than the stock in radiator cooler?

I'm wondering if I should ditch it and go back to my previous setup.

[longassname]

I've never even personally seen a pwr radiator. I understand the atf cooler in them is a 3 pass and much better but you would know more than me.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by immortal_suby

Michael, what do you think about the cooler in the PWR radiator?
I went from using 2 inline coolers bypassing the radiator (one with fan), to using only the PWR this winter.
So far the temperature has been only slightly higher than with the previous setup but it hasn't been really hot out yet this year.
Do you know if the PWR cooler flows better than the stock in radiator cooler?

Yes!
There is no comparison!
With the stock in radiator transmission cooler, you can barely blow through it!
The PWR lets air go through it like its not there!
I had some #s posted, or PM'd a while back comparing the differance on an SVX with a bad head gasket up a local 8° mountain, and the change was huge.
I will see if I can find the old #s.

[Freeman]

Ot's right. I tried to blow through the oem cooler and it's like blowing through something that's more thin than a coffee straw with something lodged in it. If your investing in something to help keep things cool, PWR's your best bet.

[1986nate]

Originally Posted by longassname

Get a good plate and fin cooler with its own fan and thermostat and mount it in the drivers fenderwell. Connect to it only and forget about the cooler in the radiator all together--it is a huge restriction and should not be used. http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku


Forgive the copy and paste and I know it's a lot more information than you are asking for but I was just explaining to another member who already has a blown transmision how and why SVX transmissions fail. I think the explanation will help clarify why your decision to get an aftermarket cooler is so wise

Hey Mike, Would it be better to get the B&M 70297, it is only about $5 more than the one you linked to but larger core and bigger fan. Or would that be overkill for just a DD?

[svxfiles]

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...tor#post558271
Page 68, post 1020

Here is my post;"

I did some testing recently, and here are my results;

"I was recently road testing an SVX with a bad head gasket and made a series of runs up a mountain (8° incline, 2810 elevation, ambient temps were about 82°f, at the bottom of the mountain, and about 74°f at the top.)
With a Chinese (I believe a Silla) radiator, the engine peaked at 239°f by the top of the mountain, with the transmission temp at 199°f.
The following run with a PWR radiator netted 199°f engine temp, with a 174°f transmission temp.
The PWR is not for everyone, but they will not crack two years later, and will do a much better job of protecting your engine and transmission.
Tom""

[longassname]

will it fit in the fenderwell without too much work?

The one I linked to is not the one I have either but mine is not a kit. I run a b&m plate and fin cooler I had to make custom 2 part brackets for with a fan I picked out especially for it's cfm vs amp draw, an inline 176 degree thermostat, and the summit relay kit. I'm assuming most people don't want to go through as much trouble as I did. I'm not promoting any particular cooler; I'm promoting most any good after market cooler and not hooking up the oe cooler. Most after market coolers will probably do the job. I mainly suggest the fenderwell installation with it's own fan so people stop getting suckered by the argument that they need to hook up the oe cooler in series to warm their atf to operating temp.

Originally Posted by 1986nate

Hey Mike, Would it be better to get the B&M 70297, it is only about $5 more than the one you linked to but larger core and bigger fan. Or would that be overkill for just a DD?

[svxash]

Originally Posted by immortal_suby

Update:
Now running with only the PWR tranny cooler and a filter kit/temp gauge.

Below around 45-50 degrees it will still cool enough to unlock the torque converter with steady highway driving.
Tranny warms up to lockup temp a few miles quicker than in the past.

In traffic I am now seeing spikes over 200 degrees. Cools back down pretty quickly but still getting warmer than I'd like. I will keep it like this for the winter but will end up plumbing 1 or 2 coolers back in this spring.

I saw your reply in the Aluminum Radiators with 5 pass trans cooler post. Are these numbers still about the same?

Originally Posted by longassname

Get a good plate and fin cooler with its own fan and thermostat and mount it in the drivers fenderwell. Connect to it only and forget about the cooler in the radiator all together--it is a huge restriction and should not be used. http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku

Is the 175 degree temperature this setup provides the optimal temp for our transmissions?

[immortal_suby]

Pretty close. I see about 200-210 in traffic and it cools down to about 190 once I get the TC locked for a little while.

Unlike my previous setup, it now doesn't seem to continue down below the 180-190 range once it gets there.
With the 2 separate coolers and radiator heater bypassed it would cool back down below that.

But I haven't done any long highway runs yet to see if continued driving in hot weather would cool it down more.