Quick trans cooler question

[Earthworm]

It's right in front of the radiator. When you look through the holes in the front bumper you're actually looking at the A/C condenser.

[sharky512345]

Originally Posted by Earthworm

It's right in front of the radiator. When you look through the holes in the front bumper you're actually looking at the A/C condenser.

Ohhhhhh, okay I get it now.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by shotgunslade

Assume installation is by removing center section of grille and dropping it down in front of radiator next to the AC condenser. Hope there is room. Looks pretty tight. Just wanted to verify that is the approach. Any other tips for that 30 min installation? Also, any tricks to the clips that hold in the center grille section, if that is the way in. Don't want to break anything getting it out. thanks in advance.

I'll be interested in hearing Soobie's response as well as I'll be doing the install this weekend weather permitting...

-Chike

[n00b on demand]

hey guys sorry for the late reply i just got back in the house now. I was having some fun highway driving with the SVX . After ya unbolt the radiator bracket...just swivel it back. The tranny cooler will drop right inbetween the rad and ac condensor with no problem. You dont need to mount it onto anything...after you hook it up and bolt the bracket back on it will hold everything in together nicley.

[n00b on demand]

These are the instructions i followed courtesy of Mark ( zeppelin......n00b!!) of the SVX network ....

1. Undo the bolts to the radiator, theres 4 in total 2 on each bracket.

2. Swivel back the radiator towards the engine.

3. Hook one hose up to your new cooler and clamp it down.

4. Slide the cooler into place between the radiator and A/C condensor ( looks like a small radiator)

5. Put a clamp on the drivers side tranny line so that no fluid will spill out.

6. Take the hose off and hook the hose from the new cooler into the stock cooler.

7. And put the line you took off the stock cooler into the new cooler.

8. Just pull the radiator back and put the bolts back on and your done.

[Chiketkd]

Excellent instructions! Thanks Tom (and Zeppelin)!!!

-Chike

[shotgunslade]

Soobiesvx93 and Zeppelin

Thanks very very much. My Saturday is now set up.

[n00b on demand]

Dont thank zeppelin....he's a n00b!!!!1!!1111!!!

[immortal_suby]

If you are mounting it between the condenser and radiator you might want to put some small pieces of foam on the 4 corners of the cooler or somthing similar so it doesn't vibrate against the fins and damage them. Most tranny coolers will come with small squares of foam for this.

[n00b on demand]

I didnt do that but its a great idea and i think anyone putting one in now should do it. I should actually go back and do this.

[Chiketkd]

Originally Posted by immortal_suby

If you are mounting it between the condenser and radiator you might want to put some small pieces of foam on the 4 corners of the cooler or somthing similar so it doesn't vibrate against the fins and damage them. Most tranny coolers will come with small squares of foam for this.

Great idea Matt. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do anything yet as it's been raining for the last 3 days....

-Chike

[sharky512345]

hey, what is a good ATF gauge that will fit in the ashtray? All the ones on summit racing are 2 1/16 inches in diameter which is too big for the ashtray.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by Chiketkd

Interesting results Lee. According to this chart posted by ImmortalSuby in a different thread, keeping ATF temps below 175* can extend the life of the trans to over 100K miles!!!



On question, when the car idles at a stop light or if you're stuck in traffic and tranny temps start to rise, what's the best thing to do for the trans?

1) Leave it in 'D' to keep the ATF slowly pumping around?
2) Put it in 'N' or 'P' to disengage the engine from the trans?

-Chike

Nobody has answered this, so I am just adding my 2c.

I would idle the car while parked and in N. Definitely not D.

You could idle in P, but the danger is, in P, one of the clutches engages to hold the car when stopped. This clutch operating could be adding to the heat you are trying to dissipate through the cooler/s.
{I know that the clutches usually engage only over a certain rev, but if you have a lot of ancilliaries on, you could be revving over this threshold}

And one last thing, do have the AC on. This will ensure that both fans are on in the radiator area, and pulling this air over the cooler will lower the oil temp pretty quickly.

Joe

[shotgunslade]

Thanks to Soobiesvx93's excellent instructions, I now have a transmission cooler.

A few further observations to supplement his list.

1. You definitely have to drop the front belly pan in order to get to the stock transmission cooler connections, but it is just 4 bolts, so no problem.
2. I wound up pulling the fans out, so I could get more clearance to tip the radiator back to get the plastic screws, furnished with the cooler, through the radiator and the cooler to hold it in place. I don't know whether I needed the screws or not, but I put a couple of plastic spacers on them between the radiator and the cooler, so the cooler woundn't rub against the radiator and make noise. With the fans in place, I couldn't tilt the radiator back far enough to get my hand between the radiator and the AC condenser.
3. Do you think all the knuckle skin imbedded in the radiator will cause my engine to overheat on hot days?

Thanks again, guys.

[Earthworm]

Originally Posted by shotgunslade

1. You definitely have to drop the front belly pan in order to get to the stock transmission cooler connections, but it is just 4 bolts, so no problem.

I don't know about yours but there should be 7 bolts for that pan (10mm).