Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Ok educate me...

Looking for an auto transmission oil cooler and noticed this alternative to the regular flat radiator style oil coolers out there?

Does anyone have any real world experience with these?



I'm thinking it might be easier to fit under the engine bay somewhere out of the way compared to the radiator style.

these work. used one to cool the auto fluid on my old shorty. very effective

The ones that look like radiators are the most efficient type but they seem to increase the line pressure as far as I can work out. The pipe and fines one are not really used much anymore as they've not got the efifciency. That one in the pic does not look like it would be very efficient at all in comparison.

Look at air cooled engines, EG your old victa. The fins on the side are designed to help with heat dispertation (sp) Does your lawn mower heat seize every time you use it?

They work but in MUD it will quickly become blocked and loose all effiency.

Also look around at fined type engines. Most are in static use ( not moving or slow moving) eg two stroke OFF road bikes Lawn mowers staionary engines on water pumps, gen sets, etc etc. All these small engines don't overheat and have limited air flow.

The radiator style coolers work better at speed when the get some air flow from the vehicle moving or an external fan.

So all depends on when you want your cooling done. There is NEVER one best solution to every possible scenario. Research and find out about when you need your cooling done and help us answer your question.

No first hand experience dank but I was considering running one of these for a ps cooler. Had read some positive feedback on Pirate from people using them in that application.

I was still going to mount it forward, but figured it would be more durable than the more common core style and 'might' be easier to package. I've not read any comparitive tech on the cooling properties though. Would be interested to read some.

Mates using one on his '32 Ford Tudor - Bolted to the inside of the chassis, cooling a C6 behind a 351C and to date has had no tranny heat issues, even towing a Tambo camper to Warnambool and Bright...

I use this cooler for my full hydro steering systems. I haven't had any trouble with heat dissipation, even rock crawling in the heat of summer. The radiator type I used before actually put to much restriction in the hydro system and a didn't dissipate enough heat. I couldn't touch the reservoir because it was so hot.

Thanks fellas.

I'm wanting to run this for an auto tranny oil cooler and I'm guessing it'll be most needed under low speed/high load situations commonly encountered in while off road. I would mount it probably under the engine bay somewhere as I doubt I will have enough room in front of the radiator.

I was thinking possibly attaching it to the passenger inner front guard in the engine bay rather than underneath where it'll fill with mud.

I also still like the idea I saw a while back with the radiator cooler and small thermo fan attahced to the underside of the bonnet drawing air through a small scoop.

Also increased line pressure in an auto would be a really bad thing wouldn't it?

Dank and locktup4x4 where abouts are these coolers from? would be interested in doing similar thing for my auto.

cheers

These are Howe

These are PSC

PSC

cheers bud, will look into them....

dank wrote:Ok educate me...

Looking for an auto transmission oil cooler and noticed this alternative to the regular flat radiator style oil coolers out there?

Does anyone have any real world experience with these?



I'm thinking it might be easier to fit under the engine bay somewhere out of the way compared to the radiator style.

Sparky had this style in his GU for PS cooling. From memory he still had it over heat.

Jock wrote:Look at air cooled engines, EG your old victa. The fins on the side are designed to help with heat dispertation (sp) Does your lawn mower heat seize every time you use it?

Most fins are aligned with the direction of air-flow. These appear to be finned in exactly the wrong direction and impossible to add a fan to if more cooling is needed.

They'll help tip the balance in a marginal setup, but I'd pick something different.

No enough cooler for auto trans. no way.

Everyone - Danks talking about an auto trans cooler NOT power steer.

Dank, have a look at the large PWR auto trans coolers at Repco.

The three speed jatco you have is going to be working fairly hard against the 20V. I'd be getting the biggest cooler you can reasonably fit, and a temp gauge.

Steve.

dank wrote:Ok educate me...

Looking for an auto transmission oil cooler and noticed this alternative to the regular flat radiator style oil coolers out there?

Does anyone have any real world experience with these?



I'm thinking it might be easier to fit under the engine bay somewhere out of the way compared to the radiator style.

Looks like an RF heatsink. Usually only good for up to a kilowatt or 2 of heat dissipation at 100% duty cycle without forced air = personally, I'd go with the radiator type.

With any trans it's good to run it through the radiator first for heating and cooling of the oil but the pwr style of air cooler are the best. alot of people don't like running it through the radiator but it has the best sort of heat transfer best example of this is warm a piece of steel with and oxy and try and cool it with an air blower and see how long it takes compared to dunking the piece of steel in water.

Modified Toy wrote:With any trans it's good to run it through the radiator first for heating and cooling of the oil but the pwr style of air cooler are the best. alot of people don't like running it through the radiator but it has the best sort of heat transfer best example of this is warm a piece of steel with and oxy and try and cool it with an air blower and see how long it takes compared to dunking the piece of steel in water.

But wouldn't this run the risk of excessively heating up the engine coolant, thereby reducing the efficiency of the engine cooling system? At worst, if the enigne cooling system was at its limits, couldn't it tip toward failure?

Many years ago I had an XA GT coupe (Gen JG66) with an FMX and I took the auto cooling out of the radiator all together with a medium sized cooler. Never had a problem again with eithe engine or trans cooling.

In a 4B, with the trans working hard as well as the engine cooling system, particularly in low range with no air flow, wouldn't you want to give BOTH cooling systems the best chance of success, or at least coping?

I don't understand why in australia you'd want to go through the in radiator cooler before the air cooler.

I think the relevance of radiator coolers has more to do with super cold environments where you might be trying to maintain ATF temperature to avoid overcooling the fluid (apparently possible)

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:I don't understand why in australia you'd want to go through the in radiator cooler before the air cooler.

I think the relevance of radiator coolers has more to do with super cold environments where you might be trying to maintain ATF temperature to avoid overcooling the fluid (apparently possible)

Steve.

100% agree!!

Manufacturers are only going to make the cooling systems work with SMALL margins for error, or in this case, over work. If you combine a hot Ozzie day, in a hot environment, with a heavy, loaded 4B, towing a boat/trailer/caravan, the vehicle that will cope unloaded or in cooler weather, will soon surpass its limits. With the auto fluid going through the rad tank, this would have to multiply the problems arising!

Has to be the single stupidest design flaw in MANY vehicles, and if I ever buy an auto, particularly 4B, a rad style auto trans cooler (not inclusive of the radiator) will be the FIRST mod I make!!

So boys can we say that the consensus for an auto cooling method for my application is to get the biggest radiator type cooler with a thermo fan and forget about the cylindrical unit?

I"m running a 20v 4age 1.6 with an Aisin-Warner 03-56 (A-41) mechanical 3spd auto (AE71 corolla) behind into my sierra transfer.

it'll be spinning pretty fast due to the high rev range of the 20v....

Yes. Whether you hoose to run the cooler remotely ( like in the tray) with a thermo, or in front of the radiator is up to you. remotely is probably best though, but adds $$ (extra thermo and switching to temp sense it)

You will also need an auto trans temp gauge.

Steve.

Im also setting up a trans cooler for a suzuki based truggy and had planned on using a air con radiator out of a toyota van with a thermo attached to cool a turbo 700.Will this be enough to keep it cool or is it a silly idea

Gwagensteve wrote:I don't understand why in australia you'd want to go through the in radiator cooler before the air cooler.

I think the relevance of radiator coolers has more to do with super cold environments where you might be trying to maintain ATF temperature to avoid overcooling the fluid (apparently possible)

Steve.

Manufactures will always go throught the radiator first because it is more efficent and cheaper to fit than air coolers,But they do no it's borderline that's why when you buy the heavy duty tow pack from ford or holden it comes with an extra air cooler for the oil in the transmission...

Most people think the water cooler is there to heat up the oil but it's not, The convertor does this quick on it's own and most Transmissions have a thermo valve in the valve body which make's the oil by pass the cooler completely untill the transmission warms up and then it opens and allows flow to the radiator for cold climates.

But if you have say a v8 in a Hilux the design of that car was not suited to that gearbox engine cobination so extra cooling will be on the cards.

Russell

troopy94 wrote:Im also setting up a trans cooler for a suzuki based truggy and had planned on using a air con radiator out of a toyota van with a thermo attached to cool a turbo 700.Will this be enough to keep it cool or is it a silly idea

That was fairly common back in the day. It will work but modern "stacked plate" style coolers are very good if you can afford them.

Steve.

Thankyou for that steve its great to be able to gain from others experience.