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I got a bigger trans cooler to install in place of the factory one. What is the best place in front of the radiator to mount it, in front of the clutch fan or in front of the electric fan? The factory one is mounted right in the middle between the two, but I was thinking I should put it on the clutch fan side so it is always getting airflow when the engine is running.
I'm with you, the cooler should at least be partially in front of the clutch fan so it always has air flowing through it, especially if you're bypassing the radiator heat exchanger.
I will still be using the radiator heat exchanger I am just replacing the optional auxiliary factory cooler with a bigger one. I don't think factory auxiliary cooler makes that much difference because my trans temp still gets to 220* when driving the hilly back roads at 40-50 mph.
I suppose it would matter to me how big the cooler is. My entire cooler is in front of the clutch fan, but it is a small cooler. If I were mounting a large aux cooler, I would probably opt for 1/2 clutch fan, 1/2 aux fan so that the condenser and radiator weren't seeing so much heat and reduced flow at normal idle. In other words, I wouldn't want to block the majority of the area in front of the clutch fan shroud.
I put mine on the left side of the jeep in front of the e-fan. Then put a toggle on the e-fan so I can turn it on at will, cooling the trans and motor.
I didn't like the idea of blocking the primary clutch fan with the cooler.
here is a vid I made about the temps before and after install of cooler. Now keep in mind I have two coolers. The OEM and B&M.
Got mine directly in front of the a/c condenser,radiator, and clutch fan. Coolant temp never gets over 210 with a/c on even when poking around our backroads. BUT you can't fight success so what ever works go 4 it. Ought to add I've got a new cooling system to.
Im curious. What state do you live in? Reason i ask, I'm in SW Florida and we often eliminate the cooler in the radiator and run only a good external trans cooler.
...or rather, you'll never get the trans temperature lower than the temperature of the coolant in the cooler side of the radiator. At full operating temp (210), the coolant in the cooler side of your radiator is around 180 degrees. The fluid exiting your transmission is often much hotter than that, as you have pointed out. Your coolant temperature, shown by your temperature sender and gauge, is the temperature of the water in the engine block, not in the radiator.
Have you ever wondered why all the auto manufacturers put a transmission heat exchanger in the radiator and call it a "transmission cooler"? Heating of the transmission fluid is secondary to the cooling it provides. The reason you need such a huge plate cooler is because you're increasing the temperature of the fluid entering it by bypassing the factory cooler.
The heat exchanger in the radiator is not a just a cooler. it is there to help the transmissions get up to operating temps in real cold climates.
This is the Heat exchanger in the radiator.
I just got back from doing some running around..
Well these are my Trans and motor temps..
My Trans temp is reading off the hot line to the exchanger.
My motor temp in the dash.
My motor temp at the thermostat housing.
My trans temp at the gauge.(hotline out to radiator)
Temp in transmission pan.
The ouside temp when ripping around was 52f
Keep in mind I have the OEM trans cooler, and a B&M cooler.. both hooked up. I run super cold in the winter and I cover the B&M one to help keep the transmission in a decent range.
Last edited by Dumajones; 10-04-2017 at 08:38 PM.
Reason: fixing ****
Yes, it is a cooler. I guess the manufacturers have been calling it by the wrong name all these years? It also warms transmission fluid faster in cold climates.
I think you missed my point above. Your engine block coolant temperature (at the thermostat housing) means nothing here, except that you're showing that you're up to full temperature. What was the temperature of the radiator at the tank the heat exchanger is in? If your radiator was at 203 degrees on that side, it wouldn't be cooling your engine. Not even close.
I took some temps this afternoon as well. I was at full operating temperature (205 according to OBD II) after I drove 20 miles home today, stop and go and on the freeway after work. The IR gun showed 131 degrees at the plastic tank that the heat exchanger is in. Ambient temperature was 82 degrees.
Explain to me how 131 degree water would not be cooling my transmission fluid through the exchanger, assuming my trans was at a higher temperature than that (I don't have a trans temp gauge, but I'll bet it was).
Did you know that automatic transmissions have an ideal fluid operating temperature of 175 degrees? So, regardless of climate, the temperature stabilizing action of the heat exchanger is beneficial. Cooling and heating.
Sorry you can't see the laser here, but believe me it was pointed right at the plastic tank:
I wasn't doing the old prove me wrong crap thing, that wasn't my point. Yes it can cool also(heat exchanger but that is not its only real job)
I was just showing temps.. I can go dig up my termo cam and make a vid showing cool colors. I was just showing what Im reading on my gauges.
This is the temps now after sitting for 20mins just running.
Right. It doesn't always cool--it heats as well. But it is a cooler, and that is its real job. Says so many times in the FSM and every other service manual I've read. Stating that it's not a cooler is simply incorrect.
Think about it this way. If you removed the factory transmission cooler from the loop and didn't put in an aux cooler in its place, what do you think you would miss most? The cooling, or the heating? So, what is the cooler's most important job? It's real job? Cooling. Or, more technically, exchanging heat from the transmission fluid to the coolant in the radiator.
Aux coolers are heat exchangers, heater cores are heat exchangers, AC evaporators and condensors are heat exchangers. In the most basic of terms, they all do the same thing. Exchange heat one way or another...
Right. It doesn't always cool--it heats as well. But it is a cooler, and that is its real job. Says so many times in the FSM and every other service manual I've read. Stating that it's not a cooler is simply incorrect.
Think about it this way. If you removed the factory transmission cooler from the loop and didn't put in an aux cooler in its place, what do you think you would miss most? The cooling, or the heating? So, what is the cooler's most important job? It's real job? Cooling.
Aux coolers are heat exchangers, heater cores are heat exchangers, AC evaporators and condensors are heat exchangers. In the most basic of terms, they all do the same thing. Exchange heat one way or another...
Ok ****... Its called A cooler/ heat exchanger ****ing thing. Ive called them heat exchanger for years.
Well for me the heating.. Im in Alaska, my trans runs too cold without it. I did bypass thinking all would be fine. Could not get it above 110F until I put the radiator back in the loop.
Even dodge calls it the Heat exchanger. Calling it a cooler is too specific.. If its only job was to cool then I would agree.
I guess its how you look at it.. Some call it a Cooler for when in hot climates..Some call it a heater for colder climates.
10-01-2017, 04:44 PM
Aftermarket trans cooler mounting location?
