autocross72

I was just reading about the transmission heat exchangers found on the side of the block. I am planning on adding a cooler with a fan and I already have Mag-Hytech pan. A while back I was talking to a tech at a transmission shop and he said that tranny fluid can't be over cooled. If that truly is the case, would eliminating the heat exchanger on the side of the block help keep the tranny fluid cooler (I am on vacation away from my truck right now, so forgive me if this heat exchanger is only on earlier models)? The heat exchanger can't cool the oil below what the coolant temperature is and 180 degrees seems awfully hot for tranny fluid. Also, it seems like the tranny fluid would heat up faster than the coolant once you start driving, so is it really that effective for the heat exchanger to serve as a warmer for the ATF at start up?

Pete

Fishin2Deep4U

Think of a heat exchanger as a heat stabilizer.

While it's perfectly acceptable to remove the cooler, it does serve double duty of keeping the fluid/ coolant warm and yet keep the fluid cool. It is also the most efficient way to cool trans fluid providing the cooling system has enough capacity.

I removed my cooler because of the twins. At that time, the vendor I bought it from left me to figure out a fix as I was told to just remove it. This is not the proper way to solve the issue at hand, so I made up a new bracket, mounted it to the front crossmember below the CAC and have had zero issues with it.

It takes a very large oil to air cooler, even with a fan, to achieve the same results as the oil to water coolers which are far more compact.

Dave

Dmaxcrusher

I was wanting to know the samething because it is in the way of my twins!

RacerRon

That heat exchanger on the side of the block is not for the transmission. It cools engine oil with the glycol cooling system. Basically it keeps engine oil at about 180 to 200 degrees. This helps warm up the oil on those cold winter days and keeps it from getting too hot when pulling 10,000 pounds through the mountains.

Your auto transmission cooler is in the cold side (passenger) radiator tank. Manual trans has no external cooler.

pickupman96

I beg to differ on that one. Under the turbo is the heat exchanger, and there are two metal lines going to it. They go to the transmission.

impmouse

yep x2 take look at the tranny lines

autocross72

Dang! I wish that were true! See, now that would make sense! You WANT our engine oil to heat up quickly, and it can get up to 250* and higher when towing up a hill and 4 wheeling, which is hot enough that the 180-190* coolant would actually help cool the engine oil.

Is there a way to set up this part to cool the engine oil instead of the tranny?

Pete

impmouse

you all ready have and oil heat exchanger in the block ,,, behind the oil filter .. build in

Mike Holmen

There are four lines that go into the heat exchanger. Two coolant and two that are tranny fluid. If you plan on drving the truck daily, you need the heat exchanger. You need to warm up the fluid and cool it down. A race truck that's only driven in the warm summer, you don't need one. Its an easy install. You can keep one tranny fluid line, but the other one you have to make or piece together. There is 1/2 NPT coolant plug by the alternator, I put in an AN8 fitting and had a hydraulic shop make me a hose. I forget where the other one goes. My heat exchanger is under my bumper, I have a sport model truck. I also put in a 1/2in/out BM twin fan cooler and dumped the 3/8 stock junk. If you're tranny still gets hot, you can put in another 1/2 in/out where the stocker can out. Run full synthic fluid. These tranny get hot if you tow and change you're fluid/filters often, its cheaper than tranny.

Mike D

The heat exchanger is for the transmission. Your oil cooler is in a sealed housing behind the oil filter and is not visible.

John Faughn

I have thought of this also , during the time to look into this a while back , I heard that it was to heat up the trans fluid , to make it easier on the trans , also there is a temp sensor [ for trans fluid ] that will not allow the high gear & OD , till the fluid warms up .
Maybe with a built trans , it may be workable , I would say talk to your trans builder .
Being in the cold area , MN. -35*F does come around , we seem to be having global cooling this yr .
I am not sure I would want to get rid of it yet , also I do not have a built trans yet .

RacerRon

This is the part I thought you were refering too....sorry, my bad