Trans cooler questions

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moparmat2000

moparmat2000

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I normally run manual shift trannys but am putting a 42RH in my sons car. Doing a lot of mockup before dissassembly to finish the metal work. The trans uses 3/8" lines. Looking at different coolers. Thinking the plate / fin cooler is what I would like to get because of cooling efficiency per size. Many different ones some rated by extra towing capacity, some rated by BTU radiation per hour. It's all confusing for me since this isnt something I deal with normally. Not sure if bigger is always better in this regard. Car will be around 300hp 318, going to look for a higher stall converter and install a shift kit, deeper sump pan. Rear end gears will be 3.73s. Basically a fun street car. Theres one I was looking at that's 8.5"× 13" × 2" and 46,000 BTU per hour radiation. Rated for 20,000 lbs towing. This car wont be pulling a trailer obviously. Am I overthinking this? What size do I need?
 
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personally, I would never buy a trans cooler which is not hard line plumbed. Most leaks occur on hose ends and hose clamps. If you insist on using hose clamps, use the double wrapped clamps made for FI hoses and pressures. Regular 'geared' hose clamps cut into the hoses and damage the hoses, especially prone to over tightening.
 
rustycowll69 is right about the hose clamps you use. If you have to use hose clamps, the FI clamps are the best. The worm gear type clamps are lousy. I know there is not a whole lot of pressure at the cooler line to cooler connections, but the FI clamps are way better for any application you use them for, & any possible leakage with them is 99.9% nil. I took a factory installed trans. oil cooler off a junk vehicle that had the worm gear clamps attaching the hoses to it, and they were leaking for a long time. Someone must have installed them because I KNOW the factory didn't. Just my 2 cent's. P.S., NO Auto Manufacturer uses worm gear clamps.
 
The hose plays a part in the seeping too, lots of aftermarket cooler line isnt that great. I prefer the high pressure fuel injection hose to go with the fi clamps. power steering return hose is pretty good too.
some oem mfr’s use spring clamps on the hose.they seep too.
 
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This is the one I chose MoparMatt, came with everything to mount and hook up choices are hose or AN, I like the fan to enable mounting anywhere, though I still put mine in front of the radiator. I rigged up a few spacers to put a gap of a couple inches air flow between them. Summit has em. Made by Derale

5AF98570-2E95-4DE6-8B14-1B4D813AFC1B.jpeg
 
I thought I could use the 3/8" dodge dakota lines, but the way they route, they will be against the LH exhaust manifold. That puts this right back to square 1. And making a set of lines. How does a factory set of A904 lines run. I cant use the A804 lines since they are smaller diameter and wont work with a 42RH. Anybody got pix.
 
I have put a transmission cooler on most cars I have owned for decades. I always use the rubber hose and worm clamps that come with the kits. Likely millions aftermarket coolers on the road for the past 50 years, they work fine. It is only a few psi. If you want to make it look pretty, that’s another thing. I usually buy the biggest one that fits the space I have.
 
Mike69cuda said:
I have put a transmission cooler on most cars I have owned for decades. I always use the rubber hose and worm clamps that come with the kits. Likely millions aftermarket coolers on the road for the past 50 years, they work fine. It is only a few psi. If you want to make it look pretty, that’s another thing. I usually buy the biggest one that fits the space I have.
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Do you use clamps with push lock hoses or just regular barb fittings?
 
Problem I am having now us the lines. The stock dakota lines are 3/8" they route too close to the exhaust manifold. I will have to make new ones. Dont plan on running rubber hose from the cooler all the way to the transmission.
 
many years ago I was upgrading my 727 with a valve body from A&A, and a B&M street torque converter, so I asked Rick at A&A how big a trans cooler to use and his response was: "you can't find a cooler that's too big" so the one I have is often confused with an AC unit in front of the Radiator.. I had a local shop that makes pressure hoses make a set from the trans to the cooler. They run up over the inner fender shock tower and solved all my routing issues. Been in place over 15 years.

Respond to this if you are interested and I'll take pictures.
 
yellow rose said:
Do you use clamps with push lock hoses or just regular barb fittings?
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I’m not sure that I have used any push lock, but my memory really sucks anymore. Many of them have a radiator adapter that you slide the hose over a flare fitting and clamp it. The coolers have barbed fittings for the hoses.

Back in my youth when I was young & stupid (not young anymore), I remember just sliding hose on a cut steel line to install one. Came back off & made a real mess. Made a real impression on me, so I have been careful on installs since. Most of mine have been on vans & sedans that I towed a trailer with. Would be better all hard plumbed in I suspect, but on daily driver boring cars I have never had the urge to make it too special.
 
Most of these transmission cooler discussions are very qualitative rather than quantitative. It would be interesting to see some real data from people with trans temp gauges and before and after readings to see how they really perform. These discussions are usually completely void of any real data.

All I really know is that I have had very few transmission problems, so I assume my transmission coolers are doing thier job.
 
Krooser said:
Stacked plate radiators cool the best...that goes for oil coolers too.
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no need for hi dollar coolers , I `ve run regular aftermarket coolers with and without going thru the rad , and never had a heat related problem.
I run my ''hose '' that I bought from american hose supply, and barbed fittings thru the rad. , and then thru the cooler and back to the trans , it runs cooler than the engine does that way . Always be sure to insulate where its close to headers tho----
 
Mike69cuda said:
Most of these transmission cooler discussions are very qualitative rather than quantitative. It would be interesting to see some real data from people with trans temp gauges and before and after readings to see how they really perform. These discussions are usually completely void of any real data.

All I really know is that I have had very few transmission problems, so I assume my transmission coolers are doing thier job.
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I don't know how much experience you've had with rubber trans cooling lines, but I've run into 3 different occasions in the past 10yrs: 2 intrepids and a stratus where rubber hoses have leaked. 2 of the three were due to barbed fittings, overtightened gear drive hose clamps shredding the hoses. The third was a factory rubber hose in the middle of two steel lines which became saturated with oil and just sweated ATF. So, yeah rubber hose may work for you, but I don't think the convenience of rubber hose is worth the risks.
 
@moparmat2000 I made my own cooler lines using 3/8 bulk hard line. There isn't much bending to do, as I ran mine on the passenger frame rail and then through a hole in the radiator support. I just had to put a soft 90 where the lines go into the trans.

I did use a short piece of hose that came with the cooler to make the final connection. I also used EFI hose clamps.
 
rustycowll69 said:
I don't know how much experience you've had with rubber trans cooling lines, but I've run into 3 different occasions in the past 10yrs: 2 intrepids and a stratus where rubber hoses have leaked. 2 of the three were due to barbed fittings, overtightened gear drive hose clamps shredding the hoses. The third was a factory rubber hose in the middle of two steel lines which became saturated with oil and just sweated ATF. So, yeah rubber hose may work for you, but I don't think the convenience of rubber hose is worth the risks.
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Actually quite a bit , routing, double clamped , and insulated where close to any heat , ''special hose'' on 5 diff cars , 67 hemi belvedere , 72/406 vega, 92 gmc/406 pick up , and 505'' barracuda are 4 of them . Common sense prevails , just like on fuel line , shifter cable routing .
 
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