Why is an oil cooler necessary for an automatic transmission?
Do I Need a Transmission Cooler? Transmission coolers help to protect your transmission when you turn up the heat. Transmission Coolers help transmissions deal with the added stress and heat caused by towing boats, trailers and other heavy objects.
How effective are transmission coolers?
After adding a transmission cooler to most vehicles will net an average 20-25 degree drop in trans temps. As pointed out before, transmission temp increases of 20-25 degrees higher than 175 dramatically decrease your fluid and overall transmission’s lifespan.
Do you have to run a transmission cooler?
The need for warming the transmission fluid by running it through the radiator is not really a concern for most hot rods since they are typically only driven in fair weather conditions. When it comes to your hot rod you really can’t have too much of a transmission cooler, but you can certainly not have enough.
Can you over cool an automatic transmission?
Can you over cool the transmission fluid? Answer: Transmissions are not highly sensitive to cool operating temperatures. However, in sub-freezing (20-30°F) weather conditions, transmission fluid can actually gel up in an external cooler and cease to flow, causing damage.
How hard is it to install a transmission cooler?
Most transmission cooler installation kits may not be 100% complete for your application, so it would be best to assess what you need and what is included. While installing basic rubber lines might work for most, in some cases, your vehicle may need custom lines, which are more costly than standard transmission lines.
How does the coolant work in a transmission cooler?
Fluid heated by the transmission, engine, or power steering pump flows to the cooler. Air flowing over the fins of the cooler carries away heat and cools the fluid flowing within the fins. The cooled fluid is routed back through the transmissionvia the return line.
Why are cooler lines important in a transmission?
The transmission cooling line system is vital to any automatic transmission. It circulates the hot fluid away to the radiator via cooler lines and returns the cooled fluid back to the transmission. A loss of fluid leading to an overheated transmission can be devastating as the system loses its ability to cool.
How does a tube and fin transmission cooler work?
The tube-and-fin type consists of a tube that carries transmission fluid through the cooling unit. It has what are called “turbulators”, which agitate the fluid, which causes it cool more thoroughly by washing up against the inside walls of the aluminum tube.
When do you need a transmission oil cooler?
If you plan to install a transmission cooler yourself, then you’ll need to find a place to put it. Like your car’s radiator, a cooler relies on airflow to dissipate the heat, so it needs to be mounted somewhere that allows it to get as much air as possible.