Has anyone added an extra tranny cooler to their truck? I see a lot of talk about deeper bigger pans but would a cooler not be better? I am looking into doing a B&M cooler but would like to hear if anyone has installed one and how they did it?

 

Wow!

I'm really surprised nobody installed a tranny cooler? Everyone seems to rave about those pretty tranny pans and claim the temps are lower because of them. I would think a cooler would hold almost as much extra fluid and it has to cool better than a pretty pan?

 

Yeah I am surprised too. That being said the factory coolers on the 3rd gen are pretty good IMHO.

 

Some people have installed them, they work if you are towing heavy all the time. For anything less than extreme use its another place to leak and connections to maintain. The OE system is quite adequate if you remove the restrictions and fix the circulation.

 

So why does every one feel the need to install a expensive pan and claim it's to keep the heat down.
These trannys are known to have problems and heat is the enemy so why would you choose not putting in a cooler? Just seems strange to me,

 

thats what i plan on doing. its just money is tight right now. (extra tranny cooler)

 

Marketing hype and a lack of understanding how and where the heat is generated. Plus its bling one can point at and say "See what I got and how much good it does!".

To each his own how they want to spend their money, effective or not.


You can address the real problems and help the trans a lot more for about the same price or less than most of these coolers. Just depends on how you want to go about it.

 

how bout a little more info on how to fix those restrictions, geuss Im not familiar with those problems.

 

I put a extra B&M trans cooler on mine (2nd gen) with a fan. I wanted the fan for stop and go towing in traffic, and my tire/gear combo doesnt help. I mounted it up under the front bumper. The trans temp dropped about 5 degrees running empty and between 10-15 while towing. The biggest improvement is the stop and go stuff. I leave the fan off during the winter.

*At work now, but I could post some pics later.

 

If I had an auto, I would sooner put a gauge on it and just monitor it to see if there were any concerns. They seem to have cooling figured out on these trucks and I don't think it's a big issue unless you are doing something extreme. Like was mentioned, I would be afraid to add another cooler and provide one more place for a leak to start. When working in the industry I was kinda shocked to see how often a transmission is quickly destroyed by a cooler line that gets chafed through, or some other simple leak. That's one of the biggest reasons I stick with manual transmissions.

 

You made some good points, I was assuming one would already have a tranny gauge. My wife cant drive a manual and on top if it I have a bum left knee, so an auto is a must.

 

I have had my tranny gauge in the hotline for a while. I have seen no need for more cooling capacity. My tranny temp has gotten up to 190deg or so only a few times backing up a heavy trailer in the hot summer months. Normally I see from 130deg to 160 deg. That's it.

 

Normal driving and towing the temps on these tranny's will stay well within the safe zone. The problems begin with slow speed towing, less than 40 miles an hour or anytime the TC is unlocked the trans temps will get very hot in a hurry, enough heat is generated that the engine will start to heat up as well because of the water cooled heat exhchanger mounted on the engine. I think anyone thats towed a camper into the mountains knows exactly where I'm coming from. Personally I think I'm going to unhook the watercooled heat exhchanger and add a second air cooled one to take its place during the summer. I may hook the water cooled on back up in winter depending on how long it takes the tranny to warm up. With it unhooked though the engine will warm up quicker in winter because its not having to warm itself and the tranny at the same time. Either way once you heat soak the entire system it takes a long time for the trans to get cooled back down, its better to keep it cool in the first place.

 

I installed a 2nd cooler w/fan under the truck bed,only time I really need it is when driving in traffic or parking my camper.I monitor the trans- temp taken from cooler line (out) before the coolers so before the temps get too high I can turn the fan on...

 

You don't happen to have any pictures do you? What brand did you go with?