Since I have installed my TCI stall and I have installed my B&M transcooler, deep trans pan and a trans temp gauge, Lately Ive notice the transmission temperature goes up about 195 to 200 degrees and the weather outside is about 70 degrees. Is my trans temp to high? I would think that with the trans cooler installed the trans temp should be within 175 degrees or less? I drive normal and I wasn't driving the car hard at all. Should I worry about this fluid temperature in my trans? Iam worried because summer time is very close and the outside temps will be in the 80's and 90's soon and I don't want my trans fluid to be heated up. Should the trans temp be lower? what would cause my trans temp to be that high? Guys with stalls what is your transmission temps at during normal driving?

 

Do you do mostly city or highway driving? The reason I ask is that unless you have a separate fan on your trans cooler, your trans temp is very dependent on your engine cooling fans when you're not moving a lot. From what I remember, my engine temp stayed at 190 or less most of the time, but my live scanning still showed trans temps at 220+.

 

the trans cooler thats built in the radiator is made to cool the tranny fluid down to the same temp as engine coolant, around 175-195, if you put a tranny cooler in, you should put it after the fluid flows through the radiator, and put the cooler in front of the radiator so that after it comes down to around 175-195 it can be cooled further

if u put the tranny cooler before the radiator, u end up warming up the fluid after you cool it, and if u put the tranny cooler behind the radiator it reduces the cooling potential because the air already passed the radiator carrying alot of heat from the engine, and now less heat can be absorbed by from the tranny cooler

195-200 is ok, for stock, but with the mods you've made u should be alot cooler, so where did u mount your tranny cooler and how?

 

Iam using the B&M 24,000 GVW cooler. I do mostly city driving and some highway. I mounted my trans cooler under the passenger side right by the scrap guard (dope style). I connected the trans cooler lines one to the top transmission line of the radiator and the other line to the factory trans line by the crank pulley. I wish I could use a fan for it but clearance is really tight. Would there be a better trans cooler out there that I can use?

 

So is the cooler in the path of airflow while you're driving? That's the first issue, plus you need to mount a fan or buy a cooler with a fan. You can use a manual fan switch, wire it in to the main fan circuit, or use some sort of temperature switch. Anyway, if your cooler isn't getting proper airflow, it doesn't matter how big it is it won't be able to cool properly.

 

yes the cooler is in the path of airflow, nothing is blocking it. I wish I can use a fan but I don't think I have enough room for it because of the fan size, it will be hanging to low and I am afraid it might get ripped or knocked off when I go over some speed bumps and steep driveways.

 

200* is not too hot when talking about trans temps. You should mount the cooler in front of the rad to get the best airflow thru it. It sounds like your just not getting great air flow over the cooler. But your not running too hot. in city driving if all you see is 200 then your pretty good. On the highway with the converter locked it should go lower.

 

Your transmission cooler should ALWAYS be put infront of, or behind the radiator!...NEVER anywhere near the bottom...Even if it gets airflow while your driving. What's keeping it cool while you're sitting in traffic? If you put it where it's supposed to be, your electric fans will keep it cool. We always mount our coolers infront of the radiators on 4th gen F-Bodies. There's plenty of room for most coolers there.

As also stated earlier...The cooler needs to ran "in series". This means in the factory cooler in the radiator first, and then through the external cooler, and back to the transmission.

Frank

 

Theres no room in front of the radiator. I can't mount the cooler in front of the radiator due to my slp ram air that goes down the radiator. So then when you say that cooler needs to run in series, the way that I hooked up my trans cooler is it the correct way from connecting one line from the trans cooler to the top trans line of the radiator and connecting the other trans cooler line from the trans cooler to the bottom trans line by the crank pulley, is this the correct way to hook up my trans cooler?

 

i mounted my b&m trans cooler with fan on the right side, kind of up by where the horns are mounted, i go straight from the trans to the trans cooler, leave the radiator out of the cooler flow(think of this what if your trans is running cool then you run the cool trans fluid through the 190* radiator, you are actually going to heat up your trans to your engine temp)

i have larger fittings in the trans case and run a -6 line to the b&m cooler and my trans temps stay below 160*f, usually in the 130-150*f
the built in fan comes on at 160*f and the only time it comes on is after im stalling the converter out hard while racing


most trans web sites have a trans temp to trans life chart, the cooler you can keep your trans the longer it will last

im using b&m part# bmm-70297

 

I've been building racing automatics for 15 years and I've seen every cooler, hooked up in every possible way.

Your theory works ONLY because you're using an auxillary fan. You can never mount a cooler away from the radiator unless using one. As for your theory about not running the fluid in series, you are way off base there. We've done more research on coolers and set-ups than I care to remember. Water is always going to be a better cooling medium than what air is!...Period, no more arguement. Why do you think your engine isn't air cooled? We've had temp guages on the ouput side of the trans, and the input side of the trans with every imaginable configuration tied into it. Running the fluid through the radiator and then the external cooler ALWAYS cools it better.

All this is complicated more by the fact that most external coolers are junk. A "tube and fin" cooler is completely useless. The only type that really works are the "stacked plate" type. B&M, Tru-Cool, and Long all make great "stacked plate" coolers...Or should I say MARKET them. The truth is, they're all manufactured by Long. Some people just choose to pay more for the B&M name.

Frank

 

Look at this page http://www.drivetrainsuperstores.com/instructions.asp

 

all i know is my setup works, if my trans fluid temps are in the 140-160*f range why would i want to run it through a radiator that is 190-200*f

the cooler has a built in thermo switch that comes on at 160*f and the only time the trans gets that hot is when im stalling out the converter during 1/4 mile runs, i drive it all over, city driving and hwy and the temps are in the 140-150 range

 

what should the trans temp be with a trans cooler like the B&M 24,000 GVW.