Tranny/Towing Question...

[Chris0nllyn]

Driving home yesterday I was running at 155ish. I talked to WickedWrench, my good ole trusted Ford mech, and he said stop thinking about it and do it

Had me crawling under the truck telling him which trans I had, etc... gave me the whole run down on how to install it, the whole 9 yards. It's nice having friends that know your rig and have 99% of the answers


I am going to get one ordered today, hope to install it Saturday, and will run my first tow with it on Tuesday. So I will def have to post how well it works. Tuesday will be roughly a 2.5-3hr haul up to Gordonsville Va. So not to terrain horrible, but a few hills to get an idea on at least. And with it being the 3rd, I'm sure I'll hit some stop and go traffic along the way.

B&M Super Cooler! No need to have one with an external cooling fan, that's overkill.

While you're there, it can't hurt to change the filter and fluid. You'll be removing trans lines anyway.

Let us know how it goes!

Here's a nice run-down on an install. Granted, this was done on a Chevy Colorado/Canyon, but at the end of the How-To, you'll see the difference in temps.
How-To: Install a Transmission Cooler - Chevrolet Colorado & GMC Canyon Forum

 

[HollyRockJT]

Depending on what the wife decides to do tonight, I think I'mma give it a whirl and try to get it done. If not tonight, it will have to wait til Saturday afternoon sometime.

 

[HollyRockJT]

So, made an attempt last night, only to find out my 'complete assembly' was not a complete assembly


So, went to Advanced and picked up the adaptor kit I needed. Give it another go at it this weekend sometime. Maybe tonight if I get bored enough, we'll see.


Thing I don't get, is being I am going to tie into the connections next to the radiator, how I am gaining or not gaining from this?

WW explained it to me last night in cliff notes, but he went a little to mechanic on me, and I don't understand Something about a little bit a fluid around a tube that warms the trans up or something or another

 

[bcp]

So, made an attempt last night, only to find out my 'complete assembly' was not a complete assembly


So, went to Advanced and picked up the adaptor kit I needed. Give it another go at it this weekend sometime. Maybe tonight if I get bored enough, we'll see.


Thing I don't get, is being I am going to tie into the connections next to the radiator, how I am gaining or not gaining from this?

WW explained it to me last night in cliff notes, but he went a little to mechanic on me, and I don't understand Something about a little bit a fluid around a tube that warms the trans up or something or another

supply line should go to the external cooler, return from the external should feed back to the original supply to the radiator. That way you pre cool the fluid before it goes in the radiator, helping to keep the engine cooler at the same time since the heat transfer is less at the radiator.

 

[HollyRockJT]

supply line should go to the external cooler, return from the external should feed back to the original supply to the radiator. That way you pre cool the fluid before it goes in the radiator, helping to keep the engine cooler at the same time since the heat transfer is less at the radiator.

So, I got it set up yesterday. I was running about 166/7 when it was 90 out (pre cooler). I was running 156-160 when it was 97/98 (after install).

I'm headed out tomorrow, so I'll get a good idea of how it does being it's supposed to be mid-90's-ish.


What I'm thinking of now though, is when I get back, changing my routing. Instead of going AUX cooler to trans lines at the radiator and being done...I'm thinking about taking the 1 line to the stock cooler, and putting my radiator lines back in play. So basically, having the supply come from the radiator, running through the AUX cooler, through the stock cooler, and having the return on the AUX cooler in-line with the radiator.. Which would be 3 cooling rather than 2...

Does this make sense?

 

[bcp]

So, I got it set up yesterday. I was running about 166/7 when it was 90 out (pre cooler). I was running 156-160 when it was 97/98 (after install).

I'm headed out tomorrow, so I'll get a good idea of how it does being it's supposed to be mid-90's-ish.


What I'm thinking of now though, is when I get back, changing my routing. Instead of going AUX cooler to trans lines at the radiator and being done...I'm thinking about taking the 1 line to the stock cooler, and putting my radiator lines back in play. So basically, having the supply come from the radiator, running through the AUX cooler, through the stock cooler, and having the return on the AUX cooler in-line with the radiator.. Which would be 3 cooling rather than 2...

Does this make sense?

yes but remember that along with the ability to damage the trans due to too high a temperature, its also bad for it to be under load for any length of time at too low a temperature.
those that have the Allison will tell you that on some really cold mornings the sound of the trans is a bit odd due to the truck trying to tax it to warm it up quick.

If you have room you might be able to install an auxillary cooling fan in front of the cooler, and then either regulate it with the truck fan input, or just have a switch in the truck that you can turn it off and on with as needed

 

[Chris0nllyn]

You should have the lines hooked to the radiator also, and run the aux cooler in series.

That way the warm engine coolant warms up the trans fluid on cold days.

 

[bcp]

You should have the lines hooked to the radiator also, and run the aux cooler in series.

That way the warm engine coolant warms up the trans fluid on cold days.

and the pre cooled trans fluid helps keep the engine cooler on hot days.

its a win all the way around.

and dont forget that your trans now takes more fluid than it used to.

 

[HollyRockJT]

You should have the lines hooked to the radiator also, and run the aux cooler in series.

That way the warm engine coolant warms up the trans fluid on cold days.

and the pre cooled trans fluid helps keep the engine cooler on hot days.

its a win all the way around.

and dont forget that your trans now takes more fluid than it used to.

This is what we talked about after I hooked it up the way it said to. So it sounds like I am on the right track. It will probably be hooked up this way (in-line with the radiator, and then in series like so, the weekend of the 14th I would guess

Thanks for the input and the help!

 

[bcp]

This is what we talked about after I hooked it up the way it said to. So it sounds like I am on the right track. It will probably be hooked up this way (in-line with the radiator, and then in series like so, the weekend of the 14th I would guess

Thanks for the input and the help!

let me know what it does for you when towing.

I have been contemplating installing one on my truck with the aux fan in front of it. I would love to see my temps at 150/190 when towing on hot days.

 

[HollyRockJT]

let me know what it does for you when towing.

I have been contemplating installing one on my truck with the aux fan in front of it. I would love to see my temps at 150/190 when towing on hot days.

Will do, if I remember, or think about it, I'll log on tomorrow once we get settled in and straight. If not, I'll post about it once we get back (the more likely option)

 

[HollyRockJT]

Truck did fairly well. Averaged in the 175-185 range. Topping 200F - 3 times. Each time, the truck was saying it was 100+ out, and it was up hills to where I had shifted back into 2nd and was at roughly 3.5-4.5k rpm.

I'm still going to hook it up through the radiator an run 3 coolers rather than 2 though.

But, I'm happy so far!

 

[bcp]

Truck did fairly well. Averaged in the 175-185 range. Topping 200F - 3 times. Each time, the truck was saying it was 100+ out, and it was up hills to where I had shifted back into 2nd and was at roughly 3.5-4.5k rpm.

I'm still going to hook it up through the radiator an run 3 coolers rather than 2 though.

But, I'm happy so far!

I discovered that GM in their ultimate wisdom, decided it would be a good idea to put the factory trans cooler behind the bumper so it would get little if any air flow.
Im going to move it to a more open area.

 

[HollyRockJT]

I discovered that GM in their ultimate wisdom, decided it would be a good idea to put the factory trans cooler behind the bumper so it would get little if any air flow.
Im going to move it to a more open area.

Wonder if they thought it would work out getting the air from underneath?

 

[bcp]

Wonder if they thought it would work out getting the air from underneath?

hard to tell, but all the actual Alison certified mechanics on the other forum assure me that my temps are well within the safe limits of the transmission.

still want to drop them a few degrees if I can.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

hard to tell, but all the actual Alison certified mechanics on the other forum assure me that my temps are well within the safe limits of the transmission.

still want to drop them a few degrees if I can.

With a little creative engineering; and a bit of re-plumbing the lines, it sounds possible to re-mount the trans cooler in front of the radiator.

Anything here look like it would work?
transmission fluid cooler allison transmissions - Google Search

 

[bcp]

With a little creative engineering; and a bit of re-plumbing the lines, it sounds possible to re-mount the trans cooler in front of the radiator.

Anything here look like it would work?
transmission fluid cooler allison transmissions - Google Search

dont actually have to be that creative, right now the lines go into the top of the cooler, simply turning the cooler upside down and re-mounting would leave the lines at the same exact placement, but raise the cooler up high enough to be in the grill area. I was going to do this over the weekend but it was hot out. Maybe next weekend.