Is a tranmission cooler a good idea and how should it be installed?

[steppinthrax]

I have a 99 camry. I want to put in a tranmssion cooler.

But I was thinking of two things here.

1. My camry already has a transmission cooler, and I think most cars come with a transmission cooler that runs in the bottom of the radiator where the transmission fluid is cooled with the help of the radiator fluid. So that leds me to think the transmission should be warm but not cold. When you install a seperate tranmssion cooler won't you inhibit the ability for the transmission to reach it's NORMAL OPERATING TEMP which allows the transmission to run at optimal efficientcy.

2. When you run the tranmssion cooler do you run it inline with the stock radiator cooler your car comes with or do you totally disconnect the radiator cooler and use only the transmission cooler. If you run it with the radiator cooler do you put the cooler before or after the stock radiator cooler.

 

[lurk3r]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
I have a 99 camry. I want to put in a tranmssion cooler.

But I was thinking of two things here.

1. My camry already has a transmission cooler, and I think most cars come with a transmission cooler that runs in the bottom of the radiator where the transmission fluid is cooled with the help of the radiator fluid. So that leds me to think the transmission should be warm but not cold. When you install a seperate tranmssion cooler won't you inhibit the ability for the transmission to reach it's NORMAL OPERATING TEMP which allows the transmission to run at optimal efficientcy.

2. When you run the tranmssion cooler do you run it inline with the stock radiator cooler your car comes with or do you totally disconnect the radiator cooler and use only the transmission cooler. If you run it with the radiator cooler do you put the cooler before or after the stock radiator cooler.

Trans coolers are usually added or improved when you plan to use your car for towing. Alot of automatics have one already, its like a radiator, and sits behind the normal rad to cool your auto trans fluid. There is normally no need to upgrade it unless you plan on towing.

We had to add one to our 76 Chevy nova, I have seen the cooler integrated into the radiator, but its usually a separate unit.

 

[Vetterin]

The factory cooler is basically just a coil of tubing inside the bottom radiator tank, keeping it immersed in warm-but-not-too-hot coolant. About the only time this might not be adequate is when the tranny is under heavy load. An auxiliary cooler is supposed to cool the ATF enough to let the stock cooler maintain proper 180 degrees F to 200 degrees F temperatures before it enters the transmission on hot days. But on cold days, the stock cooler will actually heat the fluid back up to the proper operating temp?if it's after the auxiliary cooler and not before it.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: steppinthrax
I have a 99 camry. I want to put in a tranmssion cooler.

But I was thinking of two things here.

1. My camry already has a transmission cooler, and I think most cars come with a transmission cooler that runs in the bottom of the radiator where the transmission fluid is cooled with the help of the radiator fluid. So that leds me to think the transmission should be warm but not cold. When you install a seperate tranmssion cooler won't you inhibit the ability for the transmission to reach it's NORMAL OPERATING TEMP which allows the transmission to run at optimal efficientcy.

2. When you run the tranmssion cooler do you run it inline with the stock radiator cooler your car comes with or do you totally disconnect the radiator cooler and use only the transmission cooler. If you run it with the radiator cooler do you put the cooler before or after the stock radiator cooler.

1) Yes, the transmission should be warm, but not hot or cold. Unless you plan to be towing a lot, a secondary cooler is not necessary, though if you tow occasionally there are thermostatically-controlled transmission coolers that would still allow the transmission to reach operating temperature.

2) You can do either. Generally I would recommend placing it in-line after the stock transmission cooler. This gives you the added cooling of the stock cooler, as well as maintaining the stock warm-up time if you have a thermostatic bypass or are using a cooler that has a built-in thermostatic bypass like one from B&M Racing.

ZV

 

[mooseracing]

Or you totally bypass the stock cooler built into the radiator. It all depends on your needs and what size cooler you buy.

For a performance car I run it after the radiator. The only time the fluid might be "too cold" is intial startup in the winter.

 

[Homer Simpson]

i have my tranny lines running into the cooler in the radiator then out to a b&m cooler before heading back to the tranny. also, bar and plate style coolers are more efficient than the tube and fin style coolers.