Whats the best tranny cooler?
02-16-2010, 09:02 PM
#1
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Whats the best tranny cooler? Just like the title states I am going to be purchasing a ss3600 stall soon and just wanted to price everything out before. Do I also need Stainless steel lines, etc. ? This will be for a full bolt on trans am looking for 11's SI NA.
Thanks.
Thanks.
02-17-2010, 03:36 PM
#2
There are different types (plate&bar vs. tube&fin), different sizes, different depth, and different materials (aluminum, aluminum&copper, etc). Whether one company makes one that is "better" depends on how much space you have available, how much cooling capacity you actually need, etc.
I know that doesn't help you much, but I hope it opens the door to some better discussion for you. I am curious too!
I know that doesn't help you much, but I hope it opens the door to some better discussion for you. I am curious too!
02-17-2010, 06:31 PM
#3
not to hijack but I will be running a yank ss 4000 when it gets here. . .Ive seen that plate style is better,in posts on here, and that its usually B&M that get a good rep.
Not to mention the most common way to mount is "dope" style which is under the nose of the car in front of the air dam parallel with the road
Not to mention the most common way to mount is "dope" style which is under the nose of the car in front of the air dam parallel with the road
02-17-2010, 07:14 PM
#4
I think bar & plate is... more efficient? I don't know the correct term, but I think it transfers more heat from your fluid to the air, assuming both coolers are the same size. However, the bar & plate is way more money than tube & fin.
So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?"
From what I've been seeing, the tube & fin look easier to mount and hookup. Many of the fittings are 3/8", which is probably the same size line coming out of your transmission.
A lot of the bar & plate coolers are made to work on engine oil as well, and as a result have larger fittings (like 1/2") which you will need to reduce down to your transmission line size with yet more fittings.
So far, buying a larger and cheaper tube & fin cooler looks like a smarter idea than buying a smaller and more expensive bar & plate cooler, as long as you have enough room to mount the larger cooler.
So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?"
From what I've been seeing, the tube & fin look easier to mount and hookup. Many of the fittings are 3/8", which is probably the same size line coming out of your transmission.
A lot of the bar & plate coolers are made to work on engine oil as well, and as a result have larger fittings (like 1/2") which you will need to reduce down to your transmission line size with yet more fittings.
So far, buying a larger and cheaper tube & fin cooler looks like a smarter idea than buying a smaller and more expensive bar & plate cooler, as long as you have enough room to mount the larger cooler.
02-17-2010, 08:45 PM
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I think bar & plate is... more efficient? I don't know the correct term, but I think it transfers more heat from your fluid to the air, assuming both coolers are the same size. However, the bar & plate is way more money than tube & fin.
So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?"
From what I've been seeing, the tube & fin look easier to mount and hookup. Many of the fittings are 3/8", which is probably the same size line coming out of your transmission.
A lot of the bar & plate coolers are made to work on engine oil as well, and as a result have larger fittings (like 1/2") which you will need to reduce down to your transmission line size with yet more fittings.
So far, buying a larger and cheaper tube & fin cooler looks like a smarter idea than buying a smaller and more expensive bar & plate cooler, as long as you have enough room to mount the larger cooler.
So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?"
From what I've been seeing, the tube & fin look easier to mount and hookup. Many of the fittings are 3/8", which is probably the same size line coming out of your transmission.
A lot of the bar & plate coolers are made to work on engine oil as well, and as a result have larger fittings (like 1/2") which you will need to reduce down to your transmission line size with yet more fittings.
So far, buying a larger and cheaper tube & fin cooler looks like a smarter idea than buying a smaller and more expensive bar & plate cooler, as long as you have enough room to mount the larger cooler.
im going to have disagree with you on a couple of thing here
yes a stacker plate cooler is ALOT more efficient the a tube and fine cooler, but when you said "So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?" that i disagree with,i have a B&M cooler 70274 (dimension 11"x11"x1.50") which cools 29,500 BTU to get the same cooling effect with a tube style cooler you will need a 21"x10.50"x1.50" cooler, that almost half the size of the ac condenser, where can you mount that thing its huge. My B&M cooler i mounted right in front of the ac condenser and it does not affect my ac orradiator. They both cost about the same B&M is $89 and other is $83. When it comes to the transmission temp mind as well go the extra diatance and get the more efficient one(and smaller) to fit it "dope" style or on the radiator. So to me a tube style cooler is pointless when you can achive more cooling with less room for the same price.
As for the extra fitting for the B&M 1/2" inlet, i went to my local hardware store and they cost me less than $2.
As you can see the stack plate cooler has bout 100+ pathways to dicipate heat the other has 6 and the huge one has 8, dont seem that efficient to me
here is the solution for reducing the inlet and outlet to match the transmissions size
02-18-2010, 01:55 AM
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here is the solution for reducing the inlet and outlet to match the transmissions size
[/QUOTE]
you dont even have to do that. you can buy a 1/2" female to 3/8" male barb fitting. thats what i did. i have the same cooler
[/QUOTE]you dont even have to do that. you can buy a 1/2" female to 3/8" male barb fitting. thats what i did. i have the same cooler
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02-18-2010, 09:22 AM
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^^^ ohh yea, but i wanted one 90* elbow and they didnt have it in stock at the time so i just used a reducer for that side, but yea like the other side is just one reducer straight from 1/2 to 3/8 barb fitting and used the fuel injection clamps to clamp it, and has not leaked or blown off it more than a year.
02-18-2010, 07:46 PM
#10
I'm not sure what there is to disagree with... it was a hypothetical question designed to get some different viewpoints.
As you pointed out, a large tube & fin cooler can cool the same as a smaller bar & plate cooler. I didn't realize the bar & plate coolers were so cheap... I guess I was only looking at the Earl's brand ones, which were on the more expensive side.
For your application, it sounds like the bar & plate might be the way to go. If your space is short and narrow, but you have lots of room for depth, the bar & plate sounds like a winner. I haven't used any NPT stuff on my car yet, but this might be a good place to start, because the hardware stores do have cheap fittings (compared to AN stuff).
I was actually considering the Summit 20"x7"x1.5" tube&fin, which is pretty close to what you mentioned above. I have a big empty space (30" wide x 13" tall) but not a lot of depth. (A lot of older cars/muscle cars have big upright rads, with lots of room in front of them).
Also, where do you find (or how do you figure out) the BTU ratings? That would be helpful when comparing coolers.
As you pointed out, a large tube & fin cooler can cool the same as a smaller bar & plate cooler. I didn't realize the bar & plate coolers were so cheap... I guess I was only looking at the Earl's brand ones, which were on the more expensive side.
For your application, it sounds like the bar & plate might be the way to go. If your space is short and narrow, but you have lots of room for depth, the bar & plate sounds like a winner. I haven't used any NPT stuff on my car yet, but this might be a good place to start, because the hardware stores do have cheap fittings (compared to AN stuff).
I was actually considering the Summit 20"x7"x1.5" tube&fin, which is pretty close to what you mentioned above. I have a big empty space (30" wide x 13" tall) but not a lot of depth. (A lot of older cars/muscle cars have big upright rads, with lots of room in front of them).
Also, where do you find (or how do you figure out) the BTU ratings? That would be helpful when comparing coolers.
im going to have disagree with you on a couple of thing here
yes a stacker plate cooler is ALOT more efficient the a tube and fine cooler, but when you said "So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?" that i disagree with,i have a B&M cooler 70274 (dimension 11"x11"x1.50") which cools 29,500 BTU to get the same cooling effect with a tube style cooler you will need a 21"x10.50"x1.50" cooler, that almost half the size of the ac condenser, where can you mount that thing its huge. My B&M cooler i mounted right in front of the ac condenser and it does not affect my ac orradiator. They both cost about the same B&M is $89 and other is $83. When it comes to the transmission temp mind as well go the extra diatance and get the more efficient one(and smaller) to fit it "dope" style or on the radiator. So to me a tube style cooler is pointless when you can achive more cooling with less room for the same price.
As for the extra fitting for the B&M 1/2" inlet, i went to my local hardware store and they cost me less than $2.
As you can see the stack plate cooler has bout 100+ pathways to dicipate heat the other has 6 and the huge one has 8, dont seem that efficient to me
here is the solution for reducing the inlet and outlet to match the transmissions size
yes a stacker plate cooler is ALOT more efficient the a tube and fine cooler, but when you said "So you could ask the question "if I can buy a big tube & fin cooler for $50 and a small bar & plate cooler for $100, and they both cool my fluid the same, which one should I get?" that i disagree with,i have a B&M cooler 70274 (dimension 11"x11"x1.50") which cools 29,500 BTU to get the same cooling effect with a tube style cooler you will need a 21"x10.50"x1.50" cooler, that almost half the size of the ac condenser, where can you mount that thing its huge. My B&M cooler i mounted right in front of the ac condenser and it does not affect my ac orradiator. They both cost about the same B&M is $89 and other is $83. When it comes to the transmission temp mind as well go the extra diatance and get the more efficient one(and smaller) to fit it "dope" style or on the radiator. So to me a tube style cooler is pointless when you can achive more cooling with less room for the same price.
As for the extra fitting for the B&M 1/2" inlet, i went to my local hardware store and they cost me less than $2.
As you can see the stack plate cooler has bout 100+ pathways to dicipate heat the other has 6 and the huge one has 8, dont seem that efficient to me
here is the solution for reducing the inlet and outlet to match the transmissions size
02-18-2010, 09:49 PM
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i found the BTU ratings in the summit magazine in the cooling sections last page with all the engine/tranns coolers it will say GVW but it also refers to the BTU rating you will see when you look at the magazine if you have one, on B&M website it tells you the ratings in BTU but in the summit magazine its in GVW but its the same number....BTW i was not trying to really disagree with you just try to show you that the bar and plate cooler are more efficient and smaller in size to be able to make the fit in tight places, fbodys arent really that roomy as you know.
02-18-2010, 09:56 PM
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i have the B&M cooler you can see above post and with a 4400 stall in Florida traffic (its horrible here) in the mid of summer i never see more then 150-160 degrees and once you get moving it hovers around 125-140... once i have seen it at 180 degrees but i was stuck in traffic for 2hrs moving at maybe 5-10mph never getting out of 1st gear and i have it mounted on the ac condenser and my fans turn at 165 degrees and it did excellent, so i would suggest maybe running one big cooler with a fan on it... just a thought.
02-18-2010, 10:06 PM
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What transmission would need that kinda of cooling? A cooler with a fan on it would be efficient enough. Should keep your fluid temps around 160. I wouldnt want it must cooler than that.
02-19-2010, 12:21 PM
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i found the BTU ratings in the summit magazine in the cooling sections last page with all the engine/tranns coolers it will say GVW but it also refers to the BTU rating you will see when you look at the magazine if you have one, on B&M website it tells you the ratings in BTU but in the summit magazine its in GVW but its the same number....BTW i was not trying to really disagree with you just try to show you that the bar and plate cooler are more efficient and smaller in size to be able to make the fit in tight places, fbodys arent really that roomy as you know.
02-19-2010, 12:57 PM
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02-19-2010, 03:37 PM
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^^^^ haha thats the one im running... you will find most of the guys run that one or the one a little smaller then it
http://www.summitracing.com/search/?...0coolers&dds=1
mine it the 70274 you can also run the 70266 70264
http://www.summitracing.com/search/?...0coolers&dds=1
mine it the 70274 you can also run the 70266 70264
07-10-2010, 09:45 AM
#19
I am about to get a bar & plate one made if anyone is interested. Core 10X10 with (1) 10" spal fan custom shroud and all. 1 fan can move 1070cfm of air. I am putting this in the rear of the car as the front is full with a radiator & inter-cooler.
O will keep ya posted
O will keep ya posted
