Does an auto tranny with a stall need a cooler?
08-26-2006, 08:02 AM
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Does an auto tranny with a stall need a cooler? Ive having a debate with a friend on another board. Hes telling me that a tranny cooler is a useless POS and a waste of money. He think because a FWD 3800 car can go 9s and not need one, that its never needed. I believe his transaxle is stronger. They also hold 10 quarts. Does a stalled auto need one? Does anyone have any temp differences before and after the cooler. I know they need one, now I just need to convince him.
08-26-2006, 08:16 AM
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I've never done a temp reading, but I'll tell you from my drag racing experience I've seen a lot more problems on automatics with stalled converters that don't have a sep. trans cooler than those with one. I'm putting one on my Formula when she gets a bigger stall. I can also tell you the Nova has a decent sized cooler and she can see 160-180 degrees trans temp just driving around town with a 3800 stall 10" converter. Racing hot lapped can get 180 as well.
Derek
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08-26-2006, 09:38 AM
#4
I put a cooler on my car when it had the stock stall. Before the cooler, temps would consistently hit 200+ degrees in summer traffic. After the cooler temps never went above 160....ever. Now with a 3600 stall my trans temp has yet to crest 177 degrees while beating on it when it's 100 degrees outside. Heat is the #1 killer of automatic transmissions, why would anyone in their right mind think an external cooler isn't needed with a higher stall that creates tons of heat??? 
08-26-2006, 11:02 AM
#7
yes, a cooler is needed. I wouldn't even consider not running one.... higher the stall, the more slip, the more heat.
I went with the big flex-a-lite that summit has, single core, but about 20 x 7 1/2 x 3/4, the one with -6An fittings, I think it's rated at 20K GVW, looks like it should get the job done, if not, I'll put a fan on it.
I agree with putting good lines on it too, with the pressure that they will see, I wouldn't want to risk puttign cheap lines on either.
I went with the big flex-a-lite that summit has, single core, but about 20 x 7 1/2 x 3/4, the one with -6An fittings, I think it's rated at 20K GVW, looks like it should get the job done, if not, I'll put a fan on it.
I agree with putting good lines on it too, with the pressure that they will see, I wouldn't want to risk puttign cheap lines on either.
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08-26-2006, 11:29 AM
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Originally Posted by jmm98LS1
I put a cooler on my car when it had the stock stall. Before the cooler, temps would consistently hit 200+ degrees in summer traffic. After the cooler temps never went above 160....ever. Now with a 3600 stall my trans temp has yet to crest 177 degrees while beating on it when it's 100 degrees outside. Heat is the #1 killer of automatic transmissions, why would anyone in their right mind think an external cooler isn't needed with a higher stall that creates tons of heat???
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08-26-2006, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by jmm98LS1
I put a cooler on my car when it had the stock stall. Before the cooler, temps would consistently hit 200+ degrees in summer traffic. After the cooler temps never went above 160....ever. Now with a 3600 stall my trans temp has yet to crest 177 degrees while beating on it when it's 100 degrees outside. Heat is the #1 killer of automatic transmissions, why would anyone in their right mind think an external cooler isn't needed with a higher stall that creates tons of heat???
08-26-2006, 01:46 PM
#12
Originally Posted by BlackHawk T/A
Is your stock cooler bypassed?
My thought is this:
Unless your engine coolant temp is constantly well above 200 degrees, the stock cooler is still going to cool the tranny fluid. With my 160 thermostat and fan settings, my engine coolant temps stay at 187 degrees, so the trans fluid should be cooled to near that temp in the stock cooler, and the external should be pulling another 15-20 degrees after that. Just my $.02.
08-26-2006, 09:02 PM
#13
Ambient air is alot cooler than 187*. Your fluid has to be cooled to 187* then to whatever the external cooler can cool it to. FWIW, my tranny fluid never gets over 170* in Southern Louisiana heat. I bypassed mine.
tell your friend to wake up, your tranny would get all tore up w/o a cooler the amount of heat that is generated is unreal so IMO i think ill stick to getting a cooler. IDIOTS 
08-30-2006, 03:14 PM
#15
On a FWD 3800 car, heat isn't the killer of the transmissions, breakage of hard parts is. Snapping input shafts, pump shafts, output shafts, diffs, spragues, etc, kills 95% of those, not fried steels and clutches. In -that- case, a tranny cooler is pretty useless. I've got a collection of mid 12 second 3800s to back that up (no, not -that- fast, but plenty to decimate a FWD 4T65e-HD).
That said, on a 4L60e, heat is an SOB, especially with a stall. I wouldn't consider running mine without a cooler, period. I did use all -AN lines on mine, tranny line leakage will kill a tranny quickly.
That said, on a 4L60e, heat is an SOB, especially with a stall. I wouldn't consider running mine without a cooler, period. I did use all -AN lines on mine, tranny line leakage will kill a tranny quickly.
08-30-2006, 10:45 PM
#16
some race cars loop it at the case and dont run a cooler.
overlfow can on the vent and its done. less parts, less weight, and less chance of leaking fluid on the track. ive seen this mostly done in heads up outlaw cars, that only run once in an hour or so. your normal driver or weekend bracket racer NEEDS a cooler.
fwd guys are dumb.
hehe.
overlfow can on the vent and its done. less parts, less weight, and less chance of leaking fluid on the track. ive seen this mostly done in heads up outlaw cars, that only run once in an hour or so. your normal driver or weekend bracket racer NEEDS a cooler.
fwd guys are dumb.
hehe.
09-02-2006, 06:39 PM
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Why even try bothering not puting a cooler with a converter? A B&M 24,000GVW cooler is like 50 or 60 bucks. I couldn't understand the rational of not wanting to put one on over that kind of money. 