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Old Mar 6, 2009 | 11:34 AM
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In all my experience, the return line is the line at the bottom of the radiator... Goes in at top, cools on its way down... Is this the case on a 02 4L60? I'm not sure if a trans coolor is stock, but mine had one, and if the bottom is the return, the oil goes through the coolor, than through the radiator. Seems pointless to have a coolor. Can anyone help me?
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Old Mar 6, 2009 | 12:27 PM
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The trans fluid enters the bottom transmission cooler fitting in the radiator.

As with any heat exchanger the two fluids move in opposite directions. The engine coolant flows downward, the trans fluid flows upward.
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Old Mar 6, 2009 | 01:53 PM
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The Pressure line enters the bottom of radiator, flows up radiator .Then returns to transmission. So you want to put the cooler in series with the return line. Leave pressure line hook up to bottom of radiator, then take top radiator line to cooler , then out of cooler to return line back to transmission. The top port on transmission is the return. The bottom port is the pressure. Hope this helps.
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Old Mar 6, 2009 | 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by 9000th01ss
The trans fluid enters the bottom transmission cooler fitting in the radiator.

As with any heat exchanger the two fluids move in opposite directions. The engine coolant flows downward, the trans fluid flows upward.
That's not why it is orientated that way, it is to keep debris out of the trans line. Feeding from the top of the cooler will prevent contamination from returning to the transmission and plugging a passage. Debris like to settle on the bottom of fluid coolers, and an aftermarket unit should be place with the outlets facing up or on top.
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Old Mar 6, 2009 | 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by 12secSS
That's not why it is orientated that way, it is to keep debris out of the trans line. Feeding from the top of the cooler will prevent contamination from returning to the transmission and plugging a passage. Debris like to settle on the bottom of fluid coolers, and an aftermarket unit should be place with the outlets facing up or on top.
I was just bragging I guess. I am an HVAC/R tech. We deal with heat exchangers all the time. I've studied the physics, theory, etc, etc.
Every fluid to fluid heat exchanger on the planet, if connected correctly, has the fluid moving opposite directions of each other.
This applies to a simple transmission cooler, all the way up to heat exchangers in nuclear reactors.
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Old Mar 7, 2009 | 04:48 PM
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OK, thanks guys... One more question... Could I bypass the radiator all together? Its a permacool trans coolor, 1in thick and 16 in long. Is this enough to keep the trans at a cool operating temperature?
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Old Mar 7, 2009 | 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by bowtiebuilder
OK, thanks guys... One more question... Could I bypass the radiator all together? Its a permacool trans coolor, 1in thick and 16 in long. Is this enough to keep the trans at a cool operating temperature?
Depends on your converter.
I have a manual trans radiator so I have to run an external cooler.
I have the b&m one thats a stacked plate type about 10x8 I think.
It would run very cool all the time.
I ran at the track 12.9 down to 12.6 back to back 6 runs with no stops and it just hit 210* after all that.

Now I have a high stall converter and it gets to 210* in about 15 minutes of stop and go driving.

So yours is 16" by what? If it's 16x 6 or bigger it should be ok if it gets good air.
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Old Mar 7, 2009 | 05:07 PM
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its actually 16x5...
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