what size tranny cooler?
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On The Tree
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 117
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what size tranny cooler? I have a 2001 A4 Z28 and will be installing a Midwest 3400 TC with a 2.0 STR. will a 19000 GVW tranny cooler be big enough to handle the cooling or do I need a bigger cooler?
thanks
thanks
I got a 22000GVW for the trans cooling, and it held up fine through a whole track day (5 sessions of 20-25 mins). I am on a stock converter though, and bigger converters can create much higher temperatures. If you're a quarter mile sort of guy, it should be fine, just don't try to road race it for extended periods of time, you'll cook it.
TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Atlanta, GA
if you are going to drag race in the summer heat, get a deep pan, and a BIG **** cooler. Check out the summit racing fan'd ones. They are huge.
or don't and watch your temps skyrocket hotlapping and staging
trans fluid (normal) isn't very stable at 225F.
Bring a datalogger and you'll see REAL life results. The street/freeway/street races aren't like a 90F day with short lines and alot of runs to make
at least thats what i found out on the first track day.
best i could do was 12.268 on a 80+F day hotlapping (no-one to race, towards the end).
On a 50F night i hit 12.163 on my 4th try (after mods). The lines were longer so im figuring the cooldown on (motor,trans) helped ALOT.
the m6 drivers were pulling 12.6-13.0 due to their lack of A4 ability. Mind you they could run 12's in their m6's but they thought it was easy to launch a mad torque A4 lol. they were wrong.
or don't and watch your temps skyrocket hotlapping and staging
trans fluid (normal) isn't very stable at 225F.
Bring a datalogger and you'll see REAL life results. The street/freeway/street races aren't like a 90F day with short lines and alot of runs to make
at least thats what i found out on the first track day.
best i could do was 12.268 on a 80+F day hotlapping (no-one to race, towards the end).
On a 50F night i hit 12.163 on my 4th try (after mods). The lines were longer so im figuring the cooldown on (motor,trans) helped ALOT.
the m6 drivers were pulling 12.6-13.0 due to their lack of A4 ability. Mind you they could run 12's in their m6's but they thought it was easy to launch a mad torque A4
lol. they were wrong. ive got a 19k but ive only got a 3500 stall...last tuesday when it started @70 degrees and ended @55 by the end of the night the tranny temps were at around 180 all night but that was 4 runs...imagine a summer day of 90 degree weather and a few hot laps and your talking 210-230 pretty easy even with the cooler...go big and youll be fine...if possible bypass the stock cooler and you'll be even better off.
lata
Bill
lata
Bill
On The Tree
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Wesley Chapel, FL
In put a 24000 on mine. I live in Florida and in the summer it gets down right hot here. I didn't want to take the chance on it running too hot. I'd rather be safe than sorry and I only paid $50 from Summit for it. 
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From: DETROIT MUSCLE
Originally Posted by foff667
ive got a 19k but ive only got a 3500 stall...last tuesday when it started @70 degrees and ended @55 by the end of the night the tranny temps were at around 180 all night but that was 4 runs...imagine a summer day of 90 degree weather and a few hot laps and your talking 210-230 pretty easy even with the cooler...go big and youll be fine...if possible bypass the stock cooler and you'll be even better off.
lata
Bill
lata
Bill
bypass the cooler? this is even better? howd i do something like that. i have a 19000 and i was told that there were fitment issues with anything bigger than that.
thanks J
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Verdad Gallardo there are no fitment issues. i have a 19k for power steering and 22k for trans all in front of radiator, and besides getting few extra feet of a line, it all works just peachy. if it wasn't raining i'd take a picture.
Originally Posted by heyitsTaJay
bypass the cooler? this is even better? howd i do something like that. i have a 19000 and i was told that there were fitment issues with anything bigger than that.
thanks J
thanks J
lata
Bill
TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,065
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From: Atlanta, GA
this is true but at cruising speeds the area of of the radiator is going to cool much better than just a cooler..
keep the fan's running at the track im gonna reprogram them to be on all the time next track event.
keep the fan's running at the track
im gonna reprogram them to be on all the time next track event. 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,631
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
If you run cooler than stock fan settings that keep your coolant under 200* and run the aftermarket cooler after the stock cooler (it should go...... out of trans - into stock cooler - out of stock cooler - into aftermarket cooler - back to trans) the stock cooler should help you when you're really pushing the trans hard.
I am running my stock cooler plus a 16K B&M unit and fan settings that keep my coolant temps in the 194 to 205 range plus a deeper truck trans pan, and my trans always stays under 185 on a-tap. I've never hot lapped the car at the track in 80+ degree weather though, but after TONS of hard street driving in 80+ degree temps my trans still stays in the 18X* range.
I am running my stock cooler plus a 16K B&M unit and fan settings that keep my coolant temps in the 194 to 205 range plus a deeper truck trans pan, and my trans always stays under 185 on a-tap. I've never hot lapped the car at the track in 80+ degree weather though, but after TONS of hard street driving in 80+ degree temps my trans still stays in the 18X* range.
Originally Posted by samz28
this is true but at cruising speeds the area of of the radiator is going to cool much better than just a cooler..
keep the fan's running at the track im gonna reprogram them to be on all the time next track event.
keep the fan's running at the track
im gonna reprogram them to be on all the time next track event. TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,065
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From: Atlanta, GA
hard call mate. we all know the most damage can occurr if you **** on the car with too low temps (high pressure) just as well as overheating.
hmm. will have to ask a ls1 mechanic.. i'm not up to speed on that, i just assumed the radiator shared the job as most cars did.
anyone got a spare rad laying around?
hmm. will have to ask a ls1 mechanic.. i'm not up to speed on that, i just assumed the radiator shared the job as most cars did.
anyone got a spare rad laying around?
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2004
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I have a 30,000 mounted right in front of my radiator(C5 corvette), My tranny temps have never been over 180F. Thats after alot of hard runs. Around town the tranny runs at 169 steady. It take about 5-10 miniutes to get it to 169.
I have a Vig 2800.
AZC5
I have a Vig 2800.
AZC5
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 155
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From: Doniphan, MO
"Stacked Plate" coolers are smaller than "tube" type. 24,000 is a good place to be with our cars if you arn't just racing all the time.
You live in MA and it gets really cold there in the winter. Any tranny cooler can cause problems when the outside temp goes below 25°. When it gets down there, ALWAYS let the car idle for at least 5 min after you start it. The problem is lubrication and if you go out, fire it up and just drive away, you can cause some real damage to the bearings and bushings in the tranny.
You might even consider placing a shut-off valve in the cooler line if you have a big (20,000 gvw +) cooler to force it to warm up quicker in those conditions. A thermostatically controlled switch to operate the shut off valve is needed.
Even here in MO, there are many mornings in the winter that I have to drive over a mile before the converter locks up. A really cold, 18° day and it would not shift into OD 'til I drove over 2 miles!
You live in MA and it gets really cold there in the winter. Any tranny cooler can cause problems when the outside temp goes below 25°. When it gets down there, ALWAYS let the car idle for at least 5 min after you start it. The problem is lubrication and if you go out, fire it up and just drive away, you can cause some real damage to the bearings and bushings in the tranny.
You might even consider placing a shut-off valve in the cooler line if you have a big (20,000 gvw +) cooler to force it to warm up quicker in those conditions. A thermostatically controlled switch to operate the shut off valve is needed.
Even here in MO, there are many mornings in the winter that I have to drive over a mile before the converter locks up. A really cold, 18° day and it would not shift into OD 'til I drove over 2 miles!
