MrTransAm

I bought and just installed a 2500 stall w/ lock torque converter but opted not to buy an aftermarket tranny cooler per advice of a representative at Hughes. I would still like to A-Tap my car and see what the tranny temp is. I have no idea what the normal operating temperature is of a 4L60E though. Any ideas??
nice graemlin ---> <img src="graemlins/formula.gif" border="0" alt="[Pontiac]" />

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

To extend tranny life as much as possible, it’s advisable to try and keep temps no higher than 200 to 210. I have a SY3500 stall and a B&M 16,000GVW cooler and mine are usually at 190 (at normal cruising in the summer) and 205 when beating on it (in the summer).

I never a-taped trans temp without a cooler because the cooler was one of the first things I put on the car. It’s cheap insurance (mine was $45) and never a bad thing to do. Cooler tranny fluid = longer tranny life. Why wouldn’t you want that? Whoever advised you to not use a tranny cooler is full of <img src="graemlins/gr_bs.gif" border="0" alt="[bullshit]" /> Isn’t a $45 investment worth it to protect a trans that would cost $1500 to $2000+ to rebuild? It is to me <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

MrTransAm

I understand what your saying RPM and I agree but your SY3500 and my 2500 are quite different, right?? Will the stock cooler do the job?? Thanks for the numbers too, I will A-Tap it and see where I'm at. <img src="graemlins/gr_xmas.gif" border="0" alt="[santa]" />

[ December 21, 2001: Message edited by: MrTransAm ]</p>

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

IMHO, these trannies need all the help they can get (especially if you’re going to drive it hard) whether you have a 2500 stall, 3500 stall, 4500 stall, or even a stock stall. When I buy a car that I know I’m going to be driving hard the first mod that I do is put a trans cooler on. It’s a really simple mod with no real downside and it’s cheap, so how can you go wrong? Heat kills trannies, so why not kill the heat? <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0">

FWIW, I’m putting a new heavily built 4L60E w/ extra capacity pan in my car next year along with the new cam. I beat my trannies HARD, so I like all the protection I can get. I’m not even going to wait till I blow the stock one up to replace it. I guess it just comes down to how hard you drive the car, and how long you want various components to last.

IMO, get a tranny cooler <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Colonel

I like my tranny temp 180-200.

Get a cooler. Cheap insurance.

Moving to drivetrain... <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

Dope

iTrader: (2)

Anything under 200 is fine, like the others said. Once you go above 200, you are unnecessarily increasing the wear on the transmission. It's not going to blow up the transmission or anything, but it exponentially increases the wear, so it will not last as long.

Get a tranny cooler. Any will do. With the STOCK converter and no tranny cooler, I was running up to 240+ degrees while messing with the car. With a 2500 stall, you're going to see even higher temps.

I now have a B&M 24k cooler and a Yank3000 stall converter. In the winter, I am lucky to break 100 degrees in 10-20 min drives. For hour+ drives or messing around, I have not been able to see more than 150 degrees. Highest I've ever seen was last summer, which was 190 or so.

For the 50$ or whatever a tranny cooler costs, it is well worth the insurance (ever price out a good rebuild? Try $2000+)

It's just like oil. I don't understand why some people whine about oil prices and stick to dino/cheap oil filter. So an oil change with Mobil 1 and a good filter costs ~$30 vs less than 10 for dino/cheap filter. You save $20 every 3-4000 miles. That's great and all, until you throw a rod 50k miles before the car running synthetic does. Ever price out a LS1 crate engine? $8000 or so? Ouchie.

Not directed at you, just trying to put things in perspective. $50 is pocket change for the level of insurance it provides.

Do a search in the LS1 Help forum for my 'creative' tranny cooler install writeup. A lot of people have used it and liked it.

Dope