Did you get a noisy one? The one I heard was in a truck, it was fine at idle but when going down the highway it was almost all you heard. Sounded like a blower with a **** load of overdrive going on, kinda cool.

 

Yeah mine is the noisy one... I will try and do a vid tomorrow during work

 

So installed a Vararam intake tonight. First thoughts were wow what a cheap piece of sh$%. Had to cut the fan shroud with shears because I didn't have a dremal and file it smooth with a file. The coupler that goes on the throttle body and MAF which was suppose to be cut to fit did not fit at all. I had to re-plumb an air line not much of a big deal but I had to cover up the old whole with electrical tape. If you don't do all this modification the hood wont close and the pan on the bottom will rub on a pulley guide on the water pump. I found that the hard way nice little wear mark in it. Then I took it for a test drive and HOLLY SH*$ its like night and day. Throttle response and G* factor huge improvement. I have driven it with the stock CAI, an AEM Brute Force CAI and now the Vararam. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PART.

 

I would bypass the stock cooler inside the radiator. 2 reasons...
-Hot coolant heats up trans fluid
-If you ever have an internal radiator failure that leaks coolant into the trans fluid, you'll be buying yourself a trans rebuild. This happens a lot.

I usually see 160-170 degree temps with a little B&M cooler, bypassed stocker, and Amsoil trans fluid. No need to get fancy with it.


Pillion, get the car tuned for the Vararam and you'll notice even more of an improvement. That intake "needs" tuning.

 

Believe me I know,I should be up there in august for a tune. I have a couple more things to do to the car and ill knock it out with one tune.

 

I use to think the same way on the cooler. I read one of the tranny sponsors say otherwise though. You know how I did mine had no choice being a stick car. As long as it stays cool that's all that matters I guess.

 

Now more than ever I have traction problems,lol

 

I've R&R'd too many transmissions due to radiator failures to ever run through the stock cooler when I don't have to. This is especially common on the trucks/tahoe's, but it happens on the F-body cars as well.

My trans builder, who's been building transmissions since 1972 and holds a patent for a lot of GM's designs, doesn't recommend using the stock cooler either. I'll take his word for it, considering he does 4-6 transmissions for us per month.

 

Not to say it never happens and of course some people are going to experience failures. Why? Because it's man made. But if it was that serious of an issue you'd think GM would have engineered it differently. I say that because GM is still using that same set up and even on their heavy duty trucks, but on the trucks they also use and external cooler in conjunction with going through the radiator. At least I know my 02' Yukon has one. So it can't be that bad and even the instructions on these aftermarket coolers say to use both. Yes I know people install fans on them for added insurance, but they can fail too. But at times I think we fail to realize that how many miles are on these vehicles when we talk about them failing.

To each its own I guess, we have all experienced different things. All I know is heat is bad news for any tranny I don't care who built it!!

 

Craig, give me a call when you get a chance.

 

According to your logic, GM should go back in time and redesign the LSX intakes since #7 runs leans and blows up all the time. Or the entire 4L60e transmission since it has such a high failure rate. Or put a stronger rear end in F-bodies since the 10 bolt obviously wasn't strong enough.

Moral of the story: Just cause GM did it doesn't make it right. There's a lot of designs GM did that cause failures. The stock coolers are ran through the radiator to cut costs, not because it's the most efficient way to do it. Fyi, a lot of the larger trucks do have external coolers.

I've only got 6 ASE's and been building cars for 12 years. What the hell do I know anyway?

 

*face palm* you guys kill me.

In the end I went with just the external. Ran it hard yesterday and this morning, and temps peak at/around 170 during a hard drive down a road that has uphill and downhill portions as well as numerous turns and bends. An hour of that round and the transmission performed flawlessly. Traction as I mentioned early, not so much lol.

If I have to ill run another external if temps get higher than im comfortable with. I ordered too much an line and have spare fittings so its no big deal.

 

If it gets hot run one like I did with its own fan and thermostat. Don't get the big one like I did, I think the small one would have been fine.

 

Moving on the rear end now. Even though I just added 373s and freshened up the 10 bolt, I don't want to blow it up (if it can be helped) before I decide to do anything about it. Decisions decisions

 

anyone heading to the track tonight? i'm gonna head out there and get my 11 sec. pass....i'm not expecting too much tonight.....still needs a little fine tuning and some 3.73's out back.....but i figure i'll head out tonight and get a nice base line to work from....

 

Wanted to but im in WLC and have to go in to work tomorrow

 

Good luck with your run grease, hope you get those 11's

 

I still need to take the Blue Bitch to the track and get its times before I PCS this month back to Ft Lewis

 

Its stock except for exhaust. I just found out there is a small GTO club in columbus and ive seen a handful of others driving around lately.

 

Well i did it....I also did a little better than I expected too....gonna need some wider tires though because traction was holding me back....not bad though for 350 rwhp.....lol.....and this was without 3.73's and running a 11.8 afr.....once i get them gears in there and clean up the tune she'll really roll out....