Not Sure I Need a Trans Cooler...

Bartonmd

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
(Originally 7/29/09 on OS)

finally got my Scangauge, and got it to read trans temp... It's really not getting as hot as I thought it was... (though I was towing on mostly flat-ish ground, this time)... Towing a 3400# car ('97 Taurus) on a 2000# trailer...

(I have 3.42 gears)

Empty - I was running 190F

Pulling 2000# trailer, empty - 200F

Pulling 5600# trailer - 200 to 208F

This was on an 87F and sunny day, and it only went up 5F from going up the 1/2-5/8 mile 20% grade hill by my house, when I started at a stop from the bottom.

Of course, I was driving halfway-easy when the trailer was loaded, and on the big hill, I just stuck it in 1st, at about 4000rpm (light throttle), so the converter wasn't working very hard... On the hills on the interstate (where I was towing in 3), at 68mph, it never dropped lockup.

Having said this, driving both, it seems like the V8 has a little tighter converter than the I6, so it won't make as much heat when it's working. I actually remember seeing the SS guys putting in I6 converters, for the higher stall speed, I think?

I guess I'll really find out what it does when I tow in the mountains, this fall, and what it does in the winter (whether it gets up to temp or not)...

I guess a small cooler wouldn't hurt, but if it only gets up to 210F when towing, I'm not sure I'm all that worried about it...

Mike
 

Bartonmd

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
At this point, I'll probably do one, but it will be completely bypassable, not just a passive bypass like some... It still runs nice and cool with the A/C off, but with the A/C on, it does get above 200F even just driving around... With the A/C on, off-roading, going up mountains, I've seen close to 230... Turn the A/C off, and it goes back down to around 200F, but if she ain't happy, nobody's happy, so we run the A/C offroad...

Mike
 

ScarabEpic22

Member
Nov 20, 2011
728
All of this in 3? In 3 my SS takes a while to heat up, especially after adding my brake duct cooler. But if I pop it in OD (yea I know, dont lecture me, 3500rpms for 6 hours gets old and LOUD, dang 4.10s), Ive seen 200-210F pulling a grade towing 4800lbs in 95F and 75F.
 

Bartonmd

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
ScarabEpic22 said:
All of this in 3? In 3 my SS takes a while to heat up, especially after adding my brake duct cooler. But if I pop it in OD (yea I know, dont lecture me, 3500rpms for 6 hours gets old and LOUD, dang 4.10s), Ive seen 200-210F pulling a grade towing 4800lbs in 95F and 75F.

Towing the car trailer in 3rd, but the small trailer and running empty in OD

Mike
 

n0kfb

Member
Dec 8, 2011
104
Transmission fluid under 250 degrees? I would not worry about it.

-- Dan Meyer :coffee:
 

DocBrown

Member
Dec 8, 2011
501
Length of time at an elevated temp is a factor also. I'd be much more concerned about 200+ for longs periods (greater than 10-15 minutes) than I would be about 200+ for only a few minutes here or there.
 

Bartonmd

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
DocBrown said:
Length of time at an elevated temp is a factor also. I'd be much more concerned about 200+ for longs periods (greater than 10-15 minutes) than I would be about 200+ for only a few minutes here or there.

Exactly...

It does run 210-220 in the summer, when the A/C is on, though... The A/C has a MUCH bigger affect on it than I would have imagined!

Mike
 

jimmyjam

Member
Nov 18, 2011
1,634
the AC being an issue leads me to believe that the radiator core size is a factor. my i6's radiator core was 1 1/8", my ss was 3/4". Figure that one out. I'm running a 2" radiator now but i don't think anyone wants to spend that kind of coin, plus you have to go efan for that which, even with dual spal fans, they don't recommend you tow with

on the ss owners site some people did some comparisons of aftermarket radiators and they found a few that are >1" thick and <$100. might be something to consider
 

Bartonmd

Original poster
Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
jimmyjam said:
the AC being an issue leads me to believe that the radiator core size is a factor. my i6's radiator core was 1 1/8", my ss was 3/4". Figure that one out. I'm running a 2" radiator now but i don't think anyone wants to spend that kind of coin, plus you have to go efan for that which, even with dual spal fans, they don't recommend you tow with

on the ss owners site some people did some comparisons of aftermarket radiators and they found a few that are >1" thick and <$100. might be something to consider

Oh, radiator/core size is definately a factor! That's the reason we have a mechanical fan in the first place... They couldn't pass the cooling tests with any reasonable thickness core and e-fans, so they had to go mechanical fan to pull a TON of air through a small radiator to keep the thing cool in the AZ desert, towing rated load up mountains...

Mike
 

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