Need some advice on a Tranny cooler

[The Shape]

Been thinking of putting a cooler on my AOD now that summer is here. My AOD has 116K on it, and has worked fine through the last two summers I have owned it. I am thinking of adding a cooler and just wanted some advice on which one to get. I see there alot of different ones out there. I was looking at one B&M has and also 5.0 resto has one in there catalog now as well. Also what about the ones at the parts stores, I would think they would do the trick as well. Ok now since I have never dealt with a cooler before I am wondering do you still run the fluid through the radiator as well as through the add-on cooler?And where exactly can you mount one on a GT front end? Do you just zip tie it to the A/C condensor or what?
Thanks for any advice

 

[bluevenom867]

B&M Supercooler.
No questions it's the best because the way it's desinged.

 

[The Shape]

What about the install. Do you just cut your return cooler line and plum it in so that the fluid flows through the radiator and then through the cooler? And when you do cut your stock lines are there some sort of fittings you have to put on or is it just a rubber hose and a hose clamp?

 

[bluevenom867]

It uses screw in -AN fittings and you can just make the hose longer and mount it in front of the AC condensor.If you got rubber hose coming from your tranny then use the blue silocon/rubber hose to extend it to the cooler.You should not go throu the radiator.

 

[The Shape]

Why not go through the radiator? And I looked at the B&M in my summit catalog. I see it comes with rubber hose is that the hose you are talking about? Sorry for the quiz I am just trying to get all the info I can before I buy/install one.

 

[bluevenom867]

The radiator can be a heater to.Remember that the oil temp would be the same as the water temp.And mine didn't come with hose because it was the large racing cooler but if it comes with hoses than thats even better.Are you looking at the one with wave kinda cooling fins?

 

[bluevenom867]

Ok I checked Summit yeah your getting the right one.They work awsome.

 

[The Shape]

Ok one more question. When I cut my stock cooler lines do the rubber hoses just slide over the cut lines or is this where the fittings you mentioned above come into play?

 

[Michael Yount]

If you really want to get the most out of your tranny or engine oil cooler, consider the location you mount it in. Putting it in front of the condenser or radiator makes those coils work even harder to deal with the tranny fluid heat you're putting INTO them. I'd look for a location down low where the hot air leaving the tranny cooler doesn't re-enter the condenser or the radiator.

 

[The Shape]

I was planning on mounting it low on the condensor infront of the opening in the GT bumper cover. But I see what you mean Michael that does make alot of sense. I am gonna take a look and see, but I believe there should be enough space to mount it down low around the smog canister that should be a good place shouldn't it?

 

[Michael Yount]

Don't know where the 'smog cannister' is on your car (you mean the evaporative emission charcoal cannister?). If you send me your email address ([email protected]) I'll send you some pics of how I mounted my oil cooler; might give you some ideas about your tranny cooler. Mine is in the center of the car low enough to catch air from an opening in my air dam; the space above/behind it is blocked off with a piece of 'custom crafted' gutter flashing so the air off the cooler goes under the car rather than entering the condenser/radiator air stream.

 

[cmb91LX]

Can someone provide a link for the B&M cooler from Summit? I am in the process of swapping a T5 out for an AOD and I need a reputable cooler. How about mounting it on the front of the passenger side lower frame rail?

 

[Michael Yount]

Grabbing low air from under the car is fine; just have to keep it high enough that it doesn't get 'snagged' by something. Needless to say, at speed the tranny pump will empty the fluid pretty quickly if something rips the hoses off. I mounted mine at about a 35 degree angle - so the bottom is higher than the cross member. If I hit something big enough to take the cooler out, I've got much bigger problems right behind it....

 

[Michael Yount]

Something to keep in mind - you have to be moving to keep air going across a unit mounted this way. You have no fan pulling air across it unless you mount a small electric (motorcycle junk yard - easy to do).

 

[Michael Yount]

The stuff below should be viewable at this link: http://store.summitracing.com/defau...ord&searchtype=both&part=B&M+cooler&x=15&y=11


BMM-70255 16,000 GVW, 11 in. x 5 3/4 in. x 3/4 in., transmission cooler Today $42.88
BMM-70261 Oil Cooler, Stacked Plate, Black, Aluminum, 4 1/2 in. x 11 in. x 1 1/2 in., Kit Today $109.88
BMM-70264 24,000 GVW, 11 in. x 6 in. x 1 1/2 in., transmission cooler Today $49.88
BMM-70265 15,000 GVW, 11 in. x 4 1/2 in. x 1 1/2 in., Street Rod, transmission cooler Today $45.95
BMM-70266 28,000 lb. GVW, 11 in. x 8 in. x 1 1/2 in., transmission cooler Today $59.88
BMM-70268 19,000 GVW, 11 in. x 7 1/2 in. x 3/4 in. transmission cooler Today $45.88
BMM-70270 GM: all V8 engines with recessed filter, engine oil cooler kit Today $109.88

 

[The Shape]

Michael yeah I meant my charcoal canister (don't know where my head was) anyway yeah I would like to see pics of how your oil cooler is mounted [email protected] . Also how beneficial would you say the add-on cooler is for a completely stock AOD daily driver? The only thing I am wondering about is how it will perform when it is 20 degrees outside this winter. I know even with just the cooler on the side of the radiator the tranny feels a bit sluggish until the fluid gets good and warmed up.

 

[The Shape]

Thanks for everyones help. Michael thanks again for the pictures you sent , and I am still amazed at your Volvo that is the absoloute king of sleepers! I went ahead and ordered the 19,000 GVW B&M super cooler this afternoon. So I am sure I will have a couple more questions to bug you with when I get ready to install it this weekend

 

[RYC CUKR]

I deleted the fog lamps in my 93 in my quest to loose weight. It also provided me with a great spot to put my tranny cooler. It is mounted behind the fog lamp and bolted to the side of the radiator support. I put a piece of wire mesh screening in the fog lamp hole just to keep out any rocks that might get kicked up.

 

[1990LXDropTop]

Thanks for everyones help. Michael thanks again for the pictures you sent , and I am still amazed at your Volvo that is the absoloute king of sleepers! I went ahead and ordered the 19,000 GVW B&M super cooler this afternoon. So I am sure I will have a couple more questions to bug you with when I get ready to install it this weekend

I would of gone with the 24,000 GVW. Its only $5.00 more and is like twice as thick as the 19,000 GVW. The thicker the better man.

 

[The Shape]

I thought about going with the larger one , but I figured the AOD has held up fine for 17 years and 120,000 miles with just the cooler in the radiator, so the 19,000 should do the trick. And everyone I talked to with one of the B&M coolers had the 15,000 or the 19,000 , so I wasn't sure how much bigger the 24,000 was and if it would be alot harder to make room to mount. I also talked to a friend of mine that works for the local Ford dealership mainly doing tranny work. He said it would be best to run through the cooler in the radiator before going into the add-on, because doing it that way would help get the fluid up to operating temp. quicker in the winter time. He was telling me that the tranny fluid staying to cold and thick in the winter would kill the tranny just as quick as the heat in the summer.