My tranny cooler install

[O's Fan Rich]

Ok, I kinda HiJacked Defyant's thread ( http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28912 )so I started this one.

I added this:
No fan, but it would work good. I'll have to upload a picture or two when I get home.
Here's what I did:
I used one of the B&M metal brackets and after removing the center air dam bolt, I slid it in to the 2nd hole and put the bolt back in.
Then I took a piece of 18 gauge and bent an angle the length of the cooler and 2inches x 3 inces, drilled two holes to bolt the cooler to the angle on the 2 inch side and two holes for the metal bracket to bolt to the angle.
Then I simply tie wrapped the top of the cooler to the center support using all 4 holes up top.
I needed to get 4 feet of extra 3/8 hose to complete.
In case you need to know, looking down on the hoses on the original tranny cooler from the engine compartment. The hose to the left, the outside hose, is the "out" from the tranny. I go into the factory cooler first, then to the B&M and back to the tranny. Trust me, that knocks at least 20 degrees off. I had it wrong at first and the temps climbed way too high!
__________________
Here are the pictures.

[DEFYANT]

Looks good bud. Where do you read your trans temps from?

[O's Fan Rich]

Looks good bud. Where do you read your trans temps from?
Thats the first picture. I have two brass "t's" with hose fitting ( 5/16 for the factory cooler and 3/8 for the B&M) hooked to the ends of the cooler lines and a 5/16 compression fitting on the tube side. I had to trim off the end nipple on the metal lines. The senders are in the center slot and the fluid passes straight through.

[Vortech347]

So the factory tranny cooler lines are 3/8th hose or flared fittings? I'm to lazy to get under the car and check.

[O's Fan Rich]

5/16 metal tubing

[Glenn]

Why not mount the trans cooler flat against the lower portion of the radiator. In my case directly below the intercoooler?? Why mount it several inches away. Does it cool better being away from the radiator.

Glenn

[O's Fan Rich]

Why not mount the trans cooler flat against the lower portion of the radiator. In my case directly below the intercoooler?? Why mount it several inches away. Does it cool better being away from the radiator.

Glenn

Nothing wrong with that at all, Glenn. In fact, it came with the stuff to do just that. I reasoned it out that If I wanted to add a little fan later, I'd want some space. It also seemed easier as I would not have to snake the fasteners through the condenser and radiator fins to attach it tight.
Once I decided how to mount it, it took me about 10 minutes to complete.
Besides, It's a secondary cooler and the factory one is sandwiched between the condenser and the radiator already.

[DEFYANT]

Also, with regard to the fan... it may reduce air flow on the road.

There is a trade off. The fan allows you to cool the trans cooler better at slow speed and while stopped. It's a great idea if you'll be spending lots of time at the track.

But on the highway, I think the fan, even if it was running, would block the air flow from getting through the cooler.

Opinions??

[O's Fan Rich]

Also, with regard to the fan... it may reduce air flow on the road.

There is a trade off. The fan allows you to cool the trans cooler better at slow speed and while stopped. It's a great idea if you'll be spending lots of time at the track.

But on the highway, I think the fan, even if it was running, would block the air flow from getting through the cooler.

Opinions??
See, now I'm gonna give away my secret plan for the future....:bigcry:

I'm looking at remote mounting the fan onto the bumper support and have it blow across the cooler from that distance. That way, there is no air blocked when I'm moving ( cause I agree with you there) and I can turn it on when I'm not!

Derale makes a nice little 7" inch unit. Yes, 7 inches ain't much...but it can get the job done I'm told.

[DEFYANT]

See, now I'm gonna give away my secret plan for the future....:bigcry:

I'm looking at remote mounting the fan onto the bumper support and have it blow across the cooler from that distance. That way, there is no air blocked when I'm moving ( cause I agree with you there) and I can turn it on when I'm not!

Derale makes a nice little 7" inch unit. Yes, 7 inches ain't much...but it can get the job done I'm told.

Tough keepin secrets around here, eh? ;)

Interesting idea ya got there.

[SergntMac]

Derale makes a nice little 7" inch unit. Yes, 7 inches ain't much...but it can get the job done I'm told. Just a word to the wise here, Rich, I've used the Derale fan you picked, and it came to disappoint me 3X.

Back in '03, Zack and I eperimented on the #1x car with 3 of that specific Derale fans. Things went smooth at first, but problems arose in the long term testing.

I used a Derale 7" on my remote Ford Racing add-on tranny cooler mounted in the driver's side fenderwell, between the fog lamp assembly and the L/F tire. I got the results I wanted/expected, lower tranny temps. However, as Charlie points out, (and you know too) the fan will block air circulation at highway speeds.

Then we added two Derale 7" fans to my air to water intercooler heat exchanger. Same results, lower temps in low speed driving, higher temps at highway speeds.

Adding the three fans to the car seemed valuable at the race track, for a faster cool down between runs. Electrically, they were ignition switched through a relay running directly off the battery. Problem was that all three on at once (with intercooler water pump on too) was a considerable drain on the battery while cooling down in the pitts. I learned that the hard way, dead battery in the staging lanes at "Da Grove".

We installed the fans in June, and by the next November, all three were burned out and now blocking normal air flow at all speeds. Nothing a wire cutter could not fix to remove everything, but when I add it up, it's not a viable consideration anymore, IMHO.

I believed the Derale was a good choice, there are limited option in this small diameter. But their longevity was a big disappointment. Enough to say it's better to leave them behind.

I feel the tranny cooler is best mounted away from any other heat source, especially if it's a stacked plate design. Mounting it up against another radiator or cooler, doesn't allow the stacked plate feature to do their best job. I like where Charlie has his, and my fender well mount is likewise efficient. A deeper tranny pan is also very useful in maintaining lower tranny fluid temps.

Just my .02C, hope this helps.

[Zack]

Derale fans blow, you dont need any fan anywhere.

[DEFYANT]

A deeper tranny pan is also very useful in maintaining lower tranny fluid temps.

(....ordered yesterday!)

:D

[SergntMac]

(....ordered yesterday!)

:D Excellent choice, good move.

[merc]

Is it possible to mount the cooler in the rear of the car instead ?
http://www.fluidyne.com/images/pg9a.jpg

[SergntMac]

Is it possible to mount the cooler in the rear of the car instead ?
http://www.fluidyne.com/images/pg9a.jpgAnywhere air flows I suppose. There are also "frame rail" coolers that can be mounted along the frame, and IMHO, the longer the fluid travels, the more effective the cooling.

[Marauderjack]

Can the trans fluid be too cool.....like engine oil??:confused:

I cannot imagine why you need other coolers on top of the OEM unless you are really all out racing!!:cool:

I ran mine pretty hard yesterday and after about 15 minutes pulled the plug and dropped the pan without gloves and no burns.......ambient temp was 97*!! I don't have a trans temp gauge but it certainly never got hot..hot!!:bows:

BTW, my trans fluid was bright red after 15K miles since the pan with the plug was put in.....I decided to change the filter for another reason.;)

Marauderjack:burnout:

[O's Fan Rich]

Can the trans fluid be too cool.....like engine oil??:confused:

I cannot imagine why you need other coolers on top of the OEM unless you are really all out racing!!:cool:

I ran mine pretty hard yesterday and after about 15 minutes pulled the plug and dropped the pan without gloves and no burns.......ambient temp was 97*!! I don't have a trans temp gauge but it certainly never got hot..hot!!:bows:

BTW, my trans fluid was bright red after 15K miles since the pan with the plug was put in.....I decided to change the filter for another reason.;)

Marauderjack:burnout:

MJ I added it cause I saw an increase in temps after the S/C install.
I'm more comfortable now. Heck it was under 50 bucks!