Automatic Transmission Cooling

[ALMACK]

Originally Posted by Paul Precht

Don't plug the line feeds on a torqueflite as the rear shaft support gets it's lubrication from there.

The Ford C-6 also relies on the cooler return line to lube the output saft . (although hardly anyone uses a C-6 anymore in Stock)
Not sure about the C-4.
Looping is best.

[Dragsinger]

looping just means a length of hose "looped" between the two fittings. Some transmissions require fluid flow in and out those ports to complete the lubrication circuit.

Here is an example of a "heat sink" style cooler http://www.moroso.com/catalog/catego...?catcode=24301

[ss3011]

Just make sure you have a good high quality hose, or plumb in a piece of tubing. The temperature of oil coming out of the torque converter can exceed 400 deg. F. Rubber hose won't cut it.!

[Mark Maez]

I have ran my torqueflites without a cooler for years in bracket cars as well as stockers, using braided line and AN fittings to loop the front and rear line to complete the oil circuit as everyone has already stated. A cooler wont do you much good unless the engine is running so unless you can stabilize the temerature on the return road its useless. In a stocker its not much of an issue, the fan underneath the car in latter rounds is enough.

Mark.
Automatic Performance Transmission

[Jim Kaekel]

If you ask ten racers a question, you may get ten different opinions. Here's my .02 worth.
Having literally grew-up in a family run transmission shop, I used to run my cooling lines "looped" for years, but noticed the trans getting pretty hot when hot lapping during late rounds. And once it gets hot, there's no time to cool it off when you're being called back to the lanes. Over the past 10 years I've used a pair of parallel mounted heat sink coolers under the car and have found that it works exceptional. I've got a 180° fitting on one end to join the two coolers and a temperature manifold on the inlet port for the temp gauge. Best thing yet, it weighs only a pound or two.

[Michael Beard]

First trans that Macy did for me I put about 700 runs on it with conventional fluid, and the only reason it came out of the car was breaking the rear end. One set of clutches showed a little wear (high gear? can't remember), but overall the thing looked quite good. I understand changing fluid frequently in a ProTrans or other aluminum type trans, but on a standard 904....? Always ran a cooler, and it was tough to get it about 145 degrees unless hot-lapping. Had to be double-entered and running 8min between rounds to get it 180+.

This year, with the new Abruzzi trans and looser converter, plus the full carbon fiber trans shield on it, it's generating and maintaining a lot more heat. Not so sure I want to be double-entering the thing anymore, even with the cooler. Have to check to see what the time frame was, but single-entered wasn't too bad... about 190deg after the final round at Farmington the other week. Seemed to air-cool down to about 160 between rounds.