Auxillary tranny cooler install COMPLETE (with IR images!)

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:26 pm

I am starting the fitment of the Derale, Rail type auxillary tranny cooler.
See pictures of unit installed in proposed location, with proposed tube routing.

http://picasaweb.google.com/bill.barg/2 ... lerProject

I have not cut into the hot supply line from the tranny yet. [GMCTD informed that the line from the tranny (hot) is the top line out of the tranny].

The auxillary tranny cooler will be in series and first to see the hot fluid.

I will use soft 3/8" Aluminum tubing to make the tight radii bends, using 37 deg -6 AN type compression fittings. Barb to AN adapters with hose clamps will interface to the stock hose. The Cooler has -6 AN fittings.

The purpose of this mod is to drop the tranny fluid temp a bit before it gets to the radiator stack.

I realize that this rail cooler does not have a dedicated fan pushing air through it, so the performance is relatively poor. This is meant to be a low cost, easy way to drop 10-15 deg F off of summertime/towing/uphill tranny fluid.

suggestions?

gmctd · **Posted:** Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:51 am

Correct - the upper connection at the transmission case is output to the cooler - I bought one of those with hose barb connections, many years ago, and another, shorter, chrome with 1/2"NPT connections, for up front and in yer face mounting - that one was for crankcase cooling.

Drilling a number of 1/2-3/4" holes across that lower valance panel for air flow should do it, wouldn't you think?

BankNote4X4 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:52 am

When I installed my stacked plate tranny cooler infront of the main coolers I chopped the return line far enough from the metal cuff to be able to hose clamp over a barbed connector and have some space for movement (the new cooler line will have to do a 180 degree turn from here). And close enough to the metal cuff to have enough space to get a hose clamp and barbed connector on. (actually after looking at the picture again the line that needs to do a 180 may be the one that gets cut away from the metal cuff, you'll have to look at it 1st)

It was very easy. However, with the barbed connectors(brass color) and hose clamps I got tranny fluid leaking all over the ground when it got cold. The hose clamps loosened up, a simple fix, but I need a better clamp or thread lock or ?
I read of using 2 clamps but not sure how it works.

Make sure you use transmission cooler line.
I'd still let it run for long enough to be able to hold the tranny cooler lines to tell which one gets hot, to be safe.
Nice install- looks good.

I had to add ATF+4 a few times to get it back to full.

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:05 am

GMCTD

Ya, I know where you are coming from on the "drill holes in Valence" idea. It turns out that the rail cooler ends up at the same vertical position as the cable conduit/box that traverses under the intercooler. The holes drilled would end up about an inch lower than the cooler.

BankNote

I edited a bit of the first post... I am using hard line (soft AL) all the way from the split in the stock hose. Thanks for the warning on flexible hose compatibility. I will use these barbed adapters.
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetai ... toview=sku

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:00 am

Installation Complete

See
http://picasaweb.google.com/bill.barg/2 ... lerProject

1. This is a difficult project. Bending the 3/8" AL tubing to fit is challenging. Using flexible hose would be difficult (maybe not practical) also due to the angles. Maybe if you used a lot of hose. I was looking for neat and tidy.
2. There is only about a foot of 3/8" hose, supply line, used on the CRD, stock vehicle. This does not give a good splice-in point. Worse yet, this hose is buried deep in the engine compartment, looped over the radiator hose. If using the return line, it is longer and there is more places to splice into. This may make more sense for installation (especially with hose). For performace, i wanted to have the auxilary see the hot fluid first, thus minimising the thermal load on the radiator stack. This may be "not worth it" given the hassles of tube flaring and tight work space.
3. The barbed-to-AN6 adapter is hard to push into the 3/8" hose. I has only able to get the second of the two barbs just barely into the hose. One thing for sure, ... they are in there tight. Just not completely pushed in. Hose clamps for extra leak insurance.
4. The AN fittings require the use of a tube flaring. I borrowed a 45 deg flaring tool from Autozone. This 45 deg flare is not the optimum for the 37 deg AN fitting. It will cost another $30 to buy the correct 37 deg tool from summit. I did some fit tests and I believe the 45 to 37 deg flare mismatch will be okay at the low tranny fluid pressures (no leaks so far).
5. I lost about 1/4 quart of fluid during the splicing. I used plugs to stop the flow from the tranny. The radiator side dripped only slowly.
6. I added another 1/4 quart for the aux cooler and lines volumes.
7. At idle and parked, there is definely air passing through the rail cooler. I believe this is due to the 1.5" gap between the radiator and the intercooler that lets air come up, rather than through the intercooler-AC-tranny radiators. The new rail cooler completly blocks this gap, for good or bad.
8. The rail cooler is up high, well protected. You would have to crush body steel to damage the rail cooler. From a wheeling perspective, I am happy with this install.
9. I am happy with the use of "jack-nuts" as threaed inserts into the raiator support bracket. The 1/2" deep voids formed by the structural ribbes in this plastic part are well suited to this expanding anchor. the brackets built into the Derale rail are all that is needed. By great luck, the hole spacing matches perfectly with the CRD void spacing. I will have to make a sketch to indicate which voids to use.

This is the parts list from Summit

DER-13225 FRAME RAIL COOLER KIT 1
SUM-220633-2B 6 AN TUBE NUTS 2PK BLK 2
SUM-220634-2B 6 AN TUBE SLEEVES 2PK BLK 2
SUM-220756 TWIST-TITE -6/-6 ADAPTER 2

ACE
3 ft , 3/8" Aluminum, soft (annealed) refrigeration tubing
1/4-20, short jack screw insert
10-24, short jack screw insert
1/2 long 1/4-20 and 10-24 socket head cap screws with lock washers
qty 2, Hose clamps for 1/2" od hose (just barely big enough, try next size up)

about $50, not including tools (bender and flaring) or 1/2 quart fluid or $10 shipping

gmctd · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:16 am

Attaboy, Bill - not bad - not bad a'tall - the AN fittings are much more professional, keeping things in 'stealth' mode

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:29 pm

I added more details in

http://picasaweb.google.com/bill.barg/2 ... lerProject

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:59 pm

I added a picture from an IR camera showing the temperature difference, inlet /outlet.
It is about 7 deg F at idle after a full 40 min warm up of intown driving. Ambient air temp was 55 F

http://picasaweb.google.com/bill.barg/2 ... 4065608274

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:22 pm

see

http://www.ausauto.com/index.php?page=d ... ry_id=1895

Interesting

for every 11 deg C (20 deg F) over normal operating temperature, the tranny life is halved.

Normal tranny fluid temperature is 70-80 C or 160-180 F

A $50 tranny cooler that lowers temps by 10 deg may be worth it in the long run!

chrispitude · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:28 pm

Bill.Barg wrote:

I added a picture from an IR camera showing the temperature difference, inlet /outlet.
It is about 7 deg F at idle after a full 40 min warm up of intown driving. Ambient air temp was 55 F

Nice picture. I imagine the temperature differential would be higher when the transmission temperature is higher (towing) and there is airflow due to vehicle motion. Very nice!

- Chris

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:24 pm

Bill.Barg wrote:

Normal tranny fluid temperature is 70-80 C or 160-180 F

My trans hardly breaks 100 deg under I'd say 40F, and might break 140/150 when its 'hot' out ~75F. Do yo uthink the PML pan makes that much difference?

Bill.Barg · **Posted:** Wed Jan 09, 2008 12:20 pm

Ryan,

Ya, those temps seem pretty cool. Where / how is the tranny temp measured?

I was hoping I could get the scangaugeII to get the tranny temp data from the TCU.... it is possible.. I just need the right codes!

Bill

Auxillary tranny cooler install COMPLETE (with IR images!)

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