I just purchased a new B&M super cooler(#70266). Does anyone know if it makes a difference which line is the inlet or outlet line. There is no "IN" or "OUT" marked on the cooler and the instructions sheet doesn't make mention of it. I have a turbo 350 and I think the bottom line on the trans is the out to cooler line(hot) and the top is the return line(cold), but I don't think it makes a difference on this type of cooler. Can someone confirm for me?

usually the top line is hot going to the rad, but feel both of them to be sure.You want to position your cooler so that the fluid comes in the top inlet and exits the bottom back to the tranny.But don't eliminate the rad cooler,cut the return line line and hook that up to the top of the cooler

I don't really think it matters on the cooler. It just need to be on certain line from the tranny. Mine was not marked either.

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Mark

1992 Firebird 355/Six Speed (Soon to be LT1)
1991 RS 350 / 700-R4
1987 Toyota Pickup 383 / 500 + HP 10.963 @ 119.95 Slicks / 11.997 @ 114.23 Radials
"Speed KILLS, so drive a FORD and live forever!"
http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/~racer383/

Member of the "unwanted" 3rd Gen group.

I would recomend that you bypass the radiator. If you do, then it won't matter which way you hook it up. If you insist on going through the radiator then I can find out for you which one it the return line (that is where you want to put it). By the way, this cooler is manufactured by a company called TruCool (actually Long Mfg, but this is thier brand name). They are the best cooler you can get and are the ONLY ones I will use.

I had the same question on mine. What I did was this. The bottom line on the rad stays the same. Remove the top line from rad. Install the extension/adapter that came with coller where top line use to be. Run hose from adapter/extension on top of rad to the top of the trans cooler. The bottom line on trans cooler should go to the top line which you took off. (Top line is in and bottom is out.) Hope this helps.

Alfonso,

Do I read your post correctly, you are feeding the external cooler first then the tank in the radiator? If so you are heating the fluid back up before sending it back to the transmission. The external will cool much better than the rad. tank... When you said "Top line is in and bottom is out." are you refering to tranny or radiator?

transfix - Are you a transmission tech? You are the first I have heard recomend not using the radiator tank... I don't mean this as a challange as I am open to progressive ideas. Could you elaborate to give food for thought?

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...Dennis
'69 RS Convertible w/SS trim (http://www.camaroslimited.com/memberscars/den.htm)
'96 Z28SS #1679 of 2410 (http://www.camaroslimited.com/graphics/memcars/96ss.jpg)
"The Club" (http://camaroslimited.com)

Dennis,

I bypassed my radiator all together also. My external cooler has an electric fan on it. I am now wokring on a temp switch to turn the fan on and off at certain temps. When I run the fan, the trans stays about 180-190 with an 8" 4500 stall.

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Mark

1992 Firebird 355/Six Speed (Soon to be LT1)
1991 RS 350 / 700-R4
1987 Toyota Pickup 383 / 500 + HP 10.963 @ 119.95 Slicks / 11.997 @ 114.23 Radials
"Speed KILLS, so drive a FORD and live forever!"
http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/~racer383/

Member of the "unwanted" 3rd Gen group.

I've read and had a couple good tranny guys say lower is better, 160 deg would be a good target.... I'm shadetree and the more input I get to chew on the better!!

Yes, I am a tranny specialist (24 years). This has been a hottly debated topic for years. I will give my reasons. With the possible exception of extremely cold climates, where the fluid could begin to gel when it hits the cold metal in the trans, there is no good reason for using the radiator, PLUS that problem can be avoided by using a Synthetic oil.

Most guys in here are probably still using 350's or 400's but for well over a decade, the trans repair business has had to deal with O/D's W/lock-up. We have learned some hard (and expensive) lessons about the trans cooling system.

Heat is a major concern (I can't count the times I have seen rubber seals that would break like plastic in your hand) but even more important is the lubrication factor. In O/D W/L-U on, the RPM's drop and therefore, so does the FLOW of oil through the cooler. This is agravated by a less than ideal pump. Add to this that if the tranny failed, you have a much greater chance of the cooler being seriously restricted. If you have never seen the inside of a tranny cooler you won't fully appreciate this problem. Imaging two tubes, one inside of the other with a gap of maybe 1/8" between them. Now fill that gap with a honeycomb maze that the oil flows through. When a tranny fails (not just slips a little) often either metal is generated or just plain munge that plugs this maze up. Now unless you have a $300 meter to measure actual flow you can't really tell. The age old way of cleaning a cooler was to blow out the sludge with a blow gun and/or use a solvent pump. This doesn't tell you if the WHOLE path is open. The other way was to check flow with the line off into a bucket, with a quart in 20 seconds being the rule. This means NOTHING at hot cruise in O/D+L/U, where it can turn into a trickle.

To make a long story a little longer, by installing the TruCool cooler (the best) and bypassing the radiator you are starting out with a brand new higher flow cooler that incorporates a partial bypass to make sure that SOME oil always gets back to the trans (for cold weather) and will keep trans temp down.

I run my 400 with only a trans cooler, only differance is my cooler was salvaged from a city bus and havent had a problem with it at all. (mounted in front of the Rad) I am looking forward to removing the cooler and trans and putting a 4 sp back into it though.

Leo,

I have 90psi at 1500rpm in locked OD. That's more than the 75 psi at idle in park. Are either of those reading too low to do more than trickle the fluid through the cooler?
My 700r4 was built by one tech and I took the pressure readings at the recomendation of a second tech from a different shop. I provided the second guy a full set of pressure readings under various conditions. The results were to his satifaction.

Your input is valued and appreciated, this isn't ment to dispute what you have said. I'm the consumer and a student of sorts. I'm just looking for a clearer picture.

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...Dennis
'69 RS Convertible w/SS trim (http://www.camaroslimited.com/memberscars/den.htm)
'96 Z28SS #1679 of 2410 (http://www.camaroslimited.com/graphics/memcars/96ss.jpg)
"The Club" (http://camaroslimited.com)

Line pressure and cooler flow are two different things. You took what I call fast idle readings. I like to take readings in all positions, at idle, fast idle and at fast idle/max TV (either hose off modulator or TV cable pulled full depending on trans). In fact, there is sort of a bell curve to cooler pressure depending on RPM and pressure. Too low at idle and it will be lower, while too high at higher RPM's and it will also be low to the point that it can be cut off! Now, if you mean to say that you checked cooler pressure, that really doesn't tell you anything either. If you disconnected your cooler out line and put a pressure gauge there you would get roughly line pressure BUT it wouldn't tell you anything about FLOW. To measure that requires an expensive flow gauge.

I have no problem with answering questions. That is why I am here. All I ask is that when I ask what seems like a dumb question that no one jumps on me too bad!



[This message has been edited by transfixleo (edited 04-22-2001).]

Leo,

No such thing as a dumb question when it comes to Camaros... Thanks for the info!! I did not measure the pressure at the lines going to and from the cooler. I took readings as you described going through each position of the shifter.

Thanks again,

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...Dennis
'69 RS Convertible w/SS trim (http://www.camaroslimited.com/memberscars/den.htm)
'96 Z28SS #1679 of 2410 (http://www.camaroslimited.com/graphics/memcars/96ss.jpg)
"The Club" (http://camaroslimited.com)