Tranny cooling lines--->radiator

[RICH MUISE]

Unlike fittings on the side of the radiator like in the newer cars, I'm guessing there is no difference in which is in or out on the tranny cooling line fittings when the fittings are both on the bottom tank of the radiator like our oem style radiators? Any thoughts or input?

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich makes no difference, just need to know that external coolers need to be in line before the radiator cooler.  Tranny temps need to be warn to keep moisture out, cooler is not necessarily the friend of transmissions.  They need to be warn and dry...just like you and me!

[RICH MUISE]

No external cooler involved, I don't think anyways. At least I wasn't considering adding one in addition to going thru the radiator. I had thought about an external cooler in place of the radiator. What are your thoughts on that? If an aftermarket aftercooler is more efficient than the thru-the-radiator, I may go that route and use the radiator for the power steering fluid. I think that was what Gary/gasman said he was doing....in his case because he has a manual tranny.

[Ford Blue blood]

Transmission fluid just like engine oil, it collects water.  The heat cycle we run the engines through gets rid of that moisture.  Cars that are started and run for a few minutes suffer more damage then cars that are run hard for 200 miles.  Moisture is the enemy, it occurs naturally and will remain unless the oil/tranny fluid is heated up to drive it out.  The three trucks I have had/have with external coolers all ran through the radiator.  Reason, the fluid needs to be hot (under 200), not boiling but hot.  The plates and clutches in the transmission are glued with water soluble glue....nuff said.

I do not recommend nor do I run an external cooler alone, they all go through the radiator to make sure the fluid gets hot!

[RICH MUISE]

Had to digest that info for a while....not use to thinking in terms of a radiator being used to heat up fluids. Makes sense after thinking it thru..the radiator would get to operating temps faster than tranny, so on initial startup, running the tranny fluid thru the radiator would get the tranny up to operating temps faster. Adding a cooler would just be a little insurance that the tranny doesn't overheat, but the radiator still maintains the fluid at operating temps whether it's warming it up or cooling it down. Is that understanding correct?
Thanks Bill

[Ford Blue blood]

Yup