• From: Choctaw, Oklahoma
  • Registered: 2009-11-12
  • Posts: 2,145

Topic: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

I yanked the air conditioning system out of our Jag. How well would the condenser work as a tranny cooler?

  • From: The other side of the fence
  • Registered: 2009-06-17
  • Posts: 388

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

It will work but it is a thick finned area. Just make sure you mount it low or you could have some drain back problems when parked and it will make a huge mess and you will think it is the front input seal.


Pen

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-08-17
  • Posts: 364

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

I was waiting for Pendejo to answer that one... I figured if ANYONE has actually tried this before it would be him... go figure

Pendejo Engineering "Captain" - 1991 Alfa 164
1983 Shaguar XJ-S V-12 "The Two Ton Miata"
1995 Mercedes S600 V-12  - First car ever CLAIMED by JAY!
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  • From: The other side of the fence
  • Registered: 2009-06-17
  • Posts: 388

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

I recycle almost all parts. 

Pen

  • sergio
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  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,185

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

EriktheAwful wrote:

I yanked the air conditioning system out of our Jag. How well would the condenser work as a tranny cooler?

Gee, wouldn't that over cool the fluid? I guess you could try it out.

  • Riktor
  • Riktor
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  • From: Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
  • Registered: 2009-08-06
  • Posts: 1,138

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

sergio wrote:
EriktheAwful wrote:

I yanked the air conditioning system out of our Jag. How well would the condenser work as a tranny cooler?

Gee, wouldn't that over cool the fluid? I guess you could try it out.

I would imagine that due to the large fin area and thermal heat exchange it would only drop it by maybe 50 degrees. I may be wrong due to the unknown variables and efficiencies of each component.

Sons of STIG
Judge Jonny, "So, what's the next formerly thought to be immune from winning that will steal the nickels?An MR2? A Fierro (ha ha ha)? A Datsun/Nissan Z? A Camaro?"
  • Registered: 2009-10-25
  • Posts: 1,993

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

Riktor wrote:
sergio wrote:
EriktheAwful wrote:

I yanked the air conditioning system out of our Jag. How well would the condenser work as a tranny cooler?

Gee, wouldn't that over cool the fluid? I guess you could try it out.

I would imagine that due to the large fin area and thermal heat exchange it would only drop it by maybe 50 degrees. I may be wrong due to the unknown variables and efficiencies of each component.

I'd be VERY happy with a 50F drop in oil temps!!!!  Since we were seeing as high as 280F oil temps!!!!

Richard Doty
1984 Porsche 928 "Estate"
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  • From: Hayward, CA
  • Registered: 2010-03-23
  • Posts: 1,762

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

Pendejo wrote:

" Just make sure you mount it low or you could have some drain back problems when parked and it will make a huge mess and you will think it is the front input seal." Pen

or.
two valves in the lines to hold the fluid in the cooler when the engine is off. Requires a shut down check list.

or,
a check valve on the output of the transmission/input side of the evap coil, then make sure the return connection is higher than the output connection and sees "air" in the transmission. Some fluid will flow back into the trans, but most should stay in the coil and input line.

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?Everyone who has ever built anywhere a 'new heaven' first found the power thereto in his own hell- Frederick Nietzsche
  • From: Dallas Tejas
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 527

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

Or mount the cooler so that the lines for inlet and outlet are on top...

Post oil filter you have the drainback valve so it isn't going back into the engine that way

El Capitan de los Bastardos De Lemons
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  • From: The other side of the fence
  • Registered: 2009-06-17
  • Posts: 388

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

TheHeckler wrote:

Or mount the cooler so that the lines for inlet and outlet are on top...

Post oil filter you have the drainback valve so it isn't going back into the engine that way

He is using it as a trans cooler....

Yeah yeah finned area thermo dynamics and such. It is a Lemons car and there is no way in hell you can over cool a auto trans in a Lemons race (unless Lemons Antarctic happens) because we have tried and tried and tried but trans still get really hot when pushing it in a race. We finally decided to run a single large cooler and add a breather expansion tank to control the fluid expansion and then use a mad science cocktail of trans fluid and it seems to have worked.

Happy to supply the recipe if you need it.

pen

  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: Super-Big-Gas Tranny Cooler?

Overcooling? No way.....I've driven cars with trans fluid cold-soaked to -40 degrees and they're fine. Manual boxes are a different story...before synthetics, I could barely shift my T5 in very cold weather until it warmed up. My personal best was -47 in a 77 Datsun B-210 and although it started, the vinyl seat shattered when I got in...

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....