Transmission oil coolers: Anybody use'em?

[bgood]

Long story here, I'm wondering if I would be better served to use a cooler or go to a bigger radiator.
I am in the middle of a Vintage Air install on my 67 C10 with 350 4bbl and TH350 and I run across this note in the instructions tellin me their units won't work so well with the narrower(thinner?) radiators that came on I6 with auto transmission. Well that looks light what I got...So what would be a better fix?, bigger radiator, add a xmission oil cooler or both? The current radiator does fine right now although it runs +200 when towing my bass boat(180 degree Thermostat) so I was already thinking about a fan shroud. Anyone here had similar situation?

thanks, Bill

[Cethern]

I would get both a bigger Rad and a aux Tranny cooler. In the long run it will help to have the tranny run cooler and your engine too. Just my two cents


Cethern

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

Get a fan shroud and a tranny cooler, it'll run a lot better. I had my truck without a fan shroud for a while and it ran hot all the time, but didn't get to the overheating point. I installed a shroud and a HD clutch fan and it runs a helluva lot cooler. And the way the temps are around here(mid-high 90's everyday) I'm gonna get a tranny cooler also. As for the radiator, they're made in 1, 2, 3, and 4 row designs. 4 row radiators cool the best, because they're bigger. Your's probably has a 2 row radiator. You could probably get a 3 or 4 row radiator, but they're more expensive. You'd also have to get longer radiator holddown brackets. I got a 3 row for my truck and it was $180, new, not rebuilt.

[busterwivell]

I got a 4 core for about 220. With AC, use a big radiator, a shroud, and a tranny cooler. Heat kills things like engines and transmissions pretty quickly. Enjoy your AC!

[bgood]

Do the types of oil coolers you use have their own cooling fans or do the rely on another means? Any recomendations on brands and where to mount them?
Sorry for all the ???s but I want to do this install right the first time!

[nate68]

B & M makes a decent one. i think they call it "super cooler" or something like that. got mine from summit for a fair price

[busterwivell]

I've never seen one with a fan, but get a good sized one. mount it in front of the radiator, that uses the stock fan to pull air thru it.

[slam33]

I have a 4 core rad and a tranny cooler, but I don't use the together. The tranny cooler is on it's own. When I converted to a TH350 from a 3 speed stick I found that my old 3 core was leaking into the tranny cooler fittings on the rad. I got the largest cooler I could find and use it as a stand alone. works great for me.

[ChevLoRay]

My truck came with air, and automatic. It had a 4-row core radiator, which began to leak. I bought a replacement through a radiator shop, for about $190. I messed up the threads when I was hookin' up the cooler lines, so I got a cooler. Mounted it in front of the radiator, on the right side. Everything runs cool enough.

www.flex-a-lite.com has a "stand alone" cooler with a fan already mounted to it. All you have to do is mount it where it can get some air. They say you can even mount it in the trunk, as long as it is vented. I saw it on page 166 of the August issue of Street Trucks magazine.

[72C203503ONTHETREE]

I have the 20,000 pound stand alone B&M cooler with the fan on my 83 El Camino. It will definately keep any trans cool.