Transmission coolers

I'm running a derale 11.5x15.75x5 plate cooler with fan for a ptc 350. It will not keep the transmission cool. What is everyone else using?

Very interested in what model you have. There are a few different Derale plate coolers.

I literally just went to this cooler https://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/13760/10002/-1?CAWELAID=1710814934&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=15769068431&CATCI=aud-224375369591la-221520831431&CATARGETID=230006180037475932&cadevice=m&jegspromo=thirdparty&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsPzOxN6B3wIVjYzICh1KLQ4NEAQYByABEgI3oPD_BwE
With this controller https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-35020/
Before RBD.

I didn't really beat on it to really test it but I sure was hoping it would solve any cooling issues. I have a PTC th350 and the pan temp gets to 210 before the 180 degree thermostat kicks on. Crushing around it stayed at 180 in the pan without the fan on.

Waffle said:

Tru-Cool Max LPD49201 4"×23"×3/4" without inline thermostat, mounted in front of rad, low behind seats, and I can't get it over 190 degrees. The last Tru-Cool I tried which was 6" tall instead and I couldn't get that one over 150 so I downsized. LOVE these coolers. Tru-Cool is a Dana owned company btw if thats worth anything.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.trucool.com/products/tru-cool-max&ved=2ahUKEwjTqsjimYDfAhWDuVkKHQ9oAjoQFjAAegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1e_4Sa9xucgJv3TESmCRnP

I'm running a Hughes built th350 with a Hughes 2500 stall.

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Do you run any fans on your cooler or the engine radiator fans are all that is used for airflow ?

I'm all about simplicity and not running a dedicated transmission cooler fan seems great !

Bebop said:

Do you run any fans on your cooler or the engine radiator fans are all that is used for airflow ?

I'm all about simplicity and not running a dedicated transmission cooler fan seems great !

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Those tru cool coolers are awesome, iI has a derale cooler with a fan that wouldn't come close to cooling my trans after putting in a ptc converter. Swapped that biggest tru cool on and the hottest it would get was 180.

This is what I'm running.

Waffle said:

I use the radiator fan only and it's a 2 speed Volvo (newer paddle version, not the curved blade version). Simplicity was my goal and not having a seperate inline temp controller to fail was a plus.

One trick I did with my Tru-Cool is to loop the in/out hoses higher than the cooler itself so it doesn't drain back out on shutoff or when you disconnect the hose. Price you pay for a side inlet/outlet cooler.

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Thank you !

Thanks for the comments. So if I go with a trucool should I mount it in front of my radiator?

Yep tube and fin not plate makes a big difference. I just went from a true cool style in front of my radiator that fed a derale 9000 plate with fan. Now I am going into the single Derale 10000 cooler with fan that I posted above. I can tell my radiator is cooling the engine better now without the old cooler in front. Have to beat on it before I can say for sure but the new cooler seems to be doing good.

I put a 6.0 powerstroke cooler on my TH350 and it works super good

46,000 BTUH would not keep my TH400 with 10" PTC converter cool. I added 37,000 more and it is fine now. It was much easier to keep the transmission cool when it had a 12" Hughes 2000 stall.

Sawzall said:

46,000 BTUH would not keep my TH400 with 10" PTC converter cool. I added 37,000 more and it is fine now. It was much easier to keep the transmission cool when it had a 12" Hughes 2100 stall.

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Are you guys with the high stall ptc converters seeing the heat build up while crawling around or just flat out beating on it?

I been kinda fighting this in a friends bouncer, trying to crawl around at any rpm lower then stall results in trans temp shooting up quick, as soon as the converter locks up the temps start falling off.

FlatlandFSJ said:

Are you guys with the high stall ptc converters seeing the heat build up while crawling around or just flat out beating on it?

I been kinda fighting this in a friends bouncer, trying to crawl around at any rpm lower then stall results in trans temp shooting up quick, as soon as the converter locks up the temps start falling off.

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Mine was worse crawling. It would not recover very well once the temperature got up even if I was moving faster.

The OP (and most everyone else) didn't mention whether the cooler they are adding is an auxiliary cooler or the only cooler they are running. The liquid/liquid cooler in typical factory radiators is a pretty efficient cooler, and if you swapped radiators and are not running the transmission fluid through the radiator you are going to need some pretty good coolers to replace that. Derale claims their plate style coolers with a fan (like the Atomic or Hypercool) will be sufficient as a stand-alone cooler, but I suspect it might be marginal, especially with high-stall converters.

I know it's not a V8, but I was running a 4.0 TJ with a 32RH (3 spd, no OD) transmission swapped in. I was running the original manual trans computer, so the converter was not locking up. I had the fluid running through the factory radiator, then through a Derale Atomic cooler that was mounted under the hood on the passenger inner fender with a series of 1" holes cut in the inner fender to allow airflow in, and hood vents to allow airflow out. Not the best place, but space is kind of limited and was trying to keep it out of the passenger compartment. The fluid temps in the pan would stay 180F or less all day long if I was crawling/riding trails, but at highway speeds for more than 15 minutes the temps would start to climb into the 200+. Since I didn't drive a lot of highway, I just ran with it.

Currently re-doing the front suspension to stretch it, and I have swapped to a shorter Griffin 3" thick, single core radiator with no provisions for transmission cooling. After talking with Derale, I am running one of their Series 10000 16 row stacked plate coolers (32,000 btu) in front of the radiator, and then into the Derale Atomic cooler after that, still under the hood, but with better (hopefully) air flow. Everything is plumbed with -8 hose. Since it isn't running yet, I can't say if it will work, but the theory is that the cooler in front of the radiator will take most of the heat load, and get better at speed, and then the Atomic cooler with a 180F thermostatic switch for the fan) will handle any excess heat load. I also have an automatic computer to swap in if that doesn't seem sufficient.

This big daddy

https://www.kartek.com/parts/cbr-large-off-road-dual-pass-oil-cooler-with-12-fan-and-an-10-orb-oil-cooler-inletoutlet.html

Looked at the CBR but bought this 40 plate Derale https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-15870?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-derale-cooling-products&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiea3xcWG3wIV0lmGCh1Cxwj7EAQYAyABEgIEUvD_BwE
Got it home and am returning it because I figured it was way overkill. I got the shroud 24 plate 47,000 btu now.

It makes a big difference if it is stand alone with a spaced shroud or if it is in front of the radiator. Anything in front of the radiator is going to get a lot of radiant heat and not cool nearly as well as stand alone. Heat exchangers and radiator mounted coolers work well up stream of a good stand alone cooler.

The-Boss said:

Looked at the CBR but bought this 40 plate Derale https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-15870?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-derale-cooling-products&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiea3xcWG3wIV0lmGCh1Cxwj7EAQYAyABEgIEUvD_BwE
Got it home and am returning it because I figured it was way overkill. I got the shroud 24 plate 47,000 btu now.

It makes a big difference if it is stand alone with a spaced shroud or if it is in front of the radiator. Anything in front of the radiator is going to get a lot of radiant heat and not cool nearly as well as stand alone. Heat exchangers and radiator mounted coolers work well up stream of a good stand alone cooler.

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Why did you feel that the the 40 plate was overkill? I'm going to see if summit will swap my other one out with one of these. Just want to make sure I get it right this time.

http://derale.com/products/fluid-coolers/universal/remote-mount2013-10-28-09-53-271073910258/15850-detail

This is what I have on my new buggy, trans stays around 180

jmf said:

Why did you feel that the the 40 plate was overkill? I'm going to see if summit will swap my other one out with one of these. Just want to make sure I get it right this time.

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I do have a PTC converter but it isn't a high stall. The 40 row is bigger and heavier than I anticipated. Looks like it would cool a 4 cylinder car. Once I saw it I honestly just thought it would be overkill but I could be wrong. It also didn't fit a space as well but that wasn't the only reason.

The 40 row is a nice piece though. I guarantee it will cool some fluid and might be the ticket for you. If I have any cooling issues I will probably run a 24in dual pass tube and fin on my radiator up stream and if that doesn't keep it down I will buy one of the new Derale racing coolers listed or the CBR. The 10000 Derale series is 2in thick and the racing one is over 4in.

I got this one for my buggy, it's more cooler than I ever ran, but I'm running more stall than I've ever ran. Anyone have any input? I don't have room for the CBR

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-13870

That is the 40 row I was talking about. I assume depth must be your problem. I think the race Derale and maybe CBR are smaller length and width.