Any major pro's or cons here? Trans fluid pressure is nowhere near where the ac pressure is in the condenser so that should be fine there. My radiator has no provision for a cooler, I have a small ps cooler for the trans but may run both to help cool the trans, i'm running a stall converter so i'm worried about heat. I have a good sized cooler in my parts car, it's free to me thought I'd use it.
I'd just make a quick call to one of the radiator builders at the end of an 1-800 number and see what the AC portion of the radiator is made of. My first guess would be that the viscosity of the ****** fluid versus the core type would be more of a problem than just pressure. Gary
I've seen it done and yes, it works just fine. My buddy used to go to the appliance dump and snag the condensers off broken A/Cs and then make trans coolers out of them. A little on the ghetto side, but with some care and craftsmanship you can make one functional and look good too
Just how hot does that trans run? I think its like using a nuclear bomb to clear out a rabbit warren! A decent ****** cooler is just like a condenser but about 1/4 the size, with some airflow that should be all you need. If that wont cool it then you have bigger issues with the trans. Doc.
I'm still putting the car together at this point, it would save me from buying a cooler. Building a car with used parts to be cheap , isn't that traditional?
Reread my first post- I have a parts car so it would be free basically. It's probably a bit overboard to go with this big of a cooler, but why not so I don't have any trans problems down the road.
Well...as long as it isn't one of the newer style condensers with the really really tiny small p***age style serpentine tubes or a multiflow in theory you "could" but I wouldn't. Check with a trans-shop-guru on this but with something of that size and the volume and the tube size it might turn your ****** fluid into a strawberry foam shake... which could be bad. I think the word is cavitation... but I could be wrong You might also get cross contamination from the oil residue (and possibly oil) existing in the condenser. We sell Flex-O-Lite trans coolers... a 12" x 5" good for up to 10,000lbs g.v.w. runs around $55 retail... just so you know.
Here's mine on my Stude Hawk.. Actually its the evaporator not the condenser. (condensor?) I think the evap flows better since it has bigger p***ages than a condenser. I use part of it as an engine oil cooler, and a smaller part of it as a trans cooler. This has worked great for many years. decades actually. And NO, the copper lines do NOT break or crack or explode.
the 08 super duty diesels have about 5 coolers on the front..... the smaller pieces like PS, and oil would work good under a ch***is.
On a side note...I've thought about a condensor from an old room air conditioner,or even a trashed dehumidifier.Never tried it though.
You DID state you were using a stall convertor, and those make HEAT. So, you should definitely use a large cooler, and what you contemplate should work fine. IMHO, the oil that may be in it should not prove a problem with trans fluid (which is oil), its water that you don't want near your trans. As for cavitation, that probably won't be a problem, because it's a closed system, air can't get to it. Just FWIW, I had a 12,000# truck with a 727 automatic (Iveco). That trans was still good after 250,000 miles of city delivery service, and I attribute that to the cooler: a 14" square radiator with it's own fan, JUST for the trans fluid. And it was mounted above the engine radiator. Cosmo
My ps cooler is 6" x 9" and probably 2" thick, I was concerned if this would be enough? I can flush out the condenser or I could also use an evaporator and add to the ps cooler. I have access to a trans flushing machine so thats not a problem for getting the ac oil out. I have a 2800 stall/th400 and 3:90 rear so yes i'm concerned about heatbuild up. .
Being a refrigeration guy, I used them on ever one I built with a auto trany. They do a GREAT job. Ice man
You might need a byp*** type thermostat. Automatics don't work well when they are too cold either. The fluid needs to be in a certain temp range for proper lubrication.
I am using one on my 70 Chevy 3/4 ton pickup. Make sure you clean it out real good, but has worked great for me. All I pretty much use my truck for anymore is for the car trailer and boat/camper.
I have a ssmall trans cooler mounted horizontally about 2" off the floor just in front of the rear wheel. The trans is a 4L60E and I put a gauge on it. Interesting that it takes quite a while to get up to operating temp (150 degrees) but will heat to 200 degrees if stuck in traffic for extended periods. Once underway again it cools to 150 within minutes. Note that too cold is as bad as too hot. Today's trans is designed to operate at 150 degrees, along with the fluids. Clearances inside the trans depend on proper expansion. Bottom line is don't go overboard with trans cooling on a car.
My first rod when I was but a wee ladd I used a condenser from an old refrigerator on a J2 with a hydromatic. It took a lot of abuse and help up fine, must have worked oik.
I've done it it works fine. Only problem I ever had was keeping the lines on, a little creative thinking cured the probelm and it worked as well as any cooler I ever had to pay for. I happened onto another off the wall ****** cooler that I'm useing on my current project. I snagged the oil cool off an RX-7 at the local U-Pullit. Cost me all of 5 bucks. Never the less the AC condensor is a viable solution especially if you already have one that's not being used.
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