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A4ld Running without cooler


Shoddy Cologne

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2014
Messages
275
City
Worst city, Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
1989
1957
1999
Transmission
Automatic
Ive got a rebuilt a4ld with less than 10k on it. I was in an accident in my b2 and replaced the radiator with a manual one i had laying around. Now the manual one has no cooler but ive got the towing package cooler and was going to add another but im not sure that will be enough. Now its not a trail rig just a summer truck. I know the temp needs to be around 182. I dont really wanna go through the trouble of adding a temp gauge or beefing anything up. Basically i just need it to work without blowing up in a week. Eventually i plan to get a T5 so im trying to save money and effort.

Thoughts?

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The rad trans cooler serves 2 purposes, to heat up cold trans fluid and to cool warm trans fluid, lower rad temp on a Ford should be about 170-180degF(assuming 192degF T-stat), after warm up
The liquid to liquid cooler works much better than air to liquid cooler

You want trans fluid to be under 200degF
After driving for 30 minutes or so I would measure the temp on the IN and OUT lines on existing cooler.
That will decide if you need to add a second cooler, generally you get a 15degF cooling effect from air/liquid coolers but that of course changes with size of the cooler, outside air temp and air flow thru the cooler.
 
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I would install a early Explorer automatic radiator , more cooling for the engine and keep the trans cooler in the radiator.
Bolts right in but the upper hose will need modification.
My truck also has a external trans cooler in front of the radiator.
 
I guess my best option is to just get a new radiator although thats more money i dont want to spend on a part that i will likely replace in the future. Maybe i should install the rad in the core support since ill have to do that later.

Although im still on the fence of using an auto or a T5 with a V8/2.3t swap and i may or may not need a trans cooler at that time.

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See if you can find a V8 rad with cooler, if you do the swap it is ready, if you don't do the swap it is fine as well.
Thermostat keeps temp of engine where it should be, bigger rad won't matter for the I4, in fact it will be better cooling for the trans :)
 
just get a bigger cooler... on the early 99 powerstrokes ford ran is threw a trans cooler only and not the radiator... and that was on the big 4r100 on a 8klb truck

i have my old 7.3l cooler im going to install on my ranger since i upgraded to a 6.0l cooler on my 7.3l when i get a chance.

just install one of these behind the grill and adapt the line. no need to run it threw the radiator
should be able to get one cheap from the picknpull off a v10/5.4l
60transcoolervs73andV10.jpg



my 02 is setup is ran threw the rad. but with the 6.0 cooler i see around 130 to 140* on my 4r100

180* is way to hot for my liking.(what it use to be from the factory 180* to 190*)
stock ford cooling is inadequate.
 
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just get a bigger cooler... on the early 99 powerstrokes ford ran is threw a trans cooler only and not the radiator... and that was on the big 4r100 on a 8klb truck

i have my old 7.3l cooler im going to install on my ranger since i upgraded to a 6.0l cooler on my 7.3l when i get a chance.

just install one of these behind the grill and adapt the line. no need to run it threw the radiator
should be able to get one cheap from the picknpull off a v10/5.4l
60transcoolervs73andV10.jpg



my 02 is setup is ran threw the rad. but with the 6.0 cooler i see around 130 to 140* on my 4r100

180* is way to hot for my liking.(what it use to be from the factory 180* to 190*)
stock ford cooling is inadequate.
What are the dimensions of the 6.0 cooler if ypu dont mind.

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Basically what ive got is the factory towing package external trans cooler and one of these
e7a01897beda8c37c6ef61e8f96eb5d2.jpg


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I guess id like to know if that will be sufficient. If not ill probably buy a new rad.
Thanks.

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try running them parrell, and get one of these...
http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-infrared-thermometer-with-laser-targeting-61894.html
and point it at the oil pan after running around for a while.

i don't see why they wont work as as long as you have good airflow going over them...
what gvwr is that cooler rated it?

the only dimensions i could find for the big 6.0 cooler(31 row that i have) is
approx 24"x 24" x 1.5"(i didnt install mine, i had my trans builder install it).... i think the 7.3l or v10 would be perfect... my 7.3l one is about double the width compared to my factory 2000 ranger one with about the same height.

and running 35s and the stock cooler my trans was cooking on my ranger last time i had it out on the trails.


i think bypassing the radiator the biggest problem from heat is going to come from low speed driving(say offroad/stop and go traffic) since you don't have a electric fan on the cooler for constant airflow, so that's something to keep in mind.
 
Thats what im concerned about. Right now my B2 is on 31s. In the future ill probably buy a shorter tire but keep the width so it will actually move lol.

By parallel do you mean one infront of the other?


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I thought about getting one of those infared thermometers but im not sure how accurate they are coming from hf.

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I thought about getting one of those infared thermometers but im not sure how accurate they are coming from hf.

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better than nothing... (the harbor temp gun)
there is always a cheap one on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Derale-13009-Oil-Temperature-Gauge/dp/B004XONNQW/?tag=959media-20
just screw the temp gauge into the pressure test port on the transmission...

and guess i meant in line side by side... out on trans> first cooler> first cooler out> 2nd in>2nd out>back to trans.
 
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