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Transmission tips
Common auto trans problems:
Ford
C-4 Top clutch failure. Easily fixed with and extra clutch plate added to the pack, for a total of five clutches. Second gear band failure. Can be over come with a solid Kevlar band.
C-6 is the C-4's bigger, stronger brother. It's also a couple tenths slower down the quarter.
AOD is basically a C-4 with over drive.
FMX Have a tendency to wear out bushes excessively, so replacement of all bushes is recommended during the rebuild.
GM
Trimatic has a rather poor reputation but can be modified to handle around 400 horespower. It also robs less power than any of the Turbo/Hydro series.
Powerglide
Turbo 350
Turbo 400
turbo 700
If you drive a high performance 4WD, then use a gearbox oil designed specifically for the perpose, such as Castrol Syntrax, 75W/90.
About 90% of auto trans failures are caused by over heating, so add a transcooler
If you look under the hood of an auto vehicle,you will have noticedtwo lines running from the trans to the radiator. The trans cooler in the radiator is strictly a manufacturers convenience item. They have worked very well for millions of cars & trucks in their 'normal' application.
If your reasoning is that the coolant warms up the trans fluid faster that's incorrect. Remember that the coolant in the engine doesn't even hit the radiator 'til you're aways down the road (unless of course you have no tstat!).
The engine will get to operating temp way before the trans will.
The tranny fluid is pretty warm by then since you're already driving. The only way to "warm up the trans faster" is to have an external heating unit on it.
That's what the radiator does.
When you're driving it's almost impossible to have the trans fluid "too cold."
lets see the engine has a thermostat to keep it from getting too cold, Big Rigs have louvers to limit the air flow through their radiators. Cooling towers on office buildings stage their fans to keep the fluid from getting too cool.
You'd be much better off to keep the stock radiator and put on a quality aftermarket cooler mounted in front of the radiator.
If it was mounted it behind the radiator then you might get a little heat from the radiator to keep things warmer when needed.
Lets see in the north west at 10 below the operating temp of the trans would be a little too much on the low side. By the way All of the add on trans coolers I have ever seen specifically state that the new cooler should be installed in series with the in radiator cooler.
B&M makes a great cooler, but whichever one you buy add a few thousand pounds to your GVWR when you buy it since you don't have any cooling in the radiator.
Some hi end, add on, trans coolers come with thermostatically controlled valves to keep the trans at it's proper operating temp.
You can buy steel brake lines at most auto parts stores to use for cooler lines, but you will need a flaring tool and tubing bender.
No that's not quite true. Technically the trans is at operating temp when you start the vehicle unless you live in Fairbanks Alaska and it's -50 F. That's why trans fluid is so much lighter weight than motor oil. The more heat the fluid builds up the more it breaks down.
Circulating warm fluid through a cold radiator isn't going to warm the fluid up.
ATF stays viscous well below 0 F. Unless you've figured out some magic way to cool it down that much when the ambient air temperature 32 or above you CAN'T get the fluid cold enough to stop working. How many times have you seen tranny failure due to overcooling?
According to the instructions on my cooler it states that behind the radiator is the LAST choice for mounting.
No heat exchanger works if the liquid side is filled with air!
Yes they work the same way as engine tstats. When the tranny gets too hot they allow the fluid to circulate through the cooling element. I think if you checked you'd find that the tstat opens very quickly and stays open 99% of the time.
Unless the OEM radiator is shot why waste the money on a new rad when an aftermarket unit will work better and save money?
