Thread: Auto cooler upgrade

I run an additional Davis Performance Landys ATF cooler.

They really need to have high pressure fittings etc to be reliable. These ones are a little expensive but are bang on.

Aux Transmission Oil Cooler | MODIFICATION | Davis Performance

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I run an additional Davis Performance Landys ATF cooler.

They really need to have high pressure fittings etc to be reliable. These ones are a little expensive but are bang on.

Aux Transmission Oil Cooler | MODIFICATION | Davis Performance

Curious what the dimensions are on that supplementary cooler Simon ?

cheers.

The P38 4.6 HSE runs a nice big cooler that's about twice the height of the V8 one. I fitted one to a 300TDi converted RRC and ignored the 3.9 V8 one the vehicle originally came with. I made some adaptor pipes to connect the P38 cooler to the old pipes so all connections are OEM o-ring style.

Originally Posted by rick130

Curious what the dimensions are on that supplementary cooler Simon ?

cheers.

I'll give it a measure when I can. I think I ended up with one of his first ones, and the tanks look like they've been changed by other than that they still look the same.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I'll give it a measure when I can. I think I ended up with one of his first ones, and the tanks look like they've been changed by other than that they still look the same.

Cheers, only when you get a chance/think of it.

It looks like an engine oil cooler (40-50mm deep?)
ATF dimple plate/fin coolers are usually only around 20mm thick.


I was thinking along bee utey's line of getting a big enough cooler and remove the existing one so that a manual trans I/C would fit.
I'm saying that without even knowing what sits where yet.

Originally Posted by rick130

Cheers, only when you get a chance/think of it.

It looks like an engine oil cooler (40-50mm deep?)
ATF dimple plate/fin coolers are usually only around 20mm thick.


I was thinking along bee utey's line of getting a big enough cooler and remove the existing one so that a manual trans I/C would fit.
I'm saying that without even knowing what sits where yet.

Here we go. 11" across, 8" high and 1.5" thick. The hose fittings are the same as the one pictured.

It probably is an oil cooler, I guess ATF is oil anyway. I did have an ATF cooler in it, but they just cant handle the pressure during lockup that the ZF produces. Comparing something like 15-20psi to a bit over 100 if my memory serves me correctly and assuming I'm not just making stuff up. Regular ATF coolers are just not reliable enough, they need to be higher pressure coolers and proper pressure multibarb or pirtek type fittings for reliability. I spent thousands and thousands learning this.

I dont know if it will be enough as a replacement ATF cooler. It is in a much better location than the standard one for cooling, but its also smaller and putting big power through the ZF heats it right up. Im chipped and intercooled and glad I have both coolers, especially in the hills when power is going down and the auto is predominantly unlocked. I have run a much larger ATF cooler as pictured but that one is history now. Something to also think about, is that once that hot ATF light comes on, the transmission is stuffed already, it will be fine at the time and once it cools off, but irrespective of what you do, such as changing the ATF etc, the internal components will continue to break down and the auto will fail, not might fail, it will fail.

For whats where, the radiators/cooler pack is 3 layers deep.
1st layer is the AC radiator
2nd layer is the Intercooler up top and ATF cooler at the bottom (where it also collects and holds mud that you cant clean out)
3rd layer is the engine coolant.

This is the standard ATF cooler:


this is the first additional ATF cooler that I used - don't go there in terms of using a regular ATF cooler, but the size does fit behind the grill. Its binned, so I cant give you the size.

Thanks mate.

Yes, those serpentine coil/finned coolers are next to useless.

I learnt that 20 years ago with my old F100. I used to log the temps on the C6 and the dimple plate/fin cooler I used was pretty good.
I had a prang and the smash repairs used a big tube and fin cooler just like the one you've pictured and my auto temps went through the roof.
Plate and fin, size for size, are the most efficient heat exchangers we can use.

Hmm, I thought we figured out there was only low pressure in the cooler lines?
inside the box is quite high, yes, but the lines are only low,, hence the stupid connectors that fall off. Even LR wouldnt use unflared tube ends on 100 psi,,,
Having said all that Slunnie has fixed it properly as usual..