Adding Tranny cooler and external trany filter
 

Im going to be adding a additional tranny oil filter and tranny cooler. this should add a bit of extra cooling to the system, since heat is the biggest killer of most auto trannys, this should help. I have allready added a cooling tubed tranny oil pan. I will add some pictures as I go on. Posting the mod if any one eles want to try. Its fiarly easy got all parts from Summit racing. everything is allready installed in except the tranny line has not been tapped into yet.

Be very careful with this mod any pressure lose in the cooler return line will cause way more issues then you want to endure.
Cooler return goes to lube and the pressure is ~15psi.:ack:

Definitely a good add on and it should help keep your oil cleaner and cooler, both are good things for lubricant life! If you use one filter use a premium filter that will filter out finer impurities over a cheap full flow filter. The difference will be 8-10 microns filtration vs 25-30. :yesnod:

Thanks for the advice I will check the pressure on the outlet side of the cooler. The filter I have is a B&M filter made for transmission filtration according to B&M. Im not sure who actually makes the filter. I have done some resarch and most of the Best filters are made by a company called Champion (not the Spark plug) they seem to make most fo the filter for most of the brands. I dont think it will be to hard to out due the Paper styly GM tranny filter. I put a few pictures in my album of the mod.

Friend the trans cooling line to the radiator coolers purpose is to provide cooling for the heated oil and return that oil to the transmission, adding a filter or coolers should not affect anything negatively since its a downside fluid stream from the pump. There are two variations of oil filters those with a bypass valve in them (originally Ford type) and those without (originally GM type). The filters used in those trans filters are the Ford type and you can take that adaper and screw on a Ford type filter and find that it will screw on. Champion does make a lot of filters and any of their premium lines will have the finer filtering media. Without going into a book on the subject of filters the newer KN, Amsoil, Pure Ones, etc are all filters that should get down to 8-10 microns which is as fine as one can get on a full flow filter. :thumbs:
BTW if you look at the newer heavy duty truck transmissions the OEM's are putting on a filter housing with a cartrige filter because the regular pan filters are really debris filters to keep larger particles from the pump and circuits.

I tried to uplaod pics of the mod so far but for some reason they wont take, maybe if I bring the res of the pics down they will upload

I don't know how to upload pics either, sorry I cant help, something I have to learn.

I'm very interested in your project. I look forward to your continued posts and pics. Thanks :cheers:

Ok I added a pic to my Album of the loaction of the tranny cooler, and the place I added the tranny external filter. Not sure how to get them in the thread, Maybe you have to be a senior member or something.

Hi, I see the two pics where you added them in front of the radiator.
It doesnt really make much difference which is first. I prefer filtering first but just make sure the flow into the filter is correct as the inlet flow goes in on theshell of the filter first.
My other suggestion is when you get a chance replace the hose they give you with better grade high performance braided or something similar to Aeroquip Pushlock 300 onto AN fittings. The life and security of these types of hoses and fittings is much better. If you choose to keep the ones with the kit keep on eye on the hose for abrasion and drying shrinking and cracking over time, this is speeded up with heat. A goodway too is to use metal tubing with a bender and double flares and keep the rubber hose to a minimum.
IMO the added cost of the AN fittings (not cheap) is worth the added safety and extended life.
If you get leaks on the threads clenaing the fittings with a tap and die helps as well using Permatex sealer instead of teflon tape.

Hope this helps

Carlos

Good idea about the lines. I have access to a aircraft machinenst and his machine shop. He can probably make me somehting realy PRO looking if I asked and bought the parts. I was also thinking about reserching elimintaing the in pan filter alltogther, and just putting a pick up tube in the trany. there would never be a need to drop the tranny pan ever. doing a fluid filter change would be just as easy as doing your engine oil. As a pick up tube I thought I could just gut the filter in the pan now and use the shell to pick up fluid. Any and all input welcome.

If it was me I would leave the pan and filter alone.

I was doing a little more research before the final hook up. At work (RED HORSE military construction crew) every truck, dozer, wrecker, semi, etcetera has a external trany filter and no internal. according to all sources the internal filter is basically a pick up tube with a minor amount of filtration to prevent large particles from being picked up. Now, our heavy equipment gets way more work on the trany then a passenger car or truck does, and I have never seen the failures I see in trany's on passenger cars and trucks happen at work. So why hasn't this become standard yet on all vehicles? some of the bigger diesel passenger trucks are coming with external trany filters now in the Allison trany's. So why do I need the internal trany filter and not just a pick up tube? Pros= eliminate ever having to drop the trany pan to change trany fluid. Cons= will never be able to see how much metal shaving in oil after drain. I also want to log the trany operating temps before the install and after. I I'm hoping to get a 10-20 degree drop with the extra fluid capacity up by 3 quarts for the filter and cooler addition, and the cooler itself helping out. Last thing... I'm thinking about converting the trany oil to Amsoil synthetic, any easy way to get a full drain with out a Torque converter drop?

Yep, this will get interesting to see how much damage the pump can endure after ingesting all the big pieces that crappy pan filter the stupid GM Engineers put in there!:eek:

using an extra pump to move the trans fluid up and back to the radiator?

Trinton pump in right rear wheel well
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...CoolerPump.jpg

Now I do run a 6 speed, but the extra cooling is always a good idea

Very nice! I like the external pump idea.

OK got everything hooked up first test was flow PSI. Using a hydraulic pressure tester for before and after, My PSI was the same at Idle and around the block a few times at 35, then a quick 10 min drive at 75. No pressure difference. The temp difference was a big difference. With the addition of almost 2 quarts to the system, the external filter housing, and cooler, the trany temp was 28 degrees cooler even thought the outside temp had went up some before I had connected all the plumbing. this in turn kept my engine temp down by about 18 degrees less. I attribute that to the cooler trany fluid running in the cooler. So far the car feels just like before with no difference in performance. One last thing for all the skeptics, who will read this and believe this would destroy the trany. I took the plan for what I was doing to a couple of hyd professionals. At the aircraft hydraulic shop. I know some had ideas that if the trany was meant to be a certain way then the GM techs would have made it that way. I do believe your right in some way but many believe if something works why change it. The guys I went over it with have been working on hyd for years on F-16's, F-15's and many other fighter aircraft. One guy said if the GM engineers were so good they would be working on Aircraft and most of his classmate that held C averages went on to work in the auto industry. They cant cut it for aircraft. I'm sure there is some BS to that story but I'm sure it has some Truth also. So to sum it up, external trany filter, used in aircraft for ages is much better and efficient. they recommended a oil analysis to truly keep track so I provided a pre sample to do comparison later. They ended up making me hyd lines that can withstand 5000 psi pressure. I think thats overboard but what the heck. By the way, I didn't just come up with this idea uneducated. I am a dual certified ASE mechanic, since 1996. Will keep posted.

Update Engine and tranny still running much cooler, no lose in tranny power IE no slipping. Everything runs fine. I know some people think if GM engineers didn't do it then it should not be done. But just think if that was true there would be no after market performance upgrades ever, because they engineers would have already made it the best it could be.
All the parts can be found on Summit racing .com for a pretty cheap price.

I added one inline after the radiator cooler in my A4 when I installed my RPM transmission and 3400 stall. It's a B & M Supercooler and the transmission runs cooler than stock and it hasn't leaked ever. It's been on at least a couple of years.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC01002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC00999.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC01006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/DSC00998.jpg

"has a external trany filter and no internal. according to all sources the internal filter is basically a pick up tube with a minor amount of filtration to prevent large particles from being picked up."

This is what I was refering to, did you remove the internal filter?:bigears

Happy your cooler is working out for you. A good synthetic oil should run cooler then regular atf, on my Silverado 2500 HD it has a trans temp gauge and it lost 25 F when I switched from regular ATf to Amsoil.
My towing temp is what my regular unloaded temp used to be! :thumbs:

Thanks for all the feed back, Yes I did remove the internal pick up tube/Filter. I will be doing a oil analysis to see how the oil if fairing compared to the before oil test. Hobbes. I was also thinking about going to Amsoil in the trany but, the main thing I wanted to do was flush the entire system with amsoil not just the 5 or so quarts in the Pan. I'm looking for away to capture the oil from the Converter also. I would rather not pull it and to drain it, but I have seen very little converters with drain plugs in them since they are harder to balance. If you have any suggestions let me know, thanks.

Here is what I do to convert an automatic.
1)I change the filter and oil in the pan first.
2)I then disconnect the trans cooler lines and set them up to flow into a container and hit the autostarter to notice which line is the supply line.
3) Knowing the total volume you can subtract the amount you added to the pan, and with an autostart it is pretty easy to count quart per quart as you fill up. The flow will not be like a high pressure fire nossle, it will be manageable to do one at a time. As I stop to change to the new empty quart I add a quart to the pan that way I don't get low in the pan.
When you get near the total quart mark needed you should see notice a noticeable color change in the fluid, from darker less translucent red to a brighter more vibrant red of the fresh fluid!
I don't mean to be basic in description but it has worked like a charm for all the ones I did. :thumbs:
You could just look for the color change but I would not want to run the trasn low and its nice to know about when the color change is coming in!

Thanks for all the feed back, Yes I did remove the internal pick up tube/Filter. I will be doing a oil analysis to see how the oil if fairing compared to the before oil test. Hobbes. I was also thinking about going to Amsoil in the trany but, the main thing I wanted to do was flush the entire system with amsoil not just the 5 or so quarts in the Pan. I'm looking for away to capture the oil from the Converter also. I would rather not pull it and to drain it, but I have seen very little converters with drain plugs in them since they are harder to balance. If you have any suggestions let me know, thanks.

Apparently you have never studied the hydraulic circuitry of the automatic transmission.
If you had you would have discovered a few very important things.
1.The fluid from the pan starts flowing directly into the pump assembly where it is directed into the valve body to be distributed through various circuits in the transmission.
2.The cooler only sees a very small portion of the total fluid flowing at any given time.:eek:
It comes off the converter clutch apply valve ALL the rest of the fluid is unfiltered.
So by removing the pan filter you are recirculating most of the debris that would normally be stopped by the filter.:ack:

As for hobbesnmina2001 idea of changing the fluid through the cooler lines, well he better have a LOT of fluid on hand.
To get anywhere near 100% change he'd need somewhere near 70-100 qt's. of fluid.:eek:

Sometimes things just aren't quite as simple as they seem!:leaving:

Really? Well I have done it on 4 vehicles (all gms) and its worked everytime with the color change coming within 1/2 quart of expected capacity. I got it from a manual but here is the same procedure online.
Please pay attention to #11

http://www.partshp.com/FluidChange.htm

11. You now have replaced the fluid in the pan. To replace the fluid in the torque converter and oil cooler also, follow these steps.
Step 1. Obtain the total system capacity of the vehicle from the manufacturer. Have this amount readily available.

Step 2. Disconnect the oil cooler line from the oil cooler. As you may not know which is the pressure side and which is the return side, have both directed so the stream of fluid will be directed toward a receptacle.

Step 3. With another person, be prepared to add ATF to the fill area as it is being pumped out of the oil cooler line.

Step 4. Start the engine, and as the old fluid is pumped out, add fresh fluid to the pan.

Step 5. When either the fluid color brightens or the total capacity has been replaced, shut the engine off and re-attach the oil cooler line. All fluids has now been changed.

The only difference I did I used the remote autostart instead of a second person!

Please read #2 in my answer.;)
Most of the fluid in your transmission is in the converter so remember your only getting a very small portion to the cooler coming off the TCC apply valve. The rest is dumped back to sump.
Yes you are changing the color of the fluid but your not changing ALL the fluid.
Even those expensive transmission fluid exchange machines found in dealerships and repair facilities don't change all the fluid.
That's why they have to add expensive additive packages to the oil when they "flush your transmission".:eek:
No I didn't sleep at a Holiday Inn last night and I don't maintain military aircraft, but I am a retired automotive transmission design Engineer!:yesnod:

You know smart azzes know it all so maybe you are who you say you are, maybe your not.
I am not a transmission engineer but I do know how to do at least basic math, and read. As an example in my 2003 Silverado with a 4L80E here are the capacities :

Automatic Transmission, 4L80-E Initial Fill..........7.8 quarts
Automatic Transmission, Total Fill
4 speed 4L80-E..........13.6 quarts

After changing the filter I did add 8 quarts to the transmission and using that procedure (which is listed in manuals) I did get the color change with a little less the 14 quarts total!
In my world this tells me I virtually changed the fluid about as good as one can possibly do. Did I change every F...ng molecule? Of course not there is some fluid exchange but the math and visual color change shows it does the job pretty good and it didn't take no 70-100 F..ng quarts! :bs
Now I have made my living doing fluid process work for 35 years, so viualization of processes and math are ingrained. I also understand that if the dilution factor was as substantial as you are claiming the fluid color change would not be very apparent (less evident).
Lets see 13.6 quarts - 7.8= 5.8. Comparing to slightly less then 14 qts the numbers are pretty close at least in my world.
It was similar with the Trailblazer, the old S-10, etc.!
Related to the OP questions, but not this particular procedure is that when enhancing the filtration as the OP planned the total volume of ATF will get filtered. My Siverado I converted at 20,000 miles and adding bypass filtration has kept the trans oil in great shape. My trucks use is towing, not much transportation, and some snow plowing. The trans shifts great at 75,000 and fluid is also great. We just towed cross country to the Winternats and the trans fluid looks better, and smells better with 55,000 miles then the factory Dextron with 20,000.
Partly is the Amsoil, and partly is the filtering keeping the oil clean. On my gasser using the Amsoil racing ATF (only pan filter) the oil was not anywhere in the same shape after 157 passes. Of course that also entailed a 5700 rpm stall converter and hard trans brake launches. I am planning on adding better line filtration to my next gasser.
BTW other then criticize I didn't see where you added any alternative ideas or methods? :bigears :lurk:

Well being that I have access to a mechanic and a auto transmission specialty shop I asked him about the process and the flow of transmission fluid. Now, his basic explanation was yes, the transmission purge process is exactly whats done with a professional flush machine. it taps into the cooling line and replaces the fluid flowing out with the new fluid bign picked up by the coolant return line. The only difference is, after the 15 min system flush for the pan, the transmission it then run through all the gears. This he says, opens all the valves and passages. There are various circuits of fluid flow in the transmission much like any electrical system. So as you open all the valves you do get all the fluid in the transmission to flow through the cooler. Hence your cooler will have flow of most of the fluid in your transmission. the best way to see this is when you have the cooler line disconnected next time, have someone jump in and hold the brake, but put it in drive, your flow will triple. As for the in pan filter he says its old tech that is no longer used in heavy machinery hyd raulic system. Fighter jets don't use internal filter in any of the hyd tanks. So ill take my chances. I also get free oil analysis so we will see what kinds of particulates are in the oil. I will let the numbers tell the story. I do appreciate everyone's info, it truly gets the brain cells firing.

Cool, would be interesting in seeing the oil analysis results.

Just fyi for any and all still following this, post. MY C5 Tranny ismtill running strong and cool, I did relocate to, AZ where the temps are even much higher, so im extra glad i did this mod now. Thanks for all the support and tech from all of you guys.