Do you guys route your trans cooler through the Radiator or do you remove the radiator portion all together?

 

i'd keep the radiator in line with the cooler, especially here in MA. you know how cold it gets here and it'll help your trans fluid warm up a little quicker in the winter, so your converter doesnt take forever to lock up.

 

The heating issue, as well its the first measure of cooling if your tranny fluid is getting pushed up over engine jacket water, say with the use of a highstall converter. Fluid to fluid coolers are far more efficient at their job than air to fluid. This is GM's stock method of putting in an hd/towing kit as well.

 

I bypassed it. If you are worried about not heating up fast enough in the winter, buy a bypass thermostat such as the one that comes with the TruCool 40K unit.

 

My question is, why would you if its already there? My last two points give reason to leave it in line. Thats great if you have a thermo bypass in your auxillary cooler, you should have one regardless of what your climate may be, its your transmissions thermostat. I just have to restress that i believe the integral rad cooler was designed for not only cooling but heating. This is why i think this

With lockup converters at highway speeds in cold ambient temps the trans isn't gonna warm up much, the pump is the only major heat generating item in the trans at this point and no mechanical parts/seals/oil etc. work as well cold as they do at least a little warm.

 

What if the radiator breaks and radiator fluid gets circulated to your tranny. I'd rather bypass it just in case.

 

Likely if it broke, which i've never heard of happening lube pressure would be greater and you would just be pumping trans fluid out. This is just as likely as you having a leak in your rubber trans lines or aftermarket cooler. You will do what you will, each to their own, and of course no one is ever wrong... I'm just putting my opinion out.

 

I kept mine. It goes through the radiator cooler/heater/temp stabilizer and then to a double stack plate 9 x 11 cooler in front of the condensor to cool it down some more. My temps ran around 170 around town with the 4L60E.

 

The most common way to route an "auxilary" trans cooler is in series with the factory cooler in the radiator. Tap into the return line to the trans and plumb the cooler in...the top line in the rad is the return IIRC.

 

Interesting. I thought the top line was the cooler feed. I know the top fitting coming out of the transmission is cooler feed, at least thats what I read. If thats the case I am running through my radiator cooler backwards and have been for a long time. Oh well. It works and the fluid stays cool.