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As most of you know the automatic gearbox is somewhat fragile, and frequent oil changes above the recommended service intervals has been suggested many a time.
The reasons for the oil needing to be changed is that the gearbox generates too much heat above the operational temperature of the oil, this reduces the ability of the oil to flow around, lubricate and cool the working parts. Which eventually will cause wear and the expansion of metal parts which is cataclysmic for the box.
After a little investigation it seems the flaw with the automatic box is that the torque converter is prone to slipping during in lock-up which under load can send the oil temps sky high up to 150c.
This slippage occurs even more when the oil is low, or isn't changed regularly...
A solution for this is to upgrade the cooling of the gearbox from the stock to something a little more suitable.
Here is a picture of the stock gearbox cooler.
so there are many different options for fitting additional/alternative ooling.
These are a few examples of other peopel efforts.
The reasons for the oil needing to be changed is that the gearbox generates too much heat above the operational temperature of the oil, this reduces the ability of the oil to flow around, lubricate and cool the working parts. Which eventually will cause wear and the expansion of metal parts which is cataclysmic for the box.
After a little investigation it seems the flaw with the automatic box is that the torque converter is prone to slipping during in lock-up which under load can send the oil temps sky high up to 150c.
This slippage occurs even more when the oil is low, or isn't changed regularly...
A solution for this is to upgrade the cooling of the gearbox from the stock to something a little more suitable.
Here is a picture of the stock gearbox cooler.
so there are many different options for fitting additional/alternative ooling.
These are a few examples of other peopel efforts.
GO to Summitracing.com and buy
2 12mm oil line bolts.
Use the existing 4 washers from your cooler bolts.
buy a tranny cooler. I got the BM 14400btu one.
buy 15ft of aeroquip oil line
buy 2 AN6 steel swivel banjo fittings.
I put my cooler in the middle of the grill, in front of the AC condenser. I've noticed the temps now are ~100F+ambient. I cruise around 159F now, instead of 220F. My previous temps saw as high as 280F.
I was tempted to install a fanned cooler in the area under the battery. For my area, I don't see the need now for a fanned cooler. SF,CA.
I would attach a temp regulator if I were to do it again. This is set at 180F, and recirc the fluid until it gets to 180F. This will be my first winter with the cooler. We'll see if there are issues with heating up, but I doubt that, for my area. In the winter, a cheap fix is to cover the cooler with plastic or sheet aluminum to prevent air cooling of the cooler.
I got everything I needed from Summit, which wasn't that much. Cooler kit, hose, 12mm bolts, 2 banjo swivels. When pushing the hose into the fittings, clamp the fittings into a vice and lube the hose and fitting. Then push like you're giving birth.
12mm adapter to AN-6
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=RUS-670511&N=700+115&autoview=sku
swivels:
http://store.summitracing.com/partd...&N=700+4294906722+4294906716+115&autoview=sku
thermo valve:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=PRM-1060&N=700+115&autoview=sku
cooler:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=BMM-70264&N=700+115&autoview=sku
Good luck. It is an easy puzzle to figure out. Not too many pieces. Take your time and route the lines. The lines CANNOT touch any metal, else they'll chafe and leak. I wrapped my lines in spiral plastic that you get at the electric store for added protection.
For the 2 water lines that went into the old cooler, I cut both lines in 1/2 and used a hose butt adapter to join the two hoses back together. The adapter was from a generic autoparts store hose repair kit for radiators and water lines. It had several butt joints of varying hose sizes.
It would have been nice to just remove 1 hose, and plug the loose end of the other hose in the vacant fitting, but both ends of each hose, was a different size, so you couldn't do that. That is why you cut both hoses in 1/2, and end up with a hose that is the same size on both ends.
Has anyone here done any additional cooling?I removed the stock tranny cooler and plumbed in a typical air to oil cooler, fastened to the front of the AC condenser. The water lines were joined together, where they once ran into the OE cooler.
I tested the same hill. The hottest the tranny now gets is 230F, instead of 280F+. No more 1st gear issues.