• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

Aux transmission cooler?

adamer

Full Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2016
Messages
50
Location
Poland
Finally I?ve got home and can get some work done on my Avalanche.
Right now car is in the workshop for some fix on the electrical problem on the dashboard + some mods as additional backing lights and sensors, fog lights.
I just am wondering if I should mount additionally transmissions cooler at the same time.
I?m not planning to tow something heavy but hear that due to specific European use is nice thing to have. Do I really need to have it?
If yes did somebody could recommend cooler? Should I have cooler with separate fan?
I have no experience with driving automatic transmission at all and worry about overheating.
 
Aux transmission cooler is fairly inexpensive. It doesn't matter what brand.  I added one about six years ago. Very happy I did. Transmission has lasted 155K miles (249K Km) with medium duty towing and very tall mountain climbing.
 
B&M Supercooler or Long Manufacturing unit. Both are stacked plate coolers (much stronger than fin an tube coolers) and make sure you get one with the low temperature bypass valve in it.
 
My mechanics suggested tube cooler, I will get your tip regarding stacked plate coolers. Not sure if all of them have thermostat
 
If you are not towing or hauling heavy loads it is not really required....

Does not hurt to have it either ---- other then takes longer to get up to opearting temps.

And if you do get one I suggest getting tranny temp gage as well.
 
I have an 05 with the factory tow package & a year old, rebuilt 4l60e. I tow a 5k boat pretty regularly, including +1000 miles trips thru Hells Canyon & Grants Pass to Lake Shasta. I over did the old trans at 160k miles towing a Jeep Wrangler on a flat bed trailer thru the eastern WA desert. New trans has the Vette pressure regulator & an extra clutch disc in the pack. Works great now. Thinking about adding a trans cooler as I saw over 200 degrees in a couple of short trips towing the boat last summer. I work at a boat dealership and asked a couple of the mechanics about it. They said to get a fin & tube type cooler because it has larger fluid passages that are less likely to clog & starve the trans. They said the plate coolers do a better job cooling initially but after the fluid gets dirty the tiny passages can have problems getting clogged up & starving the transmission.

So I'm considering this one by Hayden off Amazon.  Only $35. Good reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-404-Ultra-Cool-Transmission/dp/B000C39C7M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485493290&sr=8-2&keywords=Fin+tube+transmission+cooler

Any input, good or bad, would be appreciated.
 
AirJunky said:
I have an 05 with the factory tow package & a year old, rebuilt 4l60e. I tow a 5k boat pretty regularly, including +1000 miles trips thru Hells Canyon & Grants Pass to Lake Shasta. I over did the old trans at 160k miles towing a Jeep Wrangler on a flat bed trailer thru the eastern WA desert. New trans has the Vette pressure regulator & an extra clutch disc in the pack. Works great now. Thinking about adding a trans cooler as I saw over 200 degrees in a couple of short trips towing the boat last summer. I work at a boat dealership and asked a couple of the mechanics about it. They said to get a fin & tube type cooler because it has larger fluid passages that are less likely to clog & starve the trans. They said the plate coolers do a better job cooling initially but after the fluid gets dirty the tiny passages can have problems getting clogged up & starving the transmission.

So I'm considering this one by Hayden off Amazon.  Only $35. Good reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Hayden-Automotive-404-Ultra-Cool-Transmission/dp/B000C39C7M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485493290&sr=8-2&keywords=Fin+tube+transmission+cooler

Any input, good or bad, would be appreciated.

My input is buy a B&M Supercooler unit or a Long Manufacturing cooler. They are stacked plate design, which is much stronger than tube and fin like the Hayden, and they have a bypass valve that doesn't allow the fluid to circulate through the cooler until it has warmed up. Bigger is better.
 
MyBigToy said:
My input is buy a B&M Supercooler unit or a Long Manufacturing cooler. They are stacked plate design, which is much stronger than tube and fin like the Hayden, and they have a bypass valve that doesn't allow the fluid to circulate through the cooler until it has warmed up. Bigger is better.

Thanks for that info. But as I said, I've been told by more than one professional mechanic that they have a possibility to clog & starve the transmission of fluid. One of the guys is well known to be a good transmission mechanic in the area.

I have a buddy who has a B&M in a 99 Silverado with the 4l80e. No trans failures, but the cooler has been replaced once in less than 3 years he's owned it.
 
AirJunky said:
Thanks for that info. But as I said, I've been told by more than one professional mechanic that they have a possibility to clog & starve the transmission of fluid. One of the guys is well known to be a good transmission mechanic in the area.

I have a buddy who has a B&M in a 99 Silverado with the 4l80e. No trans failures, but the cooler has been replaced once in less than 3 years he's owned it.

It's your truck so you ultimately have to make the decision. I ran a Long Manufacturing unit on my Avalanche for 12 years and over 70k miles with zero issues, and my truck and tranny were far from stock. I performed my due diligence prior to making my decision and you have my decision as to which is the better choice. Google is your friend when performing due diligence.....
 
I've had very good luck with the one GM makes for these trucks.  Mounts on an existing bracket in front of the condenser.  Not the largest of units but seems to work well.  Keep in mind mine was not purchased to support towing but rather due to running a 3200 rpm stall torque converter.
 
They are awesome.  A must if you are towing.  I put in a passive B&M.  I installed mine behind the license plate, and put a grill where the plate would be.  At max GCVWR I am never seeing temps over 210F.  In fact, I find that the hottest temps I now see are when I am sitting at stop lights in stop and go traffic.
 
Back
Top