Trans cooler & trans lines - ideas?

[uk-maxie]

Hi guys

We're looking into fitting a new trans cooler to our 69 Sport Satellite w/440&727, and could do with some ideas of what looks & works best regarding placement of the cooler and how to route the trans lines to the cooler.

Also deciding whether to use hard lines, braided or rubber hose. Would like to go with as stock a look as possible, so would prefer to avoid braided, if possible. Unless there's any black braided out there? Maybe we could put some black high-temp type sleeving over the normally blingy braided hose?

Has anyone going for a more stock-look got a pic of their cooler & trans lines they could post here?

As ever, any suggestions gratefully received! :icon_salut:

Rob

 

[yellowdartdave]

Use stock style tubing and bend it to fit with a good tubing bender.
Route the fluid thru the radiator cooler and then thru the aux. cooler then to the return line to the tranny..just like the factory did on police cars.

I got this whole set-up from a Diplomat cop car.
Oil Cooler, tranny fluid cooler and power steering fluid cooler.

 

[Meep-Meep]

Here is what I did on my 66 Bel. Scroll down a bit to see the cooler lines.
http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=9662&highlight=tranny+cooler

The cooler is an aftermarket item that I cut the beaded end off and brazed on a flare fitting, thus eliminating salmagundi of adapters.

 

[ToplessFury]

I found a Viper oil cooler at a swap meet for $10 last year, (slightly dented but checked out ok). It's about 2'x4"x18" long. Both fittings at one end. Plan to mount it just below the radiator & fan of the 63 Fury I just got. I'll plumb it in just after the bottom tank cooler.

HINT: Station wagon, fleet service cars (cop, taxi etc.) motorhomes and vans have some HD cooling components and are usually cheap in the pick-u-parts yards.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

I know several guys that have used this type of cooler http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FLD-DB30901/
and mounted it in the drivers side wheelwell or under the car/over the rear diff.

 

[uk-maxie]

Thanks for the replies guys, very useful :icon_salut:

We havent got the connections on the base of our rad, otherwise we probably would have gone with your suggestion Dave, but thanks anyway.

But going by Meep-Meep's efforts, that's me sold on the full-hard lines option! I expect it will be tricky with the engine in place tho :icon_confused:

BTW, you say that is copper tube you used - is it cupronickel, ie copper-nickel (approx 75-25%)? Looks a bit too silver-coloured for plain old copper :thinker:

BTW #2 - i might have to post a link to your 66's thread on our club forum over here - I have a friend who's collected almost as many cool intakes for his 65 Belv as you have!

 

[wedgie]

I used an air conditioning condensor mounted in the stock position ahead of the radiator. Completely eliminated the cooler in the radiator. The trans very seldom got to 180*. I bent 5/16" steel lines and used less than 6" of rubber to make the final connections at the condensor. Looked stock.

 

[uk-maxie]

Thanks wedgie, that sounds just like what we're after. We have a supplier quite local that can make up rubber hoses with the type of crimped ends like the power steering hoses have, so will use them for any hoses if we can't make it 100% hard lines.

 

[Meep-Meep]

Thanks for the replies guys, very useful :icon_salut:

We havent got the connections on the base of our rad, otherwise we probably would have gone with your suggestion Dave, but thanks anyway.

But going by Meep-Meep's efforts, that's me sold on the full-hard lines option! I expect it will be tricky with the engine in place tho :icon_confused:

BTW, you say that is copper tube you used - is it cupronickel, ie copper-nickel (approx 75-25%)? Looks a bit too silver-coloured for plain old copper :thinker:

BTW #2 - i might have to post a link to your 66's thread on our club forum over here - I have a friend who's collected almost as many cool intakes for his 65 Belv as you have!

Nope, just plain steel fuel line tubing that is zinc plated. I silver brazed the brass flare fittings to the steel line so I wouldn't have to use any rubber. This is very close to the factory installation in terms of function.

Yeah, I have a few intakes and was entertaining other possibilities!!

 

[383man]

I bought stock lines from Mancini and ran them in the stock location to my trans cooler you can see in front of my rad. They run along the trans and block and I used a bracket from an oil pan bolt to secure them. Ron

 

[uk-maxie]

Thanks Ron, I didnt realise Mancini sold the cooler lines in kits. I've got an order outstanding with them that I'm trying to get sent over within the next couple of weeks so this could be a good option for us ccasion14:

 

[383man]

Yea Mancini had them for my 63 Ply and they fit great. Good luck , Ron

 

[uk-maxie]

Thanks Ron. Can I just check if they are they made to fit a cooler mounted in that position, ie connect right up to your cooler as supplied, or are they made to connect to the base of a standard radiator, and if so, did you have to modify them to attach to your cooler?

I know you said they fit great but I wasnt sure if a trans cooler was ever fitted as standard in that position?

Sorry to be a pain :laughing5:

 

[383man]

Sorry as they are made to fit the stock rad cooler. I had to make some extra line at the rad but it was only about 2 ft of line. Ron

 

[uk-maxie]

Ok thanks Ron, got it now! :icon_lol:

 

[beezee]

Like Ron,I used the existing trans lines and fabbed a line from the cooler outlet on the rad to the trans cooler and coupled a return line to the trans. I used rubber isolators and clamps to existing holes in the rad cradle and din rail to support the opposite side.The cooler sits approximately 1 " from the radiator.

 

[uk-maxie]

Hi again,

Thought I'd resurrect this thread briefly just to say we've just about finished this part of the 'resto' but rather than putting some pics here, I thought it best to put them in our Satellite's thread in Members Projects and Restorations.
So if you want to see what we ended up doing, have a quick look over at

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=11849

And thanks to all who contributed with advice & pics :icon_salut:

 

[rrTor-Red]

I bought stock lines from Mancini and ran them in the stock location to my trans cooler you can see in front of my rad. They run along the trans and block and I used a bracket from an oil pan bolt to secure them. Ron

Does Mancini have the tranny cooler and lines or just the ines?