So I have been toying with the idea of an external trans filter.

I have heard it wont make any difrence as if it is filterg crap then you have more serious problems, yada yada. but I am wondering if restriction is an issue and such?

I am paranoid about my tranny now that I been waiting month to get her rebuilt. so i figure Ill add 2 external coolers and an external filter. I know this is hella paranoid/overboard. but my question is , can this have negative effects? or will it at worst do nothing?

I live in a hustle bustle town and my route to and from school is up/down a crazy windy, stop and go highway. I swear its what killed my last trans. and i drive it at least twice a day everyday.

Got any advice backed by a solid explanation? I would love to hear it.

 

Adding two external coolers can cause more harm than good. The fluid has to reach a certain temp before it can do its thing properly. The external filter won't really harm a thing but add more capacity for more fluid which in turn takes longer to heat up. I suggest getting a transmission temp gauge and just keeping an eye on it.

I just got mine out of the tranny shop (only took 4 days tho). I already have an aftermarket cooler and been thinking of adding an temp gauge, deeper pan, and maybe extra filter.

 

yah, trans temp guage for sure, guess I forgot to mention that.

I already have an aftermarket trans cooler that was in the truck when i got it. but theye just unhooked the inter radiator cooler, so i dont know if the orig is broke or why they didnt hook em both up? the external cooler seems kinda small i suppose. Like I said Im paranoid! maybe i should just get one really big external cooler and the external filter?

 

You just found the reason your tranny fried.
The rad cooler is the most important cooler. Think of it this way. Which cools hot metal faster,water or air?

Water will cool your trannyfluid faster than air will. That little extra cooler is just that, an extra cooler. It does not, nor should it be expected to handle the majority of your cooling needs. The rad does the cooling. Hence the reason your tranny lines run through the rad. Plus in the winter the rad will warm up the tranny fluid, and vise versa. Getting your truck up to optimum operating temp faster.

Before you hook your rad cooler back up I HIGHLY recommend you runone can of Kool Klean throught the rad.This is the same stuff the pros use to clean the junk out of your tranny lines when they do a rebuild. It only takes a piece of grit the size of a grain of salt to stick avalve in the valve body.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1097...31720211mfFTRN

 

VERY Helpfull! I wish I hadnoticed the bypass situation before I went through two trannys, but hey what can I say, Im learning. I didnt know jack about cars a year ago, lol

question though. what is the best way to pressure test the inter radiator cooler. I need to know if it leaks? I cant think of why else theye would bypass it unless theye were just dumb and lazy!

 

Do you have a rad leak?
If the tranny fluid was leaking into the rad then rad fluid would leak out the tranny lines. Worst case scenario, you hook it up and takt it for a test drive of 20 minutes. check your tranny fluid and rad fluid. If either change color, flush both and replace the rad.

 

rad doesnt leak and oil cooler doesnt leak, but idk how its all intertwined wasnt sure if trans cooler part could just leak to the outside world?

with that flush stuff mentioned, how do you flush it out after u used it to backflush? or do u just leave it/or wash it with trans fluid?

the fluid in my truck is BLACK, like midnight during an eclipse BLACK! so should I just replace the current external cooler or flush it real good? I dont want any of this old system contaminating the new one?

 

Pull your radiator and bring it to a reputable shop to have then clean and pressure test it. Make sure you tell them to pressure test not only the radiator but both coolers. Some shops will do this free of charge, other will charge as small bit of change.

As far as what is currently in your tranny lines, the shop rebuilding your tranny should flush them. Make sure you ask them if they are doing that. If not and they want to charge extra, find another shop.

 

I apreciate the advice but im not going to pull the rad. ill just hook the lines back the way theye should be and run it and then check the fluids i supose. or I could proly just pressure test it with an air tank and gauge.

aint gonna hurt the tranny in the truck now, the water level dont leak and niether does the oil so, ill just look for any trans oil leaking.

and yes of course ill get a flush, but I need to get it hooked up the way i want it or ill get charged for labor on some nickle and dime adapters.

so who knows where in the line the external should be hooked, before or after the rad cooler?

 

You dont need to do anything to get the flush out of the cooler. It is pressurized and does all that for you.

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/tc.gif

How to properly hook up the tranny and external cooler. External goes after the rad cooler.