[JohnnyBeGood]

So this may make me look/sound stupid but i don't really care so I'm going to throw it out there. I was up under my truck poking around for a look at the tranny cooler and all I found was my tranny lines going from the tranny to the radiator. Is this normal I thought we have independent transmission coolers? Im asking cause I want to put a 6.0 cooler or something on there. The last two months my transmission has been getting up to 180* just driving around. No trailer no load nothing. If there is supposed to be an independent cooler where is it supposed to be located? Where would the 6.0 cooler go? Thanks guys

 

[justinlogue5_0]

Unless someone has changed your out already (not sure why?) those lines will run close to but not into your radiator actually going towards the front side of the radiator. If you take your grill out you can see it fine. Will be a small power steering cooler,then the tranny cooler, then the AC condensor, and then the radiator. And YES, the factory 7.3 tranny coolers are not very good. The 6.0 cooler is good but costly. I bought and use a cooler with a built in cooling fan from Jegs that seems to do pretty good for a LOT less than the 6.0 cooler. I was grossing 25,000 lbs on a 100* day running 60mph up and down little hills and never got over 185*. And most of that heat was actually sitting in traffic at red lights. Down the road it would drop back down about 5*.

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

I'll have to take a picture tonight when I get off work but it really looks to me like it goes into the radiator. Right next to the lower radiator hoses. Behind the grill all I see is a small powerstrearing cooler and then my a/c condenser. This has me very confused.

 

[justinlogue5_0]

Yeah def. take a picture but I know mine runs where yours is and then turns up for the tranny cooler.:dunno:

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

See mine doesn't turn up it just goes straight into the radiator. Weird. I'll take a picture now since I'm gonna take it to get lunch. Anyone know how to post pics from my phone on here it's an iPhone 4? Lol

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

photo-1.jpg picture by Johnny_Be_Good3323 - Photobucket

See if that works.

 

[Dietoremain]

The later years of the 7.3 had the cooler and the radiator 'cooler' as well, all I see is the radiator being way freaking hot, i pulled my trans lines out of there, just runs thru my stock/trucool set up, highest temps i've seen were 165* while towing..

 

[justinlogue5_0]

Nope,that's not like mine.LOL. you will have to disconnect those lines and put an aftermarket/6.0 cooler on there. Coolant temp keeping your tranny way to hot.

 

[DieselGod]

It should go into your rad...the line runs from your trans ( torque converter out) to your rad...comes out of your rad and goes into a factory Tru-cool cooler that's probably located on the bottom " back side" of your rad not the front and then the line returns to your transmission. The factory cooler is about 4-5 inches tall and rune the full width of your rad. The front mounted coolers are typically after market, although some trucks came off the lot with the front mounted cooler installed and had no lower inner cooler and were labeled as heavy tow units because the front mounted unit had a larger cooling capacity. I installed a Tru-Cool in parallel to my factory back side cooler (prevents excessive back pressure to converter compared to series plumbing) and pulling our 40' 5er I don't get over 190 in the Canadian Rockies.

 

[DieselGod]

That looks like the light duty setup, but like these boys said, bypass the rad completely! Even Ford will tell you that you're gonna have trouble with the rad plugging up and restricting flow of trans fluid! Your trans has a built in oil bypass for cold weather so don't worry about winter. Lol

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

Damn ok that's what I was thinking but since I don't have a seperate cooler once I disconnect the lines from the radiator where will I mount the new cooler since my lines don't run to the front. I'm thinking maybe I'll by one of those 24" heat sink style coolers and just make a bracket to mount it under the radiator and just bend the lines back alittle get some adapters and screw the lines into. What do u all think? Do those heat sink style coolers work good?

 

[Ih8crak]

When I first bought my truck I put in a "V10" tranny cooler. I was disappointed to see that the main difference between the stock cooler and the V10 cooler appeared to be the connection. I often towed my 32 foot 5er up out of Hell's Canyon. This is a long nasty tow out of the canyon. I could easily get the tranny over 200 degrees. I switched to a 6.0 tranny cooler (31 row, not the cheaper 26 row) and I haven't seen over 160 degrees, and that takes severe towing in 100 degree weather. I have mine plumbed through the radiator and without a heavy load I can't get it to 140 degrees, it normally runs 125 which I'm guessing is the temperature where the bypass on the transmission starts letting the fluid go to the cooler. As far as the radiator plugging up, any cooler can plug up, that's what by-pass filters are for. The 31 row cooler is well worth the money.

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

See I was thinking something like this http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290510427057&index=15&nav=SEARCH&nid=52378698766

It may not work good enough but I'm figuring for 50 bucks plus whatever it cost in fittings might be worth a try.

 

[DieselGod]

See I was thinking something like this http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290510427057&index=15&nav=SEARCH&nid=52378698766

It may not work good enough but I'm figuring for 50 bucks plus whatever it cost in fittings might be worth a try.

Say good bye to your tranny with that cooler!

 

[Ih8crak]

Johnny, I would have to agree with the DieselGod on this one. I also would be amazed if you really didn't have a tranny cooler on the truck. The picture you posted doesn't actually help because the hose coming from the tranny would actually go to a cooler in the front of the truck and come from that cooler to the radiator on the passenger side of the truck, you would have to take a picture from the opposite side to see it. You would have to take off that piece of rubber that makes a great tool rest above the radiator to see the tranny cooler. I posted a couple old pictures I took when I was putting in my tranny bypass filter in an album under my profile. One of the pictures is looking down between the AC condenser and the radiator. The short cooler in the middle is a V10 tranny cooler. Yours should be the same position and size, just different fittings. The second picture is of the front of the truck. On the bottom right corner of the picture you can see a tiny cooler hanging off the front of the truck at a 45 degree angle. That is the power steering cooler.

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

I've followed both lines and they come straight from the tranny to the radiator. They don't go into anything else.

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

If one of those heat sink style coolers ain't gonna cut itwant about one of the universal 30 row on eBay. I know the 6.0 cooler is a 31 row will the one row make that much difference? Cause the price difference is very substantial.

 

[gomer pyle]

watch ebay closely. i found a 6.0 factory OEM cooler, new in the box, for $44.00 plus shipping

 

[DieselGod]

If one of those heat sink style coolers ain't gonna cut itwant about one of the universal 30 row on eBay. I know the 6.0 cooler is a 31 row will the one row make that much difference? Cause the price difference is very substantial.

Why don't you just buy a TRUCOOL and end your problem...$325 is a chunk of change, but see what a tranny costs you...this isn't one of those things you dick around with and penny pinch on buying cheap foreign or used crap on from ebay or the scrap yard...this is a critical performance part, so if your low on funds then save up a while, you will never forgive yourself if you cheap out and end up spending thousands instead of a few hundred on a new transmission!

 

[JohnnyBeGood]

A very valid point. Which trucool are u talking about exactly? And what is it the is the weak link in these trannys. I'm under the impression it's the converter that the transmission itself can hold more power the PMR's can safely make. Does that mean some good tunes a good cooler and a nice converter and I'll be safe tranny wise at like 425-450hp?