shakedown067

One fine day at the autocross. And it was finally of decent temp to see how the rear mounted trans cooler would do. Ambient temps in the low to mid-80s and the trans fluid never got above 181 right after a run. Of course it was super short, but she still seems to be doing good. Got caught in traffic with a big wreck on the way home and it still never broke 190.

The cooler:


My best run of 30.515 (3rd in class, 15th out of 99 overall). Needed more traction on the very sandy surface.


More of a fun run, not the best line.

rocco16

Your car overheats the trans in a 30-second run? :headscratch:

shakedown067

180 is overheating? The main reason for the new cooler was due to a fan failure at a longer event in the dead of summer laster year. Car overheated and burnt the transfluid and putting the final nail in the coffin of the trans. The new trans cooler is to get it on it's own circuit. Just keeping an eye on it, since it's in a somewhat unique location for the C4.

BrianCunningham

Nice, love my rear mounted engine oil cooler

1993C4LT1

rocco16

Your solution to a coolant (radiator) fan failure was to install a transmission cooler? ....for 30 second autoX runs?
Now I understand................

shakedown067

It's a, while I'm in here kind of mod. I'm also planing for possible future track events. Which I didn't plan for when I had to replace my radiator years back, before autocrossing. So now I'll get a manual dewitts radiator and all the cooling benefits will go to the motor and not have to split duty with the trans, not that it was big factor in the swap. There really are quite a few factors in doing the rear cooler, but mainly it was an easy mod to do while the trans was out.

GKK

The Trans Cooler looks Awesome and will definitely help keep the temps down especially, when Autocrossing!...Great preventive maintenance!!!

Your Vette, sounds Mean!!!...






.

Aardwolf

I have been tracking mine about ten years now and have stuck with the auto since I injured my back. Having the trans cooler out of the radiator did not work. Trans temps would go very high. Road course setups are totally different than what will work on the street or short autox/drag. You need the auto radiator with the trans cooler and if you switch out the auto it could be used for engine oil cooling. A lot of cooling is needed especially the trans fluid.

On the street my trans will run around 130-140° and without the radiator in the cooling loop it would get 280+ on track. With the radiator and a trans cooler I get about 225°. Synthetic trans fluid was needed. I would like to lower temps and need a large radiator and plan to increase the trans cooler size. It sucks to slow down because temps are to high.

Getting these autos to work on a road course is a pain.

I wouldn't prefer the trans cooler in the rear for road course use. The car gets way hotter than it ever gets on the street. My exhaust has melted the rear bumper. The cooler is by the exhaust and those pipes get so extremely hot I had a passengers shoe melt to the floor. Also there is a lot of high speed grit and my painted exhaust pipes in the rear are looking sand blasted.

I think what you did is fine but I would rethink a lot of things for road courses.

shakedown067

Thanks for the info! She won't see more than one track event a year. Probably more like every other year. I'll get a manual car if I'm able to get more serious about road course events.

I may get some header wrap for the exhaust pipes if I ever make it down to Sebring. I can always move this cooler upfront if need be. And I do run synthetic trans fluid already.

Say, how often do you rebuild your trans?

1991Z07

I used an "auto" radiator in mine and took out the restrictive oil/water OEM oil cooler and now pipe it through the radiator...

Even in the dead heat of Texas summer on track I rarely see over 230 deg oil temps. And the water temps are about the same...maybe 240-245 tops even on 100 degree days.

P.S. Mine is a Ron Davis aluminum unit....

Carbd84

Looks awesome, glad it works well too. I've been thinking of using an external trans cooler on mine as well just to get trans temp down some, but my exhaust cut out dumps right where you put your cooler so thats a no go for me. I've been thinking of removing the washer fluid tank and putting the trans cooler with a small fan near the pass side fender vent. I was also thinking of adding an engine oil cooler that would sit by the driver side fender vent after I relocate the battery. Thoughts on that?

Aardwolf

I think I have had it rebuilt three times in ten years doing several events per year. I also removed the factory oil cooler and added an engine oil cooler to the front. I would like a radiator with an internal cooler on both sides.