Auto Trans Cooler... What If I Add A Thermofan?

[WazR32GTSt]

so i have an r32gtst with an automatic transmission (and yes, i like it like that)

about 2 years ago, my brain saw a light bulb and decided to make me fit a large trans cooler which i purchased cheaply from supercheap. it has never given me a problem and works well, and you can feel the warmth coming throug the cooler when you touch it after driving

BUT... instead of mounting the trans cooler in front of the radiator like it said, i decided to mount if in the front bumper on the drivers side, so its like a mirrored location of the stock intercooler. i cut a hole in the guard behind the trans cooler, and made some ducting so that air flows through the cooler, rather than around it.

recently, whilst pondering the damaging effects of a car sitting in traffic in the brisbane summer heat, i decided to make a switch that is in the dash that is connected to my electric aircon fan. when in traffic (or after a hard drive) i turn it on to get some extra airflow through the radiator. it makes a huge difference and i can feel the hot air from the drivers window if i place my hand out.

so it got me thinking (yeah, it hurts)... what if i mount a mini thermo fan onto the auto trans cooler, and wire it up in parallel with the aircon fan, so that when i flick the switch, the transmission is also cooled in those stressful traffic situations?

I did some ebaying (is that a word?) and found some 7" thermo fans that were pretty cheap.. is this going to make any difference at all, or am i barking up the wrong tree here?

any automatic guru's out there that want to shed some light?

thanking you kindly,

Warren

[paulr33]

sounds useful, good thinking

[WazR32GTSt]

yeah but my problem is that sometimes these things sound good in my head, but don't make any difference in real life...

[dori34]

give it a try dude & let us know the outcome.

[Craved]

maybe monitor what the temps are to see if its actually necessary to do all that.

[GTR_STEALTH]

You could give it a go...

Although i'd go for having a direct switch you can control from the cabin...Maybe go for the switches that light up when on so you dont forget to turn it off.....

[pkblade]

There are off-the-shelf tran coolers that come with fans already attached but, normally you would have one if the cooler is placed somewhere with limited air-flow.

Yes, the fan will cool the fluids down while in traffic, but if you place it infront of the cooler it may restrict the cooling capabilities of the cooler while the fan is off during cruising speeds. Is the fan reversible (ie. can it suck air)? If the fan is reversible & space permitting I'd place it behind the trans cooler.

But, as Craved suggested if the current position is receiving sufficent air flow I wouldn't think one is necessary.

[TTT]

I'd start with maybe getting a transmission oil temp gauge first.

that way, you can see what temps it sees

that will help you decide if the fan is even required, and if it is, it will tell you how much it has helped.

how about water spray aswell?

[TurboX]

Great to see someone else is not afraid to voice a positive opinion on an Auto Skyline.

I also prefer the Auto although tricked up and with a 2700RPM high stall converter.

For this reason I have a massive aircond condensor as a cooler with two 12v dc Computer fans on it in place of the original I/C -as heat is the killer of auto's -especially when stalling up on the line

You cant do enough to keep the trans fluid temps down and prolong the life of the trans as far as I am concerned even if you dont stall it up often.

[Abo Bob]

I've got a temp gauge for my auto fluids and I sugest you install one before you do anything else so you know what's actually going on.

[4door_Sleeper]

I'm not opposed to the idea, but just wondering if its needed.

If the car is idling at the lights on a hot day, the trans isnt really generating a lot of heat (this occurs when you torque it up)

If you already have a trans cooler it would have better cooling than a standard car, (and stock autos dont have many problems) and I would be a little worried that the fan might restrict air flow and in effect make it worse when you are driving, and when the trans IS making heat.

I am a big fan of trans coolers (I have one on my auto) but im not sure if the fan will offer a lot of benifits

[WazR32GTSt]

yeah but if you have been driving, and it has already generated heat, then come to a stop...

heat is still in the fluid. its not going to get any cooler while the car is sitting there...

[Craved]

perhaps not mounting it directly on the cooler itself then and just blowing air onto the cooler. wont cause any restriction of the air flow when moving, and will keep air moving passed it when stationary..

best of both worlds i guess.