Radiator

[fat-lad]

hey people, done a quick search but couldnt really find anything,

is anyone using the cooling pro r33 ally radiator in there s1??

i know i will have to use an auto cooler thats not a drama but really want peoples opinion on fitment, size and if the shroud actually fits!

thanks people!!

[kidafa]

You need a AUTO specific rad with the bottom tank setup for auto trans fluid. That bottom tank isnt their to "cool" the fluid its their to get it up to temp and keep it at as much of a consistent temp as possible..

[pipster11]

it will fit

i have one in my s2 with the stock shroud

but as above, you will want the auto warmer

[chuckie]

2 rad threads in a WEEK

[66yostagea]

You need a AUTO specific rad with the bottom tank setup for auto trans fluid. That bottom tank isnt their to "cool" the fluid its their to get it up to temp and keep it at as much of a consistent temp as possible..

I have heard that before. So why have a tranny cooler???

[Daleo]

I have heard that before. So why have a tranny cooler???

Not trying to sound smart, but there seems to be a bit of confusion surrounding trans coolers and their use; hopefully this helps.

The thing in the bottom tank is a heat EXCHANGER; not specifically a cooler or heater.

If the water is hotter than the trans fluid; heat will be transferred to the fluid, if the fluid is hotter than the water; heat will be transferred to the water.

Under duress, the trans transfers a decent amount heat into the trans fluid, it can easily go over 100 deg in the right conditions.

The heat exchanger in the radiator is usually nothing more than a simple copper or aluminium tank, no fins for extra surface area. They are not particularly efficient.

So in extreme conditions with high water temp, using a dedicated trans cooler is much more effective at stripping that heat out of the fluid, making life easier for the gearbox.

Also, ambient temp is always going to be lower than the temp of the water in the cooling system.

A side benefit is reduced load on the cooling system.

Running the fluid throught the radiator mounted exchanger, in addition to an external cooler just ensures the trans fluid will be around the same temp as the radiator water, not ambient temp in cold conditions; as Pipster & Kidafa have said.

Edited February 1, 2011 by Daleo

[RS4-S]

i dont understand either, the auto-trans specialists up the road from my work say built in radiator trans coolers are rubbish. and then why do people fit large external trans coolers for "towing/extreme condition/high perfomance applications" ? also read an article in a 4X4 mag that said the higher your auto fluid temps the shorter your auto trans life and it had a graph with "auto fluid temp" over 'hours of life".

all autos will be sluggish when cold regardless of 'heated' or external cooler. My x-trail i just sold (my07) had a built in cooler and i fitted an external cooler and it drove the same, had long drawn out gear changes for the first 5 mins of driving til the trans fluid got up to temp, the external cooler didnt take any longer or shorter to heat up than the built in one.

personally i would run the cooling pro manual stagea 3 core radiator, a moderate size external tranny cooler and a top quality trans fluid.

also as chuckie mentioned, use the search function and there is a billion radiator and tranny cooler threads

[pipster11]

if i did it again, i'd get one of the asi radiators from ebay

same quality as cooling pro (ok for china) but about $100 cheaper

oh, and i read about the auto heat exchanger, you only need it in cool temps or your fluid will not warm up if you have an external cooler

[RS4-S]

yeh like if you live -20 degree conditions in the middle of the day you would need it, i believe now some german cars have electric elements in the engine oil sump to heat the oil so its easier to crank when cold?

[Daleo]

yeh like if you live -20 degree conditions in the middle of the day you would need it, i believe now some german cars have electric elements in the engine oil sump to heat the oil so its easier to crank when cold?

In some sub arctic countries, rather than heat a garage, they do exactly this, just need to remember to plug your car into the power point before going to bed.

[pipster11]

In some sub arctic countries, rather than heat a garage, they do exactly this, just need to remember to plug your car into the power point before going to bed.

my aunt in canada has had that for years

also means that the heater blows hot air as soon as it turns on