[enrita]

Lets discuss the future need of inscreased cooling of the AT transmission when we will be starting pushing 450-500 whps.

Do we have in place right now a transmission cooler? If yes where is it located? I tried to look in RealOem with no luck.

[klipseracer]

Uhm I'm told we do. I took a picture of something a while back and I was told it was the AT cooler. Its not very big and it bolts to the fan shroud on the bottom. I've got a picture somewhere but its silver metal.

[enrita]

cool thanks, will try to look more closely on realoem than. must be tiny .

[midlife]

Hey you guys: I think VK may be incorporating an upgraded AT cooler in his upgraded radiator project. That product is being developed right now.

On the other forum, you guys should post in his radiator thread and make some noise about the AT cooler. I will also do this myself.

[raceyBMW]

The AT cooler is integrated into the radiator.

It is also possible in an N54 engine in conjunction with an automatic gearbox to utilize the lower area of the radiator to cool the gearbox by means of the gearbox-oil cooler. This is achieved as in the N52 engine with control sleeves, which are introduced into the radiator tank.

[Jaza45]

The AT cooler is on the drivers side at the bottom of the fan shroud and will be hard to get and upgraded one because the coolant cools it down, not air, so you would have to modify the coolant hoses by bypassing it and then make an adaptor for new fittings on the transmission side....

[midlife]

Will post up a link to the VK radiator and AT tranny cooler :-)

[BuLoOoSki]

From what I know is that extended part at the botton of the tranny (where the transmission would sit on if you'd place it on the floor) in this pic is what supposed to be the transmission cooler, or atleast something to do with the transmission cooling

[klipseracer]

Originally Posted by Jaza45

The AT cooler is on the drivers side at the bottom of the fan shroud and will be hard to get and upgraded one because the coolant cools it down, not air, so you would have to modify the coolant hoses by bypassing it and then make an adaptor for new fittings on the transmission side....

This location is correct. I'm trying to dig up the picture I have of it. Its shaped funny and it would be upgradable. Still digging for a picture. I'm pretty sure I have a thread on the other forum named, "What the heck is this?"

[DaleM]

Are you having issues with the stock system failing or interfering with your performance? If you are doing road courses or long high rev runs or laps then I could see a potential desire for this upgrade. Living in those desert environments might make me think about this mod too.

[Jaza45]

I found a pic from when I was installing my Intercooler

[enrita]

Ok , seems that basically all you need is a better radiator and tranny radiator? 1 and 2 ?

[klipseracer]

Originally Posted by Jaza45

I found a pic from when I was installing my Intercooler

BINGO! This is it. I won't waste my time looking for my picture anymore because this is a much better one. This thing isn't secured very well IIRC. There should be a way to upgrade this thing. The hoses that go into it are metal and I don't know how easy it would be to change it out.

[George @ BMS]

Some food for thought.
A tranny cooler is not such a simple thing to just assume you need a bigger one. There is a lot of research required. Firstly, you need to find out the operating temperature spectrum of your tranny oil and see if you exceed it at any point. If we do exceed it you then have to calculate how more efficient you want your cooler to be. Remember the tranny oil is similar to engine oil and only operates effectively once it reaches a certain temperature. Making the oil too cool might be detrimental to the gearbox and you might be worse of with a more efficient cooling system.

[Terry @ BMS]

It has a water/fluid cooler as has been mentioned. But at the 500rw level will require some investigation. Most of us are in the 400-450rw level and its not a huge issue.

[Jaza45]

I just took a look under the car and it looks like its not that difficult to do a tranny oil cooler, it wold probably cost me no more than $300 if I do it myself....

I just did my own oil cooler retrofit on my car for less than $600 with a big 35 row oil cooler, my car is loving it, the temps stay at 220-230max

[Terrance28]

Jaza did you already have the stock oil cooler on yours?

[Jaza45]

Originally Posted by Terrance28

Jaza did you already have the stock oil cooler on yours?

Nop, no stock oil cooler, I did everything from scratch...

[Terrance28]

Please explain how you did this.

[hotrod182]

Some more pics

[DBFIU]

Cooler isnt always better. as was mentioned before, fluids perform at operating temperatures, since cars spend most of their time in this operating temperature range, that is the intent of the fluid.

So keeping fluids overly cool is not a good thing. Not saying big coolers are bad, Im saying if you arent observing any excessively high temperatures, then leave it be.

[klipseracer]

I was under the car so I decided to snap this:

[enrita]

thanks for the video. that thing really looks like it does not belong there. Maybe a better radiator will be providing cooler temps to that too and there wont be a need to upgrade it.

[Taron]

OK guys, this seems to be very old thread, but i want to flesh it up a bit. With bigger turbos those with AT might experience issues with their transmissions. And i believe since 2010 we started putting more power on trany. So please share experience with upgrading cooler. Low temps can save some life.

Thanks

[klipseracer]

Ive had great success by pouring liquid nitrogen into my gas tank.