[OSUStallion]

Sup~
After modding my car with all new intake, SVT upper and lower, Headers, chip and exhaust do you guys think that I will need a transmission cooler? I figure there will be a lot more strain on my ATX so what do you think?

 

[pgtatx]

You should get a transmission cooler from the day you get the car. It will prolong the life of your tranny, and if you race it'll keep your times more consistent, rather than losing time due to tranny heat. Remember, when the ATX computer (separate from the engine's computer), reads tranny temps at above a certain temp, it will switch into a fail/safe mode which will alter the shifting and overall tranny control to keep it from overheating. The tranny cooler can and will keep the fluid temps as much as 50deg below normal driving temps of the tranny. A stacked plate design tranny cooler mounted in front of the radiator will decrease tranny temps greatly. The stacked plate design is a low pressure drop tranny cooler. The bent pipe designs cause a slight pressure drop in tranny fluid due to the added distance the fluid has to flow. Adding some extra ATF will reduce the pressure drop. And using the stacked plate tranny cooler, you'll little to no prssure drop, and more cooling. You will notice an almost gain in performance especially in the hot summer months. Remember heat kills...reducing heat reduces power loss, and will prolong the life of the engine or tranny. Also, use Mobil 1 ATF...it's probably the best around. Some people use a tranny fluid filter conversion kit, which will allow you to use a larger filter, this can help, since over time metal shavings and fragments end up floating around in the tranny. The better filtration you have, the cleaner the fluid will be. Get a nice tranny flush every 20,000 miles and your tranny may just last for ever.

 

[Sinister]

where can i get a tranny cooler for my 2k coug? link to a site?


reason i asked is...cause my coug has 16.5k miles on it, and around 10k...i had to have the tranny replaced......and i still notice minute puddles of tranny fluid after i drive the coug for awhile....

actually i wish someone would come out with a aftermarket tranny for our cars...

 

[pgtatx]

A tranny cooler can be bought from any auto parts store. Hayden, imperial, and other companies make them.

About aftermarket trannies. Call Level Ten www.levelten.com
I had level ten products in my Ford Probe. I recommend if you have the money to get their parts, and you will not be sorry. Ask to speak with Sam or Pat (owner). Tell them Jeremy Kaplan (me) with the ford probe told you to call, and ask them if they'll do anything for your tranny. They are pricey, but they are the best, I promise. If you have questions, I can answer most, but I will tell you to call them, so don't ask me, just call. It might just be the best call you could make. They work with only ATX's, and have made trannies for some of the fastest street cars. Including Supras, F150 Lightnings, RX7's, etc I'm talkin about trannies that can hold 450hp to 1000hp...but it'll cost ya.

 

[Guest]

pgatx did you ever consider looking into electronic shift kits for an ATX. There are a few companies that offer them but, noone has tried them yet. here is a description of thier product.

TransGo Performance Shift Kits are designed with the Do-It-Yourselfer in
mind. The TransGo Performance Shift Kits provide the Durability, Firmness
and Control of a Reprogramming Kit with the convenience of no transmission
removal required, no special tools required and comprehensive and easy to
follow instructions and installation videos produced for the home mechanic.

AODE (Electronic AOD / 4R70W )
$112.54
1991-2000

Short firm shifts with class. Holds 1st-2nd-3rd at any RPM. Backshifts at
your command. . Reduces the chance of band failure and shudder.

We accept all major credit cards, Please call 800-776-1191
(503-284-076

or fax 503-280-1655 to order.

Thank you for the inquiry, Greg

 

[pgtatx]

I actually owned an electronic shift kit for my car, but after seeing what happened to the tranny on my friends trans am with an electronic shifter, I returned it. The car will shift really hard, since you control the shift 100%, and the shift is done instantly. Whereas if you shift with the shifter there is a delay in shifting, since the computer says "Driver shifted...safe to shift...shift" With your electronic shifter, even if it's not safe to shift it will...meaning the gears may not be lined up properly, and you will grind them. If you have a perfromance tranny with performance clutch parts, gears, torque converter, valvebody, etc, then the electronic shift kit should actually help...On a stock tranny...give it 10,000 miles, and say good bye.

 

[Guest]

10,000 hmmmmm. the car is at 21000 now that means I could put zex and a shift kit on the car and still be be able to get the tranny replaced under warranty... hehe...

I think that I will reconsider the electronic shift kit now.

Thanks man

 

[mransr]

there is an artical about level ten in this months "Muscle Mustang and Fast Ford" ( yes I'm flirting with the dark side) and I checked out their web site but I didn't find anything for the Cougar/Contour ATX ...

 

[Guest]

if you use a shift kit and it screws up your tranny its not covered under warranty... that blows a big one'

on another note... the tranny cooler, what size is there or what should i get or sumthin, idunno anything about em, thanx man ZERO™

 

[pgtatx]

<< atx have coolers built in >>



Yes, all atx's have coolers, but they are mounted on or near the tranny under everything and doesn't really do much cooling. All a cooler is is a radiator for the fluid. If you get an extra or replacement, all you do is mount it in a cooler place, like in fromt of the radiator, to catch cooler air. They are usually .5-1.5 inches wide, so it'll fit. You can mount it inline or by pass the stock cooler. If you don't get one, you may be sorry. The cooler will be about $50, and can save you $2000 for a reman or bebuilt tranny.

 

[pgtatx]

All you do is pull the fittings of the fuel lines off the stock cooler, and run it into the external tranny cooler you buy...then run an extra fluid line out of the external cooler, back into the stock cooler, and then you have bothe coolers working inline. It's recommended you add some extra fluid to the tranny resevoir due to the added piping. The tranny uses a pump to flow the fluid through the tranny, so as long as you give it a place to go it'll go. If you mount the cooler in front of the radiator, it'll catch more cooler air, and also pull more fluid out from the tranny to be cooled. Even the smallest cooler, that could cost $20 will help. A larger one would be better, but nothing too large, unless you really need the extra cooling.

 

[Guest]

ok blah blah blah, there is one way to resolve this because both of ya say you know all sorts of stuff.

<u>TRY THE FRICKIN MOD DAGNABBIT!!!</u>

if it works great if it don't then ya lost what? 50 bux? jeez no big deal...
i think i might try it cause i'm curious but if someone does it before me rock the crap on!

later and quit bein babies, ZERO™

now play nice

 

[pgtatx]

An external cooler can bring down tranny temps 50+ deg F. The stock cooler does very little for cooling. That's why it is recommended to get a larger external cooler. I'm not fighting, and there's no right and wrong here, but without the external tranny cooler on my probe's 4EAT ATX w/ a good supercharged 250hp running through it, it would've died. I did also have a performance high stall torque converter, and a recalibrated valvebody, but ot was the cooler that helped most. I had a cooler from 30K mi, before the SC. I'll show some pics of a mounted cooler when I find them. Just to show you want I mean.

I'm not trying to flame, or fight, or anything...I'm just trying to explain the purpose of the external cooler. People get engine oil coolers to keep it's temp down, but heat effects the ATX more, so it's up to you.

 

[Guest]

pgatx did you ever consider looking into electronic shift kits for an ATX. There are a few companies that offer them but, noone has tried them yet. here is a description of thier product.

TransGo Performance Shift Kits are designed with the Do-It-Yourselfer in
mind. The TransGo Performance Shift Kits provide the Durability, Firmness
and Control of a Reprogramming Kit with the convenience of no transmission
removal required, no special tools required and comprehensive and easy to
follow instructions and installation videos produced for the home mechanic.

AODE (Electronic AOD / 4R70W )
$112.54
1991-2000

Short firm shifts with class. Holds 1st-2nd-3rd at any RPM. Backshifts at
your command. . Reduces the chance of band failure and shudder.

We accept all major credit cards, Please call 800-776-1191
(503-284-076 or fax 503-280-1655 to order.

Thank you for the inquiry, Greg


Does this kit actually work for the cougar??????

 

[Guest]

nope. from what I hear AODE is only for RWD cougars.

 

[pgtatx]

I had a valvebody recalibration (pretty much the same thing, but it was specific to my car and mods) done to my car...called a Level Ten Hydrosystem. I also had an electronic push button shifter, to allow me to have shift control (1 button for each gear)...I decided not to use it after I found out alot about how they can really damage trannies. Transgo, is mainstream company, and their kits are so-so as I've been told, either get custom work, or atleast professional work done (if you are a professional, then do it yourself). Just wait, and thing will come out.

 

[Guest]

Ok, first, coug99v6, i like your ford badging, s'cool. second, i just got the cooler yesterday and i'm putting it on next week when i get back from the beach, with the headers. How did you figure out which hose is the outflowing hose for the ATX fluid. I want to make sure the fluid runs from top to bottom in the cooler. Any other suggestions in install? thanx.

 

[pgtatx]

Depending on the size of the cooler, add some ATF to fill the gap of the added piping. To know which hose is the "fluid in" and which is the "fluid out"...One trick is to drive for a little (not too much). Then grab the 2 hoses, one should be niticeably hotter than the other, that hotter one is the "fluid in" (into the cooler) hose. The cooler one is the "fluid out". This doesn't always work, but it should, just a little trick. If tyou still cant find out which is which, get a tech manual, and itll show you a diagram. Make sure that over the next few days you check the lines and the fittings to make sure they are are secure, and no fluid is escaping. Good luck.