Smart ways to extend the life of your transmission
With nice weather just around the corner, now is a great time to begin installing new upgrades for the sunny days ahead.
South Sister, Central Oregon
Photo credit: Oregon Performance Transmission
Repeated exposure to heat is the number one reason automatic transmissions fail. One way to extend the life of your transmission and avoid, or at least prolong a costly rebuild is to install a quality transmission cooler.
One of our consistent best-selling items is the Tru-Cool 47391 transmission cooler from Long Manufacturing – Dana Corporation. The 47391 cooler is rated at 40,000 GVW (gross vehicle weight) and measures 8.5″ x 22.75″ x 1.25″. This is a low pressure drop (LPD) unit with 3/8″ inverted flare fittings. This is truly the ultimate cooler for heavy towing and is a must for heavy duty applications, including racing. All parts and instructions are included to mount and plumb this cooler. Retail price is $200+. This cooler comes with a manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty.
Tru-Cool 47391 40,000 GVW Transmission Cooler (part number LNG-47391)
Installation and compatibility information:
This cooler comes with all mounting hardware and fittings as well as approximately 30” of transmission hose. The cooler has 3/8” inlet and outlet fittings on the ends so you would typically use this with applications where you have 3/8” line.
The 47391 is 2 feet wide; it is a physically large cooler and it will need a lot of space. In terms of compatibility, it is not so much the transmission you need to be concerned about, it is whether or not you have the physical space to accommodate the cooler. Typically these are meant for trucks and SUV’s for towing and off-road use. Our Chevy, Ford, Dodge, and Jeep customers rave about them.
If you do not have 3/8” line, (for example the Chevy Duramax with the Alison transmission), you would either need to buy different fittings to adapt, or go with another cooler meant for ½” line. Tru-Cool’s H7B cooler is meant for ½” line and is a high end cooler that can actually be used as an engine oil cooler as well. It does not come with mounting hardware, fittings or hose, so you would need to buy those items separately.
Tru-Cool H7B 29,200 BTU Transmission Cooler (part number LNG-H7B)
If you live in an area that routinely experiences temperatures at or below 32F, you should consider using the Tru-Cool 40,000 GVW cooler that comes with the external thermal bypass. As with the LNG-47391, this cooler has 3/8″ inverted flare fittings on the ends, measures 8.5″ x 22.75″ x 1.25″ and comes with mounting hardware, fittings and transmission hose. It also includes the external thermal bypass valve that allows the transmission fluid to bypass the cooler until the transmission comes up to operating temperatures (approx. 180F +/-).
Tru-Cool 40,000 GVW Transmission cooler with External Thermal Bypass (part number LNG-4739)
In addition to the products outlined above, we have an extensive selection of Tru-Cool transmission coolers available here at Oregon Performance Transmission. We offer many additional sizes of coolers as well as units made for smaller vehicles.
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance finding the right cooler for you, please do not hesitate to contact us at salesdesk@optsales.com or visit us on the web at www.oregonperformancetransmission.com.