[Tim Corcoran]

If you decide to use a stand alone oil cooler, be aware that using one will not keep the trans at a constant temperature as well as one that is inside the radiator. When it flows through your radiator it warms and cools the oil and keeps it at a constant temperature that is thermostatically controlled. When using an axillary trans cooler it is best to hook it to the pressure side of the trans so it first goes through the axillary cooler then through the radiator so it will not run too cool or too hot. If your towing a heavy load or running a high stall convertor on the street running an axillary cooler in conjunction with your radiator cooler is a good idea. But if running a stock or close to stock convertor most likely a trans cooler is just a waste of time and money. Your transmission is designed to operate at the temperature that your radiator controls it at.

[78w72]

Agree on running an aux cooler with the radiator cooler... ALL aux cooler companies suggest to run the aux after the rad cooler, lets the rad cooler remove most the heat first (or heat the fluid when cold) since liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling. Just makes for a more efficient system than the aux alone or before the rad cooler.

Another important thing regarding trans fluid temps is that a stand alone aux cooler wont allow the fluid to be heated up fast in cooler or cold temps... & the opposite in hot temps is that an aux cooler only cools with air movement which means when the car is moving, if you sit in stop & go traffic or staging lanes etc, there is zero cooling & the trans fluid will get a lot hotter than needed or what a rad cooler will keep it at. I dont have any temps to post but that is just basic science & the reason most all aux cooler companies say to use both with the aux cooler after the rad cooler.

As for the buggered up threads, they do make inverted flare fittings for trans cooler line in the rad, I use a fragola aluminum that is inverted flare to AN, im sure other companies offer them in steel too. As mentioned, the flare is what seals, the threads do nothing but using tape on them when partially stripped might give a little more bite to snug down the fitting to seal. I also saw some with an O-ring that might help seal if the flare is messed up some. In this case I would give them a try but probably cheaper & easier to buy a new champion radiator for ~$200 shipped, with a lifetime warranty. Stay away from the no name radiators on ebay if possible, champion is the best budget rad, or spend a hundred or more & get a cold case. If new fittings dont seal the old one, get a nice new alum & be done with it & have better cooling.

[zippy]

But how much heat from Trans is imparted into the rad? Asking because we all strive to keep engine cooler. And if running trans into it, assists in lots of peoples overheating issues? My brain tells me to run to aux cooler first, then to rad, then back to trans. Thus, on long high speed pulls etc, when trans is working hardest, the aux may cool it too much(?) then at least it would get some heat out of rad, back into the oil, and helping cool the rad more. Just my logic. Past 14 years tho, I have only had an aux cooler and not run through my rad. Summer driven highway, in BC Canada. Even my sig pic, was just a aux cooler

[joes455]

Just get an external cooler like was mentioned and make sure to position it where it will get flow from eng fan blade or get a trans cooler electric fan combo

['ol Pinion head]

Lot of options.
-personally, im not one for contrapting together some sort of "adapters".
-if the radiator is a 4 core, & otherwise in great shape, & the spacing between the two AT cooler lines is 8 1/2", I'd have the pass tank replaced w a good used one. They are out there. From the limited view of the pic , the radiator is an aftermarket replacement, & that particular style of aftermarket tank is not that hard to find. Having stripped a ton of crossflow radiators for serious restoration/original Harrison tanks & rails, the aftermarket style tanks were often chunked or left to pile up then I gave them to local radiator shop owner that recores my rads.
-if its an aftermarket 3 core, I'd prob pull it, & replace it w either a replacement alum radiator, or if a stumbled onto a deal on nice used 4 core Desert Cooler or a General Radiator.

[grivera]

Thanks all - the NPT fittings screw all the way in and bottom out on the flare. Permatex makes an RTV specifically for sealing transmissions and supposed to withstand trans fluid. I may use that as my last effort and then move onto a new aluminum radiator.

OPH - it is a 3 core - my concern with the aftermarket radiators is adapting the shroud to them - online specs seem all over the place.

[rolling money pits]

Originally Posted by grivera

Thanks all - the NPT fittings screw all the way in and bottom out on the flare. Permatex makes an RTV specifically for sealing transmissions and supposed to withstand trans fluid. I may use that as my last effort and then move onto a new aluminum radiator.

OPH - it is a 3 core - my concern with the aftermarket radiators is adapting the shroud to them - online specs seem all over the place.

Radiators listed as direct fit should fit the shroud with no issues. Note I said should…

Universal or something else, bird of a different feather.

If memory serves correctly, the shrouds and physical space for fitment were the same regardless of core count. The variance in tank size was made up with the rubber saddles.

[grivera]

Originally Posted by rolling money pits

Radiators listed as direct fit should fit the shroud with no issues. Note I said should…

Universal or something else, bird of a different feather.

If memory serves correctly, the shrouds and physical space for fitment were the same regardless of core count. The variance in tank size was made up with the rubber saddles.

The current radiator leaves very little space between the edge of the radiator shroud and the bottom radiator hose - very tight fit for the hose clamp. That’s part of my concern.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Tim Corcoran

A good radiator shop could solder in some new fittings for you. If they are stripped a doubt they can be salvaged

Well after reading all the stuff in this thread (Ok, I didn't read all of it) but at any rate, the above is what I did... One day and about $80 later I had it repaired and completely overhauled.

[grivera]

It’s a dying art by me - just finding a shop to flush the radiator was difficult and cost $85. The same shop wanted $175 to re-core a heater core for same car. If my plan doesn’t work I’ll get an aluminum radiator.

[grivera]

So far so good with the inverted flare to NPT adapters for the trans cooler - I used the trans fluid resistant RTV on the NPT threads and let it set up for 48 hours. Keep fingers crossed for me!!

https://youtu.be/v51jv66h44s?si=jgXjUd2sisnZV7n6