Transmission Cooler Relocation

[jhawk]

I'm installing a winch and the tranny cooler is making things difficult. Normally I'd just cut the steel line flair the ends and add a length off power steering hose clamped on each end. I ran across a post that said there was 300 psi of pressure going through the tranny cooler line, is that the case?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[no694terry]

maybe 30 psi, 300 is a little ridiculous. hell if it was 300 i would mount a hydrolic winch. i would think a basic tube and fin cooler from autoparts would fine a fine substitute for the stock one. the bumper im making is real low profile and i may need to relocate my tranny cooler, i planeed to use the tube and fin oil cooler i had mounted before replacing it with a plate type. if your wheeling i wouldn't use a peice of rubber to replace cooler. think about it, even the cheapest of cars run some sort of tranny cooler.

 

[jhawk]

Thanks man. I plan on keeping the cooler. I'd use the rubber line to replace some of the hard line. Yep 300 psi seemed out of line to me also, but I couldn't find anymore info.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[R_Lefebvre]

On Fords, and I'd think the Rover would be the same, typical tranny pressures are 20-40psi, but you can get some spikes up to 100 in certain situations. Many vehicles use clamps on the transmission cooler hoses.

 

[no694terry]

just make sure whatever rubber line you use is good for tranny fluid, that stuff will eat through most rubber lines in a day. 3/8" is common at autoparts stores. those lines look like 1/2" though on my truck and i had to go to summit for that size when i did my oil cooler.

 

[billb]

Rubber trans line clamped to a smooth 1/2" OD hardline is recipe for disaster - nothing for the hose to bite to to make a seal. Leaks almost assured and strong possibility of pushing the tube right out of the hose over time (even at 30 psi).

This is the same reason factory Rover oil cooler line leak - they were never made correctly to begin with and crimped the hose right to the smooth steel hardline.

If you don't have the ability to tig weld an adapter on to the hardline - use a hydraulic "bite type" fitting on the cut end of the hardline to make a proper extension. I generally replace the factory lines with 1-wire hydraulic hose - overkill for sure, but a lifetime solution.

 

[no694terry]

what kind of bumper are you putting the winch in. just curious since i just removed my bumper last night for the one i'm making and that cooler line, may be in the way for me too. im hoping a little bend will get it out of the way

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Did they really crimp hose to a smooth tube? That's dumb. US manufacturers usually roll 2-3 rings into the end of the tube. It gives the hose something to bite so it doesn't blow off, and also seals better.

 

[no694terry]

i find it hard to believe that would crimp the rubber right onto a smooth line, but they do leak enough to think something wasn't correct, i've had 9 or 10 cars now, all with more miles and older then my disco and most never leaked a thing. so far i'm done to my last leak, power steering box