Transmission oil cooler needed for towing ?

briankarleyhotmailcouk
briankarleyhotmailcouk Expert Adviser
edited October 2013 in HUDSON
Hello.
I am planning to tow a medium size caravan (approximate weight 1800 pounds) with my 1953 Hornet with dual range hydramatic. Should I fit a transmission oil cooler? Has anyone fitted a transmission cooler ? If so can anyone advise where to make the connections on the transmission for fluid feed and return.
Any other advice for towing would be welcome.

Many thanks,for your help.
Brian.

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    One old fashioned but eeffective way is modify oil pan. Add tubing in bottom in oil pan

    Placed front to back so air flows thru. Make hole for tubes and weld or braze in anb check for leaks.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Above is correct. No place to put an out and in line. Walt.
  • Ol racer
    Ol racer Senior Contributor
    FYI
    The Hydro was strong enough to propell Military Tanks but they had a 'Deeper' Oil Pan holding more Fluid, which may have been a primitive thought having more capacity would take longer to overheat the fluid. So perhaps modifying your Pan capacity combined with Tallent R suggestion to insert Tubing would be sufficient
    .
    If this helps though, I towed a similar weight Stock Car many summers using a Hudson Truck with a Hydro oversome long hills without problem.... Not abusing by shifting up & down would help because 'overheating' an automatic Trans quickly shortens its life

    However, if reside in real hilly area the ideal solution would be to adapt a modern Turbo 350 trans with a Cooler.


  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    edited November 2013
    Brian

    Here is a trans temperature/failure chart.

    http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm

    Installing a trans temp gauge will tell you how much cooling improvements are needed. Especially when towing. I think if you can keep the normal driving temperture around 150 degress or less, will help when towing temperatures can increase oil temperature another 30-65 degrees. The temp sensor should be as close to where the hot oil returns from the torus. The oil from the torus will be hotter than the oil in the oil pan. The oil temp from the torus can rise and lower much quicker (depending on the load stresses, hills etc.) than the oil temperature will change in the oil pan. I saw someones comment that his normal trans oil temp was 120 and others commented running higher temps. But the comments were from owners with vehicles with later model transmissions than hydros.

    Without a temp gauge you will be guessing. Who know, you may be in the safe zone already. Please let us know what you find out. That would be helpful information for others with hydromatics in their cars.

    Does anyone know where the best place to instal the temp sensor on hydro? Is there a place where the oil temp could be monitered on the Hydromatic before it inters the oil pan? The oil pan may be the only location. That would still be better than nowhere.

    Lee O'Dell
  • briankarleyhotmailcouk
    briankarleyhotmailcouk Expert Adviser
    Anyone know where I can find either a deeper oil pan, or just a standard oil pan for a hydramatic, that I can modify for cooling ?

    Regards,
    Brian.
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Back in the fifties I pulled a 36 foot mobile home several thousand miles with a Hydramatic-equipped Hornet (including Lincoln NE to Houston TX in July!), and never had a problem with the tranny.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Park, that was before all the global warming! LOL

    Kevin C.
  • Ol racer
    Ol racer Senior Contributor
    edited November 2013
    FYI
    In retrospect, I never had a problem towing with my Hudson Hydro truck either. More capacity might help since Buses & Tanks had larger pans. However, smelling the fluid and drain when suspect losing viscosity by odor and/or color would be sufficient....
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Kevin, that was before a whole lot of things !!!
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