Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Misc Tech => Topic started by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 07, 2011, 02:28:50 AM

Title: TC Question
Post by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 07, 2011, 02:28:50 AM
On my Turbo Coupe, there was a small, finned cooler mounted in front of the condenser.  It was about 4 inches, by 10 inches.  Was that an engine oil cooler?
 
The reason why I'm asking, is because that coolerwas mounted on a mounting bracket that I need.  The bracket I need is on the passenger side and bolts to the core support under the condenser and also bolts at it's other end to the core support above the condenser.  I have the one my TC came with, but need another one to bolt my aftermarket 30,000GVW tranny cooler to.

I threw the stock cooler that was mounted to that bracket in the trash.  If it was still on the car, it would be easy to determine what type of fluid it cooled.  It can't be the power steering cooler.  The power steering cooler is nothing but a tube that's mounted in front of the condenser.

If I knew what type of cooler the bracket I'm looking for holds, I'd be able to locate one of those brackets.  Thanks for any help.
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88turbo on December 07, 2011, 09:13:09 AM
power steering oil cooler?  the engine oil cooler is between the filter and the block on the 2.3 and has coolant flowing through it.
Title: TC Question
Post by: jangus on December 07, 2011, 09:49:08 AM
If your TC was an automatic, that was the trans cooler you tossed out.
Title: TC Question
Post by: T-BirdX3 on December 07, 2011, 09:52:01 AM
Sounds like the trans cooler to me.
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 07, 2011, 12:13:27 PM
Don't the stock radiators that come in a TC have an integrated tranny cooler?
Title: TC Question
Post by: Chrome on December 07, 2011, 06:09:28 PM
Higher performance cars have seprate tranny coolers because they cool better than integrated ones. I would assume radiators would be the same in these birds TC or not. So it could have both integrated and seprate. One or both coolers could be used.
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88turbo on December 07, 2011, 07:15:58 PM
my 88 AUTO TC has both internal and external. almost forgot about that..
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 07, 2011, 07:49:23 PM
Quote from: Chrome;374929
Higher performance cars have seprate tranny coolers because they cool better than integrated ones. I would assume radiators would be the same in these birds TC or not. So it could have both integrated and seprate. One or both coolers could be used.


Of course higher performance cars have seperate tranny coolers, but we're talking about an A4LD transmission that the auto TC's come with.  The cooling demands for a stock TC with that transmission shouldn't require an external tranny cooler; especially if the 5.0L Birds don't require one to properly cool the AOD trannies they come with.  That just doesn't make sense to me.
Title: TC Question
Post by: Shadow on December 07, 2011, 08:18:17 PM
the 5.0 birds should have had an external cooler, AOD's hate heat more than most transmissions.. but the tc WAS fords tbird performance car, therefore it got an external cooler
Title: TC Question
Post by: Loaded87IROC on December 07, 2011, 08:18:20 PM
My 86 XR7 used the radiator cooler and an external as well.
Title: TC Question
Post by: T-BirdX3 on December 07, 2011, 09:52:01 PM
Quote from: 88 Blackbird 5.0;374937
Of course higher performance cars have seperate tranny coolers, but we're talking about an A4LD transmission that the auto TC's come with.  The cooling demands for a stock TC with that transmission shouldn't require an external tranny cooler; especially if the 5.0L Birds don't require one to properly cool the AOD trannies they come with.  That just doesn't make sense to me.

The 5.0 birds were not considered performance cars. The TC's were.
Title: TC Question
Post by: T-BirdX3 on December 08, 2011, 10:34:14 AM
Here is some pics of the trans cooler on my TC.

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-8187-1323357905374.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-1385-1323357883936.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-8160-1323357856654.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-8351-1323357833428.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-1901-1323357702074.jpg

Both of my automatics have the same cooler on the front of it, so I would guess this is the cooler you are talking about. Hope this helps.
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 08, 2011, 10:51:47 AM
Quote from: T-BirdX3;374993
Here is some pics of the trans cooler on my TC.

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-8187-1323357905374.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-1385-1323357883936.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-8160-1323357856654.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-8351-1323357833428.jpg
http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee367/T-BirdX3/photobucket-1901-1323357702074.jpg

Both of my automatics have the same cooler on the front of it, so I would guess this is the cooler you are talking about. Hope this helps.

This is too good to be true!  You have two TC's with tranny coolers?  If you can give me your address and let me know when you leave for work, I'll stop by shortly after you leave and have my choice of which car I want to take the bracket from.  :P
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 08, 2011, 10:57:19 AM
Quote from: Shadow;374940
the 5.0 birds should have had an external cooler, AOD's hate heat more than most transmissions.. but the tc WAS fords tbird performance car, therefore it got an external cooler

That's what's so laughable about Ford putting tranny coolers on TC's, but not Sports.  If you had to choose which trans needs maximum cooling more between an AOD and an A4LD, the AOD would be the correct choice, hands down.  There's a good reason why I'm installiing a 30,000 GVW tranny cooler on the Red-Winged Blackbird.
Title: TC Question
Post by: T-BirdX3 on December 08, 2011, 10:57:29 AM
That's messed up! lol
Title: TC Question
Post by: Shadow on December 08, 2011, 05:06:58 PM
Quote from: 88 Blackbird 5.0;374996
That's what's so laughable about Ford putting tranny coolers on TC's, but not Sports.  If you had to choose which trans needs maximum cooling more between an AOD and an A4LD, the AOD would be the correct choice, hands down.  There's a good reason why I'm installiing a 30,000 GVW tranny cooler on the Red-Winged Blackbird.


agreed.. the AOD has 2 major fail points.. water and heat.. most transmissions in use when the AOD was used could take on a little water and still work properly before you get a chance to change the fluid.. AOD's make quite a mess when they take on water, POOF, toast.. the heat just chews away at the clutches.. i've seen a lot of people blow a head gasket and their AOD at the same time, because they overheated the motor, which then made the cooler in the radiator super hot and keeping the fluid that passes through hot.. the AOD's usually aren't completely toasted, but they're hurting and start slipping in 2nd
Title: TC Question
Post by: 88 Blackbird 5.0 on December 08, 2011, 07:28:48 PM
Don't forget the paltry input shaft.  It's another flaw in the design of AOD's.  It's such a limiting factor in strength, you can increase the reliable power handling ability of an otherwise stock AOD by doing nothing more than installing a non-locking converter.  Dan Gilsdorf (the most knowledgeable guy I know of when it comes to AOD's) says an AOD can reliably handle 450 horsepower by doing nothing more than replacing the lock-up converter with a non-locking one.  That's why I'm running a 3000 stall, non-locking converter in the Red-Winged Blackbird.
Title: TC Question
Post by: Shadow on December 08, 2011, 08:33:29 PM
i was just talking in stock form, but yeah, the lockup converter is total garbage IMO