Dynaflow Question.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

 I was asked a question I am not qualified to answer  .   Surprise, surprise.

 Does a 1953 Special Dynaflow  need a cooler in addition to the factory one?

 Or any Dynaflow, for that matter.

 

  Thanks

   Ben

 

[Aaron65]

My '53 only has the water cooler mounted to the transmission; there is no additional cooler. 

 

I've been driving it that way for almost 20 years, and I imagine it's been that way the whole 71. The transmission has some leaks, but it's still moving the old girl down the road.

[avgwarhawk]

I believe there is a cooler by the transmission. 

[60FlatTop]

I would add an accessory cooler to my '60 Electra if I was attending a lot of well coordinated parades. In a low parade that moves along at a steady walking pace I am usually holding the car back with the brake. The heat from the Dynaflow is pumping into the heat exchanger in the lower radiator tank. It is sure to puke a quart of hot coolant right in front of the viewing stand.

A jerky, stop and go parade gives me time to put it in Neutral at cool things off often, unique set of circumstances.

 

Last parade I took the Riviera instead. I was surprised to find out Snoop Dog has a Riviera. And the parade viewers were equally surprised to see Archie Bunker driving it!

 

[JohnD1956]

I am thinking an auxiliary external cooler for a Dynaflow is a good thing. But does a 53 Special have a fan shroud?  If not the placement of this external cooler may be critical to effectiveness.  And I always wonder which way the trans fluid flow would be most appropriate, trans to factory cooler to external? Or trans to external, to factory cooler?  In one case the radiator would still be getting the hottest fluid to cool, and then the cooler fluid would have a 2nd cooling operation, in the other the external cooler gets the hottest fluid first thus cooler fluid may actually help the radiator and engine stay cooler overall.  

[pfloro]

5 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

In one case the radiator would still be getting the hottest fluid to cool, and then the cooler fluid would have a 2nd cooling operation, in the other the external cooler gets the hottest fluid first thus cooler fluid may actually help the radiator and engine stay cooler overall.  

In my understanding, directing the trans fluid to the external cooler first is the best option.  In cold weather driving, the in-tank radiator cooler can then "re-heat" the trans fluid before it returns to the transmission.  I don't think it's good to have cool fluid continuously circulating

in the transmission.

 

This is the way I plumbed the external cooler in my 1984 Toronado.

 

Paul 

[EmTee]

14 hours ago, pfloro said:

In my understanding, directing the trans fluid to the external cooler first is the best option.

That's what the instructions said when I installed an auxiliary cooler on my '89 C1500.

[Sidemount33]

On 5/18/2024 at 6:46 AM, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

 I was asked a question I am not qualified to answer  .   Surprise, surprise.

 Does a 1953 Special Dynaflow  need a cooler in addition to the factory one?

 Or any Dynaflow, for that matter.

Ben:

 

The '53 Dynaflow's cooler really isn't a great design - it's kind of like a brick. I think "cooling fins" were added to the unit the next year. If the owner was doing a lot of long distance driving in high temperatures, then an extra (or upgraded) cooler would probably help extend the life of the transmission. 

 

 

On 5/18/2024 at 12:53 PM, JohnD1956 said:

I am thinking an auxiliary external cooler for a Dynaflow is a good thing. But does a 53 Special have a fan shroud?  

John: No (factory offered) fan shrouds for the '53 Special (Supers and RMs had them for the new V8, however). Specials also came with the smaller/narrower Harrison rads, too.