A518 external cooler

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A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Sat Apr 02, 2016 7:10 pm

My w350 has what looks like a dealer mounted transmission cooler under the bed on driver's side. I followed the hoses and looks like someone plugged them with a bolt and piped everything from the transmission together, there's even some metal water pipe on the passenger side that just attaches the lines to each other. Can't figure it out why someone would have disconnected it. The piping that comes from the tranny ends somewhere near the radiator, guessing there's a little trans radiator there.
I'd like to take it all apart and clean up the leaks, trans was almost 3 quarts low.
Would like to plumb it all back together, where could I find info on something like that? I'm by no means a great mechanic, but seems like it would be simple to hook it back up.
Is it trans fluid running through the system or some coolant?
Any help would be appreciated. Oh and how do we post pictures?
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby Philip » Sat Apr 02, 2016 8:38 pm

That cooler on the side of the engine is a liquid to liquid cooler. That is the main cooler for the trans.

There is a smaller one behind the grille on the driver side. It is a air to liquid cooler. It is small so it can't do the job by itself.

The one under the bed is a dealer installed option. If it is bypassed it might be leaking. I would hook it up and find out.

On the leaks if you have a cracked line. Just braze it up and reinstall. Then bend it clear of the rub point. Rubbing has been a problem on these trucks. I have seen few of them that didn't have repaired lines.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:05 am

Talked to the previous owner and some brazing was already done on these lines. Would it be better to just replace the lines completely or continue to fix them?
The more I research, I'm thinking that the liquid to liquid cooler on the passenger side was replaced with medal pipe.
There's a guy in my area on Craigslist selling a Getrag with transfer case with 190k for $1500. Wondering if I should jump on it and save a lot of heart ache later on.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby Philip » Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:06 am

mrc wrote:Talked to the previous owner and some brazing was already done on these lines. Would it be better to just replace the lines completely or continue to fix them?
The more I research, I'm thinking that the liquid to liquid cooler on the passenger side was replaced with medal pipe.
There's a guy in my area on Craigslist selling a Getrag with transfer case with 190k for $1500. Wondering if I should jump on it and save a lot of heart ache later on.


A getrag and Tcase for that price used. I would pass. Its kind of high. If your still thinking of those 3:07's you don't want it anyway.

If the original liquid cooler is gone. Find another one. You need that cooler.

The lines are N/A from Dodge. So repair or finding good ones used is your only option.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:35 am

Thanks again for the response. I'm going to do a lot more research and guess the truck can sit for a while.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Sun Apr 03, 2016 11:41 am

Okay, after looking at it again, this is what I'm thinking. Please feel free to stop me if my idea sounds bad.
Look for a replacement air to liquid cooler and possibly a aftermarket liquid to liquid cooler (the dodge one is $350+). Replace the metal lines with the rubber transmission lines and use some Dorman plug and play fittings into the tranny. This would eliminate the line running clear to the passenger side and would take some fabrication to mount the inline cooler. I can reuse the fittings going to the air cooler, noticing that there is already rubber lines connecting it all anyways. This would eliminate the metal lines all together and shorten the run to the air cooler.
Option B would be just replace the air cooler with a new one, run rubber lines to auxillary cooler in the rear and hope for the best.
What do you think?
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby Philip » Sun Apr 03, 2016 2:35 pm

A used cooler shouldn't be that hard to find. There are quite a few trucks being parted all the time. a WTB add should turn one up pretty easy.

If you decide to go full air to air coolers. I would want a trans temp gage in the return line to the trans to watch temps. High temps are the fastest way to kill a trans. You have a non-lockup converter. You have no idea of the amount of heat it can and does produce.

That's why the automotive industry started using them decades ago. It is the best design for an overall small package. Most of the industry had them in the radiator. Dodge decided to use a bigger cooler external to the radiator.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:34 pm

After pulling the cooler lines this afternoon, I'm not sure the original metal lines are salvageable. There were 4 different pieces that were cut and put together with various metal piping and rubber hose, hence all the leaks. Pulled the auxillary cooler in the rear and took it apart and cleaned, don't know if it works. Guess I'm at an impasse. Since I haven't been running without a heat exchanger for who knows how long, and the only cooler has been the little one above the radiator, thinking I have nothing to lose and only to gain. It might eventually destroy my tranny, but it could last another 50k, who knows.
You didn't say anything negative about using rubber transmission hose, which is my biggest concern.
Thank you for all the input, please feel free to give advice as this is going to take me awhile.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby Philip » Sun Apr 03, 2016 6:51 pm

I sent you a PM with some contact info on used parts. I found.

Rubber hose will work. Over the years I have tried to stay away from it as much as possible. It easyer to install than steel. It does not have the life span of steel. Rubber is harder to secure and keep from rubbing holes in it.

Its mainly a personal choice.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:16 pm

I haven't been on the forum long enough to receive pm's. But would appreciate the connection for parts. Thanks again.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby Philip » Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:04 am

mrc wrote:I haven't been on the forum long enough to receive pm's. But would appreciate the connection for parts. Thanks again.


I forgot about your PM's being blocked. I am not going to post any ones phone number in a open forum. That's a good way to end up with many spam calls a day. You haven't got to many posts left till your there.
93 W350 Club/cab w/duals, buckets & console, B&W flatbed, G56, 6 spd, 3:07 rears, gages, HX40/16, 4" exhaust, 6X.018 sticks, rear air ride suspension
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:14 am

Always doing more research and learning a little more of what was deleted and added to my truck. Looks like the heat exchanger was taken out to make room for the 4"down pipe. Going to look closer today and figure out where the coolant hoses where deleted as well.
I'd like to reinstall a HE but don't think I can use the stock location. Aftermarket or used?
Could you give me a ballpark of where the coolant lines entered and exited the block? Positive I'll have more questions later.
92 W350 flatbed with duels, club cab, stock engine, automatic (for now), 4" exhaust, air bags
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby Philip » Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:45 am

He must have installed a real trashy exhaust system. All the current 4" systems on the market clear the auto trans heat exchangers.

The lines ran to the thermostat area. It is by the top side of the alt. The other was below the alt.

Here is where the lower one is. its just below the alt.

Image

I don't have any pic's of the upper connection.
93 W350 Club/cab w/duals, buckets & console, B&W flatbed, G56, 6 spd, 3:07 rears, gages, HX40/16, 4" exhaust, 6X.018 sticks, rear air ride suspension
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby mrc » Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:47 am

Thanks for the picture, I'm hoping to find a used HE. Problem is there are no junkyards within a 2 hour radius of where I live, I'd like to replace with metal lines, might have to get the tools and do it myself.
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Re: A518 external cooler

Postby CumminsPower59 » Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:08 am

I have a used cooler, bracket and the line up to the block, worked when pulled three years ago...
Ike

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