I need to either mod my tranny cooler or put on an aftermarket one to help keep mine cool. My Ranchhand bumper replacement doesn't allow sufficient airflow to keep the tranny temps reasonable. Around town and towing both the temps are at 200 and this summer my guess will they will be higher.
Has anyone added a fan to their stock cooler or should I just get something like a large B&M trans cooler with a fan?

I need to either mod my tranny cooler or put on an aftermarket one to help keep mine cool. My Ranchhand bumper replacement doesn't allow sufficient airflow to keep the tranny temps reasonable. Around town and towing both the temps are at 200 and this summer my guess will they will be higher.
Has anyone added a fan to their stock cooler or should I just get something like a large B&M trans cooler with a fan?

I have a cooler that can help your problem.

Mike's cooler is a neet piece. Direct replacement, about twice the size of an OEM cooler, easy to install.

I have spent a lot of time messing with different oil coolers, fans on oil coolers, etc.
This is what I have found:

1. Fans on coolers do very little unless the fan is pushing more air than is practical in this application

2. The B&M style cooler is not very efficient

There are a lot of books on heat exchangers and if you take the time to read them (they are boring) it is a guarantee you will buy a cooler from Mike L because his coolers are a good design and good quality. All that said I run the stock trans fluid cooler on my truck because I have not experienced any trans temp issues but I still have the stock grill/bumper on my truck and I mainly use it for commuting.

MikeL installed one of his coolers on my rig last summer. Trans temp dropped 30 degrees. Before MikeL's cooler, on a 100° day, my trans would run at 195°. After the cooler install on a similar 100° day, the trans temp is now 165°. Thanks again Mike... :thumb:

Rob

If your in to doing the work yourself do a search around the site and Renodmax did a nice write up on installing a trans cooler in his truck. He used a Earl's cooler and it fit right in place with him making a couple small brackets. I think he said it cost him a couple hundred bucks for the parts.

go with mikes............

If your in to doing the work yourself do a search around the site and Renodmax did a nice write up on installing a trans cooler in his truck. He used a Earl's cooler and it fit right in place with him making a couple small brackets. I think he said it cost him a couple hundred bucks for the parts.

Good luck making it fit on an '06.

at what temperature(trans) do you need to start worrying about the trans?

The Mike L. cooler is the ONLY way to go. I'm on my second cooler on my second truck and they really do work. I pull a 14K 5th wheel in Az and normally only see 165* temps. It does go up on long hills (about 195*) but comes right back down.

Anyone running a transmission that has been upgraded with additional line pressure should consider a bigger cooler. If the truck used to tow it should be a manditory upgrade IMO

at what temperature(trans) do you need to start worrying about the trans?

I don't like anything over 210 F.

IMO, the Mike L. cooler is an easy install and will reduce temps,...................but,
if it was my truck, I'd start with the real problem of the restrictive front bumper.
I don't have any way to measure or prove, but I would be hesitant to place any expanded metal in front of grill, for fear of reduced or disrupted air flow affecting all cooling.
If you don't haul, it shouldn't matter, but if you tow, watch your temps.

Not going to get rid of the bumper as it is needed out on the ranch and deer lease. It was on the truck when I got it anyway. The engine cooling is always fine as the airflow doesn't seem to be affected. The trans though, since GM moved it down lower in the stack, where the bumper openings should allow for airflow, is the only thing I can see that is affected. I don't know if I'll be getting the Mike L cooler anytime sooner or not but it will be the upgrade I go for, being plug and play.