New Type of Radiator Discovered: Transmission Cooler!

[MoreGooder]

While I was shopping around for coolants and such today at Western Auto, I was stopped in my tracks by an incredible sight. They were really great looking radiators manufactured by Hayden Automotive and are intended to keep transmission fluid cooled.

I jotted down some info:

"Imperial Automotive Products by Hayden Automotive"
"Econokool" is the economy model, although for a computer it would be fantastic. It is all aluminum and shiny. I found the fins to be extremely fragile however. If you find one on a retail shelf, be sure to open it up and check it. I managed to straighten out a few fins just to see if I could correct the cosmetic inperfections. No problem with that at all!

1. Model 242009, 5" X 12-3/4" X 3/4" $29.74
2. Model 242010, 5" X 15-1/2" X 3/4" $????? not on the shelf
3. Model 242016, 7-1/2" X 15-1/2" X 3/4" $38.74
4. Model 242018, 10" X 15-1/2" X 3/4" $48.74


Pros:

Nice looking, and slim.
Shiny Aluminum construction. Even the welds look great.

Cons:
The connection inlet/outlet is snaked down to to fit inside a 3/8" tube, and for most of us, 1/2" ID is a must. However, I believe that you could use a copper pipe tubing cutter (cheap from Home Depot) and cut the pipe off just before it snakes down to the smaller diameter. I didn't have the tools to measure that diameter though. It looked to be very close to 1/2" to me! In addition, I don't think that using hose clamps to secure tubing to this thing would be a problem considering that the kit comes with them anyway!

"MaxiKool XL" is the upgraded line. It has stronger fins, has a better flow design and is painted black with an excellent finish:

1. Model 243007, 7-1/2" X 11" X 3/4" $???? not on the shelf
2. Model 243012, 11-3/8" X 11" X 3/4" $57.74

Pros:
Superior design for the radiator itself. Should be fantastic for heat exchange.
Super looking black, shiny finish. Not a bald spot to be found!

Cons:

Again, 3/8" fittings, and for this one I don't think it could be used with 1/2" tubings because it doesn't snake down like the enonomy line does.

Here's a link to their website:

Ultra-Cool and Rapid-Cool Transmission Cooling

The economy line is pictured in the top half of the web page and the Maxikool is along the bottom. Curiously, the web site refers to them as "Ultra-Cool" and "Rapid Cool" respectively. They look to be identical to what I saw in the store. I pulled them all out of their boxes! If you look closely you can see where the Economy/Ultra-cool product's inlets snake down to the 3/8" diameter. Not so, however, with the Maxikool/Rapid cool product.

If you browse on the site further, you'll come across an engine oil cooler. I don't understand by looking at the picture how the flow works. Perhaps someone has an idea:

Heavy Duty Oil Cooler

I hope you guys find this useful for future WC system considerations. At lease we know this another source of heat exchangers to play with!

MoreGooder

 

[9mmCensor]

Those are rather bulky tho.

 

[johan851]

I considered those myself...one of the problems I saw is that fact that it's aluminum, and you definitely want to avoid aluminum in an all copper setup. If they make copper versions of those then it would be good option.

Also the amount of passes and 180* angles wouldn't be too nice on your flowrates.

 

[MoreGooder]

Perhaps so. But, imagine them suspended out from the non-window'd side of your computer case! It would look incredible, but you'd need to work out a way to hold fans create a shroud.

Unfortunately, I don't have the dimensions for the engine oil radiators though. I just bet they have large ID inlets.

I recall seeing a post on another forum where there was a large radiator mounted. It was claimed that due to the large radiator, no active cooling was necessary. Just the normal motion of air in the room and the fact that heat rises was enough to keep his CPU cool.

Hummm...... Completely sound-free CPU cooling?!

 

[MoreGooder]

Yeah, I see your point about Aluminum/copper. However, every car has a variety of metals in the cooling system. In fact, one of the primary purposes for phosphates in AF is because of Aluminum. I just bet that if you used AF in this it would be fine. You'd have to keep an eye on the fluid though. Once all of the blabla-ates are used up then you would find corrosion starting.

MoreGooder

 

[JFettig]

Most of the radiators back in the day were tranny coolers(that people used in computers) The problems are that they are restrictive, aluminum, and not as efficient.

Jon

 

[mat6704AMD]

I have used one of those and found several things about them

1. even the smallest one is still big and I could not find a place to put it in my Aopen H700
2. the tubes are large in diameter and don't allow for much heat transfer between the water and the aluminum.
3. the multiple pass restricts the flow and requires a powerful pump.

I have found out that the chevette heatercores do much better than the oil radiators in my setup but that might be different in others.

 

[mat6704AMD]

Oh and i agree with johan851, the salesperson at Advance auto parts told me to make sure that I use a corrosion preventative liquid like zerex because he said the aluminum would corrode away in 2days with out and additive. And zerex made my water white and cloudy.

 

[mat6704AMD]

Oh btw, here is what happened to my system when I used clorox to get rid of the algae growing in my tubes

http://www.ocforums.com/vb/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=252919

 

[repilce]

Yeah, I see your point about Aluminum/copper. However, every car has a variety of metals in the cooling system. In fact, one of the primary purposes for phosphates in AF is because of Aluminum. I just bet that if you used AF in this it would be fine. You'd have to keep an eye on the fluid though. Once all of the blabla-ates are used up then you would find corrosion starting.

most antifreeze or additives with corrosion inhibitors and sillicates are rated for 2 years at minium or like 50'000 miles.. and that's in a CAR with very crappy dirty extreme conditions.. it would probably take around .. well your computer would be outdated by then..

 

[userA]

I used to run a Permacool transmission/power steering cooler in my external WC rig. Cooling efficiency is not as good as a heatercore that is even a little smaller.

 

[Koooler King]

Round tube w/ flat fin oil coolers are not as effective as flat tube w/ corrugated fin heater cores for use with typical water cooling.

As compared to a heater core, with the above oil cooler design, there is poorer conductivity from bulk liquid flow to the tube wall and from the tube wall to the fin. The reason these external oil coolers are designed the way they are is that the round tubes better withstand the high pressures seen with automotive oil or transmission fluid lines. Also, the much higher operating temps of those fluids tend to overcome some of the fin conductivity loss.

With the above being said, it isn't that these oil coolers won't offer some cooling, rather just not as much compared to a heater core of the same size.

KK

 

[MoreGooder]

My goodness! Looks like I should have done a search on this forum, because apparently this is an old topic! Sorry, and thanks for the heads up on these radiators.

MoreGooder

 

[bigben2k]

(some) Hayden coolers are different than the average cooler: they have an integrated turbulator, built inside the tube, making it close to, if not more, efficient than a heatercore... Pricey though.

Despite the exterior aluminium appearance, copper may still be the inner material: watch out!