7.3 Transmission Cooler Upgrade Kit

A transmission is not something that most truck owners think about… until one fails, that is. The most common cause of failure in an automatic transmission is not age; it’s excessive heat. Towing, especially of heavy loads while in overdrive, can cause this heat. Sure, regular tranny fluid changes and towing in third can extend the life of the automatic in your Ford Super Duty, but a properly sized transmission oil cooler is the most important part of the cool-running automatic transmission equation.

Owners of ’99-’03 Ford Super Duty trucks know that the 7.3L Power Stroke diesel engine is a good engine. Unfortunately, the 4R100 automatic could be a little tougher and these trucks are also plagued with factory tranny coolers that run a little on the small side. The ’99 to ’03 Fords with the 7.3 are fine for daily driving. However, the OEM cooler can be over-taxed while towing heavy loads and the heat that results can mean issues with the auto trans. Not to worry, there’s a solution, a 7.3 transmission cooler upgrade kit and it involves some top-quality OEM parts.

John Ferguson at Domestic Diesel Service in Corona, California, offered to show us the solution. He’s a Certified ASE Master Mechanic and started in Ford’s service department in 1996. He’s familiar with the Ford diesel lineup and the parts they use. His solution is to swap out the smallish 7.3L transmission cooler for one of the larger units that were standard in the Ford 6.0L Power Stroke-equipped trucks. A 7.3 to Ford 6.0 transmission cooler kit, so to say. That’s right, a 6.0 trans cooler for the 7.3.

Now this is not a direct bolt-in, but it’s close to it. The fact is, the later model coolers will fit behind the grille of your 7.3-equipped truck, with a few minor modifications.  The first of these modifications is the cutting and splicing of the rubber lines that run from your transmission to the original trans cooler. These lines are 3/8-inch diameter and the new cooler takes ½-inch lines. Domestic Diesel offers a small parts kit with adaptor fittings to splice the two line sizes. (The kit also includes other required small parts). The fact that the cooler takes a larger line is not a problem; bigger is better, so there’s no issue with restriction of flow. In addition, the new cooler will have a slotted lower mount that will require either a fender washer over the two lower mounting bolts, or the use of the OEM 6.0 rig rubber bushings. Fender washers are in the small parts kit and work great. Also, they won’t deteriorate over time like the rubber will.

The lower splash cover under the bumper must be removed and the installation should also be done with the grille off. This is not hard to do, as the factory makes these parts easy to take off for service and assembly reasons. Some will tell you to remove the front bumper, but with a swivel attachment you can get around this task and save time. From start to finish, this upgrade should take you from four to six hours, depending on interruptions and your comfort level.

Ford offers two different transmission coolers for the 6.0 powerstroke. The smaller one is good for all but the most strenuous towing needs. The larger cooler can be used too, if you want to go for the ultimate cooling package for your transmission. Of course, being larger, it’s a little more work to get in, but it does fit without any major modifications.

“A larger transmission cooler is sure to drop your running trans temps over the stock unit.”

We’ve seen reports of a 30-degree-average trans temp reduction when running unloaded. When towing, some have claimed as much as 60-plus degrees in temperature reduction over the stock trans cooler. These are subjective numbers and your results may vary. One thing’s for sure: a larger transmission cooler is sure to drop your running trans temps over the stock unit. DW

CONTACT:

Domestic Diesel Service
909-627-0500
www.domesticdieselshop.com