First year trans cooling..?

Glider

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2021
Messages
125
Reaction score
51
Location
Tollarp Sweden
I've forgot some of my ex cars details it seems... Such as what kind of trans cooling the -59 Windsor or the -62 Newport had, so now I wonder what year was the first for the lines to lead the trans oil to the radiator?
(My -56 NY has had its bits replaced with newer stuff so no use to look there.)
 
Good question. In high school, I had a 56 Plymouth with a powerflite and I'm fairly sure that did not have a radiator cooler.
 
Last edited:
I'm pretty sure when the torqueflite was introduced, it was water cooled from the start. I know my 58 Desoto has factory cooler lines to the radiator.
I don't believe the powerflite was water cooled.
Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than I will tell me if I am wrong.
 
Chrysler's history of firsts, there isn't enough room on this page, I imagine trans cooling via the rad happened early on.
 
The optional Torqueflite in the 57 Plymouth was air cooled. I believe it used a different bell housing and converter than the 58s and up. I'm not sure what Chrysler did on the other models in the line-up before 1958. I think they all were cooled using lines running to the bottom of the radiators after 58.
 
Seems like only the base 6-cyl and standard V-8 were the ones to be "air cooled", usually, IF any were that way, no matter the brand. More horsepower than that and they should have cooler lines, I suspect. Not sure about Fluid-Drive vehicles, though.
 
I tend to agree with CBODY 67 since I have seen numerous cast iron early Torqueflites that were radiator cooled and some that were air cooled. However, I don't recall seeing any aluminum Torqueflites that were not radiator cooled.
 
'56 Imperial has a water cooled transmission for the Powerflight & the Torqueflight. Not in the radiator but in a piece that bolts to the water pump that also is part of the lower radiator hose.

20220327_122925.jpg
 
Well that explains a lot wypowerwagon440 as there aint no connections for trans cooling on my rad, thanx!
 
wypowerwagon440 is absolutely correct. I had totally forgotten about those stand alone coolers. I've seen a number of early 50's hemi cars that had them. Not sure what transmissions they were though.
 
Long story from my dim past, I had a '54 Chrysler with a 331, AFB and Powerflight had that bolt on cooler.
That car was "dropped in my lap". Had been totaled, but if I had it now......... Lindsay
 
Look like there are transmission coolers available for Chrysler stuff going back to WWII, bigger coolers for heavier equipment.
 
Back
Top