91 Grand Caravan Tranny Cooler

I saw a few drops of tranny fluid on the ground under the radiator and
after further investigation, found that it is time to replace the
radiator(much rust and corossion). When removing the radiator, I found
the trans cooler in front of the radiator (which was rusted also). I
don't use this caravan for towing. Can I live with the internal
radiator cooler and forego the external cooler?

 

If you live where the climate is generally cool and you don't plan on
towing you should be OK without it BUT only if you are using the new's
formulation of genuine Chrysler ATF. Their new stuff is extremely
heat stable, their older stuff was crap. If it was me I'd just buy a
cheap aftermarket cooler and slap that in there just to be safe, plus
you won't have to worry as much about what fluid is in it.

 

AC - Are you meaning for him to use ATF+4? TSB 21-014-07 is confusing
to me in that regard. It doesn't list '91 Grand Caravan for ATF+4,
though it does say "In general terms, If ATF+, ATF+2 or ATF+3 was the
recommended fluid, it is now recommended to use ATF+4®". Which ATF are
you saying he should use?

 

ATF+3 is the only correct fluid to use with this rebuilt trans. The
trans oil cooler is welded to the front of the radiator. That'a why I
was trying to decide if it was worth the trouble to figure out how to
mount an external cooler to a new radiator.

 

I was thinking the +4. Sounds like it should be verified with
Chrysler first.

 

If the replacement radiator has an internal transmission cooler you should
be
ok. Back in 91 they didn't have the ATF+4 formula. Part of Chrysler's
transmission design is to impart a small slip when it shits gears so you
don't feel it shifting. This puts a little more necessity in having the
best
fluid available in the tranny. Use the +4. We bought a 99 Town &
Country a little over 2 years ago. It's tranny had been rebuilt shortly
before we bought it. I rebuilt the tranny a few months ago, whoever
did it the first time left out a part and used a flat snap ring were a
tapered
snap ring goes. We put 32,000 of it's 163,000 on it and now I'm on
the code merry go round with it. This computer controlled crap is one
of the ways the auto industry is forcing owners to take their vehicles to
a dealer to get it fixed. The correct scanner to use on our van is the
DRB III which costs about $4900.00. The Actron scanner I have
reads the codes and shuts off the dang service engine light, but it
doesn't help pinpoint what part or parts need to be replaced. Don't
try to tell me that computer helps it get the 19.5 mpg it gets, when the
1951 Studebaker without overdrive my dad had averaged 28mpg.

Terry Brandli

 

Ooh - I hope that doesn't happen!