Cool Running

Ford 7.3l Trans Cooler Upgrade

A transmission is not something that most truck owners think about… until it 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, produces 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 and it involves some top-quality OEM parts.