I'm not sure about older cars (and I have no reason to think they're any different) but both the automatic on my wife's ' 76 and on my ' 75 have two atachment openings for the hoses (not 3) to send ATF to the bottom of the radiator (which is unique to the automatics) and return it to the tranny. The hoses attach to the bottom of the radiator, where the coolest coolent is, to run thru a tube inside and return the cooled ATF to the tranny. Is does not "pre-heat" the ATF, it cools it down. The tranny has an internal pump to take care of this recirculation function.

Bob Napier

THERE is 3 bungs, only two are used. I can take a pic and show it to you if you are blind.
At start up and up to operating temp it heats up the oil faster than without that, after that it "control" its temp, either cooling it or heating it so it is always at the proper temp. It dont only cools it that way for sure otherwise it would be only a small rad up front.
It may not be applicable to 02, but as far as i know all the vehicles with the cooler running into the rad as just a bare tube are meant for that.

I am not taking that out of the magic hat, but into my mechanics course books. Fluid temperature is important into anything mechanic. Having it too cold is not good, neither too hot.
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1976 turbocharged 2002, 14psi, T3, 70%LSD, urethane bush, 36x15 intercooler, 63mm tby,SDS EM4F, 5sp overdrive. Bilsts. Tech edge wb02, datalogger, recaros.
1974 2002 auto
1992 325i
1991 318is
1985 XR4TI, 22psi
1986 Toyota pick-up
1997 Pathfinder

I think you are correct that the transmission fluid is routed to the radiator for "cooling." You may have misinterpreted Pat's post or maybe it was his typing mistake, but I took it to mean the external hoses may "act" like a preheater they also have a tendency to stabilize the fluid temperature when things get too hot. Perhaps this is more true in the frozen north. Then again, Pat speaks Francois and is probably better at understanding the French ZF factory manual than I.

FWIW, I had a 73 auto that was not originally equipped with external lines fitted to the radiator. The car and transmission were practically bulletproof. The new purchaser insisted he would improve upon the design and evidently had no trouble fitting external lines to the transmission. He called me to tell me so and ask me why I had ripped him off since the transmission did not have any provision for the cooling lines. I asked him why would it, if the transmission did not have any lines to go there. He did something unusual and mounted a simple oil cooler somewhere near the rear axle and probably too close to one of the wheel wells. Something struck the cooler, it developed a leak and you can guess what happened.

There have been other auto transmissions that did not have external oil lines, but for all I know, they were all ZF's (VW, Peugot and maybe Taunus and Simca). The torque converters had external protrusions that may have been designed to serve a cooling purpose, but I have never looked into the issue. Those cooling fins seemed to remain with the transmissions even when they added the external lines.

Pat: I did not see your latest post, which makes perfect sense to me. I tend to think that the primary purpose may be to cool or reduce fluid temperatures, but it has the added benefit of bringing the fluid up to operating temperature sooner too.

E

Say Pat, did you see the Post about using a Toyota distributor in an M10? I searched the archives and could not find it, but didn't you manage to convert the points distributor to a fully electronic E21 version? (The archive keeps giving me errors). If you did not, please read no further. If so, could you please answer a couple of quick questions?

Assuming you are able to use the 02 distributor gear or reverse the E21 distributor gear so that it works with the 02 cam, what else will I need besides the distributor and the external module? Is there any type of relay or resistor too?

Thanx

Esteban wrote:

Say Pat, did you see the Post about using a Toyota distributor in an M10? I searched the archives and could not find it, but didn't you manage to convert the points distributor to a fully electronic E21 version? (The archive keeps giving me errors). If you did not, please read no further. If so, could you please answer a couple of quick questions? Assuming you are able to use the 02 distributor gear or reverse the E21 distributor gear so that it works with the 02 cam, what else will I need besides the distributor and the external module? Is there any type of relay or resistor too? Thanx

yup i did it for my 76 02 long time ago, the internals of a 320i 1.8 can fit into a normal 02 distributor.
The housings were basicaly the same so it was just a matter of taking both apart and using only the parts needed.
The mechanical advance and the vac one too was working perfectly, and it the correct manner.
The magnetic system works regardles of the rotation, ie clock wise or counter clockwise.
For the toyota dizzy fitted on a m10...why not, i fitted a ford EEC IV from a Merkur on a M10...
I also fitted a Escort dizzy on a early 16v 1.8 engine for a Rabbit...go figure. Ingenuity is the only limit i think when you want to try things.
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1976 turbocharged 2002, 14psi, T3, 70%LSD, urethane bush, 36x15 intercooler, 63mm tby,SDS EM4F, 5sp overdrive. Bilsts. Tech edge wb02, datalogger, recaros.
1974 2002 auto
1992 325i
1991 318is
1985 XR4TI, 22psi
1986 Toyota pick-up
1997 Pathfinder

'75 and '76 were the only two years with the auto tranny cooler...all other years didn't have it stock from the factory. These two years with the tranny cooler should also have the small cooling fan with the fan shroud...an easy way to identify if you're 02 does in fact have the cooler (well for '75 anyway...all '76's had the small fan with the fan shroud, whether it was a stick or auto)...
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Jeremy
'72 2002Tii - Track Car

Need 02 parts? Check out my eBay store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Davenport-Motorsports

Brandon wrote:

'75 and '76 were the only two years with the auto tranny cooler...all other years didn't have it stock from the factory. These two years with the tranny cooler should also have the small cooling fan with the fan shroud...an easy way to identify if you're 02 does in fact have the cooler (well for '75 anyway...all '76's had the small fan with the fan shroud, whether it was a stick or auto)...

Where is your authority for stating the lines were only offered for two years? I have had TWO 74 automatics and BOTH of them had lines attached to the radiator. REALOEM bears this out!

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=2224&mospid=47140&btnr=11_2388&hg=17&fg=05

PeteN wrote:

Brandon wrote: '75 and '76 were the only two years with the auto tranny cooler...all other years didn't have it stock from the factory. These two years with the tranny cooler should also have the small cooling fan with the fan shroud...an easy way to identify if you're 02 does in fact have the cooler (well for '75 anyway...all '76's had the small fan with the fan shroud, whether it was a stick or auto)... Where is your authority for stating the lines were only offered for two years? I have had TWO 74 automatics and BOTH of them had lines attached to the radiator. REALOEM bears this out! http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=2224&mospid=47140&btnr=11_2388&hg=17&fg=05

All have to say to this is that real men drive manual transmissions..HA! Just kdding of course...I could be wrong, but I've had a number of automatic parts cars and have never seen the tranny cooler on a '74..but maybe they introduced it mid-year or something....I do know that every single '75 and '76 automatic I've seen has had the tranny cooler.
_________________
Jeremy
'72 2002Tii - Track Car

Need 02 parts? Check out my eBay store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Davenport-Motorsports