360 HEAT EXCHANGER DELETE/BYPASS

Hi all, anyone got any experience or advice on doing this......thankyou

 

There's a reason the heat exchanger was included in the design of the 360. It serves two important purposes:

1. It pre-heats the transaxle oil, making shifts in first and second easier.
2. It cools the oil during heavy operational use, like track, or going to the grocery store the long way.

Removing the heat exchanger would be like removing your pancreas. You can live without out it, for a while, but it will be missed.

 

I'm definitely doing this bypass next time I have the intake manifold off. I'm going to add an external gear oil cooler with a thermostatic valve.
I'll probably run -10AN lines and a thermostatic valve (165 or 185 degs) like this https://www.improvedracing.com/high-flow-engine-transmission-oil-cooler-thermostat.html
and whatever cooler I can fit.

To me it's not worth it to keep the exchanger. They can fail at any time and how will you know?
The cost benefit ratio is:

Faster warming of gearbox oil
vs
Silent destruction of gearbox internals worth tens of thousands of dollars

 

I removed my heat exchanger 10 years ago. Have had no problems. But I do live in South Texas and do not track my car.