Trans fluid leak suspect cooler location problem.

[OrrieG]

Last week I got the truck running again. Topped off the trans fluid to cold mark and ran it for about an hour charging the ac, etc. Pulled it into the garage and did not look at it all week. Went out today and there is a puddle of trans fluid equal to about half a quart spread across the shop floor. First blush looked to be coming from front of trans pan or flywheel cover. I suspected at first the pan was leaking or front tranny seal. I checked the trans fluid and it was a pint OVER the hot mark. Pulled the flywheel cover everything is dry inside so not a seal issue. Looked at the pan then found fluid on top of the trans at the fill tube.

Light bulb goes off. Trans cooler and lines are higher than the fittings in the trans and when I checked the fluid the truck was running. Let it sit and the tranny cooler and lines siphon back into the trans and fluid came out of where the fill tube goes into the trans. Just backed the truck out of the garage under power and no leaks and the fluid level now reads 1 pint low. That tells me my cooler (photo attached) and line hold about 2-3 pints, its a big cooler from an old pop machine.

So question is can I put upward loops in the rubber lines from the cooler to transmission higher than the cooler to act as a air gap to keep it from draining back into the trans. I am not a trans guru but think the way the circuit works is one line is under pressure to push hot fluid thru the cooler and back to the trans were it falls under gravity into the pan. Looping the hoses will create an air pocket but will the pump just push it into the trans which is atmospherically vented when I start the engine. OR is the whole loop pressurized and will I be pushing air into places it should not be?

Also I am running a deeper trans pan and pickup that adds two quart capacity so I am not too worried about being a pint, about 1/4" , low in the pan. Maybe I should not worry about it??

update, drove it around the block, trans is working fine.

Thanks in advance.