BDTB

Some people fight disease, others fight oppression. I will fight the strawberry milkshake, which does't bring (Mod Censored) to the yard, except broken runners. After reading the stories about this, I got red dog mad and decided to spread the word. Of course, my first plan of action is doing the external cooler swap on my own vehicle, then I will inform each and every 4runner owner I know and meet, as well as offer to perform the change for the cost of parts and a 24 pack of Pabst or some delicious steaks.

It's such an easy and cheap fix, but we (the vast majority or 3rd gen 4runner owners) are unaware of the issue. I only learned about this plague about a week ago when I started reading posts here. I went out and found so many posts on this it made me want to vomit in terror. I saw some pics of a disassembled OEM radiator with 11x,xxx miles and I could see how the problem manifests. If I decide to replace my radiator (which only has 12x,xxx miles on it) when I do my TB/WP, I want to cut into the lower portion of the core and expose the cross section where the core and tranny fluid are separated to see if we can identify the specific area where failure occurs. Unless it's been done already, which I'm sure it has.

BigBallsMcFalls

my 2 cents

actually offering to swap radiators is the way to go. external coolers, ...are a headache, don't let anyone lie to you. yes it is easy, but a headache nonetheless (parts, time involved, is it really optimized for the transmission...?

a 01998 radiator is a drop in.

BDTB

Hmm, I've asked myself the same question, and from what I've read (on posts, mind you) it seems like nobody has been unhappy with their trans cooler. But that is a good point, I need to remember to think of a radiator swap as a first line of defense. Has this problem been engineered out of new OEM or Koyo radiators? I'd hate to have to replace the radiator every 100k miles or so if the only issue is this failure with a simple fix.

IanB

What's different about the 01998 rad?

DrummerDaveB

Of course, installing an external cooler has the added advantage of keeping the tranny cooler which helps extend its life as well.

Ron Helmuth

good for you BDTB- spreading the word to all the 3rd gen Runners with automatics is a noble endeavor.

I would agree that for the average owner/driver that the addition of an external tranny cooler is simply overkill and not necessary. But take my advice with a grain of salt-I'm a manny tranny guy.

BDTB

As much as I like having an automatic, I'm starting to wish I could have found a manual. Are they more rare that automatics? It seems like all the 4runners I looked at when I bought mine were auto. Hmmmph.

BigBallsMcFalls

01998 is the generic part number for 3rd gen radiators w cooler built in

J2F42C

koyo a1998 is the radiator replacement most including myself have used after replacing the OEM one.

Siding with Big Balls, I'd replace the radiator first and if you have $$$ left over, get an external tranny cooler such as the B&M 70264 or Tru Cool 4588 and mount it right up against the condenser....

Ron Helmuth

Not sure what the ratio would be, but I would venture a guess that around 7% or less of the 3rd gen Runners came with manual 5 speeds.

SkidPalace

I had a Koyo put in at 45K thanks to a wonderful front end collision, and I am happy to leave it at that. Especially when the temps are very cold and I want my tranny to warm up fast.
Sure there are the rare days I would like some additional cooling, but I would prefer the everyday benefit of faster-to-warm with the integrated cooler.

gdutch

Primary enemy of a transmission is heat, and having an external cooler not only completely eliminates the possibility of ever having a milkshake, but also extends the life of your transmission and fluid by keeping it cooler. Not a requirement certainly, and for the majority of 4Runner owners a rad replacement is probably fine, but since this is a website for enthusiasts who take pride in caring for their vehicles, there will be a preponderance of external cooler solutions over radiator replacement.

BigBallsMcFalls

but auto trannies must have the fluid at the correct temp to operate properly

too cold atf is not so great either.

TheDurk

I'd agree. 2000 was the last year. In May of 1999 it was a real battle to find one here in NJ. I was at the dealer trying to locate one when their new car carrier came in and there was one 5spd on it. I bought it before the wheels hit the ground.

quicksilvr

True. However, I'm confident now that even a completely bypassed setup (external cooler only) still allows the fluid to reach proper temperature.

I'm bypassed, and I've been watching my temps with a ScanGauge II for the last 7 months. We've had enough cold weather (below 20 degrees F....it's currently below zero as I type this) at this point, I can confidently say my transmission warms up just fine. 85% of the time, it's warmed up to at least 110, and my coolant temp is still below 170. The other 15% of the time, namely when I let the truck warm up in the driveway, and then get right on the highway, the ATF does stay pretty cool....hovers around 100 degrees.

That's not a problem when the torque converter is locked up though, and as soon as it unlocks and I start driving in town, it's heats right up to 140ish. Bottom line: the transmission makes enough heat to warm up the fluid.

I just use a good ATF (Valvoline MaxLife) and enjoy knowing i can't get a milkshake unless I stop at Dairy Queen and buy one.

gdutch

Normal driving environment should be taken into account as well. Living in Texas, I'd rather have a separate transmission cooler for the 75% of the year that it's warm over the 25% that it's cold. My transmission only starts to feel sluggish when the whole truck is cold and it's less than 40-50 degrees outside. In that case, I just keep it in 2nd until my engine starts to warm up. TruCool has a bypass for that reason.

BDTB

I second this. Living in SLC, Utah, we have some pretty low temps between late November and early April, so having the trans running too cool is the primary concern I have with making this conversion. I like the idea of a bypass, but the TruCool system seems like it could fail easily. If I understand correctly, it's bypass is controlled by the viscosity of the trans fluid when hot and cold, not by a thermostat or anything that actually opens and closes. It seems the bypass could get gunked up and too much fluid could bypass the core when it shouldn't. I don't know, maybe I'm over-thinking it. The TRD 4runners have the unregulated Hayden cooler. Do they run that much hotter than regular 4runners under normal driving conditions?

BigBallsMcFalls

what is the xgauge code for 4runner transmission temp on a scangauge II ?

because I cannot find this info anywhere

thanks

SRT4runner

I found this in another thread. I have a scangauge II and use it in my 2001 SR5 and it works great. I have heard it doesn't work in 1999 or prior years though (Im unsure of the actual years).



"""" cloudcap previously said:
FYI, I've had a ScanGauge II for a few months and recently puzzled out the XGauge codes for measuring automatic transmission fluid temperature. Here's the scoop:

TXD: 686AF101B4
RXF: 044105B40000
RXD: 2808
MTH: 00090005FFD8

I've verified that this works with my '02 4Runner and suspect that the codes would work with an FJCruiser as well (even though the FJ is a *much* less capable off-road vehicle....). Please let folks know if you try it and it works for you. I'm not a regular reader of this forum, but wanted to pass the info along as it seems to be of general interest.

Regards"""""

SRT4runner

I replaced my stock radiator with a Spectra radiator bought at Autozone (Lifetime warranty and it's good quality) and added a Tru-cool 4454 as well hooked up in series with the radiator. Sure the problem can still happen the way it's hooked up now, but with this setup I'm confident there is enough cooling for the trans in the hot summer months, and that the fluid will stay warm enough in sub zero temps. I monitor the temps with my scangauge II and the trans will average around 110*f when its 10*f outside, and in the hot summer it never goes over 200*f. This is within the ideal range of trans fluid temperature. I feel if I regularly change the coolant and replace the radiator every 5-7 years I should not have any issues with the milkshake (knock on wood).

Are there any documented cases of aftermarket radiators failing and causing the milkshake?