Adding the aftermarket Trans cooler
 

so i have been doing a lil research and am going to do the aftermarket trans cooler and get the stok setup out of the radiator and was wondering if you do this and get a new radiator if you could just get the radiator for the manual trans bc it doesnt have the trans cooler built in? does anyone know if there are any other differences besides the fact that one has the cooler and one doesnt? and is this possible and a good idea haha?

Yes, no differences, maybe.

You don't NEED to get a new radiator because you aren't running the auto thru it anymore. You can just cap the AT ports.

Do you NEED to replace the radiator, no you don't but here is something to consider.

Since you have a 01 4runner that means your radiator is 9 or 10 years old. Considering that and the price of a new radaitor from rockauto is only 130 bucks, it makes sense to replace it while your installing the transmission cooler.

Too many people look at a radiator with a "I'll replace it when it leaks" attitude. The only problem with that logic is you may not notice it will your engine is overheating on the highway or when your out in the mud miles away from a tow truck.

Also the leading cause of head gasket failures is overheating. And unless you keep one eye on your temp gauge, an engine low on coolant can overheat pretty quick.

So the smart money is spend the 130 bucks on a new radiator rather than hundreds of dollars and lost time on towing/engine repairs.

Radiators wear out just like allot of other components. The plastic tanks can only stand so many cycles of a 150 degrees or more temp change and 10 PSI pressure increase before failure.



FOG

why not just use the trans cooler in the radiator inline with the aftermarket one?

Do a search on "strawberry milkshake". The transmission cooler tank in the radiators in the 4runners and Tacomas have a tendency to burst and allow engine coolant to get into the automatic transmission.

The chemicals in engine coolant cause the friction plates in the automatic transmission to come apart and fail. Because of this a total transmission rebuild costing big money will be necessary.

This is why we want to take the radiator out of the transmission fluid circuit.

If you look at most trucks and commercial vehicles, they use a transmission cooler which is totally independent of the engine cooling system.


FOG

i was thinkin to jus cap the holes but it still could leak in that part and by putting in the radiator from the manual truck that would totally eleminate it all together

and you can get them off ebay for a lil over 90 bucks with a lifetime warranty

I got mine here in charlotte from 1800radiators. I paid a bit more but they are local and delivered free.

well good to learn somethin today thanks fog!

I have some observations and couple of questions. I installed a screw on filter for my transmission with a temp gauge about 2 weeks ago. I wanted to get a baseline for the temps before I changed to a external cooler. The temp stayed at 110 driving around town, the max I saw was 160 going up a big hill in the mountains. I installed the tru-cool lpd 4454, bypassing the rad. Now my temps driving around town are 120-160. It varies a lot, but stopping at a light, the temp goes up to 150- pretty quick. I have yet to go into the mountains, a little hesitant really. Is this normal for anyone using this cooler? I didn't expect to run 30-50 degrees hotter than stock. And it's only 30 degrees outside- what's going to happen when its 100 out?

If you temp is climbing stopped at a light I would inspect your fan clutch. 2 weeks ago I noticed that my trans temp was creeping up quick at lights when normally it didn't. After some investigation I discovered my fan clutch was shot.

On quick way to check if your fan clutch is working properly is drive around and get the the engine nice and warm. Once its nice and warm from driving around put your hand infront of the transmission cooler and condensor. You should be able to feel a good current of air, if no then your fan clutch is most likely bad.

As far as temps go I installed a B&M cooler that is comparable to the 4454 cooler and my temps on the highway stay below 125 in the summer and around 90-100 in the winter with the converter locked up. In the 100+ Houston summers in traffic the highest I've seen it is 160-170.

Last year I drove my 4runner up pikes peak (torture test) with 4 adults and the transmission never got above 185F.

But I suspect you have a airflow issue, either from the fan clutch or maybe the mounting location for the cooler. Do you have a stock bumper or a winch bumper?? Also where is your trans cooler mounted, up high near the top of the grill or down low ??


FOG

Thanks for the quick reply Fog!
There is air flowing, but it does seems a bit light.
I have the stock bumper, cooler is mounter as high as possible, mostly behind the grill.
A fan clutch will be next!
Thanks again for all the info-
Blu

I think this is a key point, the factory liquid to liquid heat exchanger is very effective when the coolant is fairly cool. I suspect the radiator temps at the bottom of the radiator where the ATF cooler is were pretty cool when you got those 110 readings. Keep in mind when those coolant temps go up in the summer time to more like 190, that will be the coolest the factory cooler will be able to cool. Also keep in mind that the Tru-cool does have a bypass for cooler weather and depending on how you mounted the cooler that bypass can be more or less active due to air pockets and gravity. Or that's my theory anyway. :D

My personal experience is, with good air flow the 4454 will do fine in 110* F weather all by itself.

This is my idea of good air flow:

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/40...600x600Q85.jpg

I should note that in the winter my fan rarely comes on, its set to come on at 170* F.

not to sure on the little yota trannies but dealing with the light duty diesel. i know we dont like to see them go much over 170 for to long. thats still a high temp for an auto in my mind. big aftermarket coolers are the key they hold little more fluid and they will drop your temp down a lot. and really no need to go but an expensive one. look around the junk yards. if you want to do a little fab work find your self a good size A/C condenser they work wonderful as tranny coolers. Just make sure that you wash them out real good. But thats my 2cents on the matter. and a tranny gauge is recommended on ANY auto. It will tell you when something is about to boil.

Yeah that would be great if you can find a place to put one, or don't have an AC condenser already. I've found its sometimes easier to install 2 smaller ones in series, rather than one big one.

Yeah I've seen charts that show that below 175* F the ATF will last for 100,000 miles. I would suspect synthetic ATF could handle hotter than that though.

That is a good point Mt Goat. I wish I had installed the temp gauge last summer, just to see how much of a difference in temp there is. 110 is pretty cool, I was surprised. I don't really know what the operating range is, but thats pretty low. And 150 isn't that hot either. I am just concerned about warmer temps and pushing the vehicle in the mountains. A fan would be a good next step. Does your fan come on a lot when it's hot out? What do you consider a normal temp range?

Yes, it comes on a lot when its hot, but my cooler is not in front of the radiator fan, so location is the key. I have not been worried about anything below 200* F, but I am running synthetic ATF and don't plan on going more than about 40-50 K miles before flushing. Once I get up to temp which takes quite while, its around 180-190* F most of the time in the summer. About the hottest I've seen it in daily driving was 205* F in 100* weather and city stop and go traffic after a long drive. Winter is usually below 160 IIRC.

A few other things to note**

**I'm running a supercharger with 10+ psi of boost (harder on tranny, ATF hotter)
**I've had a valve body modification done by IPT, which means less slipping during shifts, (easier on tranny, ATF cooler)
**ATF temps measured between tranny output and cooler.

Aftermarket Trans Cooler Location (pics)
 

so with al of the problems that people have had with the stock trans cooler biting the dust

to those of you that have upgraded where did you install the cooler and if you have them post some pics

I just put it in front of the main radiator.

Exactly. Doesn't matter where you put it, as long as it gets some air flow.

I have a TruCool 4454 I'm selling, if you're interested.