I am about ready to order up my True Cool LPD 4454 or 4490. Thanks for all the great info guys! I know that it has the thermal bypass already but around here it can be below 0 for weeks at a time. Should I put on the 708-4739 remote bypass that is mentioned earlier just to totally bypass it until it is warm or will I be OK with just the True Cool.
Thanks and I can't wait to bypass that old thermal exchange. D

I am also going to put on a new radiator in the spring so Ill be happy to cut open my old OEM one for us all to see.

 

I like the idea of a remote bypass, it was a very reasonable price. I use a thermostat controlled bypass for my oil cooler, it opens at 180* F IIRC.



That would be good to see a pic of your old ATF cooler, I broke open a plastic tank radiator once to see inside. I just used a BFH on the plastic tank.

 

I recently replaced my radiator and bypassed the oem trans cooler with a Tru-cool 4454. Here's a pic of the stock tranny cooler that sits inside the radiator:



Mine didn't look too bad for 11 years old but you can see that the plates are thin and would be prone to corrosion if you didn't maintain your coolant. I'm the second owner of my 98 4Runner and didn't know the maintenance history, so I replaced it.

 

Thanks for the pic, how many miles did you have on yours. I am debating if I can wait a month or two until it warms up. Then I am doing the bypass and a new radiator too. I have 130,000 miles, 50,000 of which I know the history.

 

163,000

 

Don't know if this helps or not, but I have Royal Purple in my Tranny (Auto). You're looking for cold temps. I don't notice ANY difference in thick ATF until it gets -20* to -30* F. At those temps you can feel the extra resistance. I'm also looking for an external cooler just so I can't have the Milkshake issue.

 

just curious, but if i were to do the bypass, and then reroute the old trans cooler and use as a power steering cooler, how much damage could be done to the steering componants in the event of the in-radiator cooler rupturing?

Id keep an eye on it, just curious about the damage tha could occur.

 

Bad idea. Since the power steering pump operates at pressures of over 1000 psi it would end up blowing your tranny cooler. Plus the tranny cooler tubing diameter is smaller and would restrict flow. I see guys use auto tranny coolers on their power steering and wonder why they don't explode. Compare the rubber hoses used in your power steering with those on your tranny. Dramatic difference is size and rigidity.

 

On the low pressure side of the p/s pump, i would route it to a remote cooler instead.
Damage? Keep it cool! Heat destroys..

Mike

 

I run my 5VZFE PS fluid though a seperate tranny cooler (not radiator cooler). The trick is to use the low pressure return line for the cooler.

 

goat you got pictures of your PS cooler setup?

 

what would be a good size for a steering cooler?

I wouldnt figure it would need to be too big, thats as well as seeing other use the radiator cooler after a remote instal made me think of using that.

devils(ok, brokeass advocate) here, what damage could be done if I used the radiator cooler and sprang a leak? would I just need to do a fluid swap on the steering, or like the trans, would I be up an expensive creek without a paddle?

 

This is it, but the hoses are now on top. It used to be my tranny cooler.

 

where is that mounted?

 

Behind my skid plate:

 

I'm thinking the stock tranny cooler would make a good camp shower water heater after I install my new aux tranny cooler (and bypass the stock cooler). I have a small 12V sump pump connected to a shower head, but I currently have to heat the water and pour it in a bucket to take a hot shower. It would be sweet to pull up to camp after a long day of wheeling, connect the shower to quick connects going to the stock tranny cooler in the radiator, and take a nice warm shower (truck would have to be idling, so that I have hot water for more than 30 seconds to a minute, I would think). I never use lake water or anything like that for showering when we're camping (I bring 30 liters of well water from home for that), so I wouldn't be worried about corroding the stock tranny cooler. If it did corrode and burst, I wouldn't lose my coolant, because the female ends of the quick connects would be the ends I would put on the hoses going to the stock tranny cooler (they are rated for a few hundred psi).

My current small aux tranny cooler, which is too small to handle the tranny cooling duties by itself (I have it run in series to my stock one) will become my new PS cooler.

Anyways... that's my plan... I may try to implement it this summer.

 

Thats a good idea

 

If I ever end up doing it and it works well, I'll try to post a writeup.

 

So it seems that most of you guys are adding around a 24000gvw cooler after bypassing your stock tranny cooler. If the goal is reducing trans temps, shouldn't you go up a rating, say like a 28000 - 30000gvw cooler since one is being removed? (to make up for it) I am planning on bypassing the stock cooler for insurance purposes and needing an aftermarket cooler for towing.

 

9200 lbs total weight towing from the owner's manual,97 5VZ 4x4..I would say 24000gvw cooler is a safe double of the capacity...

I am not so concerened about extra cooling from a large external cooler...Its the tranny fluid mixing with coolant that's the real problem with the stock, in radiator cooler.

I guess if you consistantly towed 10,000 + GVW..maybe a dual external setup is what you want....But its gonna be your least concern towing that much weight in a stock 4runner....