My Tranny Cooler Install (With Pics!)
 

Recently finished (re)installing my Tru-Cool 4454. Previously I had bolted it on from the bottom of my 4Runner, where the skidplate bolted on. After discovering that I couldn't reattach the skidplate without severing the ATF lines, I realized I would have to remount it. Unfortunately, I had to wait about three weeks til I had time to attempt it again, but it was surprisingly easy once I found out the right way to remove the grille (the clips should be pressed from the inside with a flat head screwdriver, not from the outside :bang:)

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture056.jpg
Here you can see that it's dirty from the previous low mounting. These two brackets were able to hold it fairly flush against the AC condenser, although if I ever pull the radiator I'd like to put a ziptie through on the right side of it.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture026.jpg
Another shot of the mounting. The send line goes in the top and out the bottom, according to MtGoat's recommendation in another of the myriad 4454 threads out there.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture084.jpg
This is to try and show how the hoses are coming through, they use the same hole that the freon lines do coming out towards the front of the truck.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture082.jpg
This one's a little confusing. The fan is there in the bottom left of the pic, so the front of the truck is towards the upper left corner. I'm trying to show the connections I made to the old tranny lines, behind the hole they come through to get to the front where the cooler is mounted.

http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/z...Picture005.jpg
Final shot of the whole setup.

I'm really glad I remounted it; when I did it the first time, it was mounted so low that I don't think it got sufficient air flow. After draining for this attempt my ATF looked somewhat burnt, so I really think it was a good idea to put it back up high with the fan pulling air through it all the time. I drove about 2,000 miles on it in the previous setup (in three weeks.)

Hope these can help anybody who needs ideas on mounting. Happy wrenching!:wrench:

You did a much better job the second time around....looks good. I'll bet the tranny thinks so too....:D

Thanks, just wish I had a scanguage so I could see how hot it's getting. Just based on performance though, it seems a lot happier. Shifts are smooth, and my shift selector doesn't get as hot at the bottom.

i spy a socket wrench from the 99c store :D

Lol yeah, hand me down. Still gets the job done though. I have another 3/8 drive but I just grabbed the first one in my tool box.

Which line is supply and which is return coming from the transmission?

here you go

Alright thanks. I'm guessing the cooler should have the supplied attached to the top and the return attached to the bottom.

That's how I did it but you'll get many different opinions on that so it's just up to you.

That how I did mine too and it's works great...not pushing against gravity that way.

Be sure to get the tranny cooler as close to the radiator as possible, so the fan pulls air through the cooler.

I installed one last week before a 1000 mile trip. I used an Auto Zone cooler and some 300 psi pushlock hose from my local hydraulic store. I had my radiator out anyway doing the timing belt and I used the supplied zip ties to attach the cooler through the fins of the condenser. The install worked out very well and clean. I'm glad I did this instead of rebuilding a trans later :)