Hi. I'm ready to add a transmission cooler to my 1995 2nd Gen 4Runner, which overheats on those 3000 ft vertical grades.

The Hayden 1678 looks good, but where to mount it? There does not look like there is enough room in front of the radiator, as the 3rd gen writeups suggest.

Any ideas where this cooler could be effectivly located? 2nd Gen only please!

-- Harlow Pinson
hpinson@indepthl.com

 

i just mounted mine today. put it behind my lower valance

 

That is where I put mine--look at Robinhood 150's site-he gave me the idea.

 

I mounted mine above the skidplate.I was leaving for a trip and in a hurry,so it seemed the easiest place to mount it.

 

Thanks. The Robinhood 150 site had a writeup and some very good pictures:

http://robinhood4x4.com/trannycooler.htm

Just like a KLR 650... The skid plate is enough to protect this from flying gravel? One good thing about mounting it there is that is would not restrict air to the radiator.

 

That installation looks like it wont get much air flow through the aux cooler. It is almost parallel to the direction of air.

The best place to mount a cooler is in front of the radiator. There is usually room on all of these vehicles, you just need to spend the time to take off the grille.

-John

 

i agree with in front of the rad. thats where i put mine, also putting it down where the skid plate goes seems like an extremely bad idea when offroading.

 

mine has a fan right behind the grill so no space. you could go between ac cond and rad but it'll be less eff. I attached mine to the valance, so far so good. took it to ATL today runnin between 65-75 mph-no at/oil temp light!!!

 

Yes, you are right. There is no room between the radiator and grill on the 95, at least not on mine. There is a cooling fan and some small bent metal pipes that would prevent mounting of a trans cooler.

Pardon my ignorance here-- what and where is the valance? Can you describe, as it sounds like you had some success mounting a cooler there.

BTW, the Hayden part number is no longer 1678-- it is now 678, at least at Autozone. Cost is $59.95

 

This was actually easier than I thought. The Hayden 678 is skinny enough to mount behind the radiator and in front of the fan, using the plastic tie-clips that come with the cooler to poke through the radiator and mount the unit directly to the radiator fins.

Frankly the hardest part of this is getting the grill off without breaking clips. I ended up having to drop the bumper a bit, which was easy (4 bolts).

Several things remain to be seen:

1. The Hayden documentation says that mounting behind the radiator results in 65% efficiency in cooling. In front (where there is no room on the 95) results in 100% effiency.

2. Will it impact engine cooling?

3. The Hayden documentation recommends installing inline with the existing cooler. Does anyone have an opionion if that it is worthwhile doing so?

Thanks!

 

1. well hot air blowing from the radiator you will lose some of the cooling effect of the cooler (45%)......

3. You should definately install it inline with the existing cooler. The existing cooler does a better job then the Hayden will. So if you took that out of the loop the temps would be higher then they are now.

2. If you install it inline with the stock cooler it will be after it. So no it wont effect cooling. But on a side note it might a LITTLE, because with cooler trans fuild running through the stock cooler (since you have a aftermarket one inline) it will have more heat transfer. But it wont help because your t-stat will compensate, not that it would be a noticable difference anyway (fraction of a degree).

 

I know this is an old, old post, but I had to share:

I mounted my tranny cooler under the skid plate like robinhood 150 did. It certainly cured my A/T hi-temp issues. What I didn't realize was that the bolt that held the t-cooler to my custom bracket was resting on the bottom of the radiator. All was well until I hit the trail and the bumpity-bump caused that bolt to dig into the radiator. Alas, a big hole and coolant gushing out:



A new radiator is in now, but I'm going to be more cautious when putting that tranny cooler there. I was thinking about putting it behind the valance, but it's kinda scary knowing it has no protection like the skid plate provides. If anyone has other suggestions and/or pics on where to put this tranny cooler on a 2nd Gen, please respond. Oh, there's no space in front of the radiator.

 

i just picked up a perma cool tranny cooler, and i couldn't fit it anywhere except behind the valance, mounted to the bumper... looks kinda like an intercooler since it's polished. i'll probably move it to behind the skidplate sometime in the near future though. or make some brackets on the bumper when i make it...

 

 

When I replaced my radiator, there's another in/out let on the bottom of the radiator. It suppose to be for the trans cooler. I don't know if anyone ever use it.... I have 5spd so it doesn't apply to me.
I suppose I can use it for motor oil cooler....

 

Yeah, the auto tranny cooler lines come plumbed into those bottom lines from the factory. Adding another cooler is just gravy.

 

I am looking to get a B&M cooler with a fan attached to take care of air flow. I think it also comes with a thermostat to control the fan. I'm going to mount it near the transmission. Currently, I'm in the process of buidling a bracket to hold it in place.

 

Can anyone post a picture on where the stock cooler is on a '97 4Runner? How does the cooler "cool" the tranny if it is attached to the radiator?

 

The stock cooler is inside the rad, I think that's standard for all auto trannies. It cools by transferring heat from the tranny fluid to the engine coolant, and then to the air. If you look at the bottom of the rad you'll see 2 lines, inlet and outlet for the tranny fliud. They are connected inside the rad by a piece of tubing, which is surrounded by coolant.

 

Sorry guys i am bringing a real old one back!!!
BUt in line with the problems i am having with the trans and putting yet another one in this week we are going to add another trans cooler. MY runner is a 94 and everyone keeps talking about the stock trans cooler being part of the radiator? I dont have that if you follow the lines out of the trans there is a tiny little cooler underneath the passenger floor board. and that is the only one i have so we were going to bypass it and make one fit up front somewhere. Do you guys have this small one to?