TRANSMISSION . Transmission coolers for all Toyotas ... Write up with many pictures

Sorry , i am a little late to the game here .
You can remove the tiny factory cooler and place a larger one in its place . This will eliminate the additional hoses needed to plumb 2 coolers .
As mentioned above , bigger is better . Considering your light coming on is not a good thing . Your fluid may be damaged .
If you are crawling on a constant basis , i would even suggest a fan to assist with air flow

 

Thank you for getting back to me & for the advice. I think I will add a fan as well. I’m also getting a flush on wed to replace the damaged fluid.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-trans-a-cooler-with-a-fan-install.352071/

 

I want to replace my cooler with the tru-cool one. But I don't have the ability to drain the fluid and replace myself. Can i fill the cooler itself, and then connect to the hoses? Just delaying the drain/fill process, until I can find time to get it done.

 

Coolers hold very little fluid but that being said , when you open up the cooling lines , the converter cooling line is going to leak .
If you can find a way to keep the lines from draining when you install the cooler , you should be good to go

 

Like pinching the line? I am not sure what you mean by converter cooling line

 

Yes, pinching the line will prevent the torque converter cooling line from draining . The cooling line going back to the transmission pan wont leak much but the converter cooling line will leak until the converter is completely drained unless you pinch the line or plug the line until you are finished hooking up the new cooler

 

That’s a clean install

 

What are your thoughts of just adding a cooling fan to the stock cooler?

 

The factory aftercooler that comes with the tow package is fairly small .That being said , I am sure you could find a fan small enough to mount in front of it .
Are you currently watching your transmission temps ?
Locate a fan and give it a try and report back . I dont beleive anyone has tried this yet that I know of .

 

Realistically, the factory cooler is small. IMO, too small to support a fan.

Don't forget, a pusher fan will block some airflow to the cooler. Parts of the cooler will have more airflow, but parts blocked by the fan will have less.

 

Thanks for the response guys. I do monitor my temps and have seen my TC temps go up to 210 deg. doing 80 mph on the hwy, not towing.

 

I’m super pleased with my Tru Cool, Low Pressure Drop replacement transmission cooler. Replacing the tiny factory cooler was all that was required to keep my temps low under all conditions. If I did a lot of crawling under load I’d maybe have to add a fan but so far it’s not required for trails, towing, and most off road driving, even at high altitudes.

 

I have read some info on the Tru-Cool and I am very interested in them. Is there any tutorials on installing a cooler. I am interested on the process of ensuring proper fluid level after with a larger cooler.

 

The process for checking fluid level is exactly the same with or without a cooler.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-full-flush-for-automatic-transmission.68462/

 

Thank you very much.

 

I tried to find a good video showing the procedure of crimping the lines and filling up the replacement cooler but there wasn’t one I liked or could find quickly. There’s some other threads here that cover the process step by step though. I know that’s been addressed before and I’ve read it. Try searching specifics and you can probably find some details. I think the OP has perhaps even addressed this in other threads as well? I tried to read everything Gear Chruncher had posted about transmissions before choosing my path to upgrades and there’s just a LOT of info and details to read through.

 

Just ordered the 4454 finally. Wondering how much fluid I would need to add with cooler to top it off.

 

So i have the 4454, and noticed the other day, on the highway going 70 on a flat surface (no hill) that my temp was around 135. This was after driving for a few hours. The current air temp in Va is definitely getting cooler. I think it was around 50.

Should i be concerned that its not around the normal 170s ? @gearcruncher

 

The 4454 uses a built in thermostat . If the fluid is cool , the thermostat remains closed and prevents fluid from travelling through the cooler passages . I wouldnt worry too much about overcooling unless the temps go to negative 40 .
What are you using to monitor trans temps ?