3rd gen Transmission Cooler Upgrade

The retro contrasts the modern quite nicely. You don't agree?

Note: I did swap this unit over from my 2nd Gen. It was a little more display fitting there...

 

You're quite a bit more modded out than my better than stock version! I have Mishimoto parts on my powerstroke. Good stuff. I run mechanical gauges on that truck and like the simplicity.

When I measured my cooler and hard line bibs with a micrometer, they were 3/8". Hope that helps.

 

I think B&M or one of those brands, makes a trans cooler with built in fan and temp relay to activate the fan.

The linginfelter rad fan is pretty sweet. But she can draw a lot of juice.

 

If this is Scangauge II, just think of what SG I looked like . I've had one for about 20 years now and the only thing wrong with it was lcd was starting to miss a couple "pixels". With a software upgrade, I asked if they could replace the screen, didn't even expect it for free, they did it.

Seriously though, it doesn't produce interference or unwanted issues while plugged in, shuts down and unlike some of the Torque plug-ins, continues being supported actively via x-gauges. Sort of like Valentine 1 radar detector which just more recently got the Bluetooth capabilities but for the longest time, was hard wired and ugly as sin.

 

Part of the reason I went with ultra guage haha. At least it looks a little bit better.

 

when you say 190 max is that for both temp PIDs for the pan and the torque converter?

 

Good question. That's just the TF1/pan temp. Honestly, I don't monitor the TF2/torque converter temp because it bounces around so much.

My picture above was with horse trailer attached and pulling the I84 grade north from Ogden, UT to Twin Falls, ID. Later that afternoon TF1 hit 212 on the steepest grade with a strong head wind on I84 between Baker City and La Grande, 3rd gear-60+mph-4k'ish rpm. I could have slowed down, but I was pushing to see what it would do and stay ahead of the semis.

 

I have the B&M on my powerstroke E40D with the built-in temp sender. Pretty sweet pan. No idea if they make one for the AC60F.

Edit: you're talking about a cooler, not a pan. My bad. Based on my read, MonkeyProof is looking to manually activate it though.

 

https://www.holley.com/products/drivetrain/transmission_coolers/supercooler_transmission_coolers/parts/70297

I was talking about an external cooler. The AC60 has built in temp sensors at the most important points already.

 

No need to put the ScanGauge II down. I'm all about function over form. Both get the job done...

 

Off topic but curious. Is the E4OD still a current line trans in the truck line up? Back in its early day, I went through 3 of those in a month on my F450 SuperDuty Forestry Rig. Fun times!

 

For sure!

 

Way off topic. Current in 1997! LOL. I have an '97 F-250HD/OBS XLT powerstroke with 247k. 2nd transmission and it is built for the diesel with upgraded clutches and a shift kit. Hopefully this one will get me to a million miles. Luckily they're only about $3,500 to buy a built trans. Getting back to topic, the powerstroke is much more cost effective to run hard than the Tacoma. I'm relatively easy on my Tacomas for that very reason.

 

Good to know that is TF1. I use a bluetooth OBDII dongle and OBD Fusion. The TF2 temp has been as high as 230 at the end of a long steep grade in 3rd gear while TF1 was still around 200. I don't know if I should be concerned about the TF2 temps getting that high as it was only for maybe 5 min at the most. What I tend to do is throttle it in 3rd and then let off so it will shift to 4th and lock up to cool down, then when my speed drops to around 55 hit the throttle again and speed back up. Worst was coming up 101 Northbound out of San Luis Obispo. I am considering the addition of another trans cooler to keep the temps down. It would be nice to just sit in 3rd and not have TF2 go above 200. I have pinned the thermostat while towing and it helps by having a cooler starting temp when hitting a grade but once it is warmed up to 185 it is the same as not having it pinned.

 

Tf2 / converter temp will never be directly affected by a trans cooler. It’s the temp coming out of the torque converter, THEN it goes to cooler right after.

 

My experience seems to indicate that if the pan temp is cooler then the fluid will be cooler going in the torque converter, and thereby it will be cooler going out. If I can keep the pan temp at 170-185 then the converter temp would be 200-215 on a long grade in 3rd gear unlocked. My thought is while towing, leave the factory trans thermostat pinned, run a 170 thermostat on the secondary cooler, and possibly add a fan controlled by a thermostat as well.

 

I've driven that route! Lived in Bakersfield a couple summers years ago.

Data points above were unpinned as well. From what I've read the concern is the system trans temp in the pan/TF1. It's interesting that 3rd seems to heat it up the most, but it also makes sense. I kept TF1 under 200 from UT to WA on I84/82 in all conditions except for two steep grades in OR for 5-10 minute intervals. Now that I'm home, local trips aren't even a concern.

 

Right, which is why I added the caveat of indirectly vs directly. I think the easiest and best course of action is having a cooler that can shed the heat when needed and letting the oem thermostat in the trans do what it does. Of course my opinion isn’t worth much haha.

 

YeeHaw....that's my backyard! The Cuesta Grade. 7.5% grade. Though it's not terribly long, it sure eats a lot of vehicles. There's always something broken down or burning up on that stretch heading to N. County.

I used to dread working north of the grade and rolling all my trucks and equipment over that hill. I would watch the fuel gauge physically move when pulling 6500 pounds of brush chipper and a load!

 

That may not be a bad idea as the factory trans fluid thermostat is 185F and most of the fluid control thermostats are set at 180F so not really much of a point for 5F. Having a fan controlled by a thermostat on the secondary cooler does make sense so it isn't constantly running when not needed, those are mostly 180F on and 165F off so the fan would kick on as soon as the fluid leaving the factory cooler and entering the secondary cooler reached 180F and then off when it dropped below 165F.

Factory thermostat reaches 185F and opens > flows through factory cooler and secondary cooler > temp after factory cooler reaches 180F and secondary cooler fan kicks on and stays on until 165F. I just don’t want the fan needlessly running when there is no fluid running through the cooler.