LS6 Swap 2nd Gen Build + New Tundra

Have you looked into the Tinker electronics dashes? They are very popular with the lowbuck LS swap Facebook group. Not sure if you have a fb but here is the tinker page link EDIT: here’s what I did, 1/8” aluminum that rivets over the gutted factory cluster. I’m running a Scangauge 3 screen on mine (in the open spot under the gauges) but you could probably mount a bigger Holley/tinker screen over it.

 

Have you heard of wiring specialties? Worth asking them, as it is free.

 

I’m going to try and use a Tacoma coolant temp sensor on the passenger head and see if that will work.

 

He shoots flames. lol.

 

@tacotunner06
@WormSquirts



Swapped out the small Derale for the big Derale that we were talking about. Temps are consistently cooler during normal driving, but when I was beating on the truck, they got up to 190. The trail ended before I could see where it would stop. I don’t think it would’ve. How long does it take your trans coolers to heat soak? I ideally want to beat on this thing semi-indefinitely for miles and miles and not see my temps be above 190. My coolant temp sits at 180 and doesn’t move at all. My radiator doesn’t have a liquid to liquid heat exchanger for transmission fluid. Maybe the air to liquid just isn’t efficient enough? I thought about just running a second massive Derale but I’m super space limited. I don’t have enough room right next to it. On the other side I have an off road jack. Kinda out of room. Any ideas?

 

This is the only upgrade from what I just installed. 125,000 BTU/hr. $700. Should I just return the cooler I just got and get this? This is double the heat extraction of the cooler I just bought which was double the heat extraction of the first cooler. Will it even be enough?

 

how much flow can you get thru it where it is? it looks like its tight up against the side, gotta get air movement to be able to cool.

 

I was curious of this too, but just figured he'd had a hole cut that we cannot see.

 

It’s got that cubby behind it which isn’t sealed to the side
It feels like it’s flowing half decent. Lots of hot air coming off of it.

 

Then you can do a simple test by temporarily rigging it up away from the bedside. See if it cools better.

 

second this. Easy way to know if its a flow problem or cooler problem

 

Will try this.

 

Drove the truck to Bartlett lake today, did a cold plunge with the dog.



Has a bunch of elevation change and stayed out of lockup for 50% of it and never saw temps higher than 177. So that’s good. Maybe this cooler is up to the challenge.

when I got home I saw this:


Trans fluid everywhere. Did a few WOT pulls. Not sure why, and it’s not actively leaking from anywhere.

When I installed the cooler, I refilled the trans with it running, and it took forever to show up on the dipstick, and then all the sudden it was wayyyyyyy over full. So much so it weeped out of the dipstick tube a little bit. When I shut it down. Oops. Not sure if it’s just still a bit over full and over pressuring the fluid? Gonna go through all the hose clamps and make sure they’re tight. And clean everything. Again. Lmao.

 

yeah first thing I thought was it's not getting enough air flow

 

And hose clamps were loose on the trans lines. Not sure if I just didn’t tighten them enough or if they got loose over washboards, but they’re tight now. I’ll keep an eye on it.


There’s a lot of space behind the cooler in that cubby where it would be drawing air, and it’s nowhere close to sealed. Got maybe 3/4” gap around the sides too. I wouldn’t think that I’m limiting flow here. Can a spal fan run backward efficiently? I know it’s just a brushed motor so reversing polarity will accomplish what I’m trying to do, I just don’t know that the fan blades are efficient in reverse. Right now it’s pulling from the cubby and blowing towards the spare tires. The wheel well is coated thick in mud, which makes me not want to take the cubby out and completely soak my cooler in mud. I feel like I’d be even worse off than I am now.

other option I have is to cheese grater the bed floor between the rad and the cab and mount it there, but even then, it’ll get covered in mud.

 

Take out the cubby, and cut it so that it's open at the top/back to prevent mud but really open up the flow. But honestly, I wouldn't be super concerned if you're just hitting 190. Run for a proper go, and see how high it gets. If you start hitting 210, then I'd be worried, but if you're just clipping 200 at certain points, and otherwise hanging around at 190, I'd say you're good to go

 

I wasn’t really paying attention to the temps while I was ripping it, but at the end of it I looked at it was at like 192. It might’ve been holding there I’m not entirely positive.


And I see what you mean about the cubby thing now. That’s a good idea.

 

The blades are most likely not designed for optimal flow in the other direction, so that'd most likely be a waste.

 

That’s what I was thinking.

 

Used break in oil going to blackstone. I’m sure I’m gonna find a lot of particulate but that’s normal. Not really a useful test here but I’m gonna do them every oil change.