Transmission Cooler Inquiry

I know this has been beat to death in other threads, and I apologize for creating a new thread. Well sorta apologize. But with many thanks.

I am about to buy a transmission cooler for my 2023 TRD off Road V6 Auto. It did not come with one from the factory. (Toyota's TSM seems to call the auxiliary cooler an "air cooler" or something like that.

I don't tow but it's hot here. Like really hot. If I ever do tow, it'll be something small and for short distances. I have a Dodge turbodiesel for towing. But the Tacoma has the busiest transmission I have ever driven. Would I be better advised to install the Toyota-style cooler that bolts right up? Or would a larger one, such as a Hayden, that requires fabticating a mount be better?

Then I have a hose installation question. I'll need to tap into the hoses going into the radiator. Which hose to the radiator is the inlet from the transmission and which is the outlet back to the transmission? I think I want to catch the transmission fluid before it goes into the radiator.

A duplicate, or knock-off, of what Toyota would have installed can be bought for between $80 and $180. The online images for all of them look the same. This is the TYC model at about $154.

This is an example of a good-sized Hayden:

 

Radiator gets fluid first, then to external cooler then back to transmission.


There's a X tubing that installs between radiator bottom hose to anther hose to external cooler. Same X tubing gets output flow from external cooler to hose, via mentioned tubing to another hose to cross tubbing below and behind radiator...

 

Yes. Makes sense. But which radiator port is "in" and which one is "out"?

 

Im not a mechanic OP but my very mechanically inclined friend laughed at my tiny OE (2019) tranny cooler.
He’d say get the big one. He also installed a larger trans fluid pan on his (gmc) truck because “more oil=gets less hot.

i just ended up pinning my thermostat (search pin transmission thermostat) now my trans stays around 160-175F

 

Any words of wisdom about purging air from the cooler at the first installation?

 

If you do the transmission topping off procedure, you will bypass the air part.

 

I posted a pic...does it not show in your device?

 

I have the tow package cooler on my truck. I have towed over the years and on vehicles that didn't have an auxiliary transmission cooler, I always installed a Hayden or Tekonsha stacked plate cooler in the biggest size that would fit. I'm not towing with the Tacoma, but I wish it had a bigger cooler than the factory tow package one. I believe the inlet for the radiator cooler was usually the bottom one but none of them were Toyota's You'll need to confirm this. The instructions always specified installing the aux cooler down stream/after the in-tank radiator cooler.

The coolers come with adapter barbs for the hoses. I would install the bottom one and run a piece of hose to a bucket. Do the same with the disconnected factory metal pipe and start the engine momentarily. The fluid flow gave me the answer. It was a low pressure system, and I never had a high pressure mess to deal with. Mounting was easy: four zip-tie type straps that fed through cooler, condenser and radiator with nylon buttons and buffer foam squares to tighten them snugly. I know it sounds sketchy but it worked and I never had leaks or other problems towing thousands of miles on several cars/trucks over the years.

 

Noted. That diagram would indicate that the aux/external cooler inlet hose should be connected to the lower radiator cooler connection for a Toyota. I have never installed one on same. I would confirm it. It's a 10 second test and if you get it wrong you just swap the two rubber hose connections. One other thing to definitely consider is using those factory v-clamps for the hoses.

 

Remember that thing called gravity.......in on top. out on bottom

 

Yah, it did show up. But for some cosmic reason, it showed up a while later. Dunno why.

 

Gravity, doggone it, always wins.

 

The factory cooler is okay/decent on my 2017, but a larger cooler would definitely help in AZ summer temps. The fluid won't circulate through the cooler until the trans reaches a certain temp anyway.

I bought one of these a while back, but had to send it back because the bracket holes didn't align with the cooler. Seller offered to reship a new bracket, but it would have taken another 2 weeks and I was in the process of moving. I wonder about some of these designs blocking too much of the radiator air flow. Seems like something could be fabricated though.

https://iconicfabricationoffroad.com/products/2016-2023-tacoma-transmission-cooler-bracket-kit

Regular fluid changes make a noticeable difference. I've heard Valvoline is a little better than Toyota's WS fluid. I still use the Toyota WS.

 

2022 with an internal cooler, I disconnected the lines from the hard lines and the bottom was the inlet and top was the out. That’s the way it was routed from factory on my truck. Installed a bracket and moshimoto cooler wired to a switch.

 

Also remember that heat rises.
It stands to reason the cooler outlet is on the bottom of the tank.

 

Do you get lower trans temp towing with it pinned? I understand how it works but I've never seen any real world towing temps after it's pinned. Before and after. I'm thinking of doing it in the hot summer and just unpin it in the fall and winter.

 

Breakdown must've gotten a Abi-Normal or say Special routing.