Upgraded Transmission Cooler?

Some may have seen my post that I'm considering getting a camper to haul with my '09 dclb v6 4x4. I saw one youtube video where he installed an upgraded cooler and it significantly reduced the temp (180 - 120).

Has anyone installed one? I think he installed this one. I'd assume all I'd need to do is move the inlet on the main one to the upgraded one and the outlet from the upgraded one to the inlet of the stock cooler.

$102 Mishimoto MMOC-F Heavy Duty Racing Transmission Cooler, with Electric Fan for Maximum Cooling, Universal Fit

https://www.amazon.com/Mishimoto-MM...t=&hvlocphy=9013144&hvtargid=pla-549477062290

 

I would replace the factory cooler with a single, larger unit. Less plumbing to leak. I did so recently as part of a major cooling system overhaul (replaced all the factory lines etc. with stainless braided hose and aluminum AN fittings at the trans) and replaced the factory cooler with a much larger Hayden unit, although you don't have to go quite that far if your factory lines are still in good shape.

I was looking at Mishi coolers and don't have anything bad to say about them necessarily, but the Hayden is designed to partially bypass the trans fluid below operating temps, which is a huge plus if you live in places where it gets very cold - helps get up to temp faster.

Relevant posts here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-england-b-s-thread.204874/page-9533#post-27726660 , here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-england-b-s-thread.204874/page-9533#post-27728296 , and here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/new-england-b-s-thread.204874/page-9533#post-27732731

 

Years ago, I installed a dedicated automatic transmission cooler. Disconnected and no longer use the oem trans cooler in the radiator or the optional towing package trans cooler for transmission fluid cooling.

Radiator cooler is capped off.
Oem optional trans cooler became a power steering fluid cooler.

I isolated each so there was no chance of having a radiator failure pollute the transmission fluid.

 

I run a

$59 Hayden 679 Universal 11” Rapid-Cool Add-On Transmission Cooler to Enhance Cooling (not for direct replacement of the factory unit)

Hayden 679 in place of the tiny factory one, cheap & effective.

 

Here's another thread on trans coolers started by @gearcruncher https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...l-toyotas-write-up-with-many-pictures.526283/

I installed the Long Tru-Cool LPD 4454 that you can find on page 6, post 118. I would suggest you read the entire thread.

 

I ran a b&m take off cooler. It had a fan with a thermostat controlled switch. Did the atf flush & filter at the same time, a mistake. Apparently the clutch packs were badly worn so the clutch material in the fluid is what was making it not slip. Contemplated my options, went ahead with the rebuild. The next day I rear ended a new Mercedes in the rain. The end of me in a vehicle without abs.

 

I installed this cooler 8 months ago, it doesnt really do a decent job in keeping trans temps down when compared to the factory cooler. Which is why Im here, searching for a better cooler which is going to be B&M style. I monitor my temps with a Bluetooth App and aftermarket trans temp fluid gauge. My Mishimoto Radiator and C7 Corvette/Camero Electric Fan combo does a superior job with keeping the coolant system stable when its slow going up a trail at altitude or in high outside temps. I wish tue Mishimoto Trans Cooler could do the same.

Here's the install info with pics https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/monkeyproofs-misadventures.697489/page-7#post-27835139

Heres a pic from a recent trip to Death Valley, notice the Coolant Temp on the Bottom and Trans Temp at the top. Outside temp was 90-ish going up a long incline with tires aired down. This recent trip that had me decided to find a better cooler.

 

There was a recent thread where the dude simply moved the oem cooler upwards about six inches and had hard data showing cooler ATF temps. Moving it up puts it in more direct line of airflow.

 

how well does that

$59 Hayden 679 Universal 11” Rapid-Cool Add-On Transmission Cooler to Enhance Cooling (not for direct replacement of the factory unit)

Hayden 679 cooler work for you? Any issues with temps being too low during winter months? Considering that one or the 678 and adding a fan to it for heavier towing or 4lo wheeling for summer months.

 

Looks to be a great option!

 

Iconic Fabrication sells a bolt in transmission cooler kit for your truck. Check it out!

https://iconicfabricationoffroad.com/products/2005-2015-tacoma-transmission-cooler-bracket-kit

I do not recommend the Mishimoto cooler you linked. Its made in China, and a tube and fin design which is inherently less efficient than plate and fin which are the same price or cheaper. There is absolutly no reason to use a tube and fin cooler for anything.

 

I ended up replacing my oem cooler with the 679. Next to the oem cooler, it appears larger but it is narrow; thus, internally, it is just a little bit larger. It definitely cools better but not significantly, which is fine with me. I tow rented trailers once or twice a year and off-road in the dez. This cooler fits my needs perfectly. You may need a double row or slightly larger cooler, or add it along the oem cooler.

One thing I noticed is that the oem ATF lines are setup to push ATF upwards through the Toyota cooler. I routed the lines with the flow downward through the Hayden cooler. I do wonder how/if this affects cooling. But, checking my ATF temps with an UltraGauge, I definitely notice cooler temps. I can’t say about low ambient temps cause in SoCal, my Taco never sees ambient temps below 30.

 

I also have the 679 and it works very well for me. It works almost too well, temps are a little on the low side when the weather is cool—although I'm also in SoCal.

I would assume that a thinner cooler vs. a thicker cooler with a similar volume (although I think the 679 is a larger volume than the tow-package one) would be beneficial because it exposes greater surface area for convective heat transfer.

And for radiators in general that aren't working with dual phase fluids (like coolant/water can be if pressure is lost in the engine cooling system), I'd assume that filling from the bottom would be more beneficial. When it enters from the top, the fluid will tend to "spill" down the first few rows and potentially not reach the end rows, limiting the available surface area that's effectively transferring heat. In other words, it can leave a non-insignificant portion of the radiator filled with air, instead of the trans fluid you're trying to cool. This is especially true in a system like ours where the cooler completely drains when the engine isn't running. Filling from the bottom forces the fluid to more readily completely fill the bottom and remove air gaps/bubbles as it fills simply due to gravity, allowing for more effective surface area for heat transfer. I haven't done any calculations or analysis, but that would be my assumption—and why I installed mine with inlet/outlet oriented horizontally, with the inlet at the bottom.

Here's my 679 install (prior to routing the plumbing):

 

The reason why the stock cooler goes through the radiator is to get the fluid to operating temp more quickly, while also cooling the fluid if it gets above coolant temps. It's generally recommended to retain the fluid circuit that goes through the radiator due to the former when plumbing in a new cooler. So the circuit ideally would go trans pump > radiator cooler > OEM towing package cooler/after market cooler > trans.

 

I was told by a Nissan engineer setting it up with the input and output on top can prevent a portion of the cooler to have a big air bubble in it. Made sense so I setup my replacement earls cooler as suggested. I also replaced the plastic radiator with a thicker metal one.

That was in my 87 Supra. The only time it got hot was driving through the desert, 114 degrees, cruise set at 100, in positive boost, ac full blast. Backed off to 80, turned ac off, coolant temperature went down to normal in less than 2 minutes.

 

There are two reasons why I don't like this configuration, for a design like the

$59 Hayden 679 Universal 11” Rapid-Cool Add-On Transmission Cooler to Enhance Cooling (not for direct replacement of the factory unit)

Hayden 679.

One is that the fluid doesn't drain from the cooler on shut down in this orientation and because we've now created a local low point in the system contaminants can potentially collect at the bottom of the cooler. It's essentially created a trap or bucket in the system.

The second is that you've created a flow path that potentially bypasses a portion of the cooler. The top most bars will likely have the highest flow rates through them, and the bottom bars could potentially be stagnating. The path of least resistance is now simply running across the top of the cooler, straight from the inlet to the outlet (across the top of the "bucket"). It will want to flow left to right, or right to left depending on how you have it set up, while likely leaving a non-insigniticant amount of fluid (considering the internal volume of the cooler) stagnating of the fluid in the "bucket", resulting in less of the total surface area of the cooler available to effectively cool the fluid.

How much these two issues have an effect on cooler performance depends on , among other things, the volume of the cooler and the flow rate of the trans pump. But anecdotally, I don't think the trans pump flow rate is high enough to forcw enough fluid through the cooler to fully prevent either of these issues.

With the inlet and outlet mounted on the side, and the inlet at the bottom, you've mitigated the air bubble/air gap issue you brought up, while also mitigating the two issues I just described.

 

Tru-cool 40,000 is the staple of drag cars. Can't go wrong..

 

I installed a Tru-Cool LPD 4589 in 2020 and love it.

 

Had issues with the cheaper one i installed, so installed this one and its been great. Trans stays cool while towing up grades, and my truck is heavy and running 35s.

$284 Derale 13960 Hyper-Cool Remote Transmission Cooler

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XONSBC?ie=UTF8

fabed up some brackets and mounted it.