4.0 V6 Auto; light duty off road crawling=need tranny cooler?

I have a 2013 4.0 V6 Auto DCSB SR5; with a small lift (Ironman) and smallish tires (265/75/16).
I don't have the tow package, so no transmission cooler.

Do I need to add one for light duty off road crawling around?

thx

 

TRANSMISSION COOLERS
If you do not have a transmission cooler on your truck and you plan to tow or haul heavy loads or you are in constant stop and go traffic every day or use 4X4 low a lot , consider purchasing a cooler . The cooler thats built into your rad is designed to cool the transmission with the weight of just the truck by itself .When you are in 4x4 low , your torque converter is usually in the stall stage and creates a tonne of additional heat .
In 4x4 low when crawling , an additional cooler with a large electrical fan is best because you are not generating enough air flow through the cooling system .
If you live in colder climates ,consider mounting the cooler after the internal radiator cooler as this will allow the engine coolant to warm the transmission quicker during those cold winter months .
If you are skeptical that antifreeze is going to contaminate your transmission ,consider bypassing the interal rad cooler but go with a cooler that uses low line drop technology as suggested below.
160 - 200 are considered normal temps providing your engine radiator is functioning properly . If your engine overheats , your transmission will also overheat when using the factory internal rad cooler .
Normal fluid temperature in transmission to be 175 deg. F.

Rate of oxidation to double for each temperature increase of 20 deg F above normal (175 deg F). As oxidation rate doubles, useful life of fluid is cut in half.

At 175 deg F life is 100,000 miles
At 195 deg F (20 deg above 175) life is 50k miles
At 215 life is 25k miles
At 235 life is 12k
At 255 life is 6,250
At 275 life is 3,000
At 295 life is 1500
At 315 life is 750

At temperatures much above 300 deg F the metals in the transmission will tend to warp, twist etc. high temperatures causes the formation of varnish deposits which impair or pre vent transmission operation.

At a fluid temperature of 415 deg F fluid life is 30 minutes!

Source: Empire Lubricants Inc.

Consider a scan guage to monitor your fluid temp http://www.amazon.com/ScanGauge-Comp.../dp/B000AAMY86
There are also mechanical transmission temp guages that work well , but for about the same price and far less work , the scan guage will give a vast amount of functions in comparison to a mechanical guage .The Sanguage is a better option considering the mechanical guage would have to be plumbed into either the transmission pan or the incoming cooler line . With the mechanical guage , you are creating another possibility for transmission fluid to leak .
At this point in time , the Ultra guage does not offer transmission temps

This is how Low Pressure Drop technology works::
When Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is cold it is viscous. The unique Tru-Cool design allows the colder, thicker ATF to flow more efficiently through two open bypass channels positioned at the top of the cooler. As operating temperatures increase, the ATF becomes hotter and thinner, It's then directed through the core where it is cooled. Tru-Cool's highly efficient cooling technology combines improved protection against lube failure with optimal heat transfer.
http://www.amazon.com/Long-Tru-Cool-.../dp/B005XZXB1M
Long Tru-Cool Oil Coolers offer advanced cooling protection for many towing applications. The advanced technology out performs TUBE & FIN Designs, Delivers up to 15 times less flow restrictions, 30% more cooling delivers maximum heat transfer, Self-Regulating for maximum lube flow protection through start-up, varied temperatures and driving conditions, heavy loads and towing.
Here is Toyotas fluid flow guide ...Look at page 8 on this PDF http://www.toyotatundraforum.com/pdf/A750E.pdf
And here is a guy who recently installed a cooler correctly http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st...agram-pic.html

 

No, our radiators are speced for Tundra and transmission gets cooled by main radiator even with out Tow package.
So its very hard to overheat transmission on that truck.

 

Those two posts seem to disagree

I think if I were to add one, I'd use one like this with a thermostatically controlled fan...

 

I would add tranny cooler only if you are planning on towing, but if you planning on towing you missing engine oil cooler, bigger alternator, bigger battery etc. Slow Offrad run will not over heat transmission on these trucks no matter what. Any heat will end up in radiator and that thing is way over sized for a V6 engine.

I would say for off roading you will be fine, I would not even worry about it.

 

I copied the cooler information from one of my earlier posts . Its just general advice. the cooler in the picture is used as an example . There are smaller and larger available . There is only one way to tell . Follow the temperature chart with a scan guage . We already know WS fluid cant handle any heat .

 

The Scan Gauge does show transmission temps?

 

Drive it. If it overheats, the idiot light will come on. If it does, let it cool down, change the fluid as soon as possible and add a cooler before going out again. Chances are you'll be fine.

 

If Scan Gauge monitors trans temps, I can get a better idea of that before the idiot light comes on...

 

For light crawling you don't need one. They come into play more when you tow or do some heavy 4lo crawling.

 

I'll be installing one sometime this summer in addition to the one that came with my TRD OR. In the desert with high speed runs my gauge tells me my tranny fluid gets up to 210 to 220. I try to stop at least every 30 minutes or so to cool down. For the cooler model I'm looking at $350 is a small price to pay for protecting the tranny and reducing the fluid change intervals to normal timeframes.

 

probably running big tires on stock gears?

there's your reason.

 

33's on 4.56

 

If you have the money/means to add one it's a no brainer. When your TC isn't locked fluid shearing is taking place causing a lot of heat to build up. The heat and life specs in the second post are 100% accurate and are industry standard. A trans cooler is the best thing you can do for a vehicle besides following manufacturers service schedule.

 

I wouldn't run an automatic 4x4 anything without an auxiliary cooler. The fluid heat exchanger in the radiator will do most of the work but the aux cooler will help significantly. Get a stacked plate cooler made by Long. Long is OEM for all the major manufacturers and is used for cooling transmissions, power steering, and engine oil.

My experience with automatic transmissions in 4x4's is they heat up fast under any low speed 4 wheel drive operation, not just "crawling" in 4 low. Air flow is limited at these speeds even with the fan going full speed. Also as mentioned before your torque converter is generating a lot of heat at low speeds.

 

Yes , the scan guage monitors transmission temps .
Adding an aftermarket cooler usually reduces your trans temp by 20 to 30 degrees.Thats usually enough to keep your fluid from cooking .
Your transmission is running that horrid WS transmission fluid if you havnt changed it out yet.
As far as I am concerned , the sooner you get that garbage fluid out of your transmission , the better off you are .

 

I have 33's, 3" lift....tow a 6X12 landscaping trailer about 15 times a month filled with equipment.

I've never overheated. It's a truck....Not a Prius.

 

yes it can be set up to display two temps from the a750

 

and what transmission fluid would you recommend.....

 

I used Redline D6 when I switched out my transmission a few months ago.