Installed a Trans Cooler

After my motor mods and my suspension upgrade I was over heating my trans on the dunes so I read some threads and decided to put on a trans cooler and flush my fluid...

Here is a great write up on how to add a trans cooler. zero4
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/108470-hayden-transmission-oil-cooler-install.html

How to change trans fluid. Fortech
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/63851-how-drain-refill-automatic-transmission.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdq30go2V7w

How to Flush the trans fluid. mountain lion
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/68462-diy-full-flush-automatic-transmission.html


I used a

$51 hayden 678 universal rapid-cool 9.5” x 11” add-on transmission cooler – not for direct replacement of the OE cooler

hayden 678 I don't know if the 679 will fit.



You need
3/4" or 1" aluminum angle iron, I used 1" to allow for off center drilling.
1 1" spacer
1 3/4" spacer
2 3/8" spacer
4 3/4" bolts
2 1 1/4" bolts
2 replacement bolts 1 3/4" longer 1 1" longer
6 lock nuts
2 fender washers
8 washers
3 hours



I was trying not to drill holes and I only had to drill 1 hole.
I mounted off of the AC mount and hood latch protector bracket holes for the top mounts.



I tried to go straight down but it is very very hard to get behind the lower mount so I had to go at a slight angle so I could tighten the bolts on the back side.. I had to run the bolts from the back side, it was too hard to get the nuts on the back and you will have to loosen the AC radiator to get your hand in...



It turned out good, very solid and almost straight, and only had to drill 1 hole.



I'm running both coolers for the summer, I ran the input to the hayden cooler first and then through the Toyota cooler and I by passed the heat exchanger for now.

 

How much extra fluid did this take? I have a similar in size cooler I'm installing soon.

 

Hard to tell, but not much I was doing my trans flush at the same time didn't seam to need any extra.

 

Here is the fluid I switched to.

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produ...c-automatic-transmission-fluid/?code=ATLQT-EA

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/te...id-garbage-get-out-your-transmission-now.html

 

I am thinking of adding an additional cooler myself, or just upgrade my TRD one. How did you know your tans was overheating, and what did the fluid look like?

I tow alot, never excessively heavy but I am consistently cooking/ burning my fluid. I get a lot of heat through the floorboards. do you have a similar experience?

 

We could smell something getting hot and my cooler was really hot after sitting for awhile, much hotter than the radiator, and there was a loss of power, sluggish feeling...

Had my fluid changed last year and when I changed it this week it smelled slightly burnt and was dark red and the new fluid was cherry red. Fluid seamed bad for only 7000 miles...

Trans temps can run from 170-250 without a cooler, should run from 140-180 with the cooler.

 

Mine looked like chocolate syrup last time it was changed. I am dropping the fluid here at my next oil change and am either going with ams oil or redline. If it has gotten burned in again I'm going to go ahead and throw a much larger cooler on there.

I suspect it might be burned because its acting a hair sluggish again, like its trying to hold the gear too long before downshifting, always lugging the engine. I'm literally pulling hills at 1,100 rpm all day long right now and it doesn't want to downshift.

 

I would add a cooler.

 

what i was thinking

 

from gearcruncher