Tru-Cool Transmission Oil Cooler Install

Installed this in my '04. It comes "complete" but you'll be buying some extra hose and it'll be 3/8" because despite a few local places advertising 11/32" on their sites, no one near me stocked it. The OEM hose clamp will work with 11/32" because it's a little smaller outer diameter than the stock trans hoses are, but you need to use a worm gear clamp for 3/8" hose.

I did buy a package of "universal clamps" that included a size for 3/8" hose, but the metal was so weak that just opening it up to slide over the hose deformed it, and it wouldn't hold tight. Glad I discovered that prior to turning the key!

I also used several spare bolts, nuts, washers due to where I mounted the cooler. This is model 4454 from Tru-Cool.

I bypassed the radiator's cooler, not because I'm worried about strawberry milkshake but because I just wanted a simpler install with fewer hoses and connections, and because the LPD design of the cooler means it won't "overcool" anyway.

On the right side of the cooler as seen here, I used existing holes in the center support and had to get creative with shortening one of the included brackets from the kit. Did a different kind of "J" shape on the lower left mount. So the one horn got remounted and wire lengthened/tucked back under the main support and zip tied in several places using existing holes.

The only thing I don't like about running the hoses through that large A/C access hole, is that the one A/C tube (the larger diameter one) gets really hot, too hot to touch. Can't imagine that's going to be good for the trans hose that touches it, although I did reuse the original rubber "outer hose" sections from the old trans hoses.

 

profile shot,

 

upper left mount




lower left mount ... probably should have used one of the foam pads they included, here




zip-tied the hoses to that hard line that's bolted to the frame




Much thanks to @zero4's thread here, for inspiration: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hayden-transmission-oil-cooler-install.108470/ (his is cleaner than mine)

 

This was done in conjunction with flushing the trans oil (which obviously I performed first). It had turned a dark brown with only faint red remaining. Truck has 135,xxx miles and had never had the fluid changed by the previous owners. I probably ran though 3 jugs of Valvoline MaxLife synthetic before I was convinced it was running light red again as it came out. In hindsight I could have used something cheaper for that phase and just finished with the synthetic, but oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound I guess. Wal-Mart has the best price for it.

I love knowing that there's less clutch slip now; yes shifts are firmer as a result. I just wish someone had done this sooner, but maybe this, along with the new cooler, will help it outlast the truck.

 

I was told about this yesterday when went to get my transmission flushed. I think it's a great idea to keep your Tacoma running cooler.

 

Just a brief data point to follow up and say that 5 years later this is still installed and working perfectly.