Another strawberry milkshake thread

[TheEagleKeeper]

Sorry if this subject is beaten more than a dead horse, but I have a question on my recently purchased 2002 Sport Edition. The previous owner took incredible care of this T4R as evidenced by the maintenance records. However I can't find anything about replacing the radiator, or adding a transmission cooler.

I was wondering if tranny coolers come factory installed, and if so do I still need to do something to prevent them from breaking down? Mine obviously has one (black arrow) but it also has 2 other levels of radiators (yellow and green arrows).

I'm mainly wondering if anyone more knowledgeable than I can tell if the previous owner has done something to mitigate the transmission/radiator cooler breakdown issue, or should I (since this 4runner has 200K I would like to do so now if I need to). Thanks in advance!

For reference this was taken on the driver side from in front of the 4runner looking towards the back.

 

[TheDurk]

Black arrow is aftermarket cooler. (Stock cooler is part of the rad, which is what causes the problem.) Yellow is A/C condenser. Green is stock rad.

Key is to trace lines to cooler from trans and make sure rad has been completely by-passed. You should also be able to find cooler lines looped or plugged on bottom back-side of stock rad. If above is the case, you're golden, or as golden as you can be with a rad with 200k.

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

Black arrow is aftermarket cooler. (Stock cooler is part of the rad, which is what causes the problem.) Yellow is A/C condenser. Green is stock rad.

Key is to trace lines to cooler from trans and make sure rad has been completely by-passed. You should also be able to find cooler lines looped or plugged on bottom back-side of stock rad. If above is the case, you're golden.

Makes sense, thanks again for another helpful response! :hatsoff:

 

[jgue467]

It would appear it has something other than

the factory tranny cooler. Factory is built into the lower portion of the engine radiator. So look underneath to see where the lines on your cooler go to, should go to in/out from tranny. If so you are Set man! Stock radiators are pretty solid/reliable (just flush 'em from time to time), the weak spot are the seals on the factory tranny cooler (they leak and will exchange fluid back/forth with radiator - hence the milkshake appearance). Let us know what ya' find!

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

Black arrow is aftermarket cooler. (Stock cooler is part of the rad, which is what causes the problem.) Yellow is A/C condenser. Green is stock rad.

Key is to trace lines to cooler from trans and make sure rad has been completely by-passed. You should also be able to find cooler lines looped or plugged on bottom back-side of stock rad. If above is the case, you're golden, or as golden as you can be with a rad with 200k.

So, it looks like my rad might not be bypassed, I took this picture from the passenger side wheel well looking towards back of the rad, and this line with the yellow arrow goes from the back of the rad, then up and back towards the tranny. The red line is also going towards the tranny but I couldn't trace it very well. I plan on taking off the skid plates this weekend and really figuring out everything. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Robb235]

For reference this was taken on the driver side from in front of the 4runner looking towards the back.

Looking at this picture, it makes me think that the stock radiator-mounted cooler was not bypassed, but instead are likely running in series together. I say that because that hose coming off the cooler is going towards the driver side. If the stock cooler was bypassed, typically both hoses would go towards the passenger side, which is where the send and return lines for the transmission fluid are located.

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

Looking at this picture, it makes me think that the stock radiator-mounted cooler was not bypassed, but instead are likely running in series together. I say that because that hose coming off the cooler is going towards the driver side. If the stock cooler was bypassed, typically both hoses would go towards the passenger side, which is where the send and return lines for the transmission fluid are located.

This is the conclusion I am coming to also, I can't confirm due to the skid plate being in the way, but I will take that off this weekend and dig in there and trace the lines.

If this is the case, would it be possible to re run the hoses to bypass the radiator and hook up the cooler directly to the lines running to the tranny? I would have to plug the holes in the stock radiator.

 

[Jagerzel]

I'm on deployment or I'd take pics of mine. If the radiator is not completely bypassed, do it ASAP, especially if thats the original radiator installed. Remember two things when you bypass: first, and most important put the right hose on the right part of the tranny cooler. If I remember correctly the "in" line goes on top and "out" on bottom since that tranny cooler is mounted vertically. Second, use spare hose to seal off original radiator at bottom, forming a loop so that if the radiator finally disintegrates you won't lose coolant and overheat the engine.

There are many great write up such as http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...oler-transmission-cooler-install-3rd-gen.html

 

[Robb235]

This is the conclusion I am coming to also, I can't confirm due to the skid plate being in the way, but I will take that off this weekend and dig in there and trace the lines.

If this is the case, would it be possible to re run the hoses to bypass the radiator and hook up the cooler directly to the lines running to the tranny? I would have to plug the holes in the stock radiator.

You've got the right idea.

You'll probably need to go to the autoparts store to pick up some transmission hose to go ahead and replace the old hoses going from transmission to stock-cooler, and from stock-cooler to back to transsmission. Cut the hoses to length so they reach the new cooler. What most people do (and also what I did) is take a hose (I reused the old transmission hose) and connect the two ports on the radiator together.

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

Update

It looks like Rob was correct, the stock radiator and aftermarket transmission radiator are plumbed in series. Here is a picture of all the hoses, I believe A (red) is hot coming from the transmission. B (yellow) is cooled coming from the stock radiator and going to the aftermarket transmission cooler. C (blue) is double cooled coming from the aftermarket transmission cooler and returning to the transmission.

My question, is it OK to just rearrange some lines so that A (hot, coming from transmission) plugs directly into the bottom of the aftermarket trans cooler (bypassing the stock radiator). And then just leave C as is since it is the return line from the aftermarket transmission cooler to the transmission. Is it correct to plug the hot line into the bottom of the aftermarket radiator and have the cool line coming out the top?

Thanks so much for the help! I will really owe you guys a beer after this.

(looking up and towards the back from front of the car)

Looking directly back from the front of the T4R (aftermarket transmission cooler that came installed)

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

Also, does anyone have any tips on minimizing ATF spillage while pulling off lines, or should I just try to be quick? I bought a quart of ATF to top it off afterwards just in case. Thanks!

 

[Suncoast]

Also, does anyone have any tips on minimizing ATF spillage while pulling off lines, or should I just try to be quick? I bought a quart of ATF to top it off afterwards just in case. Thanks!

Just try and do one line at a time, this way there should be a vacuum in the sytem to prevent the fluid flowing out. You'll lose a bit but when i installed my aftermarket cooler I think I only lost maybe half a liter total.

 

[Brique]

Is anyone concerned about the size of the existing aftermarket cooler? It seems pretty small to do the job by itself. I wouldn't feel comfortable, myself, without something beefier on there.

 

[RichardLillard1]

Definitely a smaller cooler than mine (70264), but maybe he could pick up a scan gauge or another option for checking out the fluid temperature.

I actually wonder if I should have gotten the larger 70266, because I'm in Arizona and I've noticed that when I head up hills for long periods (like driving up north, into the mountains), my fluid gets up to around 235-40° and sits on that until I stop climbing uphill.

I wouldn't normally be concerned, but it hasn't been over 100° outside yet and the first time it climbed, on a drive to Globe, it was on,y about 60° outside.

I guess I'll see how it handles when it gets warmer and maybe buy the bigger one if it becomes a problem.

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

Got it all hooked up now, you guys were right not much fluid lost.

Now you have me concerned about the size! I have an IR thermometer that I can hit the transmission with, what temperature range should I be looking for?

On a positive note, I took off the running boards and installed mud flaps, really like the way it looks!

 

[Robb235]

Got it all hooked up now, you guys were right not much fluid lost.

Now you have me concerned about the size! I have an IR thermometer that I can hit the transmission with, what temperature range should I be looking for?

On a positive note, I took off the running boards and installed mud flaps, really like the way it looks!

You'd probably be better off monitoring transmission temps with a Scangauge, or an Android or iPhone app. That way you can see what the trans temp is doing as you're driving.

 

[TheEagleKeeper]

You'd probably be better off monitoring transmission temps with a Scangauge, or an Android or iPhone app. That way you can see what the trans temp is doing as you're driving.

Good call, I just bought an OBD bluetooth dongle from Amazon.

I will monitor temps, thanks!