Towing, Tranny Temps, and Coolers

[19963.4lsr5]

Does someone make this for a 4Runner?

No you would be making it yourself.

 

[A.Wilson013]

So I recently bought a small toy hauler. Dry weight 3200. After bikes, food, 40 gallons of water ect. I'm guessing I'm towing somewhere around 4500 pounds. I have an external cooler and a trans temp gauge.

What kind of trailer did you get?

When I towed a trailer about 1/3 that size over 26 from Portland to Bend I was seeing temps around 210-220 degrees while going up the steep grades (OD off, ECT on, B&M 70268 cooler) when it was 80ish degrees outside. If you're seeing those temps in the winter, I'd be very seriously looking for a better suited tow vehicle =/.

 

[PNW yota]

What kind of trailer did you get?

When I towed a trailer about 1/3 that size over 26 from Portland to Bend I was seeing temps around 210-220 degrees while going up the steep grades (OD off, ECT on, B&M 70268 cooler) when it was 80ish degrees outside. If you're seeing those temps in the winter, I'd be very seriously looking for a better suited tow vehicle =/.

I bought a carson fun runner toy hauler. 16ft is the smallest toy hauler I could find. I was pulling over willamette which is a much steeper and higher pass. I only climbed above 200 for the last 10 miles or so, 230 for the last 5 miles.

I'm hoping a cooler with almost 3 times the cooling capacity of yours will do the trick. I'll also look into the lock out.

I don't plan to pull the pass very often. Most trips with the trailer will be around the valley and to the coast. It pulls on level grade around 160.

 

[PNW yota]

Mobile 1 makes a synthetic Dex3. Pennzoil

A push button switch that latches in a relay through the brake light switch to energize the TCC would do wonders for you. Depressing the brake pedal would turn it off until you press the lockup button again. Could also use it as a hill decent.

Have you done this mod? Any write up's?

I've been looking and so far all I've found was the description on post #7 here (torque converter lock up switch - YotaTech Forums) but doesn't sound like anyone has actually done the mod.

Also this company makes a switch setup (for the value price of $200 lol) but it's not for the A340F. West Coast Cruisers (9th item from the top)

 

[19963.4lsr5]

It has been done on the early Dodge Ram trucks with the cummins and the ultra high stall torque converter. It was a alternative to buying a lower stall converter. I opted for the lower stall converter for 800 back in 96 or 97. But it's a legit thing to do. Many have done it.

I have drawings for my 97. I can look. And make a drawing. But you will need to be familiar enough to build it. The best safest way to do it is to wire it through the brake. So depressing it turns it off. On the TDR and other forums they just installed a toggle switch. Which it fine until you forget to turn it off and stall engine while braking.

 

[PNW yota]

It has been done on the early Dodge Ram trucks with the cummins and the ultra high stall torque converter. It was a alternative to buying a lower stall converter. I opted for the lower stall converter for 800 back in 96 or 97. But it's a legit thing to do. Many have done it.

I have drawings for my 97. I can look. And make a drawing. But you will need to be familiar enough to build it. The best safest way to do it is to wire it through the brake. So depressing it turns it off. On the TDR and other forums they just installed a toggle switch. Which it fine until you forget to turn it off and stall engine while braking.

That would be great if you could, I'm not ultra savvy but my brother is a mechanic. Again this will be a possibility if the huge cooler isn't enough.

So far the best explanation I've found is here:

Manual control of A340 transmission torque converter lockup... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

And I guess there used to be someone who built kits exactly for this and on this forum some people who purchased the kit seem pleased. Too bad the site is now down.

manually shifting the A340f | T100 & Tundra Forum | 4x4Wire TrailTalk

 

[JBurt]

Have you thought about running two coolers in series? One on each side of the middle support. I've seen others do it and if you already have one, why not 2?

 

[cashmoney]

Be very careful with a lock up switch (had one in my 01 Cummins). You can trash a converter or a trans quick if you don't understand what's going on. Locked shifts are hard on parts and if a converter isn't designed to be used locked up for braking you can burn it quick. It is a great feature but you have to pay attention when you use one.

 

[PNW yota]

Be very careful with a lock up switch (had one in my 01 Cummins). You can trash a converter or a trans quick if you don't understand what's going on. Locked shifts are hard on parts and if a converter isn't designed to be used locked up for braking you can burn it quick. It is a great feature but you have to pay attention when you use one.

Will definitely be careful, it'll be a last resort anyway. If I do go this route it will only be for pulling the steep parts of the pass. I'm really hoping the enormous cooler will fix the issue.

 

[Bstrom]

Which external trans cooler are you using?

I am running a B&M 70274 rated at 29,200 btu and it keeps my 4Runner cool. I'm towing about 2500 pounds so much lighter load but it's in 105+ degree heat, 4lo, dragging my trailer through deep sand moving around 10 mph or slower and my 4Runner is on 285's. I will sometimes see temps up to 200 and one time I got stuck it went up to 210, but not for more than a couple minutes before it came back down. Even pulling hills in AZ on freeway in 2wd and 112+ degree heat I'd never get over 190. Biggest difference between us is weight. Here's a link to the cooler I have and pics of my trans cooler set up.

*notes: I had to remove black center bar that runs vertically and attaches to the core support. This bar is also where the center clip of the grill attaches. This also means I had to ditch the center clip on my grill and this has made zero difference for me.
Actual Cooler core measurements: 11.25x11.5x1.5 its as thick as you can go and still get your grill to attach properly

B&M 70274, B&M SuperCooler Transmission Coolers | B&M - Free Shipping on All Orders @ JEGS

I'm putting in a B&M 70268 - has a 19000 BTU rating - and measures .75 x 5.5 x 11. It'll fit without taking out the center strut. Am just bypassing the 'milkshake' potential issue - don't tow or anything.

 

[lhoy12]

I'm putting in a B&M 70268 - has a 19000 BTU rating - and measures .75 x 5.5 x 11. It'll fit without taking out the center strut. Am just bypassing the 'milkshake' potential issue - don't tow or anything.

That will fit fine and eliminate the potential of milk shake, don't forget to run a piece of hose between you're old trans cooler connections, that way if your radiator does blow out it won't leak all your coolant out. Its been about 4 trouble free years since I did the install, after looking at my set up closely last night, I remember I removed the center bar only to trim a piece of metal out of the way then I was able to reinstall it, but the grill center clip doesn't fit as you can see in the second set of photos I posted. This includes towing my jetskis and overloaded 4Runner from Washington to AZ, dragging my jet skis all over AZ, and then moving again to West Texas where I live now and I have a 2 hour tow before I get to the lake then another rough tow through sand to soft launch. I've also pulled numerous rigs out that were buried/stuck in sand and no issues.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

The SL wire is for the lock up clutch.

The connector is the E9 connector and the wire is on term location 27 for a simple toggle switch activation. And I would use a illuminated switch to help keep you honest when in use.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Here is the location of the E9 connector

I'll work on a push button control using the stop light input for auto canceling.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Here is the brake light circuit at the ECM. You will need to tap off the green with white trace wire.

And here is a schematic of how to wire it up. You can add a 12v pilot light to term 86 of the first relay to show the lockup circuit is active if you want.

Remember that one of the relays has to have 5 blades sticking out the bottom of the relay cube. And in the drawing it is the right hand relay showing a 87a connection.

 

[PNW yota]

And here is a schematic of how to wire it up. You can add a 12v pilot light to term 86 of the first relay to show the lockup circuit is active if you want.

Remember that one of the relays has to have 5 blades sticking out the bottom of the relay cube. And in the drawing it is the right hand relay showing a 87a connection.

Thanks!

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Thanks!

Welcome, It's simple to make. Keep your head strait. Hard part is getting to the ECM behind the glove box and picking the wires in the harness. Those connectors that squeeze over the wire to tap off of....to me would be ok since its in the interior. But there is nothing better than a solder connection with heat shrink.

 

[Drcoffee]

Trans cooler is isolated to avoid the milkshake in the radiator. If I replace the Rad down the road I might hook things back up in series.

I just had the transmission serviced last month at Toyota and I'm trying to find out what kind of fluid they put in. If it's not synthetic I'll be dumping it.

Well there you go. That's the problem. Your IRRATIONAL fear that you will have the strawberry milkshake has turned you into an INCOMPETENT engineer.

The air to air external cooler will never be able to be as efficient as an air to water cooler in heat transfer. You can put external coolers all over the hood of your truck and still have this issue. There is insufficient air flow and inefficient heat transfer to reduce temps under heavy stress. Curse me if you want but we have had this arguement before.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/107129-transmission-cooler-pass-radiator-not-pass.html

 

[PNW yota]

Well there you go. That's the problem. Your IRRATIONAL fear that you will have the strawberry milkshake has turned you into an INCOMPETENT engineer.

The air to air external cooler will never be able to be as efficient as an air to water cooler in heat transfer. You can put external coolers all over the hood of your truck and still have this issue. There is insufficient air flow and inefficient heat transfer to reduce temps under heavy stress. Curse me if you want but we have had this arguement before.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/107129-transmission-cooler-pass-radiator-not-pass.html

And here I thought I was going to get an issue solved on the without someone jumping in the thread to throw insults. Not necessary to try an demean me, you simply could have shared the link.

And I never claimed to be an engineer.

 

[Drcoffee]

And here I thought I was going to get an issue solved on the without someone jumping in the thread to throw insults. Not necessary to try an demean me, you simply could have shared the link.

And I never claimed to be an engineer.

Yea, you guessed wrong. Better luck next time.

ound:

If you weren't so sensitive, you would have seem I did give you helpful advice.

 

[nevada]

Well there you go. That's the problem. Your IRRATIONAL fear that you will have the strawberry milkshake has turned you into an INCOMPETENT engineer.

The air to air external cooler will never be able to be as efficient as an air to water cooler in heat transfer. You can put external coolers all over the hood of your truck and still have this issue. There is insufficient air flow and inefficient heat transfer to reduce temps under heavy stress. Curse me if you want but we have had this arguement before.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/107129-transmission-cooler-pass-radiator-not-pass.html

I think properly sized and executed, the stand alone cooler will be more than enough to properly cool the transmission.
in fact, I believe it would work better, as you aren't adding 200°+ temps to the already hot transmission fluid.

the trans cooler is placed within the radiator to help the transmission fluid to WARM up when cold.