Trans cooler

[mtbtim]

I feel like an idiot but is this what I think it is? Since I didn't know much about these I didn't even check for that when I bought the car. Then yesterday I was checking the coolant and run into this surprise.

Yep, you have a trans cooler already. Now the thing you need to figure out is if the previous owner bypassed the stock cooler in the radiator or ran it in-series with the stock cooler. Remove your front skid plate and take a look. If the send and return line nipples on the bottom of the radiator are either connected together with a hose or not connected at all, the previous owner bypassed the stock cooler. If it was ran in-series, you will have a rubber line connected to one of the metal cooler lines coming off the transmission and also connected to the nipple on the passenger side. Then a rubber hose from the nipple on the driver side will run up to the the external cooler and then another rubber hose will leave the external cooler back to the other metal line coming off the transmission.

 

[CHUCK1318]

Yep, you have a trans cooler already. Now the thing you need to figure out is if the previous owner bypassed the stock cooler in the radiator or ran it in-series with the stock cooler. Remove your front skid plate and take a look. If the send and return line nipples on the bottom of the radiator are either connected together with a hose or not connected at all, the previous owner bypassed the stock cooler. If it was ran in-series, you will have a rubber line connected to one of the metal cooler lines coming off the transmission and also connected to the nipple on the passenger side. Then a rubber hose from the nipple on the driver side will run up to the the external cooler and then another rubber hose will leave the external cooler back to the other metal line coming off the transmission.

thank you so much! I probably learned more than you can imagine about my own car from your two comments.

I'm assuming if the previous owner didn't bypass the radiator there's still a chance of failure and therefore I need to make the change , correct?

Last question I promise.

 

[octanejunkie]

There is always a chance of failure, be assured of that.

Regarding trans temp and coolers, ALWAYS use the in-radiator cooler and only add additional cooling if your standard use of the vehicle exceeds the radiator's ability to maintain correct trans fluid temp. That usually means towing, 4x4 and other extreme load conditions that you perform REGULARLY.

A daily driver does not need an additional trans cooler. Can it hurt? If it is installed wrong, yes. Can you over-cool a transmission, yes.

The transmission fluid (measured in the pan) should be around the same temp as your engine coolant, within a few degrees. The trans fluid in the pump and torque converter will be 30-50 degrees higher than the fluid in the pan as it is heated during operation. This is why you don't want fluid temps over coolant temp.

The aforementioned benefit of HEATING the trans fluid in the radiator helps the trans operate in cold conditions, otherwise your shift points will be off. Eventually the fluid will heat up, but performance will be off until it does. From a cooling perspective, water cools better than air, meaning an in-radiator trans cooler will transfer heat faster and better than an external finned cooler. Plus an external cool will never heat your trans fluid to correct operating temp.

Good luck and welcome to the family!

 

[mtbtim]

thank you so much! I probably learned more than you can imagine about my own car from your two comments.

I'm assuming if the previous owner didn't bypass the radiator there's still a chance of failure and therefore I need to make the change , correct?

Last question I promise.

Just know that this Pink Milkshake issue seems worse than it is because it's talked about so much on this forum. Of course you have a chance of having your trans cooler crack inside the bottom of the radiator, get a mixing of the engine coolant and trans fluid and then that contaminated mixture makes it's way back to the transmission and damages it. But, you also have a chance of getting in an accident, getting struck by lightning, or winning the lottery if you play. What I'm trying to say is I think the chances of experiencing a pink milkshake is pretty slim. Trans coolers in the radiator is common to many vehicle makes and models. If it was such an issue, we would be hearing about it more and not just with 3rd Gen 4runners.

To lessen the chances of having this happen, many of us have decided to replace the radiator as preventative maintenance. It's just like the lower balljoint issue, instead of rolling the dice, many have decided to replace the lower balljoints even though they show no signs of damage or wear.

You can bypass the stock trans cooler but there are pluses and minuses to it like [MENTION=95183]octanejunkie[/MENTION] mentioned. And, there's pluses and minuses to running the external cooler in-series too. For the way I use my rig, I chose to not bypass. Many on this forum swear by their choice to bypass, and like I said, there's threads with huge discussions on this. Do some research and choose which way to go you think is the best.

 

[01thunder]

no need to get a B&M cooler. go to your local pull it yard and get one. i bought one for $7 out of an explorer. bought some trans fluid hose and installed. i had to modify it to fit my location but for $25 total it was worth it. it has been installed for 3-4 years now without issues. i changed the fluid a year and half or so ago and still looks red. trans shifts well also. i live in florida and the fluid stays relatively cool with the cooler. the truck is pushing 300K and the cooler is helping.

 

[rediranch]

Know this is an old thread, but my question is on topic.

I have a ‘99 4Runner with a manual trans.

Do these have trans coolers the same as the auto?

If they don’t (I don’t think they do), is it possible to add one?

TIA

 

[Twisted Sid]

Manuals do not have a cooler and they do not need one. The fluid isn't under pressure like it is in an auto and the heat build up is far less.

 

[phattyduck]

Manuals do not have a cooler and they do not need one. The fluid isn't under pressure like it is in an auto and the heat build up is far less.

Agreed. The 4Runner manual transmissions have no provisions, ability or need for a cooler.

As a note though - some manual transmissions DO have oil pumps and/or coolers... the MT in my Alltrac Camry has one (pump driven off the final drive and a cooler) - that trans is designed for rally use and needs it (otherwise gets very hot during racing conditions). The cooled trans fluid is squirted on to the 1st-4th gear synchros to keep them cool.

-Charlie

 

[brillo_76]

I agree with the others. If the manual needed a cooler the factory would have had one on it. I have never felt a toyota manual transmission got hot. [ unless it had failing bearings etc]

Sent from my SM-A536V using Tapatalk

 

[phattyduck]

I agree with the others. If the manual needed a cooler the factory would have had one on it. I have never felt a toyota manual transmission got hot. [ unless it had failing bearings etc]

This is the 2WD version of the same trans I talked about in my last post:

E153 Transmission Cooler Now Available | MR2 Owners Club Forum

I made nearly the same setup for my Alltrac - the Alltrac Celicas have an OEM cooler. Pretty neat.

The 4Runner has lower horsepower output, more surface area on the trans and the trans is farther from the hot engine bay. So, unless you are road racing your MT 4Runner, things should be just fine.

-Charlie

 

[brillo_76]

This is the 2WD version of the same trans I talked about in my last post:

E153 Transmission Cooler Now Available | MR2 Owners Club Forum

I made nearly the same setup for my Alltrac - the Alltrac Celicas have an OEM cooler. Pretty neat.

The 4Runner has lower horsepower output, more surface area on the trans and the trans is farther from the hot engine bay. So, unless you are road racing your MT 4Runner, things should be just fine.

-Charlie

I don't doubt there are a some manuals out there need coolers on the manuals.. As your all trac has one..


I just never seen on one the trucks on the Toyotas. As pre 1987 Toyota trucks were all manuals none of them had manual coolers.

The VW TDI didnt have manual transmission coolers. My other vehicles that were manuals didnt have coolers either.. So I would say its more on the rarer side to have manual transmissions with some type of cooling system on them.

I am sure the racing ones would be exceptions.

Granted, everything manual is now getting even more rare sadly..