Transmission coolers

Maybe I am wrong but it doesn't seem many people are running an auxillary transmission coolers. Extra cooling of the fluid seems like it would benefit everyone running bigger tires, adding weight or towing. I have one on my g1 Tacoma for the extra fluid capacity and cooling. 20 years old and no issues. Heat with ATF is bad and I don't think the extra cooler has any downsides. Am I missing anything?

 

There is no interest to prolong life of the T4R in the eyes of the first owners. kids just want to have fun. that's the purpose of this forum sponsored by after market manufacturers and fabricators.

 

The temps don't get that high after adding larger tires and you have warning if you do. Maybe people think it's harder to add than it really is. I do want to eventually add one at one.

 

Although it would be good to add a transmisión cooler, 4Runners don’t really have transmission problems, especially if the fluid is changed once in a while.

It seems the weakness of of the 4Runner is a rusted frame, lack of power and poor MPG’s.

 

I think you’re referring the other 4runner site. This one is more the “midlife crisis” /“discerning appreciator of old-school” owner website. . Lots of folks here tend to want to keep their 4runners for a long time.

Maybe the other website has that type of owner too. But I guess I wouldnt know, since every time I try to go there, my browser usually crashes once all the ads load in lol

 

Haha try using the uBlock Origin browser extension. Blocks a lot of ads and nonsense.

 

In addition to that write up here is a video that might also be helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS8rqg1PVwU&list=WL&index=11

 

Is anyone monitoring the transmission temps? I will be buying a OBDLINK to make drain/fill and temperature overflow easy. Looking forward to using it for some data on transmission temp in different conditions. The gear hunting bugs me but I want real data on temperature.

 

I've seen my trans temp hit 255 F on a long-grade pulling my 4000Lb travel trailer in 110 F heat. The key is picking a speed and gear where the torque converter is locked. When the TC slips, the temps skyrocket. Also, my trans skid plate immediately made my trans temp a little higher.

A concern I have is if a trans cooler will not let the trans warm up adequately in freezing temperatures. I have heard, for what that is worth, the radiator trans cooler acts as a warmer in winter.

 

what skidplates do you have?

 

Yeah, need some military grade super locked-down browser for that place.

 

My thoughts on the tranny cooler. After going up a switchback mountain road at 10% grade, the tranny temps climbed quickly that reached to 229 F at one point. This was in 95 degrees weather btw. I installed a Derale tranny cooler and drove up the same mountain road and in hotter weather... 105 F my tranny temp stayed at 190 F throughout the trip up the switchback road. On cooler days of 70-80 degrees F I see 170-180 F it's worth every penny imo since heat is the number #1 killer of transmission.

This was on a fully loaded down 5th gen 4Runner with RTT, full steel skids, drawers, sliders, camp gear, etc...

 

I'm planning on installing a B&M 70268 in preparation of getting a camper. It is about twice the cost of the Derale 13503 but it is a stacked plate design instead of plate and fin which is supposed to be better. The B&M also has a low temperature bypass so it does not cool the trans fluid too much in cold weather which is the main reason I'm going with it.

 

Any thoughts how much ambient temp affects the transmission temp? I am in Texas so heat is my concern more than cold. I am big believer in fresh fluid periodically.

Apples to Apples same rig on same use case terrain would the transmission temp in the mountains at 70 degrees be similar as in southwest at 100 degrees?

I think ambient temp for ATF makes more of an impact than motor oil. I plan on keeping the rig for awhile so always looking at best long term decisions.

 

RCI aluminum full set.

 

I notice that my trans temps get to about 165 F in the winter and 205 F in the summer during normal driving. I live in the west Mojave Desert, so winters aren't too cold and summer temps are 110 F now.

 

I have the RCI full set in aluminum going for some weight savings. I don't think weight or material will change the ATF temp. Guessing it's an un intended consequence of the skids reducing air flow on pan.

 

I haven’t done a side by side comparison, but the well designed skids provide portals for air flow.

Good luck!
Mike

 

Also remember there’s a larger pan option. I’ll get this at some point too.

https://yourcovers.com/pml-toyota-a750e-a750f-deep-transmission-pan.html

 

I have to get my carscanner app to measure pre and post temps once I get my skids plates, but I think even with airflow venting…you’re going from completely uncovered to covered. So some affect on temps has to happen.

 

I monitor trans temps on scangauge II. I'm really heavy, regeared, and tuned on 34” MTs and ive seen temps easily climb to +220F on long grades and really hot days. I once left it in 2wd on a fairly easy switch back trail and my trans temp skyrocketed quick. I since installed a trans cooler and my temps haven’t reached 200F but I manually shift and keep it in 4th to lock the TC on long grades

 

I be added a cooler to my previous and current 4runner. I don’t tow other than small utility trailer occasionally, but I did experience heat soaking in a 2-3 hour traffic jam in 95 degree heat on my previous 5th Gen. Low air flow and hot temps I saw the transmission slowly creep up and got in 195 range. So I added one and did same on my current one. As stated above, when the converter is not locked, is when temps tend to soar. Good to put transmission in sport mode (think what is called) and manually control the shifts to keep converter locked. I do that when going up grades on highway. Just yesterday cruising at 75mph on highway in 90 degree heat see about 165F consistently. Heat is the enemy of transmissions.

 

Which trans cooler is the best of the best for our 4Runner?

 

Looking forward to what is the "best". Thanks for all the input you guys have convinced me the ATF cooler will help in Texas heats or under loads.

https://www.autoguide.com/best-transmission-coolers

 

I put a B&M 70264 in my '14 Limited in 2016 and no issues to this day.
I have a Hayden 678 in my '21 for 2 years with no issues so far.

 

I don’t know there is a “best” but I am also running the B&M 70264

 

I am leaning towards B&M because of stacked plate and low temp bypass. Gets solid Amazon reviews.

 

Looked around various sites and it seems there is no 4 Runner specific trans. cooler they are all kind of universal and mention it fits 90% of vehicles. Is it safe to assume it will fit or do we need some kind of spcial adapters, etc to install.

 

I don't think anything special needed. Worst case maybe some extra tubing or tubing nipples. If it fits in the space I don't anticipate a problem. Just routing existing ATF tubing into the in/out of the auxillary cooler.

 

Thanks for advice, can you explain how to manage the shifts to keep the converter locked? Also how do you know what the temp is?