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Seems transmission coolers really are beneficial...

savage1987

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I'm in the process of replacing my 500,000+++km VN V6 engine with a rebuilt VR V6. While preparing to remove the original motor, I dumped the transmission fluid, having driven it approximately 15,000km since the last change. Usually after 20,000km (my regular auto service interval) the fluid is a murky brown colour. Last time I did a fluid change (15000km ago) I installed two additional transmission coolers, making three in total.

I will post up photos shortly of the fluid in the bottom of the pan. It looks like it was changed only yesterday. I am extremely pleased to find this and will look at increasing the service interval for my automatic transmission to possibly 30-40,000km.

Sam



photos:

15,000km fluid:
12-04-09_1447.jpg






ATF cooling path:

passes through radiator in-tank cooler first
tr1.jpg


then out the side and through this Hilux diesel cooler
tr2.jpg


then around the front and through this random other cooler I found
tr3.jpg


then back to the transmission
tr4.jpg
 
Last edited:

Immortality

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yep, auto transissions live or die by the running temp of the fluid. get it too hot and the fluid can create a varnish on the inside of the trans, when this happens it looses it's ability to transfer heat (i.e. it looses it's cooling properties). excessive heat will also harden seals and other plastic/rubber parts.
 

Ado

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Hope they arnt the tyres you drive on.
 

rob drag racer

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i ran one on my fairlane and i have to say it dose stabilize the fluid temp far better with a trans cooler and as for shift performance it helps and long lasting trans fluid for sure unless you tow huge weight often so yeh a trans cooler is the way to go :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

savage1987

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I've had a couple of people comment that three coolers are a bit .. well.. overkill. Here's how it came about:

I was only going to add that one at the front but I ran out of hose and needed the car back on the road immediately. I hunted around the shed and found two short bits of hose but nothing I could use as a joiner. Then I had an idea that another cooler could do the job as a joiner.. I found one I had lying around and figured out I could mount it on that convenient diagonal rail in front of the passenger wheel :)

Was never intended to be 3 of them, but it seems to work quite well!
 
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v8_bomberdore

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dont run the lines through the radiator, it will run even cooler again
 

savage1987

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I doubt it. The ATF leaves the gearbox a hell of a lot hotter than the coolant at that end (cool end) of the radiator. That fluid heat transfer that occurs in there is far more efficient than the air cooling that occurs in the other two.

edit: just noticed, this is my 2,345th post :p
 

eurekamad94

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damn! thats preety clean for 20,000k fluid
 
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