Tranny Cooler and Gauge Questions

[bmyohn]

So i was trying to see what added protection i can give my rig. I have once over heated the transmission and fluid came pouring out of the dipstick onto the exhaust causing the highway to smoke out the entire highway. so i figure, its time to upgrade to a tranny cooler.

i was looking at Jason's write ups on his tranny cooler and gauge, and have decided on the B&M tranny cooler. From jasons write-up this is the same sized one that he used.

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_31954_-1


but i was wondering if i could go any bigger then the one above. how hard is it to install one of these? from his writeup, it doesnt seem all that bad, but other experiences/advice would be helpful.


On to gauges.

what gauges do you guys run/recommend?
Also, do you guys recommend putting the tranny gauge sensor on the supply or the return?

gauge:
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_31974_-1

is this all i need? for $102 bucks + shipping it doesnt seem too bad for the reassurance of saving my tranny!

TIA

-Brendan

[Jamie Barkwell]

hmm.....I think I might look in to that too!!

[bmyohn]

i figure for a 100 bucks it money well spent

[severous01]

i bought a cooler for a 18000lb vehicle for 20 bucks from a store when it was closing. it's 1/2 the size of the radiator, i'd rather over cool then over-heat...but it'll never happen. the OEM cooler is designed to regulate temperature. the 'cooler' is actually there to warm it in the winter and cool in the summer...it just regulates temperatures. dont get me wrong...remove it and you WILL over-heat the trans.

but you spending 100 bucks on a trans cooler...you're nuts. how often have you actually overheated the trans? once, in how many miles? and did you do any maintenance? did you follow the manufacturers recommendations on fluid changes? when you did the fluid changes did you clean the cooler and lines? did you properly maintain coolant and coolant condition? there's so many things tied into the trans people dont think about. filters, fluids, conditions driven in, moisture in the fluid....heat, cold, fluid levels, rpm, and all sorts of stuff. i've got 200k miles on my rig and just recently i decided to put the cooler on because i had it laying around. it was on my 450hp camaro...that car NEEDED an extra cooler.

unless you're off-roading constantly, or ALWAYS in stop and go traffic...you dont need the extra capacity. and most coolers dont have fans on them so they're useless any way. they only work when you're moving so even if you're in stop/go traffic it's not beneficial. get a cooler with a fan on it if you do anything...or you can always replace the trans pan with a 'performance' pan that's finned.


edit: sorry for the rant...any way, you can get one of those pods that goes on the pillar, near the triangular window...and just put a gauge in there. i've been thinking about some sort of new gauges in the jeep

[dudeinanxj]

100 bucks for the tranny cooler AND tranny temp gauge.

i have the tranny cooler you metioned and getting the temp gauge soon. it's been on for about 9 months, has seen 100 degree temps and so far a low of 15 degrees with no problems to speak of.

[bmyohn]

yep the actual cooler is 51 bucks or something.

and the temp gauge is just for good measure.

if u ask me id spend 100 bucks anyday on my tranny then spending 10 times that much getting it replaced because it overheated out on the trails.

i can feel the heat radiating off of the tranny hump after a good day on the trails, so i can only imaging the immense heat inside the tranny.

and severous, i suggest u read Jasons writeup, his tranny cooler is doing more good then it is harming the radiator by blocking it up. so its not like the tranny cooler is hindering the airflow to the rad. a whole lot that it is a MAJOR problem

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

Originally Posted by severous01

i bought a cooler for a 18000lb vehicle for 20 bucks from a store when it was closing. it's 1/2 the size of the radiator, i'd rather over cool then over-heat...but it'll never happen. the OEM cooler is designed to regulate temperature. the 'cooler' is actually there to warm it in the winter and cool in the summer...it just regulates temperatures. dont get me wrong...remove it and you WILL over-heat the trans.

but you spending 100 bucks on a trans cooler...you're nuts. how often have you actually overheated the trans? once, in how many miles? and did you do any maintenance? did you follow the manufacturers recommendations on fluid changes? when you did the fluid changes did you clean the cooler and lines? did you properly maintain coolant and coolant condition? there's so many things tied into the trans people dont think about. filters, fluids, conditions driven in, moisture in the fluid....heat, cold, fluid levels, rpm, and all sorts of stuff. i've got 200k miles on my rig and just recently i decided to put the cooler on because i had it laying around. it was on my 450hp camaro...that car NEEDED an extra cooler.

unless you're off-roading constantly, or ALWAYS in stop and go traffic...you dont need the extra capacity. and most coolers dont have fans on them so they're useless any way. they only work when you're moving so even if you're in stop/go traffic it's not beneficial. get a cooler with a fan on it if you do anything...or you can always replace the trans pan with a 'performance' pan that's finned.


edit: sorry for the rant...any way, you can get one of those pods that goes on the pillar, near the triangular window...and just put a gauge in there. i've been thinking about some sort of new gauges in the jeep

I disagree with 95% of what was posted above.

The main KILLER of the AW4 is heat. A cooler will help your AW4 last longer. A larger cooler increases the capacity of the fluid, and thus makes it take longer for the fluid to cycle threw and keeps the fluid cooler longer.

I'm now on my 4th AW4 tranny (not killed by heat each time however) and I would spend $100, heck even $200 on a cooler to make it last longer if I was assured it would make the AW4 last any longer. Swapping trannies out is not the most fun job, and good luck finding a low mileage AW4 for under $200...

Just my penny and a half worth...

[Modsquad]

I'm no expert with Jeeps, as I just got my XJ, but in general, you want to be careful adding tranny coolers. Being that the Jeep is older an probably not as advanced as some of the newer trannies that have all sorts of electronics, some trannies can be hurt by adding tranny coolers because it drops line pressure. It would be worth asking a tranny expert what he thinks & if he knows of any issues that may come from adding the cooler.

[dudeinanxj]

Originally Posted by Modsquad

I'm no expert with Jeeps, as I just got my XJ, but in general, you want to be careful adding tranny coolers. Being that the Jeep is older an probably not as advanced as some of the newer trannies that have all sorts of electronics, some trannies can be hurt by adding tranny coolers because it drops line pressure. It would be worth asking a tranny expert what he thinks & if he knows of any issues that may come from adding the cooler.

Mine is a '00 and bmyohn's is a '01. And I question what you posted.

[lifted92xj]

well its not going to hurt any cherokee by adding a cooler..only help. ive never heard of adding a cooler making the tranny worse but dropping the pressure..but then again i hate new vehicles. too many computers

[balloo93]

I installed the same B&M cooler and trans temp gauge on my 93. Works great and was easy to install.

The B&M unit is a great cooler. It has a bypass built in and until the fluid reaches a certain temp, the fluid doesn't run completely through the cooler.

Aux coolers on a AW4 are always a good idea.

[WMW0505]

Originally Posted by severous01

i bought a cooler for a 18000lb vehicle for 20 bucks from a store when it was closing. it's 1/2 the size of the radiator, i'd rather over cool then over-heat...but it'll never happen. the OEM cooler is designed to regulate temperature. the 'cooler' is actually there to warm it in the winter and cool in the summer...it just regulates temperatures. dont get me wrong...remove it and you WILL over-heat the trans.

but you spending 100 bucks on a trans cooler...you're nuts. how often have you actually overheated the trans? once, in how many miles? and did you do any maintenance? did you follow the manufacturers recommendations on fluid changes? when you did the fluid changes did you clean the cooler and lines? did you properly maintain coolant and coolant condition? there's so many things tied into the trans people dont think about. filters, fluids, conditions driven in, moisture in the fluid....heat, cold, fluid levels, rpm, and all sorts of stuff. i've got 200k miles on my rig and just recently i decided to put the cooler on because i had it laying around. it was on my 450hp camaro...that car NEEDED an extra cooler.

unless you're off-roading constantly, or ALWAYS in stop and go traffic...you dont need the extra capacity. and most coolers dont have fans on them so they're useless any way. they only work when you're moving so even if you're in stop/go traffic it's not beneficial. get a cooler with a fan on it if you do anything...or you can always replace the trans pan with a 'performance' pan that's finned.


edit: sorry for the rant...any way, you can get one of those pods that goes on the pillar, near the triangular window...and just put a gauge in there. i've been thinking about some sort of new gauges in the jeep

Just because he has only over heated once, to the point of fluid over flow, doesn't mean he is not constantly running a little high, which will shorten the life of a tranny. And he is running 31" tires, which is similar to constantly pulling around a small trailer. Putting the cooler around the main fan will keep air moving over it ; )

[Southerntracker]

I live in SC and during the summer my AW-4 would overheat everytime I drove more than an hour on the interstate. I installed a tranny cooler and it hasn't overheated since, even after a 4 hour drive to NC. This is a mod that I highly recommend to anyone that asks.

[Topgun514]

another noob ??
but are the AX15's as prone to heat?

[crosbike3688]

Originally Posted by Topgun514

another noob ??
but are the AX15's as prone to heat?

No...............



I overheated my transmission very bad over the summer and invested in a gauge and cooler. This is what i purchased and I am very happy with it.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=ATM%2D3357&N=700+ 0&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=SUM%2DG4962A&N=70 0+0&autoview=sku