[Arcticcat843]

Long story short, before i parked my jeep 6 months ago (longer story) it was over heating on the dunes and while offroading hard. I replaced almost the entire cooling system.
Rad, electric fan (old one was shot), fan clutch, and thermostat. The thermostat helped it alot becuase i used a lower temp one 180 maybe? (i might add that it makes almost NO heat in the winter lol) So after all that it still overheats. I desided that it was accually the tranny overheating and the tranny cooler was making the engine overheat. So the plan is to flush the system, install a aftermarket tranny cooler, and change the tranny fluid. (i dont think it has ever been changed)

So I ordered this cooler (per jeepin outfitters write up)
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=BMM-70268

Now the questions:

should i still use the stock cooler in the rad? I THINK i might have another one on the front of the rad too along with the one inside. I know my jeep came with the tow package. So, should i just rip out all the stock stuff and use just the b&m one? or shoudl i use all 3? How should i run them? (if useing more than one?)

When i change the trans fluid (which i have never done before) what do i do? Im guessing i just pull the pan off it...Let it drain, replace the filter (from what i have heard there is a filter in there???) replace the pan and fill it back up from the top...Sound right? anyone know off the top of there head how much fluid i need to buy? is the filter something i can just pick up at autozone or something?

now, the guage questions, I am getting this guage
http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=ATM-3357
Im guessing there is a little sensor that you have to tap into the line with? Does anyone know if that "sensor" comes with the gauge? or do i have to buy it seperate? also, where should the sensor go, before or after the coolers?

Sorry for the stupid questions but when it comes to Transmissions i know nothing. like i said, i have never even changed the fluid. Oh and i have never bough or installed aftermarket gauges before either so i dont really know what to expect or what comes with them...

Thanks in advance....

[mecompco]

My Tow Package tranny cooler is long and skinny and runs across and in front of the rad. I'm going to remove it and plumb in the new B&M cooler--possibly doing the dual Taurus fan swap at the same time.

[JeEpErWaNaBe]

i just emptied mine and 3 quarts came out so i guess that would say about how much goes in unless mines different but someone should know forsure...

I'm gonna follow this thread since I'm planning on throwing a cooler in myself but don't know to much about the whole cooler aspect..

[Magus2727]

the temp that the transmission would have to be at in-order to heat up the whole radiator enough to cause overheating of the actual motor, your transmission would have been gone long ago... (my $.02)

I would gess that you have a blockage located in the motor or one of the hoses.... Have you looked at the water pump?

[Arcticcat843]

I know the trans is getting VERY hot. However i have not had any problems with slipping or anything. But the jeep deff feals like it is at about half power when it gets hot. Even a little bit. and i get this really wierd smell. its not like electrical or anything. I dont really know how to put it.....But i think it is the tranny.
Water pump is the only thing i havent replaced. I really dont have the money in my budget todo that right now anyways.
What is the best way to flush this puppy out good? Can i just remove the top line and stick a hose down in the engine? and do the same to the rad? I guess ive never flushed one before.

[Jason, aka: Jeepin.com]

I've got a write-up on installing a trans temp gauge on Jeepin.com. Go to Features -> How To. The gauge you're looking at includes all the parts you'll need (read the footnotes for the product). IMHO you want the gauge probe on the feed line out of the trans before it goes through any of the coolers or radiator heat exchanger. That way you're looking at the temp of the hot fluid coming out of the trans, not the temp of the cooled fluid that's going back in.

Some info I found on NAXJA regarding fluid capacity and amounts: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=924268&highlight=transmission+flu id

Unless you just really want to change the filter to do it, I'm not sure I'd bother personally. If you do it, you'll need to buy a filter kit. Could probably order it from Autozone or wherever, but it's not something they're likely to have on-hand. My kit was by Omix Ada (the Rugged Ridge guys), so anyone that carries those brands should be able to get it for you. IRC I bought mine from Tellico 4x4, way back in the day.

You'll need to do a drain and fill about 3-4 times to get most of the old fluid out unless you do a poor-man's power flush, ie: two buckets: one empty, one full of fluid; disconnect the transmission lines from the radiator/cooler, poke the feed line into the empty bucket, poke the return line into the bucket full of new trans fluid (quantity in the order of gallons of fluid), run the transmission until clean, "clear" fluid runs out the feed line. A single drain/fill w/o dropping the pan will use about 3-4 qts of fluid. Make sure you get Mercon/Dexron III fluid.

[mecompco]

Changing the "filter" (actually a small piece of screen) is a PITA--I doubt I'll ever do it again. Unless you do the "flush" you can't get what's in the TC anyway. I drain and refill 2-3 times a year, 4 qts at a time. I do notice my fluid does not stay the nice red one would hope--I do work it hard, though, crawling, water crossings, towing, etc. It never slips and it's only boiled over when I was first figuring out how fast I could tow (55 in 3rd seems to be the answer for a happy tranny). We'll see if the bigger cooler makes any difference.

[Arcticcat843]

Well, its all done!!! what a PITA!!!!! First of all, trans fluid smells like garlic breath which about made me puke a couple times.

So i unbolted the front clip and found out i had a stock external cooler. So i just replaced that with the B&m unit. U just cut the wierd clips off the lines and used barb fittings and the new lines that came with the cooler.
then i took the temp sensor that came with my guage and went to napa to get some fittings. I got a t with barbed ends and a couple adapters. i just cut into the rubber line before the coolers and clamped that in. Easy enough. Now the hard part:
I couldnt get the pan off the trans. First of all, i couldnt get the dipstick tube apart. So i unbolted that and tried to remove it all as one piece, well, that didnt work. The pan hit on the exhuast and the crossmember. I ended up bending the dipstick tube a bit and letting the back off the pan drop 6ish inches. then i could get my hand in there and unbolt the filter. once that was unbolted the pan would slide back off the exhuast and drop. So i got it out and got the dipstick apart. I cleaned everything up. the started the reinstall, I had to slide the pan into postion, then let it drop down, thn get the filter up in there while holding the pan and bolt that up. then when i tied to get the bolts in the pan the dipstick was bent so much it wouldnt line up. and you cant get a grip on it up there to bend it back. Oh and the whole time you have to try to keep your arms out of the RTV lol. it was just a pain. I think if i would have known how big of pain it was i would have just changed the fluid not the filter. anyways, i got it all back together with the new cooler and temp snesor.

thanks for the help everyone!!!

[Jason, aka: Jeepin.com]

Originally Posted by Jason, aka: Jeepin.com

Unless you just really want to change the filter to do it, I'm not sure I'd bother personally.

Originally Posted by mecompco

Changing the "filter" (actually a small piece of screen) is a PITA--I doubt I'll ever do it again.

Originally Posted by Arcticcat843

I think if i would have known how big of pain it was i would have just changed the fluid not the filter.

glad to see we're all in agreement now.

[Magus2727]

have you driven it at all to see if that solved your problem?

[alexrule123]

Originally Posted by Arcticcat843

Well, its all done!!! what a PITA!!!!! First of all, trans fluid smells like garlic breath which about made me puke a couple times.

So i unbolted the front clip and found out i had a stock external cooler. So i just replaced that with the B&m unit. U just cut the wierd clips off the lines and used barb fittings and the new lines that came with the cooler.
then i took the temp sensor that came with my guage and went to napa to get some fittings. I got a t with barbed ends and a couple adapters. i just cut into the rubber line before the coolers and clamped that in. Easy enough. Now the hard part:
I couldnt get the pan off the trans. First of all, i couldnt get the dipstick tube apart. So i unbolted that and tried to remove it all as one piece, well, that didnt work. The pan hit on the exhuast and the crossmember. I ended up bending the dipstick tube a bit and letting the back off the pan drop 6ish inches. then i could get my hand in there and unbolt the filter. once that was unbolted the pan would slide back off the exhuast and drop. So i got it out and got the dipstick apart. I cleaned everything up. the started the reinstall, I had to slide the pan into postion, then let it drop down, thn get the filter up in there while holding the pan and bolt that up. then when i tied to get the bolts in the pan the dipstick was bent so much it wouldnt line up. and you cant get a grip on it up there to bend it back. Oh and the whole time you have to try to keep your arms out of the RTV lol. it was just a pain. I think if i would have known how big of pain it was i would have just changed the fluid not the filter. anyways, i got it all back together with the new cooler and temp snesor.

thanks for the help everyone!!!

Let's see some pics

[bushytails]

The lack of heat most likely points to the real issue - lack of circulation in the cooling system. A new water pump, engine flush, and verifying there's no blockages anywhere (sticking a garden hose on the end of any hose should cause water to flow out of whatever it goes to freely) might be a good place to start. Or, as a test, compare the temperature of the two radiator hoses with the engine running - if the output hose is noticably cool, it means the water isn't flowing through the radiator fast enough.

--Bushytails

[Arcticcat843]

Originally Posted by Jason, aka: Jeepin.com

glad to see we're all in agreement now.

Some thing i just need to learn for myself. I think it needed to be done. 100000 miles and 13 years old....It couldnt hurt...I feel better about it now.

[Arcticcat843]

Originally Posted by Magus2727

have you driven it at all to see if that solved your problem?

That answer your question. lol
It wont be driveable till the 23rd so ill let you know then.

[Arcticcat843]

Originally Posted by bushytails

The lack of heat most likely points to the real issue - lack of circulation in the cooling system. A new water pump, engine flush, and verifying there's no blockages anywhere (sticking a garden hose on the end of any hose should cause water to flow out of whatever it goes to freely) might be a good place to start. Or, as a test, compare the temperature of the two radiator hoses with the engine running - if the output hose is noticably cool, it means the water isn't flowing through the radiator fast enough.

--Bushytails

yep that is the next step....flush the cooling system. now, quick questions. I can take apart anything in the cooling system and stick a hose in it to flush out any blockages right? Like the upper rad hose and then stick the water hose right into the engine? Then of couse take off the bottom hose and stick a garden hose in the top the the rad to flush everythign out??? sound ok?