Mounting PS fluid cooler

I got a small 5" x 5" power steering cooler and trying to decide on the best location to mount it. I already have a large B&M transmission cooler in front of the main clutch fan. Would adding another cooler on the electric fan side cause to much restriction on the water and AC radiators?

It does not have a fan or anything else to force air through it if I mount it behind my bumper or in another location without direct air flow. I know there are PS coolers for other applications that are designed more like a "tube with fins" rather then a traditional heat exchanger. I am also running the stock steering box with out any kind of Hydro assist with 33" tires so the cooler is more of a preventive maintenance and insurance on my new pump then a requirement. So would using it in a no-air flow area still be beneficial or would it do as much good and not even having the cooler?

The thing is small so I could not imagine that it would cause that much air flow restriction to the rest of the system but with the B&M already installed, would the addition of a PS be too much?

Mine's mounted behind one end of my ARB winch bar and it doesn't seem to bother it.

Ill be moving mine to inside my air box from behind the front 'crossmember'.

So placement of the PS cooler is not critical.

Does any one here know what the normal operating temp of PS fluid is?

I think I may just stick it in front of the electric fan. Its small enough that if I have other cooling related issues after install I have a problem that was just being masked by something else (my motor for some reason already runs 40* cooler then normal)

It does not have to go in front of the rad. It's best of it gets a good flow of air across it. It can be mounted behind the fan to.
Ford mounted some of them right on the PS pump itself. The air wood be headed by the rad but still in a good flow of air and as long as the air is cooler them the PS fluid it will help.
Less efficient yet but still helpfull is no forced air flow at all. The cooler is mounted anywhere air can natural flow over the cooler. Right off the top of my head a cool placed it a non forced air location would need to be two time larger then one that is.
Thinking outside the box!
Using any body/frame parts as a heat sinks. A long tube is welled/ brazed to any large body part. Best if a good flow of air can get to said part.
Let just use a front fender. On the under side of the fender a long lube is looped and fully welded to the fender. The PS fluid would travel the tube. Heat would move from the tube to the weld. Then into the fender itself. From there the large surface of the outside of the fender would then give the heat up to the air.
A lot of work and mess just to cool the PS fluid but you get the idea. This kind of stuff can be very light when done right. Works well when space is rare. Adds NO air drag if that important to you.
Hope this helps SOME.

It seems like the highest temperatures are going to be when you are not moving much. So, airflow will be very low anyway unless it is air from a fan. But the idea of a large surface area heat sink also makes sense.

The only reason mine was put where it was had to do with space. There was already a factory trans cooler in front of the radiator, so that didn't leave any space to put the PS cooler. I think it has more to do with the fact you're running it through SOMETHING vs. nothing.

ECKSJAY said:

I think it has more to do with the fact you're running it through SOMETHING vs. nothing.

Click to expand...

Thats correct. Placement is not critical, unless its right by the exh. manifold or something stupid.

Well I have been wanting to do the full Electric fan conv. along with the 3 core radiator. So I think I will just put it kind of in the middle between the mechanical and electric fan as not to create any impediment of force air of the fans but provide some movement.

I also have seen some small high flow 6" low profile fans that I could create a shroud for it and mount it in front of the jeep to Push air through the radiator while leaving the other fans to pull. Or when/if i add a fan I could put it behind my bumper and still have air flow with out causing other air restriction to other location or items.

Heck thinking about it I could get a High Flow 120 or 140mm PC fan:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835706015&Tpk=Computer Fan

the PS cooler on my pickup (diesel ram) is behind the front bumper. no direct air flow. it is so hard to find, i forget i have it sometimes

like others have said, something is better than nothing. some ford trucks just ran hard line back and forth a couple of times on the wishbone subframe, with no fins.

So I am looking at available real estate and it looks like there are 2 locations.

In front of the air box right behind the bug guard (removed)

Or by the Brake booster.

putting it in front of the bug shield would neglect any gain that the intake may have seen. but be further away from the manifold and would allow intake upgrades (I think that having it by the brake booster would prevent Snorkel or other style of modification.

Would the heat seen from the cooler cause the intake air temp to go up? I am planning on sticking the fan on it eventually a 250 CFM 12v computer case fan. would this location with the fan actually help since it may put cooler air into the air box since it would be pulling more air from the front of the jeep and not pulling from under and making the air pass the manifold?

I mounted mine behind the cross member. Its been there for a couple of years now with many trips to the trails and no issues. You can see it in this build pic of my rig.

I really wouldn't overthink placement, other than putting it under the hood. It gets hotter than hell under there and you wouldn't be doing yourself any favors. As we said before, just the fact that you're putting something into the system is going to improve it. Hell, some OEM Ford applications aren't even finned coolers. They're just an extra loop with more hoses. You're increasing the capacity of the system, which will make it cooler.

I wouldn't sit and worry about it. Just mount it someplace outside the engine bay where it won't get damaged.