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Moving the tranny cooler

xjtrailrider

xjtrailrider

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
Roanoke VA
My 96 trail rig is always running on the warm side, the tranny does as well. Right now the cooler is in front of the radiator and I want to move it to get more air flow to the rad.

I have purchased a Hayden Cooler/Fan combo (OC-526) and I want to move the cooler/fan combo to the top of the hood-pass side, near the cowl. I plan on spacing the cooler from the hood and caging around the cooler with expanded metal to protect it from tree limbs etc. Since the cooler/fan combo will be on the pass side it will not affect my vision.

Good or bad idea? I just can't find a place to mount the cooler where it will be protected and get cool air.
 
I've seen a jeep or two on here with a hood mounted tranny cooler. One of the jeepspeed guys mounted one where the rear quarter glass was and made a scoop for it. I really liked that idea, but its pretty much only suited for go-fast stuff. Make sure to leave enough slack in the cooler lines so you can still open/close the hood.
 
foxwar71 said:
I've seen a jeep or two on here with a hood mounted tranny cooler. One of the jeepspeed guys mounted one where the rear quarter glass was and made a scoop for it. I really liked that idea, but its pretty much only suited for go-fast stuff. Make sure to leave enough slack in the cooler lines so you can still open/close the hood.
Click to expand...

Yep I plan it and I will most likely go with some braided hose. I would love to find the pics of XJ's with coolers on the hood!

My rear quarter window is where my CO2/ARB compressor set-up is and I hate to move it. Otherwise I had already thought about pulling the glass and making a scoop for that area.
 
the problem with rear 3/4 window mounted tranny coolers... even ones with scoops... is where is this airflow going to exit? jeepspeeders dont run a rear hatch, so it flows right out... with the hatch on... it really doesnt flow much.
 
As of page 2, he had mounted it underneath near the gas tank. For the record, I've got a similar size cooler and fan that I found at the junkyard and I'm looking for some such mounting as well.
 
Well i don't want mine inside the engine bay, its hot enough in there as it is. I want it in as cool of air as I can get so I don't plan on cutting a hole in the hood under the cooler just space the cooler off the hood a inch or so and have the fan push the air down through it and out the sides.

I'll mock it up next week to see how it looks.
 
I got around to looking at the mounting of the cooler today. It will work but I'm loosing some visibility to my right which bothers me. Here is what it looks like;

1230111408.jpg


1230111408a.jpg



You can't see it but the mounts raise the cooler off the hood by an inch. I will have to make a cage around the cooler/fan to protect it from tree limbs.

Still not sure if I want it there yet or not.
 
i cant say im a fan of how it looks, but if it works then im down. only issue i see is when its getting sun beating down straight on it for hours on the trail. thattl warm it right up id think.
 
dick.breakey said:
i cant say im a fan of how it looks, but if it works then im down. only issue i see is when its getting sun beating down straight on it for hours on the trail. thattl warm it right up id think.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's going to be hotter than the 150-200 + temps we see under the hood. Personally, if I were to move my tranny cooler out from in front of the radiator I'd put it behind the front crossmember.
 
are you going to cut a hole in the hood for the bottom of it to vent through?

With that little of a space between the cooler and the hood I'd be worried about the static pressure really slowing down the airflow.
 
Voteban said:
I don't think that's going to be hotter than the 150-200 + temps we see under the hood. Personally, if I were to move my tranny cooler out from in front of the radiator I'd put it behind the front crossmember.
Click to expand...

My power steering cooler is there

87manche said:
are you going to cut a hole in the hood for the bottom of it to vent through?

With that little of a space between the cooler and the hood I'd be worried about the static pressure really slowing down the airflow.
Click to expand...

I don't want to cut a hole in the hood especially there above the distributor. I wired it to the batt and ran it there and it seems to push air well, I can pull with it if I need to as well. I'll have to experiment. I have a tranny temp gauge with sensors on both lines so it would be easy to diagnose and change.
 
I have mine mounted inside of the factory front skid. It is set off of the skid by a half inch or so with a puller fan on top. I installed a thermoswitch in the output side of the cooler so that the fan does not come on until it gets to 180F then shuts off at 170F.

Link to the part I used: http://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/13021/10002/-1?parentProductId=758407

It is important to not over cool the transmission as the properties of the hydraulic fluid are somewhat less than optimum when below the designed operating temperature. My installation is tucked out of the way and the fan cycles on warm days. If installing it this way and using the stock sway bar, then the skid will need to be dropped down 3" so the sway bar does not hit the cooler. Another benefit in moving out of in front of the radiator is that the engine will run cooler. I saw a 5C drop in average temps by moving the cooler out from in front of the radiator. It makes sense if you think about it... Not only are you blocking the air flow, but you are preheating the air before it passes across the rad.

I am a fan of putting the cooler anywhere but in front of the radiator... I would put my power steering cooler (out of an F350) somewhere else if I could think of a good place for it.
 
I had to remove the engine skid due to the drag link catching it on articulation. I have bent 2 drag links on the trail due to the interference.

Like I said in a earlier post, I'm running out of options as to where to mount it.

I have even thought about removing the left rear quarter window and cutting some plate to go in place of the glass then cutting in a recess for the cooler/fan. It would be trick, out of the way and not reduce visibility at all. Its just a lot of work though.
 
Behind the front cross member like Go-Jeep did.

http://jeep-xj.info/HowtoAutoCooler.htm

Just another option although there is limited space there. Also, it may not be the optimum place if you do a lot of mudding.
 
I'd think about that too but I'm thinking heavily about selling my TNT bumper and getting the stubby from ORS....which means cutting out that crossmember and throwing the winch in there.
 
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