Tranny cooler location - Opinions?

As almost the last part of my AW4 swap for the 88 MJ I'm going to install a tranny cooler today. The Hayden cooler I bought is 11" wide, 7" tall.

Where, on your grill would YOU install it?

If I install it smack in the middle it will get constant flow from the mech. fan on half of it, and full flow with the e-fan on (I have a 97+ 10 blade fan).

If I install it directly in front of the mech. fan it may limit the regular flow of air when I really don't need it, and add heat to that stream of air when I DO need cooler air.

If I install it directly in front of the e-fan I'd have some control over the cooling but it would still limit the effectiveness of having the e-fan on when needed for cooling the engine.

I installed the cooler on my XJ...same one...in the middle...a couple years ago and wondered if I put it in the best spot.

So, left right or center.

I mounted mine on top of the front factory skid plate with a puller fan on top of it operated by a thermostat in the coolant line. The cooler is raised about a half inch off of the skid to allow air to move. The skid had to be moved down by 3" in order to clear the factory front sway bar but now that I have a Currie antirock that is not really required.

But I left it lowered anyway as what possible good is a stock skid on a lifted Heep? None at all if left in the stock location...

Electrically, the fan runs off a relay which is toggled by the Transmission Cooler T-Stat which is a Derale part. Works fine for me.

It wound up there when I was chasing my cooling project. Removing it from in front of the radiator gained me 5C of average engine temp reduction. And the cooler I have is smaller than yours. I used a factory cooler from a Ford F350 along with the power steering cooler from the same donor. I would guess it to be maybe 10 inches square.

But nobody likes where I have it mounted.

My issue with putting it on the passenger side (which, IMO, is where it should be in that type of installation) is that the air flow through the hottest portion of the radiator is obstructed. Like I said, I gained 5 degrees Centigrade of average temperare reduction by remoting the cooler.

5C is a lot.

IMO

Mines on the front of the rad in front of the mechanical fan on the pass. side.

I think thats where the stock one would have been for the tow package.
Unless im remembering wrong and if so im sure someone will chime in to correct me.

I've had no issues with it there everything runs at temps im happy with .

Is it the optimal spot I.D.K. but i don't think i would move mine even if its not optimal because it works just fine right there.

I put mine on the drivers side behind the grill.

Granted, I didn't look very close at the fan set ups, but my '96 XJ came from the factory with a tranny cooler in that location, so I mimiced it on the XJ.

Mounted one of these in back of the front cross member, under the radiator.
http://bmracing.com/?wpsc-product=h...-cooling-system-10x7-12x4-with-7-diameter-fan
Photo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157630789992344/

I put mine almost smack in the middle of the radiator, I think it is over to the mechanical fan a bit more which I was ok with. It may be more 60/40 but just because of how the tabs lined up. I think getting a mix of both fans and at the same time not covering the mechanical fan side entirely seemed like a good way to go for me.

My cooler has a built in thermostat to hopefully prevent any over cooling by being in front of the mechanical fan.

Mine is over on the passenger side (mech fan side) and I also added a manual switch to the electric fan. When things get too warm I just flip on the electric fan. Tranny stays plenty cool, so does the Jeep.

the_weirdo said:

Mine is over on the passenger side (mech fan side) and I also added a manual switch to the electric fan. When things get too warm I just flip on the electric fan. Tranny stays plenty cool, so does the Jeep.

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I did not want to have to fab anything up or spend more money on another fan. The more I think about this, the mech fan side makes more sense. When the coolant temp is hot I can still flip on the fan for more airflow.

BTW I do not include the radiator "heat exchanger" in the loop. It's bypassed. Rarely gets freezing around here so not worried about overcooling.

Thanks for the input guys!!! On the road by Monday if I'm lucky.

:us:

ParadiseXJ said:

I did not want to have to fab anything up or spend more money on another fan. The more I think about this, the mech fan side makes more sense. When the coolant temp is hot I can still flip on the fan for more airflow.

BTW I do not include the radiator "heat exchanger" in the loop. It's bypassed. Rarely gets freezing around here so not worried about overcooling.

Thanks for the input guys!!! On the road by Monday if I'm lucky.

:us:

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the factory cooler on the wifes 01 is dead center in the rad.

I would still run it through the factory in tank cooler. The water/oil one is much more efficient. Think of it like this.

If you plumb the aux cooler in before the radiator you are simply removing heat load from the radiator, but if you need it to it will still cool the fluid. If you take it out of the loop you're relying solely on your air/oil cooler. If it isn't up to the task in the most extreme heat/situations you're simply going to cook the AW4.

87manche said:

the factory cooler on the wifes 01 is dead center in the rad.

I would still run it through the factory in tank cooler. The water/oil one is much more efficient. Think of it like this.

If you plumb the aux cooler in before the radiator you are simply removing heat load from the radiator, but if you need it to it will still cool the fluid. If you take it out of the loop you're relying solely on your air/oil cooler. If it isn't up to the task in the most extreme heat/situations you're simply going to cook the AW4.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the factory info

Actually I think of it more like this:

If I run 125-175 degree tranny fluid through a tank that exposes it to 210 degree coolant it will RAISE the temp of the tranny fluid, not lower it. If I bypass the radiator loop altogether the tranny fluid has it's own little radiator, and judging by my XJ never comes close to reaching 210 in the tranny.
According to my trans temp gauge it cruises on freeway @ about 125
Towing on hi-way @ 150
Towing uphill @ 180

Personally, I think you are w-a-a-a-y overthinking this. Simply place it where the hoses will be the longest. If you don't like it, you can move it around. Once you determine where you like it best, you can trim the hoses to fit.

The factory cooler on mine is also centered horizontally but flush to the bottom of the rad.

Saudade said:

Personally, I think you are w-a-a-a-y overthinking this.

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I agree. I was just curious which side...left, right, center, that most people mount the thing. Then I wouldn't have to think about it at all.

In my original post I asked "where on your grill...?" I appreciate the input.