Transmission Cooler
03-24-2011, 05:57 PM
#372
JK Freak
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Jonesport America, Maine
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Due to the heating & cooling, you need to tighten the house clamps after a few days of use, then you'll be good to go.
You do not NEED a cooler with a fan because the oem fan will pull air through the cooler. But extra fans can never hurt. Or, you could add an override switch to control the oem fan.
When I was done installing mine I got the jk hot enough that the fan came on at the low speed (there are two fan speeds), and man does that thing move air. Then the other jk got his fan to come on at high speed, wow!
You do not NEED a cooler with a fan because the oem fan will pull air through the cooler. But extra fans can never hurt. Or, you could add an override switch to control the oem fan.
When I was done installing mine I got the jk hot enough that the fan came on at the low speed (there are two fan speeds), and man does that thing move air. Then the other jk got his fan to come on at high speed, wow!
03-25-2011, 02:07 AM
#373
JK Freak
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Great state of Arizona
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Where is your gauge sensor located?
I think we would benefit greatly by using our oem fans. I successfully did this years ago with one of my motorcycles. I'm just wary of tapping into the very computer controlled jk system. But ideally, I'd be able to turn on or off my fan while allowing it to also work like stock. I would turn it on during long, slow crawls in extreme heat. I'd turn it off before entering a water crossing.
I think we would benefit greatly by using our oem fans. I successfully did this years ago with one of my motorcycles. I'm just wary of tapping into the very computer controlled jk system. But ideally, I'd be able to turn on or off my fan while allowing it to also work like stock. I would turn it on during long, slow crawls in extreme heat. I'd turn it off before entering a water crossing.
Last edited by Rhino64; 03-25-2011 at 02:09 AM.
03-25-2011, 02:55 PM
#374
JK Newbie
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Maob, UT (Full time RVer)
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Use a flat plate cooler. Remove grill and install cooler using bolt holes in top radiator frame and strips of metal about 2" X 3/8" X 1'8" , 2 each. Bolt each strip to the frame holes and to the holes in the cooler frame. Use strips about 4" long for the bottom supports. They should reach to the bottom metal frame and be bent at 90 deg. Sheet metal screw the strips to the lower frame. The cooler should be about 3/8" from the radiator so when the elec fan is on it draws air through the cooler. Have the hose nipples pointing down and connect hose meant for transmission duty, it takes the heat, to the metal line returning to transmission from the stock cooler. Routing should be through the stock cooler then through the added cooler. Lowered my oil temp coming out of the trannie from 275+ degrees when crawling or long usage in 1st or 2nd gear, to 210 or less, ususally around 175. If oil gets to 200 deg, turn the a/c on low and the cooling fan comes on and cools the oil down. Hose nipples on the plate type cooler can be pointed down with no ill effects or loss of efficiency. Hose routes under the radiator easily.
Last edited by grayfox4x4; 03-25-2011 at 02:58 PM.
03-25-2011, 06:35 PM
#375
JK Junkie
That's all good except for one extremely important point: the aux cooler can be mounted one of three positions: hoses pointing left, right, or TOP, but NOT DOWN. According to B&M, that severely reduces the cooler's efficiency.
03-31-2011, 02:12 PM
#377
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Join Date: Jul 2010
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I
My KJ was worked VERY hard for years. 90k miles. And ONCE, the summer before I sold it, after a full day of wheeling at Killington, VT, the tranny light came on during the drive to the hotel. I left it running as per owners manual, until it went off. Took about 15 minutes. Tranny slipped a few times about a month later. I took it to the dealer who said "tranny is shot. rebuilt is $1500. do it now!" I didn't think that was right, so I took it back, and CHECKED THE LEVEL and it was about 1/2 pint low! I filled it and never had a problem again for the 4 months before selling it for my JK.
My KJ was worked VERY hard for years. 90k miles. And ONCE, the summer before I sold it, after a full day of wheeling at Killington, VT, the tranny light came on during the drive to the hotel. I left it running as per owners manual, until it went off. Took about 15 minutes. Tranny slipped a few times about a month later. I took it to the dealer who said "tranny is shot. rebuilt is $1500. do it now!" I didn't think that was right, so I took it back, and CHECKED THE LEVEL and it was about 1/2 pint low! I filled it and never had a problem again for the 4 months before selling it for my JK.
04-08-2011, 06:36 AM
#380
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Join Date: Dec 2010
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The AreoForce gauge plugs into the OSB port of the JK . The cooling fan would probably work better if the cooler was mounted flush with the condenser,but that inch or two gap seems to make a difference. My fan is a 7.5" Spal pusher #30100393 rated about 450 CFM and I have it wired through a toggle switch. I can turn it on when I'm traveling slow. Its good insurance and not a costly install about the same price as the cooler.