Transmission Cooler Install with Radiator and Thermostat Replacement
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
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This is a video showing how to add an external transmission cooler to your 3rd Generation Toyota 4runner and replacing the radiator and thermostat in the process. Even though this is done on a Toyota 4runner, the information provided could help you with a trans cooler install on almost any other vehicle.
*PARTS*
*Thermostat #90916-03075
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*Thermostat O-Ring Gasket #16325-62010
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*Radiator #16410-YZZAJ (This is just like the OEM one that came on the vehicle when it was new)
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*Radiator #16410-AZ011 (This seems to be what Toyota parts sellers like Camelback are now offering. It's more affordable but doesn't seem to be as well built as the original. I put one of these on my 98 4runner. I have a feeling the supplier making the #16410-YZZAJ stopped producing them and the ones still available are old stock.) amzn.to/2O96iOj
*Upper Radiator Hose #16571-62070
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*Lower Radiator Hose#16572-62090
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*Radiator Cap #16401-20353
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*Toyota Red Long Life Coolant Concentrate (Needs to be mixed with Distilled Water)
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*Distilled Water - Pick this up at a grocery store
*Magnefine 3/8" Magnetic In-line Transmission Filter
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*B&M 70264 SuperCooler Automatic Transmission Cooer
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*3/8" Transmission Oil Cooler Hose (8 feet) - I suggest you just visit your local auto parts store to buy this and some hose clamps to go with it.
*Valvoline Max Life Full Synthetic ATF
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*Bluetooth OBD II Reader I use:
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*This switch is a nice addition to the OBDII reader because the reader draws a small amount of power from your battery even when the vehicle is off. If you let the vehicle sit for long periods of time, it could drain your battery. This switch allows you to turn it off:
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*This looks like a nice custom bracket for your trans cooler install. I learned about it on 10/12/23. It fits 2 Hayden coolers and one made by Derale. iconic-fabrica...
*HELPFUL TOOLS*
If you're looking for other tools not used in this video, check out Timmy's Master Tool List.
www.amazon.com...
*6 Ton Jack Stands
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*1/4" and 3/8" Flex Head Ratchet Set
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*3/8” Drive Regular Extension Set
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*Milwaukee Mi12 Cordless Ratchet
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*Milwaukee M12 Battery
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*Milwaukee M12 High Capacity Battery
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*Milwaukee M12 Battery Charger
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*Double-Sided Screwdriver
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*Right Angle Needle Nose Piers
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*Adjustable Spark Plug Wire Puller (To help get cooler hoses loose)
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*CDI 3/8" Drive Foot Pound Torque Wrench
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*CDI 3/8" Drive Inch Pound Torque Wrench
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PVC Pipe Cutters
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*Lisle Spill-Free Funnel (Makes filling your radiator and burping the system of air easier)
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*18 Quart Food Storage Container (Convenient to drain coolant into)
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*4 Quart Measuring Cup (So you can make your 50/50 Coolant Mix)
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NOTE DK327 commented and told me the way I ran the lines with the inlet at the top and the outlet on the bottom is technically wrong and he is right. The B&M website does say when mounting the cooler sideways that the inlet should be at the bottom and the outlet at the top. Read my reply to his comment for more information regarding this. I'm having no problem with the way I set it up and I've been monitoring my transmission temperature every time I get behind the wheel. I've seen around a 20 degree temp drop across the board which corresponds to what I've heard is the average temperature drop with the cooler I installed. If it were an easy process to just switch the lines, I'd probably do it, but I'd have to rerun the upper line because it would kink switching it to the bottom and running the lines was quite a bit of work. If you do decide to mount it sideways like I did, just connect the inlet line to the bottom connection and the outlet on the top connection like B&M recommends.
I did more research regarding the direction of the fittings when installing an auxiliary trans cooler. I called B&M and the person I talked to did specify in a sideways installation, the lower fitting should be the inlet so the cooler can fill from the bottom and push out any trap air.
I talked with a person at the company that sells Tru Cool coolers and we discussed the way I set up my cooler. He said he would get back to me after he talked with one of the engineers. They discussed the way I set mine up and feel since I'm running a small cooler and I've experienced temperature drops, the cooler is working properly and any trapped air in the cooler is probably minimal. I drove a 7 mile mountain road for the 3rd time yesterday that I've used as a test for this modification, and I again registered around a 20 degrees temperature reduction ( I reached around 195 degrees at the top of the hill). When I first drove the hill without the external cooler, I hit a little over 220 degrees. The next time I drove it with the new external cooler installed, I cracked 200 degrees by the top of the hill.
I scoured many forums and websites and I read some that say you absolutely can't run a stacked plate cooler upside down (worst orientation supposedly) and others that say it's not a big deal if a little air is getting trapped at the top of the cooler, while others say the pressure from the fluid will push any air out. It was interesting to see pictures of vehicles with OEM coolers from the manufacturer and the cooler was installed upside down. Some people who installed aftermarket coolers upside down said they've been running it like that for years and it's working great. And then another guy said he used a thermal reading tool and saw that the upper part of his cooler had a much lower temperature reading meaning the ATF fluid wasn't making it up there due to trapped air because he had the cooler fittings facing downward. Once he flipped it around, the cooler completely filled with fluid and it worked better.
To play it safe, you either want to mount the cooler with both fillings facing up, or to the side, left or right. If to the side, just use the lower fitting as the inlet of the hot fluid and the upper fitting as the outlet for the cooled fluid returning to the transmission.
did you switch yours or leave it as you installed it in the video?
Hey Tim, back again for more maintenance, how did you connect the hose from the transmission cooler to your return line? Did you have to cut the return line and connect it?
@@RoNBEE1 Hey Ron, you just run a new rubber line from the cooler to the transmission return hard line. If you watch the video, I clearly detail how all the hoses are routed.
Hey Tim, took mine up to Bryce Canyon from Cali this weekend. Just to confirm, the TEMP gauge is pulling the temp from the transmission before it hits the cooler right? Do you have a video that shows how to catch the “cooled” temperature?
@@RoNBEE1 Yes, the trans temp is taken at the transmission before it is sent to the cooler. The only way you could catch the cooled temp is by installing a sensor in the return line and running that to an aftermarket gauge. You could also try pointing an infrared thermometer at the return hose from where it leaves the cooler.
Tim, on 39:35 you said the trans fluid enters from the top of the trans cooler, travels down, then exits at the bottom to return to the transmission...but I think it might actually be the other way around (counter intuitive) where it enters from the bottom 1st, travels up, then exits from the top of the trans cooler to go back to the transmission... This is a quote from B&M:
"When mounting the cooler with the fittings on the right or left side, the lower fitting must be the inlet with the top fitting routing the fluid back to the transmission."
I would double check and verify which method is right or if it makes any difference at all... Only reason I'm bringing this up is because I'm going to install mine as well and want to do it right the 1st time and be done with it!
Thanks for all your videos, MUCH appreciated!
+DK327 You know, you're absolutely right. The directions do say that when mounting sideways, the inlet should be at the bottom and the outlet on the top. But, I don't understand why this would be a big deal. I think it's maybe because air can supposedly get trapped in there but that doesn't make any sense. The transmission fluid is pressurized by a positive displacement pump so it wouldn't make any difference if the inlet was on the top or bottom in a sideways mounting installation.
I read a post on a forum where a guy said he called B&M and talked with one of their engineers and said it didn't matter which way you mounted it and which was the inlet or outlet.
Here's what the guy said and it makes sense:
"B&M coolers are made by LONG Mfg. which also makes Tru-Cool stacked plate coolers. Per the FAQ at the True-Cool web site, the stacked plate cooler inlet/outlet can be mounted up, down, sideways....makes no difference.
We installed a B&M #70264 cooler and I called B&M about the inlet/oulet mount direction......the B&M engineer said disregard the instructions that came with the cooler and mount however I wanted....up/down/sideways."
This was another comment by the same guy responding to another members post on the same thread:
"That's why I contacted B&M by phone and was told by one of their engineers that the mounting direction did not matter since the tranny fluid is pressurized by a positive displacement pump and any air would quickly be pushed thru the system as soon as the motor was started."
Here's the link to the Tru Cool website FAQ and they do say it can be mounted anyway you want, even upside down.
www.trucool.com/frequently-asked-questions
I find it interesting how one company, B&M, can say you should absolutely not install the cooler with the fittings pointing down and then another company, Tru Cool, says you can mount it in any fashion you want and also says nothing of how you should run the inlet and outlet if you mount it sideways. And, both companies sell the same exact coolers. NO difference.
So, since you haven't installed yours yet, I would just do as they say and make the lower fitting the inlet and the upper fitting the outlet. For me, I'm not going to bother changing the lines because I really think it doesn't make any difference since the fluid is pressurized and will force any air out. I'm not an engineer or an expert in fluid dynamics but it makes sense to me.
Another way to think about it is think of people who have water storage tanks for their homes and aren't on a city water system. The water tank is higher than the home and the water pressure pushes air out of the system. I have a cabin set up like this and air enters the lines when we drain the plumbing for winter so the pipes don't freeze and break. When I open the valve to let water back into the piping, the water pressure forces the air out of the faucets, shower and toilet if you open the valves.
Another example is IV tubing for giving people fluids and medication. You raise the IV bag in the air and the pressure from the fluid in the bag pushes the air out of the tubing in a downward direction.
Anyway, very long response to your question but I'm very glad you pointed this out to me. I don't want to give any inaccurate information in my videos. Thanks!
Another excellent TTT tutorial video. I installed a new Denso radiator, radiator cap, new coolant and new radiator hoses. I thought I was good until I installed an Ultagauge MX 1.4 version in my 2002 V6 Tacoma 4x4. I saw my engine temps in the 200+ degree range. I checked my service records and saw that my thermostat was replaced in 2007. I thought my Toyota mechanic replaced the thermostat when I had him replace the timing belt and water pump about a year ago but he did not. I decided to replace the thermostat with a new Toyota OEM thermostat. I saw that my Toyota mechanic had reinstalled the thermostat jiggle valve in the 12 O'Clock position. I installed the new Toyota thermostat with the jiggle valve in the downward position (6 O'Clock position) per the factory manual. My engine temps are now in the 186-190 degree range. I think it's a wise investment to buy a temp gauge to monitor your vehicle's vitals.
Yes, jiggle valve at the 6 o'clock position and it is very smart to have accurate readings of things like your coolant temp and auto trans temp.
I just found some information on a website regarding transmission temperatures and how it relates to the life of the fluid. Normal driving will raise your temperatures to around 80 degrees celsius or 176 degree fahrenheit. At this temperature, the fluid could last you up to 100,000 miles. But, most transmissions will get hotter than this for various reasons (towing, driving up a steep 4x4 trail, etc.). For every 15 degree celsius above 80, the fluid's lifespan is cut in half. At 90 degrees celsius or 194 degrees fahrenheit, the fluid will last for 50,000 miles. At 110 celsius or 230 degrees fahrenheit which is commonly encountered in many transmissions, the fluid life is cut to 37,000 miles. I guess this is why it's suggested to change your ATF at 30,000 mile intervals. At 120 degree celsius or 250 degrees fahrenheit, the life of the fluid is cut to around 9300 miles.
The hottest I've seen my trans get is 232. That was from driving up a steep mountain road, carrying a bunch of gear and pulling a motorcycle trailer. I have since installed a B&M 70264 cooler in series with the radiator cooler and have seen a 20 degrees temperature drop. So, hopefully I won't be seeing anything much more than 210 in my rig now.
So, if you're regularly seeing temps above 230, you should either be doing something to get the temps down or changing your trans fluid much more often to extend the life of your transmission.
Here's the link to the website if you'd like to read more. I think you'll find it pretty interesting.
www.thetransmissioncentre.com.au/general-information/
About to do this upgrade as well. Thanks. And awesome how you answer everyone's questions here. I admire how you like to help others and glad your on our 3rd gen team.
Thanks Emmanuel and you're very welcome. It's cool you noticed we try to answer everyone's question. This is something we try hard to do and we also try to acknowledge every comment as well. If somebody was nice enough to take the time to comment, we want them to know we took the time to read it. Our channel isn't so large that we can't keep up with the questions and comments that come in on a daily basis. It can be quite a time sink doing this but this is a personalized touch we can do for our viewers at least for now. If we get really big one day, then we might not be able to keep up. Good luck with the job and Happy Wrenching!
Installed a trans cooler today and also went wit the B&M 70264, and in series with the factory radiator setup. Mounted it in the usual place, passenger side, with the ports exiting sideways. Pumping into the bottom port and returning to the transmission via the top port. I did a drain and fill on the transmission fluid instead of a full flush and it drained out 4.5 quarts pretty much exactly. Used the Valvoline Dexron VI you recommended and it took under 5 quarts to refill. Timing was right to change the engine oil at the same time today as well so I plan to do another transmission drain and fill with the next engine oil change at 5k miles. Thanks Tim and Sean for all you guys do for the Toyota 4Runner community with your videos, they are such a valuable resource to refer to.
Good job getting it done Ash. Hopefully we can do some wheeling together this year.
My rig just hit 190k and many of the OEM parts are starting to fail(which is like all of them 😂). Your videos have been EXTREMELY helpful..... THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge, it has kept my A to B ship shape, Cheers
Campbell Morgan You're welcome. Happy to hear you're making good use of our videos. Thanks for taking the time to commemt. Happy Wrenching!
Are you aware of any third gen owners that have added an external transmission cooler with an auxiliary fan and kept temperatures in a reasonable range? I just rolled over 260k with original radiator yesterday, and I'm officially paranoid about the pink milkshake. Thanks for all the videos dudes
Yeah, there's guys who have added an electric fan to their trans cooler and have reported good results keeping their trans temps lower.
I have a friend with a 4th gen, who I will be helping with this process. Thank you for all your efforts and research! 👍
You're welcome and good luck with the job.
Thanks for another great video Tim. After running a bypassed trans cooler for 2 years I noticed it took a while for my trans to warm up and start shifting properly. With my new rad, I'm going to reroute to the series set up you show here. Its always a huge help to have someone walk you through it first. Thanks
You're welcome Bill. Running too cool is something people that chose to run a bypassed system maybe didn't realize would be a problem. The fear of a trans cooler failure (Pink Milkshake) in the radiator coupled with lots of people on Toyota forums touting that running a bypassed system is the way to go steered a lot of people in that direction. Even with my cooler that supposedly has a thermal bypass (the colder thicker fluid runs through a larger main passage straight through the cooler and doesn't enter the smaller cooling channels until the fluid warms up and thins out), I think I'm running a little cooler as well.
But, I think running an external cooler in-series is the best we can do for our transmissions if we're the type of people that drive mountain roads, drive long mountain passes on the freeway, tow, or go 4wheeling up steep trails. If your truck is just to putt around town, you don't need an external trans cooler to keep the temps down.
Don't forget to TURN OFF OVERDRIVE when climbing grades and you're going around 65 mph or less. Turning off overdrive locks up the torque converter and will drop your trans temps by 20+ degrees. And, if your year truck allows you to monitor trans temps ( If I'm remembering correctly, it's years 99-02 that allow you to monitor trans temps), you can use an OBD II reader with an app like Torque Pro to monitor different things if you have an Android phone. If you have Apple, you can also find OBD II readers and apps that will work too. Or, you can go with a Scan Gauge tool that hooks up to your OBD II port. Being able to monitor your trans temp is a huge help because even with an external cooler, having OD turned off, you can still spike your trans temps. I was driving 5 people in my truck this summer up a ridiculously steep and sustained mountain road that went for a couple miles to somebodies house to attend a wedding. It must have been at least a 15% grade. I almost pulled over to let my transmission cool when it hit 230 degrees but I kept on going a hit 240 by the time the road leveled out at the house. Since the road was so steep and little air was being pushed though the cooling fins of the trans cooler, the temperature continued to climb. That was by far the steepest and most sustained mountain road I've ever driven and it was with a full car load of people. If you can't monitor your trans temps because you have an older model 3rd Gen, you can always add a sensor and run it to an aftermarket gauge you mount somewhere in the driver side cabin.
Good luck with the job!
I just bought a 2001 4Runner and am planning on replacing the radiator. I intend to tow a small teardrop trailer (wet weight around 1000 lbs), but like to take it up unpaved mountain roads, mainly from April - Oktober. The transmission cooler is tempting, however I live in Montana and it's seriously cold for a good part of the year. Based on your experience, would you still recommend installing a transmission cooler? Any input is much appreciated. Thanks.
Timmy! Literally just finished replacing my radiator. Thank you very much.
You're welcome Clint. Good job gettin er done.
Tim, thanks so much for the great videos you provide to help the community! Your videos are by far the most precise and detailed (professional) videos that follow the highest standard when it comes to working on these trucks and cover all the work based on Factory Service manuals and attention to detail. I recently replaced my radiator on my 1999 4runner (200Kmiles) as preventive maintenance. I just replaced it with an OEM Toyota radiator, however I used the 3/8 inch cooler lines from Oriley and it was a tight fit to connect the hoses due to slight small diameter. I usually drain /flush my transmission fluid every 36K by disconnecting the transmission line from radiator , so I can flush and fill the entire transmission. With the new tight 3/8 inch line , it would be a little tough to remove without tearing the hose. I was thinking about just draining and filling the transmission 2 or 3 times , to be sure I get fresh fluid in the entire transmission. Just wanted to get your thoughts?
Great to hear you like the videos Sean and I are producing. Thanks for the kind words. For me, drain and refills are all I do. It's a dilution process (adding new fluid to old fluid) but it's very effective in my opinion. What I do with my rigs is perform and drain and refill every 10K miles. By introducing fresh fluid on a more regular basis, I've been able to keep my fluid in really good shape. I sent a sample of my fluid to Blackstone Laboratories and the report showed my fluid was in great shape.
You're idea of doing a succession of drain and refills would work fine. But, instead of waiting 36k miles to do several drain and refills back to back, maybe consider what I do with mine. I really like the idea of giving my transmission fresh fluid on a more regular basis.
I did the trans cooler mod Tim describes here. I totally agree with his reasoning for the series install and there are a few others online that support this. I have just replaced my radiator (it's cheap and easy) and that would be a much better way to avoid the pink milkshake (they last a while as mine was factory with over 250k on it and no pink milkshake). I really appreciated your info and all the torque specs Tim. Thought I'd throw in my two cents worth: Because my local parts store only carried the Haydens, I went with the 677 which I think measures 7.5 inches wide x 11 inches x 3/4 inch. These dimensions worked perfectly for my 96 4runner. I take it on pretty harsh roads and I was worried about the mount option with zip ties through the fragile condenser fins which are looking like they need some dental work. So, I wanted to mount it securely in front on a bracket. I tried to mock up something on the passengers side, but the A/C stuff was in the way. The advantage to mounting on passenger side is the direction that the line connects to the radiator ( it is a 90 degree elbow facing the passenger side and I don't think it is wise to twist it another 180 degrees) . I think that's why Tim and others mount on this side. But I went driver's side because there was room for a bracket mounting option. The top condenser mount worked perfectly to secure one corner. A few inches below that on the same side of the condenser frame there are two factory holes and one lined up perfectly with the Hayden mounting hole ( I just used a piece of 3/8 copper pipe as a spacer, a washer and a long nut and bolt to mount the cooler just about 1/2 way down its length in the same plane as the top condenser mount). So that was the driver's exterior side mounting done. I had a piece of about 3/4 inch right angle bracket left over from a garage door instal laying around. Turns out that by moving the horn to the hood latch bolt, there is just enough room fit this cooler in. The flat side of the bracket went under the mounting edge of the cooler. There is some careful measuring to get the holes aligned to the cooler mounts. I used a couple of 1/4 pop rivets to attach the angle bracket to the top and lower rad supports. Check grill clearance before doing anything permanent. Mine cleared easily. I had to drill a hole in the bracket to bolt the frame of the cooler to it. So, this angle bracket is fastened to the upper and lower rad support (hope that is the correct name), the cooler is bolted to it at the top and bottom, and it it is held securely by two bolts that actually lined up with the cooler mounting holes on the other side. 4 points holding it and it is very solid. I did get anal and paint the bracket black and used some rtv between the bracket and the rad support surfaces to stop water ingress and painted the back surfaces to stop any rust at the places I drilled and riveted. By the way, I left the bracket about an inch long at the bottom, notched it and bent it so that I could attach it to the lower rad support. There was just enough room between the bumper and condenser to get my drill and pop gun in there. Routing the lines took a little time. I had to make a gentle turn along the fan shroud through the passage (big opening just like the other side where A/C lines are routed) to the bottom nipple. I wrapped the lines with old heater hose and reinforced the curve in the line leaving the radiator with a pice of curved metal just so that the line never folds within the radius of the curve - probably overkill, but I was worried the transmission hose would become much more flexible with heat and that the line would kink. Everything is rock solid and works great. The reason for this: Something like 250,000 miles on the truck (which I love), want to keep it going as long as possible and I do creep up those steep off-road trails on very hot days and I've noticed the temperature gauge going up with the reduced airflow. I'm also wanting to tow a tiny trailer (less than 3000#). I think this mod is a great and inexpensive solution!
M A thanks for you comments and sharing your thoughts and experience! Sicmods Ma’
Thanks for another great video guys. I replaced my radiator, hoses, thermostat and drive belts today. My cooling system is like new thanks to you.
You're welcome Andrew and good job getting all the work done yourself. Great to hear our videos helped you out. Happy Wrenching!
I have a 1999 Toyota Hilux Surf with a 3L Diesel engine that have cooling problems. I hope to drive to Costa Rica in Oct so will update with your suggested cooling system. I will send the radiator out to have reconditioned and recharge the AC as well. Don’t really do any pulling and my gvW isn’t extremely high so think this will be enough to take care of the issue. Thanks for the great detailed video Tim, your a wealth of information for guys like me who like to be more “hands on”. Keep up the great work👍
You're very welcome Kevin. Hope the cooler install goes well.
Another great video for me to upgrade my 4runner. Thanks to your Video on the moon roof replacement mine is fully functional and no more leaks. I'll be doing this upgrade this weekend.
Glad you like the video Adam. Good luck with the job. Happy Wrenching!
I just installed a new radiator on my 3rd gen. I'm contemplating using the transmission cooler since now the radiator is new. I too have the B&M 70264. I'm not seeing any crazy high temperatures. Just want the most cooling possible. I also have an external 7 inch fan on a switch for off roading but that hasn't seemed to make any difference at all.
The transmission cooler is a nice addition. It will keep you trans temps around 20 degrees cooler and that could make a big difference when you're climbing sustained grades or 4wheeling. If you don't regularly travel in the mountains, maybe you don't need the cooler. I'm in the mountains quite a bit and keeping the trans temp down is important because heat is the biggest killer of automatic transmissions.
Great video! Very informative. Time stamps would be very helpful in the future! Keep em coming
Glad you like video John. Suggestion noted.
Great video! Research was on par I'm going to be doing this in my Honda pilot 2008 will be bypassing the radiator though, the cold is concerning because of where I live so I have opted to go for a thermal bypass cooler which will only let the transmission fluid pass through the radiator once 180° Fahrenheit is reached. Awesome video great information appreciate how you help so many people.
Glad you like the video Lucas. Good luck with the cooler install.
You bet keep up the great videos man, out of curiosity do you still have it hooked up the same way you did in the video?
@@lucasr5317 Yes, I still have it hooked up the same. I didn't change anything.
Finally got to put this video to use! Unfortunately because my rad decided to blow up on me... I installed it exactly like yours except the filter and top fill method (read your comments).
Thanks again for the great info!
It sounds like you caught the radiator failure quickly and didn't overheat the engine which is great. Now you'll be good to go for a long time and your trans temps will be happier.
Yah it was the weirdest thing. I drove to work and did didn't notice any steam or over heating. Went outside two hours later on my brake and noticed a bunch of fluid under my truck. Which I discovered came from a nice 10" crack in the top of my radiator. I was already planning on changing the thermostat because after getting the obd2 Bluetooth reader (thanks to you) I noticed my eng. temps were around 205-210. Now with new radiator and t-stat at six o'clock position (it was at the 12 o'clock) I'm at 192-194 avg.. The highest I saw was 198 after exiting the freeway and coming to a stop when it was 90° here in Fresno. But it quickly dropped after I started moving again.
Yeah, I've heard the radiators can fail like that since the top is made of plastic. That's great you fixed your high coolant temps. It's really strange how that little jiggle valve can have such an effect on the coolant temps.
The 198 temp does seem a little high even in 90 degree temps. The only time I see high 190's is when I'm pushing the rig up a grade. Even in hot temps, I don't usually see over 194 at a stop. Your fan clutch may be getting a little tired. Take a look at my fan clutch test and replacement video and see if yours is showing signs of failing. At a stop and your engine is hot, you're relying on your fan clutch to be engaged to pull air through the AC condenser and Engine radiator. If it's not engaging well, the amount of air you'll be pulling through will be diminished and thus you'll get less cooling from the air running through the cooling fins.
How many miles do you have on your rig? Maybe it's time for a new fan clutch as well. The fan clutch will run you around $80 from Rock Auto and it's pretty easy to replace.
Yah it's probably time to change it. I have 196k on my runner that I bought almost 2 months ago. I have watched your fan clutch video (actually I've watched all of them) and tested mine a lil while back. It passed all of the test but it's still worth doing for only $80. Since I got it, I've changed all the fluids, grease points, and now this. Next will be fan clutch and spark plugs. I'm hoping to get more than the 16 mpg I'm getting right now.
Great video Tim - was surprised at 46:24 about the jiggle valve on tstat. I was under impression those always faced up where air could get through but yours being at 3 o'clock and the manual saying opposite of what I would have thought had me scratching my head especially since I am doing my Tstat this weekend on my V6 2004 Highlander. Again that's for the video great job on the external cooler.
You're right about the thermostat. Having the jiggle valve pointing upward does make the most sense but I can say without a doubt the right way is having the jiggle valve pointing downward at the 6 o'clock position. It makes at least a 10 degree difference in your coolant temperature. Glad you like the video. Happy Wrenching!
Timmy The Toolman - after looking more into it it’s position is definitely vehicle specific. There is no universal apparently. This obviously depends on it (thermostat) mounting position etc. but I have definitely seen references to 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock (yours), 10 o’clock etc. one even had some position plus or minus 30 degrees. So I guess the lesson is to check your vehicle and ensure you put it on correctly. In absence of that - mine has never been changed so when I do mine this weekend I will definitely note the original installed position. Thanks again Timmy.
@@condor5635 I actually don't think all the thermostats were installed with the jiggle valve at the 6 o'clock position from the factory. I don't think the people building the engines got the memo from the engineers. But, the FSM clearly states to put it at the 6 o'clock position. Until I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn't believe how much that jiggle valve position can have on the coolant temp. It makes a big difference.
@@TimmyTheToolman From logical thinking, I personally think if the thermostat is at the outlet of the engine then the jiggle valve should point at 12 o'clock so the air won't trap inside. If the thermostat is at the bottom (inlet) of the engine just like yours Toyota, placing the jiggle valve 6 o'clock can act as a safety feature so let little coolant by pass in case the thermostat fail to open. Since air is lighter than water, the air will flow out to the top of the engine and flow out the coolant outlet hose, if won't pass through the thermostat jiggle valve if the thermostat is a bottom (coolant hose inlet).
Anyway just my personal opinion, no real scientific details on my explanation. and I like your video. Learn a lot on those videos.
@@andrew39454 Hey Vincent, I absolutely understand your logic and don't understand how the jiggle pointing downwards makes the coolant temp drop around 10 degrees but I've personally seen it work many times and it's also been reported by tons of others on Toyota forums. It just works. When people report coolant temps that are about 10 degrees hotter than normal, the first thing I suggest is checking the jiggle valve position.
whenever I do an oil change or need to dispose of any chemicals I always use my neighbors yards :} welcome to the grove.
You must be really popular in your hood.
Tim always coming in clutch! Thanks for the great video and insight
You're welcome Garrett. You're smart to add a trans cooler especially if you drive in the mountains, tow or go 4wheeling. Heat is the big killer of auto transmissions so whatever you can do to not overheat your trans is a very good thing. Also, I highly recommend monitoring your temps via either a Bluetooth reader sending info to a phone app like Torque Pro (Android only) or you get yourself a Scan Gauge tool. If you have a 96-98 3rd Gen, you'll then have to do what I did and add an aftermarket gauge because the ECU doesn't offer trans temp info for the earlier years. Only the 99-02 models offer trans temp info via the OBDII port. Here's a link to the video I made installing the aftermarket gauge on my 98 3rd Gen in case you need it. ruclips.net/video/fT_2szdKXRM/видео.html
great detail, this will be handy in the future. Thanks!
You may have answered this before but I just logged on.
Anyway, in the beginning of the video you said, "the blue tooth accessible adapter" allowed you to monitor the transmission fluid temperatures.
I'd like this accessory if you have to model number...
I figure it's a necessity in my case
Here's the OBD II Reader I bought from Amazon:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
In addition to the OBD II reader, I suggest buying this as well:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UR5XBMW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The OBD II reader continues to draw power even when the truck is off. If you let the truck sit long enough with the reader connected, it could drain the battery. This extender with the on/off switch allows you to keep it connected and turn it off when you don't have the truck running. It also gets the reader away from your right foot which can sometimes hit the reader if you're not careful because it hangs down. Also, gravity is working against you and the reader will want to pop out on rough roads or trails. I connected this extender to the port, zip tied the excess cable and put the reader in the slot under the ashtray. I put velcro on the reader and space under the ashtray and affixed it there so it wouldn't flop around. i can take a picture of how I installed it in my truck if you give me your email address.
It is possible to get two Tru-Cool 4589's to fit. You have to cut the center bar a bit and bend the horn mounts. I cannot use the two bottom grill mounts because of the oil cooler hoses. These are the 1.5x8x11beasts. I used the zip ties but mounted to condenser only.
You won't know until you try. I've never tried to fit two coolers but I have seen some pics of guys that have. I just don't remember what size coolers they used.
They fit and you can use the zip tie technique. I can't see anyone fitting 2 11x11's in there unless they use the metal brackets for mounting due to the condenser mounts. The side of one cooler (holes for mounting) is overlapping the second cooler in the center.
i like the idea of an external trans filter that can be easily replaced however concerned that i might change the oil flow rate.
That was also a consideration I had as well, but after reading about people who have been using them for quite a while on their 3rd Gen 4runners as well as other vehicles with no issues, I figured it was a pretty safe modification to do. Where I think people will get into trouble is forgetting to replace it on a regular basis and it gets clogged but supposedly the filter has a safety bypass to prevent reduced flow and cause the trans to be starved of fluid. I have decided on a drain and refill of the pan of my auto trans every 10,000 miles to keep my fluid in good shape and I plan on renewing the Magnefine filter at the same time.
Here's a link to some FAQ for Magnefine transmission filters:
www.emergingent.com/magnefine/faq.htm
Timmy The Toolman ..used the same filter in my FJ cooler installation
Timmy -
Installed a new radiator, hoses, and thermostat thanks to the help of your video! One thing to note for 3RZ-FE (4cyl/ 2.7L) 4Runner owners I believe the jiggle valve is suppose to be the 12 o’clock position. The best reference for this was workshop-manuals.com/toyota/tacoma_prerunner/l4-2.7l_(3rz-fe)/engine_cooling_and_exhaust/cooling_system/thermostat_engine_cooling/component_information/specifications/page_1368/ Thanks for another great video!
Hey Erik, glad our video helped you out. I don't know much about the 3RZ motors. Thanks for sharing this info and the link to the manuals.
Yup, no problem! Hoping it will help 3RZ'rs out there who are doing this project.
I was curious when you are putting in the transmission cooler wouldn't it be better to route the hoses to and from the transmission cooler and then to the radiator? That way the fluid has already been cooled before going into the radiator which may help prevent the pink milkshake. Thanks for the videos they are super helpful.
People have routed it that way but I don't know how much of a difference it would make. What I do know is it won't prevent a trans cooler failure and resulting mixing of the ATF and coolant if you keep the cooler in the radiator as part of the cooling system for the ATF. For anyone who wants to completely avoid a pink milkshake, they have to bypass the trans cooler in the radiator completely.
There's a lot of confusion on the installation of a Toyota engine coolant thermostat and the orientation of the thermostat's jiggle valve that Toyota mechanics get it wrong too. For engines (5VZ-FE) the thermostat's jiggle valve is to be installed in the DOWNWARD position (6 O'Clock) per the repair manual. For engines (2RZ-FE and 3RZ-FE), the thermostat jiggle valve is installed in the 12 O'Clock position and maybe set 15 degrees of either direction from the prescribed 12 O'Clock position per the factory repair manual.
Yep, good info. For the 5VZ-FE engines, people ask all the time, "Are you sure the jiggle valve points downward at the 6 o'clock position." I first take a deep breath and type out a polite response. I almost want them to see their coolant temps go higher after replacing their thermostat just so they can see it with their own eyes. I think even though I tell people I wouldn't steer them wrong and I've seen the difference in coolant temps with my own eyes, they still resist believing me. It's like, why did I make the video in the first place. Either believe me or don't. It's pretty much wasting my time to answer this question over and over again but I always do.
TtT, your videos are top shelf! I'm getting back in to wrenching in my retirement and your videos are great! Question:. I have the OBD II reader and OBD Fusion app for iPhone, there seems to be something else required to get the Trans temp(s) to be accessible and show? Did you have to program for a 2001 4R to get it? Thanks very much!
Hey Donald, we're happy to hear you like our videos and welcome back to the World of Wrenching. I unfortunately only have experience with Android phones and apps. But, I remember reading this thread on T4R.org and hopefully it helps you out: www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/264422-iphone-users-obd2-app-transmission-temps.html Happy Wrenching!
I saw this warranty notice from a transmission supply dealer:
Remanufactured Transmission:
Cooler Must Be Replaced And Not Ran In Series With Old System.
Flushing Is Not Acceptable.
Warranty Will Be Void If Cooler Is Not Replaced.
Seems like a strong case, for some reason, not to run radiators in series?
Also:
1. What does my 2001 owner's manual mean by (drain and fill) up to 2.1 quarts?
2. Why is the transmission's full capacity not provided? Isn't it around 11 quarts?
3. If I intend to drop the pan, change the filter/strainer, would I get same result as a drain? 2.0 quarts?
4. Is a flush the only way to completely change out the old transmission oil? Why was flushing not acceptable to dealer?
The warranty thing is about running an old cooler with the remanufactured transmission. If you have a stock system, this means they want you to replace the radiator which houses the stock trans cooler. If you are also running an external cooler, you should replace it as well. The reason is, there could be trapped metal debris in the coolers and they don't want that debris to end up in the transmission causing issues.
1) The manual is wrong. You normally get around 4-4.5 quarts out on a drain and refill provided the transmission was properly filled in the first place.
2) Don't know why the manual doesn't state the full system capacity. It's around 12 quarts.
3) If you drop the pan and replace the filter, you will get out around 6 quarts.
4) You can effectively renew the system by doing a flush or by doing a series of drain and refills. Drain and refills are a dilution process but they can be very effective to get the fluid in good shape. Dealers do auto trans flushes or more accurately fluid exchanges. Abnormal pressure is not exerted on the system and it's perfectly safe.
Just so you know, not many RUclipsrs would take the time to answer this barrage of questions. Hope you appreciate the difference between us and most other automotive channels.
Great video! I have somewhat of a related question ...Lately, I have had some hard shifting on the truck, and ended with a tranny flush at the dealership. Did not help much... The funny issue with this is that the hard shift occurs after the engine is warmed up enough about few miles of driving. In other words, the shifting is smooth on a cold engine. ANd so I did a coolant flush/burped, but still the problem of the transmission shift exists. What is the deal...would appreciate some pointers. THanks in advance.
That's interesting. Usually hard shifting is common when the fluid is cold and smooths out when the fluid warms up. If you're sure the fluid level is right, I don't know what the next step would be. I have two 3rd Gen 4runners and they shift very different than each other. My 98 shifts pretty smooth but my 00 has fairly hard shifts. I take very good care of my auto transmissions and keep the fluid in really good shape. If there's a reputable transmission shop in your area with good reviews, it might be worthwhile to pay an hours labor to see what they say. I wish I could be more help to you but I'm not in the least an expert on transmissions and what would be the likely culprit to hard shifting. If it was doing it with just one gear, I would say drop the pan and try replacing the shift solenoid. But, if it's doing it in all gears, it's not likely all the solenoids would go bad at the same time. Whatever you figure out, please let me know so I can learn as well about it. Good Luck!
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for your quick response. Yes, the hard shift happens in the first/second gear when you are pulling from a stop light. So far, I have changed the plugs, TPS, fuel filter, and cleaned the throttle body couple times. But I will try cleaning the MAF sensor, and might look up info on the shift solenoid (which I had brought up at the dealership and a transmission shop). Both of them did not help much other than say to keep driving... the transmission shop was unable to recreate the problem. I am stumped, and I will keep you informed if I get to resolve this.
Thank you so much. I am watching all of your great videos.
You're welcome. Glad you're liking what we're doing.
Awesome video keep it up
!!!!!!🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙
Glad you like it Luke.
my lines failed with my internal cooler, it's not fun, i have to replace everything and possibly and new trans
Tim will this be the same install on a 98 tacoma 2wd? Great video
Yes it would Juan.
Thanks so much for your videos, Timmy. They are all so good. Greatly appreciated.
I do have a question...do you start the truck up with the radiator cap off to allow the thermostat to open and then fill? Or do you run it with the cap on, let it warm up and then cool all the way back down to then add cooolant?
I don't want any air bubbles/pockets.
Glad you're finding our videos helpful. For the burping of the cooling system, run the engine with the radiator cap off. It helps to have the front of the rig higher than the rear because air rises. Have you heater controls front and rear (if you have a rear heater) all the way hot with the fan off. This will get the coolant to flow through the heating system and push air out as well. A Lisle Spill-Free Funnel is also helpful. Here's a link: amzn.to/2SnrPFV
I may be misinterpreting, but are you still using the radiator as part of the transmission fluid system?
Transmission > radiator > Magnefine filter > Aux Transmission cooler > Back to transmission?
I thought you'd completely disregard routing anything into the radiator due to pink milk shake?
Wouldn't it be
Transmission > Mangefine Filter > Aux transmission cooler > Back to transmission?
Some people choose to run it in-line like we did, and some choose to bypass the radiator altogether to avoid the potential for the pink milkshake. With that said, as long as you replace the radiator like a wear item (ie ball joints), you shouldn’t experience the pink milk shake. People that have had the pink milkshake must have had an extremely old radiator that broke internally, an aftermarket POS, or just simply never check the fluids on their rig.
@@TimmyTheToolman Gotcha gotcha, thanks for the info man! I appreciate it! My radiator recently cracked so been taking notes and diving through your videos to help as I embark on replacing. Thanks so much!
Weird my toyota service manual says jiggle valve has to be within 15 degrees of the 12 o clock position when installed. And yours says 6 o clock. Facing downward. I have a 97 3rd gen, 3.4 liter 4wd.
That's weird Alex. The manuals I've read say to put it at the 6 o'clock position. And, I know from personal experience that the 6 o'clock position allows the engine to run cooler so trust me on this.
Timmy,
Would it be easier to install the thermostat before you put the radiator/shroud back on for more room or are they not in the way?
Yeah, you could certainly do that. The thermostat really isn't something hard to get to but having the radiator and shroud out of the way would give you more room to work.
@@TimmyTheToolman thanks...awesome work as always!
Hello all,
I know this topic has been discussed at length, but I haven't found anything of substance from the last few years and wanted to see if any opinions have changed. Since it seems the old YZZAJ radiators are no longer available, does anyone have a better option than the AZ011? I am doing the external cooler mod, as well as the trans temp gauge mod, so I figure now's the time to do the radiator as well. I've heard people having durability issues with the larger Champion 3-row, which is besides the fact that I have aftermarket skids which may make fitment impossible at the bottom of the rad. I plan on running the cooler inline with the rad so I want to make sure I get the best one (within $ reason). Has anyone had a problem with the AZ011? Is it worth looking at Denso or Nissens? Seems like finding a proper Japanese made one is out of the question these days. Any opinions are appreciated.
Side note for Timmy...the URL in the notes for the trans cooler isn't Amazon stock. Not sure if that messes with your Amazon Associate benefits. Amazon stock link below if you want it.
www.amazon.com/dp/B000CIIDZE/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_08DAN30D9CD5J9AE8T7M
Thanks
We don't know of a better option. I got the YZZAJ for my 2000 many years ago and that was basically a carbon copy of the OEM one. I got the AZ011 for my 1998 and I could tell it looked a little more cheaply built. I have been running the AZ011 for a few years and around 20k miles with no issues so far.
Thanks for the link. I don't know if it matters whether of not it's Amazon stock or not.
Thanks for your informative & well detailed video. Glad to have found your website. I'm now a new subscriber. I have a 2001 Tundra 4.7 V8 not a 4x4. My radiator is constantly running at full blast even when I just start the engine on a cold day. And also loose radiator fluid. I don't think it's my clutch. I saw your other video on how to diagnose it. Could it be my Engine Coolant Temp Sensor? If so could you please make a video on how to replace it? Or if you have any other idea of what the cause would be. Thanks again!!
Hey Arnold, I'm not exactly following you when you say your radiator is constantly running at full blast. What do you mean by that?
When you say you're losing coolant, is it leaking to the ground somewhere or just disappearing?
Temperature sensors can go bad but I don't think this is what your problem is.
Timmy The Toolman Sorry, I was talking about my radiator fan.
Timmy The Toolman I see the coolant on the skid plate under the reservoir.
Well, you're reservoir tank could have a leak, the overflow tube from the radiator to the overflow bottle could have sprung a leak or possibly your lower radiator hose is leaking either at one of the connections or the hose itself has sprung a leak. I'd take off the front skid plate and have a better look.
Is your reservoir tank overfilled and possibly spilling over through the cap or is it at the proper level based off the temperature of the engine, at the cold line when cold and the hot line when hot?
Timmy The Toolman I normally keep the reservoir level between cold and hot line. I'll take off the plate to get a better look underneath while it running. Is the fan supposed to be constantly spinning when the engine is running? Or is it supposed to stop after the engine cools down? Thanks again for your help
Another great video. If I want to switch to Toyota red (I have some green coolant right now) would I just need to do a flush with distilled water a few times before replacing the radiator?
Thanks Mike. Yes, you would want to thoroughly flush the green coolant out to switch over to Toyota Red. This video will help you out: ruclips.net/video/oQsxmi-CNng/видео.html
Maybe change the thermostat while the radiator is still out. Just a thought, to get a little more room to reach it.
It might help a little but getting to the thermostat is not hard at all and pretty straight forward. I had more trouble making sure I was able to video at the correct angles so the footage would be clear than actually getting to the nuts that hold that neck the thermostat sits behind.
Did you ever change to bypassing the radiator cooler to avoid pink milkshake, or do you still have it in line?
Still have it in-line.
Thanks, Tim. Immediately observed ~20° cooler. Couldn’t even get it past 175° on the freeway while giving it the heat!
@@DrewTimelapse You're welcome.
The way the transmission cooler is routed still uses the factory radiator from what I can see. This still leaves you vulnerable to the pink milkshake I keep reading about. Is that true or am I not understanding something? Thanks and good video of all the steps.
Yes, you are correct. I ran the external cooler in series with the stock cooler in the radiator. I go into great detail why I chose this route over completely bypassing the stock cooler.
My opinion is the "Pink Milkshake" issue is overblown. There are millions of vehicles on the road that have the trans cooler inside the radiator. If it were such a common problem, you think you'd hear about it more. Being on forums can be great for all the information that is shared but I also think it gives us a skewed view of how prevalent a certain problem is. Somebody posts about the pink milkshake happening to them and then everybody and their brother runs out to buy an external cooler and bypass the stock cooler.
There are definite disadvantages to bypassing. One is you don't get as effective cooling as you would if you would have run the external cooler in series. If you drive in the mountains, tow, go 4 wheeling up up steep grades, you run the risk of hitting high trans temps which will shorten the life of your ATF and ultimately the life of your trans. Two, when driving in cold temps, you lose the advantage the stock cooler offers by heating up the trans fluid quicker. Because the trans cooler is bathed in the radiator coolant that's running around 190 degrees F, it does transfer heat to the ATF via conduction. How much heat transfer occurs, I don't know, but it has to be helping a little bit. ATF has an optimum operating temperature range, and from what I've read, it's around 150 - 175 degrees. I regularly run cooler than this with my setup, especially on the highway in cooler temps, but I figured heat was more of my enemy than cold. The B&M cooler I have supposedly has a thermal bypass that doesn't allow the colder thicker ATF to run through the cooling fins until it reaches a higher temp, but how well that bypass works, I don't know. I guess the cooling channels are small, and when the fluid is thicker, it won't route down them until it warms up and thins out. At least that's my best guess.
Companies that sell trans coolers never recommend to bypass the stock cooler and they especially advise against it to people who live in cold climates.
So, do you own research on this, but I felt for me, replacing the radiator as preventative maintenance and adding an external cooler to help keep my trans temp down was the way to go. **Don't forget, one of the best ways to keep your trans temps down is to TURN OFF the OVERDRIVE when climbing grades and your speed is not too fast, around 60mph. Turning off the overdrive will drop your trans temps by 20 degrees or more.
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Thanks for the response. I agree with you on forums. Great wealth of information but things can be overblown. Just hard to see the lines of what to take with a grain of salt at times.
On a related or not so related note, your thoughts on the lower ball joint replacement? I just ordered a new set of OEMs from your other video on replacing them. Recently acquired a 2001 sr5 4wd with 218k. Looking to do some preventative maintenance.
I'm also in the bay area, maybe we will cross paths someday. Thanks for the videos, they're very helpful.
Definitely replace the LBJ. Is the LBJ problem overblown too? Yeah, I think so but I figured It's good insurance and they aren't that expensive. Check out my 30,000 Mile Service video for some preventative maintenance tips. I go through replacing all the fluids, greasing the drive shafts and inspecting the brakes.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Great video, as usual! Just completed this (missed your Hayden video til I was done with this one - oh well!), went great and getting very good temps. One question, does installing one of these raise the amount of ATF you need to hit the "HOT" mark on the dipstick? The ATF level on the dipstick is coming in between the HOT and COLD marks, even though I've already added a little over 5 quarts, and of course now I'm scared to add more! (also no leaks apparent) I can't tell how much of this is due to residual fluid in lines vs. longer lines leading to the ext. cooler vs. needing more due to the ext. cooler...thoughts? Is there any way the dipstick reading can be "thrown off" by an ext. cooler? Thanks again!
Yes, it raises the amount of fluid needed due to the longer rubber lines and the size of the cooler. Take your rig for a good drive, around 10 miles, 5 miles out and 5 miles back on the highway. While driving, do some hard accelerations to get the transmission to kickdown. By the time you get back home and on level ground, your transmission will be up to operating temp. Check the fluid level immediately and top it off to top hot mark on the dipstick. With these transmissions, you can be a little high or a little low. You just don't want to be way overfilled or way underfilled.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks a lot! All set now - got it all filled up, and I'm seeing great temps from the new cooler. Thank you again, you guys are heroes!
@@kaicarpenter240 You're very welcome. Good job getting the install done and great to hear your temps are looking good. Happy Wrenching!
Is it necessary to do a coolant flush when I do this? the current fluid still looks good and clean and I plan on using the same type of coolant when i fill the new radiator.
No, it's not necessary to flush the whole system. Just top it off with the same coolant and burp the system of air. If you're not sure how to properly burp the system, check out our coolant flush video. ruclips.net/video/oQsxmi-CNng/видео.html
Another great informative video. Tim do you have any idea where I can purchase a service manual on a 3rd Gen 4Runner? Thanks!
Hey Shane, do a search on Ebay for your year. You'll most likely find sets for sale. That's where I've bought all my manuals.
@@TimmyTheToolman thanks so much. Will do. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
From all that I've read the external cooler is to avoid the pink milkshake, not to just assist with the cooling of the trans fluid. I know you briefly addressed it, but by putting it in series you still risk the pink milkshake, why risk a $2000 transmission by leaving it in the mix?
You have to understand that the pink milkshake is something that is not as common as the Toyota forums make you think it is. The transmission cooler in the radiator is a super common design used by tons of automobile manufacturers. If it was such a horrible design and common failure point, you'd think they'd change the design and you think you'd hear about these failures more often across many automobile manufacturers.
The history of external transmission coolers is to assist the cooling of the transmission fluid, usually for vehicles that tow. It's part of the "tow package" for many automobile manufacturers.
So, the real reason for external transmission coolers is to ASSIST In cooling the transmission fluid and NOT to REPLACE the OEM transmission cooler in the radiator. Many people who frequent Toyota forums have bought into the fear of the pink milkshake and that's the route they felt was the best choice for them. I did a ton of research and looked at the pros and cons to bypass and decided to run my cooler in-series rather than bypass. Bypassing is not the end-all be-all solution because it definitely has it CONS. Do yourself a favor and do more research before you decide which way is the best for how you use your rig.
Good points. And by replacing the radiator you further reduce the possibility of that breach happening due to internal corrosion in the first place.
@@luphinus Yep, that's why I replaced the radiator. A little insurance because of the amount of years on the radiator. I wanted to reduce the risk of a radiator leak leaving me stranded somewhere and reduce the risk of a trans cooler failure. It's really hard not to buy into the pink milkshake fear and at some level I did. But, I've owned a couple other vehicles with trans coolers in the radiator and I put a ton of miles on both of them. 240,000 miles on a Honda Accord and 330,000 miles on a Subaru Outback. The Honda still had the original radiator and the Subaru radiator sprung a leak at around 300k.
TTT - Any feedback on Sea Foam "Hydra Trans Tune" ? Auto trans is slipping and Sea Foam makes some great products. Or a good rebuilder in case I need a rebuilt ? Thanks again, especially today on Turkey Day.
I've never used that Sea Foam product. IPT Performance in New Jersey is suppose to be good at rebuilding transmissions, but unless you live in New Jersey, you'll have to ship it and wait for it to be rebuilt and sent back to you. Your rig could be down for a few weeks.
Can you make a video explaining how to engage the 4WD, also low and high? Please
I don't if a video for this is really necessary. I could explain it right here.
Going from 2Hi (normal driving) to 4Hi, you can do this supposedly at speeds up to 50 mph according to the manual but I don't personally do this. I'll shift into 4Hi at a slow speed, 15 mph or less. Same goes for shifting from 4Hi to 2Hi. The shifting from 2Hi to 4Hi and back depends on the year and model you have. Some require an actual shift of the handle while others are a simple push button on the side of the transfer case shift lever.
When shifting the transfer case from 4Hi to 4Lo, come to a complete stop and put your transmission in neutral. If you have a manual transmission, put the gear shift in neutral and depress the clutch. Now, with one smooth motion, shift it into the 4Lo. If you do it really slowly and gingerly, I find the gears grind a little so do it smooth and fairly quick. Once it's in 4Lo, you can shift the transmission into a drive gear and get moving. When shifting from 4Lo to 4Hi, it's the same thing. Stop your rig, shift the trans into neutral and then shift the transfer case into 4Hi.
If you have any questions, ask away.
The things is today i went to buy an automatic 2001 4 Runner Sr5 AWD. I don't know how that shifting works. I couldn't figured it out. I asked the owner of the vehicle and he wasn't sure about it either. I engaged the AWD button and the truck went backwards. That was weird to me.
Here's a link to a Toyota forum thread that explains all the different types of transfer cases on the 3rd Gen models and years and how to shift them:
www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/78448-t-case-differences-all-years-3rd-gens-transfer-case-awd-multi-mode.html
I have coolant leak after oem thermostat and gasket replacement when turning on car. Any ideas why?
I'd bet the o-ring unseated on the lip during install, given that its coming from the shroud housing and not around the rad hose you had to disconnect at the bottom (feed line to the block). If near the hose connection, try securing the hose and pushing it further onto the neck.
Kinda off topic, any thoughts on removing clutch fan and installing electric fan(s)? I know removing clutch fan would free up some horsepower and just make 4Runner quieter. Ive been wanting to do but not much info or vids on this type of mod for these 3rd gens.
The only person I know that's installed electric fans in place of the fan clutch is our friend Mikey but that was out of necessity for his V8 swap. His friend Wes fabricated a shroud that held two electric fans.
We don't have any plans for this modification on a 3.4 Liter V6. But, maybe one day we will do it.
Thanks for this video. This video is giving me the confidence I need to do a radiator swap myself. and save money.I appriciate the video. did burb the system of air?
My local mechanic who seems like a great guy, wants 120. I think I do this myself (just the radiator) in 2-3 hours. The skid plate only has 2 bolts on it so cant be too hard to takeit out =P.
+Bardia Ghajari I've heard of people talking about burping the system of air but I have no clue what they are talking about. I drain the coolant out of the radiator, pour out the coolant out of the reservoir and refill both. I start the engine, let it get warm enough that the thermostat opens up and I add more. After I drive it a bit, the level in the reservoir usually drops a little and I top if off to the full line.
Thanks for incredibly helpful videos! I am using this video to help with replacing my rad (and adding a cooler). Do you think this will help extend the life of my automatic transmission? I'm at 215k and know I am not supposed to start doing flushes now with all the gunk that is probably in there.
Lauren Canary Yes, it will help. Heat is the big killer of automatic transmissions. An external cooler can help keep your temps down some. It’s also a very good idea to monitor your trans temp so you know when it’s getting really hot. If I get up to 230 degrees, that’s when I start to think about stopping and letting my trans cool down. Even with an external cooler, you can hit very high temps when climbing steep sustained grades or maybe when towing.
Thanks Timmy. I'll look at getting the OBD monitor you have. It would be great for peace of mind.
Lauren Canary Also look at that video I did about turning Overdrive off in certain driving conditions. It can make a big difference in your trans temps.
Timmy, you said about @5:35 in you will run a line in series so it warms up the oil, isn't this just how stock is anyway? Are you not risking the oil line corroding?
You have two choices with your external trans cooler. You can bypass the radiator cooler altogether because you're one of the ones worried about a trans cooler failure and you want to avoid the aftermath of what that failure causes (Pink Milkshake). Or, you do what I did and run the cooler in-series with the stock trans cooler to gain the extra cooling but still benefit from the heating capability of the ATF as it runs through the radiator cooler. The only way I believe you're risking the oil cooler corroding is you don't take care of your coolant by doing renewals at recommended intervals and you let it get in bad shape. Now, the trans cooler could crack inside the radiator but it's my belief this is more rare than you think. Because somebody reports it on a forum, people think it happens a lot and then panic and bypass the radiator cooler from that fear. I chose to just renew my radiator as preventative maintenance to limit my chances even more for a cooler failure. Radiators do fail and sometimes fail pretty spectacularly when the upper plastic section pretty much explodes. Radiators are something that I consider a preventative maintenance item to replace. I think every 100k miles is about right.
@Jim C Yep, the forums lead people to believe everybody and their brother has had it happen to them. It's a pretty rare occurrence but it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the radiator at a certain interval like every 100k miles for preventative maintenance. Radiators can spring a leak and fail dramatically if the top plastic cracks which would leave you stranded wherever it happens.
How did the Taiwan radiator hold on ? 😮
It's still holding on.
@@TimmyTheToolman you doing good ?
@@billythomas4527 Yeah, I'm doing great. How about you?
So I was able to install the external cooler and replace the thermostat. But now it is leaking where the thermostat housing is, could I have not tightened down the 3 bolts correctly or maybe my thermostat is misaligned? Everything else is fine with no leaks.
Did you use a new thermostat gasket? Did you make sure you cleaned up both mating surfaces - the surface of the water neck and the surface of the water pump. Corrosion can build up on both and I remember spending some time scraping and sanding down the surfaces to ensure a good seal with the new gasket.
@@TimmyTheToolman yea, I replaced the 3 housing bolts, thermostat gasket and thermostat. It is a steady drip that turns into a flow once the car has been running for a couple minutes. I’m not sure what else to do lol. I feel like I might have to replace the water pump now.
@@ky09 Wow, it's been 5 months. If you've cleaned up both mating surfaces of all corrosion and it still leaks, you could use some RTV around the seal as a last ditch effort before replacing the water pump and/or water neck.
@@TimmyTheToolman yea I stopped working on it once winter hit. It makes me feel like I should’ve never touched the thermostat, but I was like hey I’ll just change it since I’m doing the serpentine belts lol smh. But I will take another look at everything. Thanks Tim.
@@ky09 Hopefully you can get it to stop leaking.
What app do you use to monitor your trans temp? I have the same obd2 scanner and use the "Piston" app. On that specific app the only things I can monitor is rpm, engine temp, speed, and CEL codes.
I use Torque Pro but it only works with Android phones. Also, if you have a 1996 - 1998 4runner, you can't pull trans temp info from the ECU. It's not provided. You have to install an aftermarket trans temp gauge. ruclips.net/video/fT_2szdKXRM/видео.html If you have a 1999 - 2002 4runner, you can get trans temp info via the OBD II port.
If you check out the video description, I provide links to the OBD II reader I use and also provide a link to a switch I use with it so I can keep the OBD II reader connected all the time and don't have to worry about the power it draws from the battery. The reader draws a small amount of power even when the ignition is turned off. So, if you leave the vehicle parked long enough, it will completely drain your battery. With the on/off switch, you can disconnect power to the reader and not have to worry about draining your battery if the vehicle sometimes sits for a long time.
Hey Timmy, do you recommend bypassing the transmission if im not going to be towing? And what is the best way to monitor trans temp for a 97 4runner 4x4.
It's not just towing that can get your transmission fluid really hot. Driving in the mountains does it really well too, especially if you have a bunch of people in the rig or are loaded down with gear. I'm not deathly afraid of the pink milkshake possibility so I'd never recommend bypassing. Yes, the pink milkshake can happen but it's not as common as you would think. When you frequent forums, problems with these rigs seem worse than they actually are. The transmission cooler in the radiator for vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission is VERY common. If transmission cooler failures were such a major problem, you'd think you'd hear about it more and the automotive engineers would stop using this design.
I currently use an OBD II Bluetooth reader that sends information to my Android phone via the Torque Pro App for my 2000 and 1998 4runners. Unfortunately for years 1996-1998, accessing trans temp info is not available via the OBD II port. The only thing the 96-98 models have is an idiot light on the dash that lights up when you hit a trans temp of 300 degrees. At 300 degrees, your transmission fluid is cooked and it's basically telling you to stop and get your vehicle towed home or to a shop.
If you want to monitor your trans temp, you have to install an in-line temperature sensor in one of your transmission cooler lines and run that to an aftermarket gauge you wire and install in your rig. I now have a 98 4runner and I plan on installing one very soon. So, stay tuned for that video.
Hi Timmy. I don't tow or drive in hard conditions. I live in upstate NY and the temperatures are cold. My mechanic told me I don't need to install an external nor in-line transmission cooler since I don't drive in hard conditions. I would truly appreciate your professional opinion on this matter? Thank you
Well, I guess it depends on what somebody considers hard conditions. I can drive a 7 mile mountain road near my house that gains approximately 2000 ft of elevation change and hit a trans temp of 200 degrees Fahrenheit with an external trans cooler, Without the external cooler, I'd be hitting 220 or more. If you're mostly staying in colder temps and don't drive much in the mountains, I'd say you don't need an external trans cooler. If you regularly take trips into the mountains, especially in the summer time, a trans cooler might not be a bad idea.
The main killer of automatic transmissions is heat. Running too cold isn't exactly great for your transmission either but the coolers have a thermal bypass where the thicker colder fluid will flow directly through the cooler and not into the smaller cooling channels until the temperature of the fluid rises and thins out.
Ideally, you're monitoring your trans temps. Knowing what temps your hitting in different driving conditions will help you decide whether an external trans cooler is the right decision.
Thank you so much. It is fairly flat around here. We do have mountains around but i would not be driving there regularly. I appreciate your advise!!
What's the point of running this in series if you can still have a pink milkshake occur? For me that's the whole reason I'd run a separate transmission cooler. And if it doesn't properly cool, then I really don't see the point of doing this.
the key is to treat replacing the radiator like a lower ball joint (preventative maintenance). it's not a lifetime part & should be replaced more often than people think. It's the radiator failing internally that causes the pink milkshake & between the 2 of us, we have 7 3rd gens that have never had a pink milkshake. Monitor your transmission temperatures & inspect your rig on a regular basis. The pink milkshake isn't as common as some people think. But you are correct, if the radiator fails, the trans cooler in-line does nothing to prevent coolant & transmission fluid from mixing.
What vehicle is he working on??
Gerald, I guess it's not obvious but there's a video description to every video on RUclips. Maybe some RUclipsrs don't put much helpful information in their video descriptions but we do. You'll find all kinds of helpful information like a description of the job we're doing, the type of vehicle we're working on, parts links, tool links, torque values and updates to the video. We also sometimes provide important and helpful information in a pinned comment. A pinned comment is the first comment you'll see. So, when it comes to our videos, please read the video descriptions and pinned comments because quite often your question could be answered by reading them and also watching the video in it's entirety.
Thanks for posting this video! Quick question. Will this work for a 2017 Tacoma with 3.5L V6 and tow package installed?
If you have the tow package, Toyota might have installed an external trans cooler already. Have you looked behind the front grill to see if there's already one there?
@@TimmyTheToolman Yes sir it does have a smaller external oil cooler from the factory. I was thinking it might be a good idea to add an additional one in addition to the factory one. DO you think that is necessary? Here in Socal it does get hot during the summer times and sitting in 405 traffic gets things rather toasty. I do not haul heavy loads.
@@Donkarnage223 I think maybe you could just replace the Toyota one with a bigger aftermarket one if you want to keep your trans temps cooler. Are you currently monitoring your trans temp somehow with an OBD II Bluetooth reader sending info to a phone app like Torque Pro or are you using a Scan Gauge or Ultra Gauge? If you are monitoring your temp, what kind of temps are you seeing on the hottest days? Usually temps don't get high until you start driving sustained grades.
@@TimmyTheToolman I do have a Scanguage II hooked up and I am looking at around 190 for the trans pan temp while it was 101 degree outside last week. This was in light to no traffic so I was moving. My drive is mostly flat back and forth from work about 65 miles a day. I have given some thought to switching out the factory cooler to one that is a bit larger. I have never done this before so what cooler would I be able to get? Does it matter what cooler I pick as long as it fits? Any ideas please?
@@Donkarnage223 I have found the one I use in this video drops the temps by around 20 degrees. Some guys have gone with bigger coolers and even some with dual coolers. The size you go with will depend on how you want to mount it. If you plan on mounting it like I did in this video, to the AC condenser, you can only go so big to fit on one side of the body central support member behind the grill and in front of the condenser. If you choose to mount it with brackets in front of the AC condenser, you can go bigger but you'll have to figure out the mounting by fashioning up your own brackets and using existing bolt attachment points or drilling and tapping hole to attach it somewhere else.
190 degrees isn't high. An optimum trans temp is around 170 degrees. The point at which I start getting concerned is when I hit 230 degrees. It's at this point I start considering pulling over and giving my trans and engine a break and I've done exactly this on a long steep sustained climb in Death Valley. If you don't venture into the mountains like I do, I'd say you're fine. But, if you like driving in the mountains, I would consider getting a bigger cooler. Also, don't forget you can turn off Overdrive to lower your temps at certain speeds. For 3rd Gen 4runner, at speeds of around 45-65 mph, turning off Overdrive can drop the temps by around 20 degrees. So, when driving in the mountains at slower speeds, experiment with turning Overdrive off and witness the temperature drop. At slower speeds, turning overdrive off does nothing. It's when you're at the speed between your 2nd to the highest gear and overdrive that turning off overdrive keeps the torque converter locked up and drops your temp.
Hey, Tim. Im doing this job once all the parts come in and I was wondering how much coolant you used? In addition, about how how ATF did you have to add after?
Thanks again for the videos and look forward to more!
Hey Byron, when you do a drain and refill of the radiator coolant, you need around 2 gallons. I'd get 3 gallons just in case. For the ATF, I ended up adding around a 1/2 - 1 quart for the fluid that was lost from the cooler hoses draining and the added hosing running to and from the external cooler.
Timmy The Toolman Much appreciated! Also, when I purchased the thermostat from roseville toyota the parts guy said the jiggle valve should be at 12 o'clock to allow trapped air to pass easier while bleeding. Dont see how that matters so I think i will just go with what your manual says.
Well, when I was researching what a jiggle is suppose to do, that's what I read as well. It helps let the trapped air out. But, (BIG BUT), with these engines, if you place the jiggle valve at the 12 o'clock position, you will run around 10 degrees hotter than if you put the jiggle valve at the 6 o'clock position. How the jiggle valve has this kind of affect on the coolant temps is not really known. The Toyota parts guy is obviously not familiar with the nuances with this particular engine. The FSM clearly states to put the jiggle valve pointing downward and it's good information. Many on the Toyota forums have reported they were running hotter than normal and the culprit was the jiggle valve being in the incorrect position. The Haynes manual for our 3rd Gens says to put it at the 12 o'clock position and this is BAD information.
Timmy The Toolman I believe you! I would prefer not to run hotter than I should so 6 o'clock it is! As far as bleeding I'll wait as long as it takes to not run 10 degress hotter. Thanks again.
Lisle makes a spill-free funnel that works pretty good and can help burp your cooling system of air. If you can, have your truck at a slant where the front end is higher that the rear end. Put the spill-free funnel in, top of the radiator with coolant, leave the funnel around a 1/3 full and then start the engine. When the truck gets to operating temperature, the thermostat will open up and you'll see bubbles start coming up into the funnel. Turn the heater on high. If you have a rear heater, turn that one on high too. When you stop seeing bubbles coming up into the funnel, you should be bled and good to go. Remove the funnel with the stopper supplied so you don't spill coolant everywhere and top off your reservoir. You should be good to go after this. I'd run it a good 10 minutes after the truck gets to operating temperature.
Here's a link to the funnel on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6AS6LY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have the strawberry milkshake in my radiator and very thin transmission fluid what would you recommend to fix this issue
Your only choice is to replace the radiator, flush the cooling system with a bunch of distilled water until it looks clear, and refill the cooling system with a 50/50 coolant/distilled water mix. Next, drain the trans pan and then run a bunch of trans fluid through the system to flush out the coolant. Buy a bunch of jugs or trans fluid and use the DIY flush method exchanging a quart at a time. I would run at least 20 quarts through they system. After driving it for a few hundred miles, I'd drain the pan again and see what the fluid looks like. If it still looks contaminated with traces of coolant. I'd do another flush series running at least another 12 quarts through.
The people who had a transmission that has survived after the pink milkshake are ones that flushed the system really well to get all the coolant out. Here's two of our videos that can help you out:
ruclips.net/video/RumPXivBlk8/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/oQsxmi-CNng/видео.html
Timmy The Toolman thanks so much I appreciate the advice
Hey Timmy, just completed install with exact same transmission cooler on my 3rd gen...everything went perfectly except one thing...I flushed the transmission fluid and when I went to tighten transmission fluid drain bolt with the torque wrench my torque wrench didn’t release for some reason and I over tightened bolt...now the bolt tightens but then after a certain point comes loose...I tightened the bolt as tight as it would go before it becomes loose and spins but it’s not enough to seal and now I have small leak...any recommendations on what I should do?
Thanks!
I
Hey Joshua, what you experienced is the reason I don't like using torque wrenches for drain pan bolts. I usually always just go by feel based off the size of the bolt. If the torque wrench is off a bit, you get what happened to you. Here's some options:
#1, you could remove the drain plug and try to retap the pan threads to the original size and get yourself a new bolt. It seems the thread size is M10 and the pitch is 1.5. Here's a T4R thread that discusses this: www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/125549-stripped-transmission-drain-plug-3.html
#2, you could drill and retap the pan to a bigger size thread if the first option doesn't work.
#3, you get yourself another pan. To save money, you could try to pull one off a wrecked 3rd Gen at a PickNPull. Or, you could just buy a new one online.
If you end up having to drop the pan, this video will help you out: ruclips.net/video/tuGazNhuEtM/видео.html
Thanks for the response. My first plan was to buy a new plug and see how it would work without doing anything. However when I phoned the parts store and local dealerships no one had any drain plugs in stock and said earliest I could get is three days. This did not work for me because I had a trip planned for the weekend.
Next I got a m10x16 bolt which is the shortest Home Depot had and a nut. My plan was to shorten the bolt length and then back off the nut to clean the threads. However when I tightened the nut down to the head of the bolt I noticed the remaining showing thread on the bolt was practically the same as the original drain plug. I reused the crush washer and put new rigged bolt in the pan and everything tightened up nicely. Put in transmission oil and didn’t notice any leaks. Went for a drive and checked plug and noticed a faint leak between head of bolt and nut so then I put some sealant and loctite between nut and head of bolt and pretty much would only get a very small droplet overnight. This quick fix salvaged my trip.
I did not mention this in my original post but when I first tried to put the original drain plug in I could only turn a couple of times by hand. No matter how many times I would back out and try again the plug would not go in more than a couple of turns. I used wrench to get past and that is when plug would get tight then release and start to spin. The Jerry rigged bolt I could only tighten a couple turns by hand and then had to use wrench to start but it tightened without spinning. Ultimately I have a feeling the pans threads need to be retapped. This issue was prior to me doing anything so most likely was caused by previous owner or repair shop.
I picked up new drain plug and crush washer today and installed and again only could turn a few times by hand then had to use wrench to get going. The plug tightened up nicely with no leaks so I will hold off trying to tap unless I notice leakage.
Now for the transmission cooler, it worked great on my trip! I monitored my temperature with a foseal OBD2 Scanner Bluetooth 4.0 OBDII Scan Tool paired with my iPhone OBD fusion app. Prior to the transmission cooler install i checked temps on a extreme high mountain road. The highest temperature reached was 242 and that was just the vehicle with no trailer. With my boat and trailer and vehicle weighed down on the same mountain road the highest temp I reached was 252. Without the cooler it would been near 272 I suspect. The next time I drive the same road without the trailer and weight I’ll check temps to see what exactly the difference in temps are but I suspect the cooler provides me with about 20 degrees cooler temps as I installed the same exact cooler as you on my 3rd gen 4Runner.
Without the drain plug hiccup everything went perfectly. I followed your cooler and transmission flush videos and they gave me the confidence I needed to take on the job. Before your videos I could not even tell your where anything was on the vehicle because I had zero mechanic experience. Thanks for making these great videos it’s truly appreciated!
@@jj2956 Hey Joshua, good to hear you got it all sorted out. It might be good to clean up the pan threads on your next trans fluid change though and put in another new plug. As for the trans temps you're now seeing, just know 250 is pretty high and you wouldn't want to sustain that temp for very long because you'll lower the life of your fluid quite a bit. With my rigs, when I start getting close to 230 degrees, that's the time I start thinking of pulling off on the side of the road and let my trans cool off. One of the nice things about monitoring your trans temp is you're not in the dark on what your trans is doing and you can avoid overheating it. The idiot light on the dash comes on at around 300 degrees and that's too late. Your fluid is pretty much cooked. So, next time you're pulling your trailer and your temps start to get over 220, start looking for a place to pull over and give your trans and engine a break. Heat is the killer of automatic transmissions, so if you can avoid high temps, it's a good thing.
I pulled off on a steep sustained road in Death Valley this year. The outside temp was 100+ degrees and the road went on forever and was very steep. My coolant temp was going through the roof as was my trans temp so I pulled off and gave my rig a rest. I got the rpms up to around 1000 to pull more air through the cooling fins of the radiator and trans cooler and sat there until the temps dropped back down to a more normal range. I got back on the road, finished the climb and everything was good. If I ignored my gauges and just kept going, I would have went over 260, no problem. When I pulled over, my trans temp was near 240 and my coolant temp was around 210.
Timmy The Toolman thx for tip about pulling over once I start getting around 220, I was wondering what temp I should pull over and now I know...I have had the dummy light come on in the past while off-roading up a steep mountain and had to pull over to let cool down...this was the main reason I wanted to put on the cooler and now that I can monitor temp i will make sure never to let temp get too hot...and the trick you mentioned about taking the over drive off if driving under 60 mph worked...as soon as I took off the O/D I watched the temp slowly decrease...now on to the next project valve cover gasket! Ordering the parts now...thx again for everything ;)
@@jj2956 You're welcome Joshua. It's great to hear you're learning some useful things from our videos. Good luck with the valve cover gasket job.
Having to replacing my Koyorad unit that I just installed 14 months ago, stupid thing just went out of warranty too. Is Koyo really the only option if I want OEM quality? The people who buy OEM just say they get either Koyo or Denso, so I'm really not sure what to do
I got the radiators for both my rigs from Toyota. At first, the quality looked to be just like the original from the factory. Now the ones they are selling seem a bit more cheaply built. The ones Toyota are selling come from Denso. I've had good luck with my Denso so far. I recommend that you get one from Toyota and buy it from an online seller like Camelback Toyota out of Arizona.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks, I went ahead and put in a Denso radiator, so far so good. I'll report back if the thing craps out on me again, but I really did expect better quality from Koyorad.
@@Fraserfirrr Yeah, lots people on the T4R said they used the Koyo radiator and I thought they were a decent purchase. Thanks for sharing your experience with them.
Hey man, I installed the smaller B&M 70268 on my 2001 4runner the same way you did. It took almost 2 quarts of trans fluid to bring the level up to the cold line on the dipstick but when I check the level at operating temperature it shows to be way below the hot line on the dipstick. I'm confused, should I add the fluid at operating temperature until it reaches the hot line on the dipstick?
Hey Justin, you, me and others have found that filling up to the top of the cold level doesn't necessarily translate to it showing full in the hot range after you've driven for a while and heated up the transmission.
The factory service manual says the operating range is 158-176. If you have a way to monitor your trans temps with either a scan gauge tool or an OBDII bluetooth reader sending information to a phone app like Torque Pro, it makes it much easier. If you can't monitor your temps, take your rig for a decent drive. If you have a freeway close by, drive at least 5 miles away and 5 miles back followed by driving surface streets back to your place. Do some hard accelerations on the freeway causing the transmission to kick down and the same on the surface streets when it safe to do so. The shifting down will help heat the transmission up into the operating range. When you get home onto level ground, quickly pop the hood and check the level because the trans temp will start to drop almost immediately. If your level is still below the bottom line of the hot range, I'd add until you somewhere in the middle on the low and high lines of the hot range.
Transmission fluid continues to expand as it gets hotter and hotter. If you climb a steep mountain grade where your trans temps go over 200 degrees F, and you immediately checked your fluid level, you'd see it over the top line of the hot range. If you drive your rig like I suggested, you should get your trans temps into the lower temps of the operating range, somewhere around 160. Then just make sure your level is in the hot range and my suggestion is put it somewhere in the middle and call it good. With automatic transmissions, I'm fairly confident you can be a little low or a little high and do no damage. You just don't want to be way low or way high.
Hope this helps and let me know if you have anymore questions.
Timmy The Toolman great explanation, thank you. Your videos are great they make working on my 3rd gen a heck of a lot easier.
You're welcome Justin and we're stoked you're liking our videos. Helping people be self sufficient with doing their own repairs and modifications is the main reason Sean and I started this channel.
Happy Wrenching 3rd Gen Brother!
Thanks for this video . how i install transmission temperatures sensor ?
+Cuevas Alex There is already a temperature sensor on the transmission that sends accurate temperature information to the truck's computer for the years 99-02. If you have a 96-98, all you have is a sensor that will light the warning or "idiot" light letting you know you overheated your transmission. I've heard the warning light is set to come on if the trans temp reaches 300 degrees.
For those that have a 99-02, I used a Blue Tooth OBD II sensor that sends information from the truck's computer to an application on my Android phone. I used the app Torque Pro. With this app, you can monitor the transmission temperature and many other things like coolant temp and volts.
+Timmy The Toolman what's the model of the OBD sensor you're running? I'm considering picking one up as well and could use a reference. Thanks!
+Brian Cunningham Here's a link to one I bought on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks for the assist!
+Timmy The Toolman What year is your runner? I have a 98 and read that it doesn't have temp sensors for trans :(
How much degrees did it end up dropping during 4 wheeling driving?
I can't accurately answer this about just 4wheeling situations but overall the external cooler I installed that is ran in series with the cooler in the radiator will drop your temps around 20 degrees. The biggest difference I've been able to make with trans temps during 4wheeling is using 4Lo when appropriate. On any extended grade, switching from 2hi or 4hi to 4lo makes a huge difference. It forces you to drive slower but it keeps your trans temp from spiking. I made a video about this. ruclips.net/video/wqxeZvljYGc/видео.html
Since this video is 2yrs old do you still recommend this trans oil cooler? Have you encounter any problems? Trying to avoid the "milkshake"
Yes I recommend it and I haven't had any problems.
@@TimmyTheToolman so you totally bypass the radiator right? I guess i just need to seal the trans to radiator hose plug.
@@JJ-rb3ss I ran my cooler in series with the radiator cooler. I did my research and chose not to bypass. But Yes, if you want to rule out the chance of the pink milkshake, you bypass the radiator cooler and either run a hose between both radiator cooler nipples or cap them off.
@@TimmyTheToolman i live in chicago. you think there would be any problems in the winter if the trans oil not running through radiator?
@@JJ-rb3ss Your fluid may run a little too cool when it's really cold out. The fluid running through the radiator will assist the fluid to reach a better operating temperature. This was one of the factors that lead me to not bypass.
What did you end up doing with the factory return line? It may say it in the video but I can’t seem to find it.
The return line from the trans cooler in the bottom of the radiator runs to the external trans cooler and then the return line from the trans cooler runs back to the metal return line that connects up the transmission. The factory rubber return line is eliminated because you need a longer line to run to the external cooler and then another long line to run back to the metal return hard line.
Ahhh okay. Thank you! 🙏🏼
@@jbrewcomesthrough You're welcome.
Hey @timmythetoolman what brand is that spark plug boot puller?
Lisle amzn.to/2MKWrMw
Dude that was quick. And ive noticed you did run the intercooler via the rad cooler. Did you ended uo just by passing the rad cooler ?@TimmyTheToolman
@@TimmyTheToolman the non japan rad did hold on ?
@@billythomas4527 I bypassed it on my 98 4runner. This job was done on my 2000 4runner and I'm still running it in-series with the radiator trans cooler. This link is the video showing me by bypassing: ruclips.net/video/34wnfq85_qk/видео.htmlsi=dO74JE7LM-n6KCRq
@@billythomas4527 Yes, the non-japan radiator has held up fine. The current ones coming from Toyota aren't as well-built as the one I got. The one I got looked and felt just as well built as the Japan one. The newer ones are obviously more cheaply made and they are half the cost too, which proves to me they aren't manufacturing them to the same standard as before. On my 98 4runner, I went to a Koyorad Aluminum Radiator. Check out the video: ruclips.net/video/4hS0pdMzyLo/видео.htmlsi=fMlJFAqgH5eEki9O
I'm seeing "OEM" radiators (16410-YZZAJ ) being advertised on Amazon and similar sites for around $130. Can this be right? I've also heard that the Denso and Koyo units are identical to the OEM and go for around $100. Which one of these should I really use?
I recently bought an "OEM" radiator from Camelback Toyota for my 98 4runner for around $130 and it's made by Denso. But, it's not the same quality as the one I got for this video that I put on my 2000. I was hoping the price just dropped but the construction is different. The drain valve isn't the same and doesn't have a spout for the coolant to drain out of. I guess you just loosen it and it dribbles out of the threads. The one I bought in this video ran me around $200 and it was identical to the original. Hopefully the Denso one holds up. Fingers crossed.
After doing a bit of research I bought a Koyorad A1998. I've heard pretty good things about it (apparently it's repacked OEM). Plus it came with a 1 year warranty.
Good to know Benjamin. Thanks for sharing this.
Hey Tim just wanted to give you an update. I received my Koyorad yesterday and installed it today with the grille still on the truck. Overall, I'm really happy with the quality on this unit, even though it was made in China. The drain valve on the Koyorad does have a spout for coolant, like the OEM. I can see why people on t4r.org recommend these. As a side note, when I went to remove my cooler lines on my old radiator, the return line fitting was in pretty bad looking shape, so I'd like to think I just saved my trans
Good to know. Sounds like you dodged a bullet and saved yourself from a very expensive repair.
Can you post a link to the obd2 BT scanner please
Hey Donovan, I added a link to the reader and a switch I use in my rig. It's in the video description.
What app do you use on the phone to check transmission temperature??? I dont think that "Torque OBD" app has this info,or I can be wrong.
Hey there,
I have to have my Cooler replaced. Can you tell me which is the Absolute best Cooler for my 3G runner? I'm not looking to save any money here or penny pinch. The One i had installed when i bought the truck brand new finally rusted from it's mounts and broke away. I figured that it gave me good service. It owes me nothing. Is the one you installed here the best one? Thank you.
Howdy, I actually saw your post on T4R.org. I can't really say what is the absolute best. Tru-Cool, B&M, and Hayden seem like the most popular brands people buy. I've heard Tru-Cool and B&M are basically the same brand because they are made by the same supplier. I think I remember hearing they are made in Mexico but I could be wrong. There's a lot of ways to go with this modification. Some install an external cooler and bypass the stock cooler in the radiator because they are fearful of the "Pink Milkshake". Others like me run their cooler in-series with the radiator cooler. Some guys run a much bigger cooler than the one I run. Some guys have an additional electric fan on their cooler. What I can say is the B&M cooler I've chosen allows my transmission to run around 20 degrees cooler which seems to be sufficient for how I drive my rig. I own a 1998 and 2000 4runner and I'm running the same B&M cooler on both of them.
There's not going to be one "Perfect" way to go because there's so many variables involved when you're driving. The roads you are driving on is one. Are you cruising down a flat highway or are you driving up very steep and sustained grades in the mountains? The weather is another one. Are you driving in the summer desert or are you driving in winter snow? If you run a larger cooler, your trans temp will be much better for hot desert driving, but it might be too cool for winter condition driving. The coolers like mine supposedly have a thermal bypass. Basically, when the trans fluid is colder, it's thicker and won't flow through the smaller cooling channels until it heats up more and thins out. It just quickly passes through a larger channel in the cooler and flows back to the transmission. This is to help your trans fluid being cooled too much but I honestly don't know how effective it is. I know you didn't get the definitive answer you would have liked but I don't think anyone will be able to do that for you. There's many ways to go and everybody is going to have their opinions. If the one you had was working well for you, I'd buy a similar sized one from the companies I listed above and call it a day.
Hey Tim. Thanks for the reply.
I had originally had the cooler installed because at the time i was hauling a pop up trailer and a bass Boat. I dont have either of those toys any more... but i do have a jetski. I was thinking of just taking the cooler out of the system and just running with the stock Radiator. I wonder if thats a good idea. I'll look around today and see if i can find a cooler online. and get it here and then either have it installed or return it and just go with the stock system.
I'm on Long island NY... it's basically flat. the last time i even saw a desert was flying over it on my way to Vegas. I have taken what you said and will formulate a solution.I thank you for taking the time in answering mt question. it's not the first time i have asked you for information and i'm sure it wont be the last.
Thanks once again.
Sounds like to me you really don't need an external trans cooler. I do regular trips to the mountains and go 4wheeling so the extra cooling helps. But, if you're running the original radiator, it might not be a bad idea to renew it along with the upper and lower radiator hoses and a new thermostat.
Hey Man,
You're probably right... matter of fact when i bought the truck new the dealer told me the same thing... I have a habit of overdoing things... I was just on the site looking at the coolers that you have.The main reason i had the cooler installed was because of the Boat and the Pop up camper which was all on flat Land.
Once again thanks for the information you have been a big help.
No problem. You're welcome.
That’s why the engine has a Thermostat it controls the temperature
muddog2 Your statement is correct but what does this have to do with the video? Are you stating this because you think Sean and I and others don’t know that a thermostat helps control the temperature of the engine?
Hi Timmy, could you please tell me where i can buy toyota 4 runner 3rd generation parts?
For OEM parts, try out Camelback Toyota in Arizona. They're prices are very good, they get you the parts quick and they ship for free as long as the order total is at least $150. They only charge a small $3 handling fee. If you have any questions about an order, you can call and talk to Amanda who handles the online sales and is very helpful. I buy most of my parts through them.
There's also a plethora on aftermarket sellers and a simple Google search will point you in the right direction.
How much transmission fluid did you end up using?
It's been a while and I don't remember for sure. I think it was a around 2 quarts. Just have several quarts available so you'll have enough to top off your system when you're all done.
Timmy The Toolman alright thank you. I'm about to undertake this Job now.
What is the brand of the Bluetooth sensor?
Here's the Bluetooth OBDII Reader:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I recommend also using this shutoff switch too for three reasons: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UR5XBMW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
#1, the sensor continues to draw power even when the vehicle is turned off. #2, the OBDII port faces downward and gravity is working against you to keep it in place. On a bumpy fire road, mine actually fell out. And #3, the reader hangs right near your right foot. When you move your foot over to depress the gas pedal, you can accidentally bump the reader. I bumped it a few times and if you caught it really good with your foot you might break the reader and/or crack the port.
I put velcro on the reader and have it sitting in the open spot under the ashtray. I also zip tied the excess cord under the dash near the reader. It looks fairly clean. I turn it on when I'm driving and turn it off when I'm not. Hope this helps.
Timmy The Toolman i bought the obd II scanner and the torque pro app. They work great the only issue i have is when im at wide open throttle its telling me im only at 75% throttle....any ideas on that? Btw i have a 2000 4runner sr5 4wd 3.4l. And ive had the pink milkshake issue...sucked......really bad.........cost me alot of money.
No clue Scott. I imagine the app isn't perfect. I mainly use it for keeping track of my coolant temp, trans temp and the volts.
Timmy The Toolman thanks man.
Too many adds now. YOU'VE CHANGED BRUH
We did change and allow the full gamut of ads. If you want to know why we did this, I'l explain. We put a ton of time and energy into making these videos. RUclips videos are free for people to access. If people want an ad-free experience, they can choose to pay for that by getting the premium experience. It's pretty much the same thing you can do with Pandora where I pay $5/month so I don't have to listen to the ads. So, people have choices when it comes to ads.
When it comes down to who gets the better end of the deal with our videos, the viewer or us, I'd say even with all the ads, the viewer is getting a very good payoff for tolerating some ads. We're not just doing stupid shit to entertain people. Our channel has a very practical application. Our videos allow people to do their own automotive work saving them hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on the jobs we document.
Sean and I got into this to help people and that is still our primary motivator. But, making some money for our efforts does help us out. It would be great if everyone worked for free but that's not how the world works. So, because we don't want to charge people for access to our videos, we figure people can tolerate the ads so we can make a little money for ourselves.
So, sorry you don't enjoy all the ads. But, the advertisements is what funds RUclips and which gives a little side money for our efforts. We're not some hot girls twerking their butts with millions of subscribers and making a shit ton of money. We put a crap load of time into our videos with a pretty measly payoff. No doubt there's much easier ways to make money. We have a engine swap video we'll be shooting soon which will probably take us 3 full days to shoot and who knows how many hours to edit. Ask yourself who would give up that much personal time to create a video that will make them a tiny bit of money in ad revenue. So, I guess I'll finish by saying be thankful there's guys like Sean and I who are willing to work for so little. I hope this resonates with you and maybe will give you a different perspective to why people allow ads on their videos.
@xsnrg714 Thanks for everything you said. It has been quite the progression for Sean and I over the almost 5 years we've been running our channel. We have learned a ton. We would like to expand to other models and generations of Toyota SUVs and trucks but we are hamstrung on how much time we can put into our channel. We both have full time jobs along with other responsibilities and interests.
People that bitch about ads are either a bit selfish or just clueless. Do they really think we deserve zero compensation for all our hard work? We got into this to help people and that is still first and foremost our main goal. But, earning some revenue for our enormous time investment isn't something I'm going to feel guilty about. If all people have to do is deal with some ads to access a video that going to help them do a job all on their own saving them hundreds or maybe thousands on expensive shop labor cost, that's a pretty sweet deal for them. If they don't want to watch the ads, they can pay for a premium membership with RUclips but then they might bitch about that expense as well.
Anyway, we will keep on keeping on cranking out the videos. You're very welcome and we hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Years as well. And of course, Happy Wrenching!
Anyone using a Bluetooth OBD II reader with a I- phone ?
the torque pro app doesn't exist on the ecosystem. but there are other OBDII reader apps in the App Store that get good reviews.
what power tools do you recommend bang for your buck?
Milwaukee M12 tools are good. Also, Dewalt cordless impacts work well. I don't own a compressor so it's cordless for me.
thanks appreciate the advice
thanks for the advice appreciate it
abrasion protection, I used duct tape. I will does this next time. thanks
cutting up some of the leftover hose is a great way to add some abrasion protection.
Hi timmy, I'm from Mexicali B.C, I have a 97 4Runner 2WD Automatic and i want to put the same transmission cooler, can you send me the part number
Hey Gustavo, I added a link in the video description to the trans cooler I purchased for both my 3rd Gen 4runners.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thank you, when I turn on my 4 runner the first time and the change progresses it does not enter until 3000, when it warms up it enters normal at 2000, I just changed the oil and the transmission filter, do you have any idea what it can be?
@@gustavopartidanevarez4865 Just to clarify, are you saying when you put it in Drive that the engine revs up to 3000 rpms before you start to move? If so, your transmission is slipping bad. You should get immediate movement or your vehicle when you give throttle response. What's causing that is hard to say for sure? It could be a fluid delivery problem, it could be worn clutches, or something else entirely. If the transmission is actually ok, the only thing I can think could be causing symptoms like this would be sticking rear brake shoes like can happen when you get a rear axle seal leak and the shoes swell due to absorbing gear oil.
@@TimmyTheToolmanno, the change enters until 3000 revolutions but advances, what I do is release the gas and accelerate again and the change enters, two or three times and then the changes go normal
Amazon never has Toyota radiators in stock. The #16410AZ011 for around $120 is much better than worthless crap like Denso. Denso re ships damaged products ! The 3rd one I ordered lasted 6 months AND LEAKED at the tank seam. Over a year with the dealer radiator and zero probems. edit The "chinese bombs" on Amazon have no warranty for a good reason.
AMH
I looked this up on Answers.com: Asked in Heating AC and Engine Cooling, Toyota, Thermostats
Why is there no heat in a 1997 Toyota even after the thermostat was changed?
You have to install the thermostat with the jiggle valve in the 12 o'clock position, to allow for air to escape to the top of the radiator hoses or passageways. ...
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www.answers.com/Q/Why_is_there_no_heat_in_a_1997_Toyota_even_after_the_thermostat_was_changed
Well, I don't know what to tell you Paul but the Toyota factory service manual specifically instructs to put the jiggle valve pointing downward which would be at the 6 o'clock position. I not only have personal experience with this seeing how the jiggle valve position can change the coolant temps by around 10 degrees but so have countless others that have reported their results on T4R.org. So, myself and a host of others will continue to put the jiggle valve downward on our 3rd Gen 4runner 3.4 liter V6 engines regardless of what Answers.com says.
I realize the jiggle valve at the 12 o'clock position makes more logical sense because air rises, but for this particular situation, you will make your engine run 10 degrees hotter if you run it at the 12 o'clock position as opposed to the 6 o'clock position. You can still properly burp the cooling system of air with the jiggle valve at the 6 o'clock position. To repeat myself, lots and lots of people have done so including Sean and myself. If you start with front of the rig higher than the rear, use a no-spill funnel, have the heater temperature controls front and rear all the way hot, and you run the engine long enough, you will work the air out of the system. If it doesn't work itself out all the way at first, it will eventually work it's way out and you'll see the level in your reservoir drop a bit as a result.
That's strange that the radiator is made in taiwan! Especially an OEM!
Well, we know not much is made in the USA anymore and I guess it's starting to hold true for Japan too. Japan's cost to manufacturer parts has got to be way higher than farming it out to Taiwan or China. But yeah, kind of a bummer to buy an OEM part and find out it's made in Taiwan.
I would say Taiwan has better quality control compared to China, and the Taiwanese are pro-American.