RE: Transmission Cooler Installation

[sniffid]

 

 I m about to install a transmission cooler on my  98 Pathfinder.  I need to be sure which transmission fluid line on the radiator is from the transmission prior to being cooled.
 
 If anyone can help I d appreciate it.  
 
 Dave

[sniffid]

 sniffid

 I took the easy way out and disconnected the lines, started the vehicle and found the line by which had fluid coming out.
 
 Other than that the cooler wasx a matter of connecting two hoses and mounting the cooler in front of the radiator.

[Civil_War_Buff]

 sniffid
sniffid,
 
 I am curious as to how you hooked yours up?  On my old truck I put the cooler in myself, and I had the fluid going through the truck radiator, then through the cooler then back into the Tranny.....the mechanic that put my new one in my Blazer a couple of weeks ago said that it is better to go through the tranny cooler, into the radiator then back to the transmission.  He said that the thermal load on the entire system is less and that routing it this way will keep everything cooler.  My first reaction was to disagree, but th emore I think about it......

[TheWallRocks]

 sniffid
I had read somewhere that you can tell which is the return line by starting your car (when it s cold), put it in gear (with brakes applied) for about 20 seconds, then put it in park and turn it off.  Put your hands on both lines.  Line going into the radiator will be warm, the return line (the one you want to tap into) will be cooler.  I tried that method on my Subaru and it worked well.
 
 As far as installation before or after the radiator, the instructions that came with my Hayden Trans-Saver directed that it be installed after the radiator (the return line).
 
 

[LKaskel]

 sniffid
That kinda makes sense.  The radiator is providing cooling for the trany and the engine so if the heat load is reduced before it reaches the radiator the radiator can be more efficient........I guess.  Darn.....I just bought one and it says to install it on the return line so now you ve got me thinking.  Anyone got a coin to toss?

[mike4947]

 sniffid
Well in northern climates during the winter you can actually get the transmission fluid too cold if the aux fluid cooler is placed after the radiator. Placing it before the radiator lessens the load on the engine cooling system by taking the heat out before the radiator has to and the radiator can warm the fluid up to operating temp faster during the winter.

[CAPEd CODger]

 sniffid
You guys got me thinking(a dangerous thing) about the " direction"  to hook up the cooler. Here is a page that shows what they consider to be the way to do it.
 http://www.draw-tite.com/info/info/info_atcooler.shtml
 I don t know which way is best. Some people say to bypass the cars radiator altogether. My friend used the AC condenser to cool his down! (obviously the AC didn t work)
 The picture shows a flow path, but my eyes aren t very good.

[sniffid]

 sniffid
With our Pathfinder I couldn t notice any appreciable difference in the trans fluid
 temperature in and out of the transmission so I was forced to unhook the lines to see which was the direct line from the transmission.
 
 The Heyden transmission cooler I bought showed hookup from the radiator to the cooler and back into the transmission which is what I did.
 
 It did also show hookup using only the cooler and not the radiator at all but I wasn t comfortable with that method.