Flex-A-Lite Transmission Cooler...Any experience?

[Skillet]

I am looking at installing this little doo-dad in my 80.

Anyone use this setup?

Seems good idea and fairly inexpensive at $54.

Made by Flex-A-Lite.

 

[lt1fire]

Good company... used them lots of times on my friends track cars... i know lots of people on this board hate them though... i'd say spend a little extra coin and get the one with the fan added on to it

 

[-Spike-]

Just curious, you already have 2 (stock) tranny coolers, why a third?

I have one of their fans and I'm quite satisfied with it.

-Spike

 

[Skillet]

Just curious, you already have 2 (stock) tranny coolers, why a third?

I have one of their fans and I'm quite satisfied with it.

-Spike

I don't know about you but when I am on a road trip my tranny gets fawkin' hot.

The shift levers get uncomfortably hot to the touch and you can feel the heat on your legs.

Not only is it uncomfortable to drive with big hot transmission on a 100 degree day but it can't be good for it.

I figure, any extra I can drop the temp, the better it will feel in the cab and the longer my tranny will be kicking.

Do you think this is just overkill?

 

[dubyehnel]

I put one of those on an old suv of mine that had some tranny problems and loved it. Easy install and I really feel it helped out especially on those longer hauls.

 

[lt1fire]

so you're putting this in as well as the stock one? I thought your stocker had gone bye bye... where you planning on mounting this one??

 

[Skillet]

so you're putting this in as well as the stock one? I thought your stocker had gone bye bye... where you planning on mounting this one??

Just going to get creative.

 

[-Spike-]

Do you think this is just overkill?

Me, personally? Yeah, but what do I know? On most cars I question the engineers quite a bit more than I do with LC's. They seem to have addressed most issues on the 80 series pretty well. I did add a fan for the condenser, but other than that I trust (and believe through my own experience) that they've done a damn good job setting up the truck to last a long time. I hesitate to mess with running temps on newer engines/drive trains because I figure the engineers had an idea what they were doing, especially with systems they obviously looked at (two tranny coolers). However, all that is just my personal feeling, with nothing to back it up. I can't see what harm it would do to have the tranny run cooler if it's running hot. However, what if it's cold outside? I didn't see any type of thermostatic control on that kit. Maybe there's something like that in the stock system that will control it no matter how many coolers you put on it. Maybe it could run problem-free with ice crystals in the tranny fluid.

-Spike

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I can see the benefit of removing the trans cooler and the added heat from in front of the radiator and going to a standalone cooler with a temp switch. I have this one. http://www.derale.com/atomic-cool.html
But I would not remove the one that flows thru the radiator. Toyota requires the trans fluid to reach operating temperature (I can’t remember what it is) before it will allow the trans to go into overdrive. So there is something to be said about it running too cool.

 

[Skillet]

I am sooooo confused....

 

[lt1fire]

I am sooooo confused....

which part??

 

[RavenTai]

one other thing to consider playing arround with an IR temp gun noticed the transfer case was hotter than the transmission by about 50F IIRC,

The T-case may be the source of your tranny tunnel heat

 

[whosthecoolguy]

ttt

 

[suprathepeg]

Is there a way to add a cooler to the tcase?

 

[tntoyota]

I don't know about you but when I am on a road trip my tranny gets fawkin' hot.

The shift levers get uncomfortably hot to the touch and you can feel the heat on your legs.

Not only is it uncomfortable to drive with big hot transmission on a 100 degree day but it can't be good for it.

I figure, any extra I can drop the temp, the better it will feel in the cab and the longer my tranny will be kicking.

Do you think this is just overkill?

Do you have 44's on your rig? Be honest!

IMO anything to get more heat out is good and IMHO a radiator that shares a tranny cooler , not the best idea.

We (3.0h) run'em stacked all the time have room and have good results I would run the line on the out side of the of the flow into stock. I have heard of some people putting it behind the skid plate.

They (Flex-A-Lite) also have a 2MK more efficient on that looks honeycombed.

I think somehow you got other problems.... "when I am on a road trip" " The shift levers get uncomfortably hot to the touch and you can feel the heat on your legs."


thats hot for a road trip!

Just curious, you already have 2 (stock) tranny coolers, why a third?

I have one of their fans and I'm quite satisfied with it.

-Spike

BTW 2 coolers? or one tranns and one TC??

 

[LilblkDuck]

I cringe at the idea of my Trans fluid running through the radiator. It's a compromise and you gain nothing as the two systems work against each other.
After running a temp gauge for 3 months and seeing how hot the Auto would get in resonably easy loads (would see 120+), I've since by-passed the Radiator all together and now run the std AT cooler and a second MaxiCool dual unit next to it. I also run my Power Steering though this unit as well and couldn't be happier with the results.
On a recent High Country trip in 42+ C temperatures up a climb 1+2nd low hill that lasted 35mins!!! the AT never went above 100 C
I had to pull over once to cool the engin however (as did the others), but the AT was never stressed.
Picasa Web Albums - Jamie - Proj MaxiCool
PS I use an after market gauge for the auto. It's a must have IMO.

 

[PKP80]

I have one of their fans and I'm quite satisfied with it.

-Spike

Spike Do you have one of their, Electric setups or just the fan blades? what size and model if you have the electrical setup? I will be ditching the factory fan, approx. 10/17 hp gain from what I've been told, plus over ride for water crossings. and more space.

 

[Mlachica]

Not sure about the flex-a-lite tranny cooler.

I do have experience with a Hayden 678 in my old 02 tacoma. I noticed my tranny temps would drop considerably once on the freeway. IIRC 30+ degrees. The TRD tranny cooler for the taco is the same thing, just rebadged. If it's good enough for TRD it's gotta be pretty good.

And from what I understand, the cooler the atf the better. I'd like to add one of these to mine, as well as a power steering cooler/filter.