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I installed everything without removing the front bumper cover or grill. This isn't ideal but I wanted to see if it was possible for those not interested in removing these components....
Here are my notes/ lessons learned from performing the install in this manner.
0) I removed the battery. Had to in order to get enough access to reach the stock hose clamps to remove them.
1) Unlike my prep picture above, install the hoses on the cooler prior installing the cooler (I had to remove them from the hardlines pictured above because I was unable to push the hoses on the cooler fittings with it installed (not enough room to get ample leverage reaching down inside the grill)
a) With the cooler held in place with alignment tabs (along with the metal pass-through hard lines temporarily/loosely bolted in place) get a feel for proper cooler hose orientation before setting the hose clamps on the cooler. If you don't want to go thru this staging substep to verify hose orientation so long as the yellow and white hose markings are parallel to the ground you'll be good to go.
1.c) Install the cooler with hoses installed and clamped in place.
2) Before bolting the hard pass thru lines 1) Install the new short hose on the bottom of the radiator outlet fitting and clamp it in place and 2) Clamp the longer hose to the appropriate metal pass thru (inboard) line (you will not have enough access to push the hose on the hard line and clamp it once it is permanently bolted in place).
3) Install the hard line pass thru piece with the bolt. (with the new long hose clamped in place, step 2.2 above)
4) Install the top of the new short hose (step 2.1) and clamp to the outer hard line
[AT fluid flows up from the bottom radiator fitting, thru this new short hose, in the right side cooler fitting, out the left side cooler fitting, down thru the new long hose, and back to the AT thru the existing lines)
5) Install the hoses from the cooler on the hard lines (installed in step 3), and clamp them in place. [These are the blue and pink marks which line up in my previous post.]
6) Go underneath (need to have the front skid bottom plastic gap piece removed) and install the bottom of the long hose to the hard return line attached to the radiator support (old hose removed).
7) Install the foam piece last
Now everything should be buttoned up, all hoses connected and clamps in place. Double check everything is secure with no possible chaffing (if you follow the clamp orientation direction everything will be good to go).
-Doing the install this manner would have been a lot easier (and saved substantial time, an hour at least) with the longest possible needle nose pliers to reach stock clamps in weird (originally installed) orientations that need removed and install new clamps on the new hoses in the correct orientations.
-I'm glad I bought 2 extra clamps because I needed to remove the ones installed in the pictures above and I didn't want to reuse the clamps once I released the tension to install them once.
Thanks to @Acrad and everyone who contributed to this thread.
Thank you for this. Parts are on their way and this will help immensely. I was dreading removing the grill assembly. I might have missed it but the FIS for my 2021 states to service the transmission between 115-126 degrees Fahrenheit.
In Texas here and will tow, so this will be a great mod, thanks to all here!
Two questions after reading the entire thread:
1. Any issues not topping off 0.2L fluid after adding the cooler? Hoping it's negligible enough for the GX (and/or very easy), tho on the IS-F it's a PITA and the tranny is *very* sensitive to low fill level, even a few ounces.
2. What's total time for install? 2hrs or so? Figured someone would have mentioned this by now!
You could probably use a plastic syringe with the bottom line terminated and just fill the cooler up with fluid before top line is terminated.
2 hours is doable but might be a hair easier on the 10-13 models since removing just the grill and not bumper gives you quite a bit of room. I think nuclearn8 (has 2017 IIRC) was able to install without removing anything. He can probably chime in on time.
Hardest connection for me was the return line down by the KDSS actuator back to the transmission. Space was a little tight there.
I was prepared and had everything laid out, knew what went where and it took me 5 hours without removing the front bumper cover... if you learn my lessons I shared it can been done in 2.5 hours I’d guess not rushing. I have a 2017... if I had to do it again I could do it under 2 comfortably.
with regards to not checking the fluid level after that doesn’t sound like good practice after going thru all the trouble to protect the tranny only to neglect the level. If nothing else add some WS, pin open the thermostat, start the car and bring it up to temperature to check the level (while cycling thru the gears but not moving (As it warms up). This will at least give you the piece of mind of having the correct level at operating temperature with fluid flowing thru the cooler. Just my 2 cents though... a bottle of ws, 2 washers and a Bluetooth app is another $30 maybe on a job that costs $500.
Thanks to Acrad and everyone else who contributed to this forum.
I had an odd thing happen over a long trip a week ago. As I was going up a steep grade on the freeway at 80mph I had the transmission slip on a down shift. Just once, never again since. The transmission fluid has never been serviced, so I guess ill drain and ADD THE COOLER!
I'm wondering if anybody tried to install an aftermarket cooler, one similar to this: Rockauto link.
I did install aftermarket coolers on different vehicles of mine before without any issues.
I have a friend that installed an aftermarket cooler on his 4Runner without issue. I think the benefit to the OEM cooler is just the 'OEM like' rubber hose and cooler mounting.
1. A OEM exact replacement aftermarket cooler. These are around 50 dollars compared to the true OEM cooler at 250+. These should fit exactly the same and mount the same as the OEM but I didn’t get it due to quality concerns.
2. A complete aftermarket solution for a transmission cooler which is not like the OEM solution.
Don't order from OEM Vehicle parts if you can help. I ordered from them on 5/10/21 and as of 6/1/21 it is still showing "new" status and has not shipped. I ordered the tranny cooler the same day from Megazip, which is overseas, and it is already here.
I emailed them on 5/19 and was told "We are currently preparing your order for shipment." I replied to that email last week, no reply. Sent an email yesterday (Sunday), hoping to hear back today, no reply as of 4:22 EST.
Edit.....4:52pm. Just got shipping notification.
Edit again: 6 days later....package is showing as not shipped and "Waiting to be picked up" No email responses....OEM Vehicle Parts is super upsetting me....
Just performed this install (no clue how parts ship from dubai to my doorstep in 2 days 🤯 . But A/T temp 2 in obd fusion will still show spikes up to 216 degrees with normal driving, no steep hills. The system is working, i can touch the aux cooler and it is hot.....should i be worried with 216 degrees with aux cooler installed?
03-12-21, 03:31 PM
OEM Transmission Auxiliary Cooler Install
. But A/T temp 2 in obd fusion will still show spikes up to 216 degrees with normal driving, no steep hills. The system is working, i can touch the aux cooler and it is hot.....should i be worried with 216 degrees with aux cooler installed?