Pictures PearlPower - we need pictures!

Also, by 'custom' I assume you mean the mounting hardware and hoses - where did you get these?

 

IMHO, the Hayden is the best fit/finish of the coolers I have seen. The one I use is 11"x7"x3/4". I do agree that the wrong unit will block airflow to the radiator itself, defeating the purpose.....
It uses small adhesive pads at each corner that leave about a 1/3" space between the cooler and the radiator for airflow. There is a barbed, plastic rod at each corner that slides through both the cooler and radiator, attaching to a flat plastic locking device on the backside of the radiator. I have seen pics of some suspect installs by other CL members that involve cutting and excessive routing of the hoses. None of this is necessary. Here are a few pics of what is a very easy, straight forward mod.....

 

If you read my original post about where to route the hoses, this pic will make sense. The small square space at the bottom right hand side of the GS radiator(if your facing the car) is lined by foam. It is tailor made for the two tranny cooler hoses that run from cooler and return line....
DONT hack your car...not necessary....

 

If you look at the right side of this pic, you can see where the hoses pass by the bottom/side of the radiator on their way to the cooler. The hole is perfectly sized to fit two hoses with no chance of them kinking or bending at too sharp an angle, thus blocking the fluid flow.....

 

Tiny

Install looks clean. I'm not sure where you are located but that is the type of cooler that gave us problems in 100+_ temperature. Below that ,all was well with no issues. Above that, the needle went straight up to below redline on both cars. Now we did have our cooler on the passenger side whereas your's is located on the driver's side. Not sure if that would make any type of difference. As long as it works, that is what is important. We go out to Phoenix from time to time and we had real issues in that 105+ weather.
BYW- Hayden manufactures several coolers under different names. Four seasons is one that comes to mind. So anyone looking for a good cooler, Hayden, Imperial, B&M, and PermaCool all make very good coolers. Just ensure that you get a stacked cooler instead of a fin/tube style cooler
Take care.

 

tiny, thanks for pics. Your cooler looks HUGE. It also appears to block nearly half the main radiator from getting airflow directly on it which concerns me.

General question to all: Since we don't have trans oil temp. guages, how do we know if these coolers are working or making things worse?

 

Any type off cooler up front is going to greatly benefit the trans as long as some general installation issues are followed.

I used an an inline temp gauge screwed into an adapter with tube fittings to gauge all of my coolers. ALL of them helped dramatically.

The large coolers from Hayden, Imperial (2 of these), and another unknown brand from a speed shop all reduced the temperature. Our only concern is what you brought up. It was unsettling to watch the Lexus temp needle go up to redline. This happened on both of the cars, so it was not a car malfunction.
Now this is with the car under complete electrical load. Items such as HID's, CD, and AC were one during these conditions.
We noticed that the car would run a tad bit cooler without these items on.
Obviously the load from the A/C drains a bit and the alternator is working overtime from the fans and other items being on. This was also with the car in stop and go traffic. Once on the open road, it cooled down to normal.
And yes-in case someone ask, both fans work fine in both cars.
This should not be an issue for climates under 100 degrees.
See my other post.

 

Tinygs says the 677 is 7 x11.

 

Man that is strange.... Ive driven from Austin to Dallas and back on two ocassions in 100+ degree temps and have never had my temp needle budge beyond where it always sits.(just below the half way point on the guage) I know JacobT has made that same commute with no issues as well. To be honest, the idea of the tranny cooler limiting the airflow to the radiator has never entered my mind. It is a radiator in itself, and the air would seem to have no problem flowing through it and onto the radiator. As far as the tranny cooler temp causing the air to be heated as it flows through the radiator is also nothing Ive ever worried about.(or thought of)
After I installed it, I popped the hood periodically after road trips to check the tranny cooler temp, and it was never hot to the touch....
Actually, the entire time that Ive owned my GS Ive never seen the needle higher than just below half way up the guage....Are you sure the overheating issues you were experiencing were due to the tranny cooler??

 

Hello Tiny
Yes it was. It only got high in stop and go with a full load and the AC on. On the road it was fine. The fans just could not pull enough to overcome it. We took the cooler off and everything was fine. Out here in So CA, all we have is stop and go traffic.

 

I'm confused or tired or just stupid. I Just returned with tape measure in hand and it measures at just under 6". Their online catalog puts it at the measurement tiny quoted with the 676 listed as 5 7/8". OTOH this site shows what looks to be mine, second from top, with strange measurements. Shrug. I used to be sure I bought a 677.

My mounting is almost exactly the same as tinygs has it, the tops look like they match it just doesn't extend down as far. Ditto with the gap to the radiator too. Pearl you can see by the pic why I didn't mount it down low. You don't really see it through the grill either, or my picture unless you squint, very stealth.

tinygs: You haven't had the cooler hot to the touch?!? Has to be due to the size differential. After hard driving mine gets hot as heck but I've never had temperature problems.

 

That intercooler looks nice.

Lee

 

Lee - you've got another PM.

 

After reading PPower's posts, I got a little worried about my transmission cooler mount location which is right in the center of the radiator. But looking at Tiny's pictures compared to mine below, my tranny cooler visually just seems to block much less of the radiator. Probably just the more open design.

My tranny cooler is a Perma-Cool, bought at www.jegs.com a little less than a year ago. I'd run my GS with the Dragon TC for almost two years without it with no problems, but was about to go to a track and didn't want to risk the heat buildup.

The Perma-Cool is the tube-and-fin variety; I definitely agree with Tiny that the block finish (like Hayden) looks better. However, I think the open Perma-Cool design probably lets more air get through to the radiator if it's mounted directly in front of it.

I've never noticed any overheating problems with my install, and I've done some hot southern summer driving in stop/go traffic... but certainly nothing like the 100+ degrees PP gets in Phoenix.

 

Closer-up pic. Car and engine aren't real clean right now after all the holiday driving and sitting outside for the week.

I could/should have painted mine with high-temp black to make it blend in better, but I was concerned with the paint interfering with the conduction of the heat. Probably wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Perma-Cool also has a stainless braided line option that I should have done.

The location for the cooler and return hoses on mine are exactly the same location Tiny mentions in his comments above, although I like the way his route down and across better.