Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

[brielly]

Hello,
I have a 2004 pathfinder I want to use to tow my 20 wellcraft v20. I'm guessing its around 3500 lbs fully loaded. We will only going about 15 mnutes to the local ramp so I'm wondering if its necessary to get a tranny cooler for this vehicle?

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Your tranny would barely (if at all) get to operating temperature in that distance. However, I am a big fan of aux. tranny coolers and with their low cost and ease of installation, would run one anyway.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Generally, a tranny cooler is a good thing especially for towing.
But for a 15 minute run, I wouldn't bother.

In your case, I have read that the stock trans oil cooler "clogs up" (with what I don't know) and "doesn't provide enough flow". Auxiliary units are abundant.
Symptoms might include a whining noise when first started particularly when cold and a jolt going into gear again particularly when cold.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

put the cooler on it. eventually you will want to tow it further. be prepared.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

...I'm guessing its around 3500 lbs fully loaded...

Have it weighed, you might be suprised.

Install the cooler, $100 now or $2-3k later, after you get boared with the local lake and want to venture farther.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Wellcrafts are heavier than you think, what year and model is it. i/o or ob?????

 

[brielly]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Dry weight is 2000 lbs. I figure the merc 135 is 4-500 lbs. Gas and gear maybe another 400 lbs or so. I have no idea what the trailer weighs however. We will be picking up the truck later this week and I'll then have a better idea of how hard the install will be.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

The only thing to add is when you hook up your cooler is to run the hot trans fluid through your new cooler first and then back through you rad. The reason for doing this is in the winter you trans fluid could gel in the cold. The rad will heat it back up to engine temp which is well cool enough for your trans.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

I add a trans cooler to every one of my vehicles, its cheap insurance against burning up a trans. You never know what you might run into that you need to tow and you would be well prepared already having the proper cooler installed.
On mine, I bypass the radiator type cooler, your engine gets hotter than normal when towing too, so there's no reason to transfer any of that heat to the trans fluid. On my one ton van, I have a thermostatic fan mounted ahead of the cooler as well. As a rule of thumb, you can't over cool the fluid. Transmission fluid does like any other oil gain some viscosity when cold, but I've never seen it gel during the winter around here. One solution to this problem would be to switch to a synthetic ATF. (Many newer vehicles already come with synthetic fluid).

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

A good trans cooler is only $50 and not hard to install. It's worth it, in my opinion. The kits will tell you to route the fluid through the radiator first, then the aux cooler. Along the principle of "you can't have a transmission be cold enough." I routed my first one that way, but routed my second one the other way. I suppose once you have the lines identified, you could switch it back and forth for the winter and summer, if you really wanted the transfluid to be the same heat as the coolant. But trans fluid will not "gel". If any of you have ever seen gelled up trans fluid, it had water in it.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

I also run mine after the radiator to do a little initial cooling, then the aux to really reduce the temp.. Many folks and probably even your instructions will tell you that your tranny must reach a certain temperature to operate correctly and therefore install the cooler before the radiator. All I can say is that I have never burnt up a tranny from overcooling it. May shift a little harder on cold days, but not that big a deal. I also change my fluid every 25k and filter at 50k even though I have the so called 100k fluid.

 

[brielly]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Ok you guys convinced me. I'll get the tranny cooler.

 

[gman90706]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Which Pathfinder? Isn't that thing rated at least 5,000lb? I have a 2003 4Runner v-8, rated @ 5,000lb but that's only because the hitch limitation, the newer hitches on same vehicle are 7,500lb.

I tow a similar setup, 21' striper @ ~4,500+ lb fully loaded, been towing back & forth to the ramp about the same 15mi. for years, no worries. Mostly freeway, I just take it easy & run in 4th gear instead of OD. Unless you're going uphill a lot I wouldn't think you have any concern with that weight on that vehicle.

Tranny coolers are cheap enough, but unless you're considering towing further that vehicle should have no probs. on that rig.....

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

A good trans cooler is only $50 and not hard to install. It's worth it, in my opinion. The kits will tell you to route the fluid through the radiator first, then the aux cooler. Along the principle of "you can't have a transmission be cold enough." I routed my first one that way, but routed my second one the other way. I suppose once you have the lines identified, you could switch it back and forth for the winter and summer, if you really wanted the transfluid to be the same heat as the coolant. But trans fluid will not "gel". If any of you have ever seen gelled up trans fluid, it had water in it.

Have you been in -45 driving down the highway

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Have you been in -45 driving down the highway

Read my location, you know I have. And transmission fluid is such a thin oil to begin with, it's still very much a pourable liquid, even at those temps.

 

[dan t.]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

I have been rebuilding auto trans for over 30 years. I strongly suggest you install an aux cooler ,stacked plate design are the best. I like to install after the rad, most high quality coolers have a bypass to maintain flow if it plugs or the oil thickens.happy boating

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tranny cooler for towing short distance?

Have you been in -45 driving down the highway

If your in an area in which the normal temps are -45, then you have far greater concerns than towing a boat. I'd think you would also have problems just starting in the morning or maintaining engine or radiator temps as well.
Either way, trans fluid still will flow at -45.

While it's true that metal has better wear characteristics at about 160 degrees F or better, for how little driving will be done at such low temps, its not a concern. If I were driving in such conditions daily, I'd be just as concerned with maintaining engine temp as well. Possibly even a candidate for a radiator cover to block oncoming air? I can't speak for all makes and models but many modern transmissions will bypass fluid flow if the cooler becomes blocked. I also seem to recall this being a modification made to some Ford E4OD transmissions as well but for other reasons.
Personally I've always been a fan of the B&M stacked plate coolers with or without a thermostatic control.