How much should i be paying for a tranny cooler install.. ALso where should mount it.. Thanks

Tony

 

You mount it on the AC condenser, most people do it between the radiator and the condensor. You could remove the radiator when installing it so factor in the price of a radiator flush/refill as well. I would say about 2 hours labor plus materials at whatever shop you choose.

 

I thought you mount it on the frome in front of the radiator...

 

Yes you do. On the GS, looking from the front, it would go Condenser, Tranny Cooler, Radiator

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...mission+cooler

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...mission+cooler

 

Thanks for Link lee but I'm Definitely letting the mechanic handle this..


Tony

 

Ahh, I just checked out the thread you posted, that is a smaller cooler than I used. The one I used was approx. 12" x 10" or so, quite a bit larger than the one you are showing in that thread. It also mounted using plastic tie things that are included with the cooler.

 

Actually the B&M unit posted is very thick, much thicker vs the skinny little fin versions out there which makes up for the size. It also does not block a great portion of the condenser and radiator which is another plus. It is much more involved but that is how I roll like that.
Plastic ties are OK at best. Just ensure they are installed correctly and do not bend any fins. Many run the cheapo 40$ units with no problem. Just be careful on how you route the rubber hoses. A kink can destroy your trans.

 

The B&M is a nice looking unit but when it comes down to it it has a smaller surface area than a Flex-A-Lite cooler. Greater Surface Area = Greater Heat Transfer, granted the Flex-A-Lite isn't as nice looking and isn't all polished but it has more surface area and will see greater airflow through it. I've been making 470whp on my cheapo unit for the last 8 months with no cooling or tranny issue's, guess it must be working ok

 

You are correct as my GS400 was making over 506 crank HP with no issues on the trans-though I settled for around 480hp as a daily. But again, it all depends on what one is looking for and even if I was running 10000 hp it would make little difference if my driving style was such that it did not warrant a cooler. A large 10x12 is a bit overkill for a street car even if FI. I opted for the compact unit because it still did the job as it is twice the thickness as the standard types and also I did not want all of that hot air transfer blowing on my condenser and radiator. Plus my intercooler made things a bit tight. I also prefer a really nice factory style install with real lines vs long rubber lines running all over. Most tracks will in fact not allow cars with rubber lines longer then 12" to be on the track-mostly from trans coolers. Again- not everyone races their car, tracks their car, etc....A cheapo version and install will work fine-I just prefer to put a but more effort into things.

Also there is a huge difference between different grades of coolers. Fin design and internal flow are important in order to maximize efficiency. All trans coolers of the same size are not the same.
Everyone should realize that just because a transmission has not failed does not mean the trans cooler is doing it's job-it just means the trans has not failed-yet. A proper test would be to compare the incoming fluid vs the outgoing fluid temps.
Also keep in mind that there are PLATE and FIN like the B&M versions and also the TUBE and FIN. The plate and fin are 33% more efficient vs the tube versions.

 

To each his own. I personally would rather have more cooling for less money than something with less function that was polished. My cooler is actually much closer to factory lines than the one shown in the thread linked above. Because it is not as thick you can mount it lower so all you have to do is basically run the lines about an extra 6" past factory length (A little more for the top fitting of course) A plus to me is that the tranny cooler is totally out of sight unless you are looking for it between the radiator and condensor.

Either way...both coolers will work. If you don't need the additional cooling the "cheapo" provides and you want to be more visual with a big polished piece of aluminum showing in your grill than the B&M would probably be a better unit. If you dont care if your tranny cooler is visible or not and and only worried about function then the "cheapo" will be your best bet.

No matter what you are taking a step to better performance by adding a tranny cooler

Btw- Internal flow volume is a function of pipe diameter. Even if you have a tranny cooler with 1" piping inside of it your factory lines are only 3/8" lines that will only flow 3/8" worth of tranny fluid to the cooler. As long as the cooler tubes are as large as the factory lines then thats all that matters concerning actual fluid flow volume.

 

Actually the cooler in my SC430 is not polished. I prefer the no bling look myself though it was polished in my GS as it matched up well with the intercooler.

The difference in price is not the polish that you keep zeroing in on but the superior design of the B&M coolers and other Stacked Plate coolers vs tube and fin coolers. As stated above the Plate and Fin coolers are up to 33% more efficient vs the tube and fin units of the same size. So one cannot state that larger is better unless the design is known. Hayden is another well known brand that has excellent stacked plate coolers. and are available at most local auto parts stores.
For anyone looking for a trans cooler-ensure you get a Plate and Fin (stacked fin) unit for maximum efficiency.

Regardless of the brand I would recommend at least a 5000 bpu/ 10k GVW cooler. That is plenty for 99% of lexus owners out there. But as stated anything is better vs the radiator trans cooler.

Here is how to tell:
Standard Fin Tube design


This is a stacked plate design:

 

Sorry to ask this somewhat off topic question. But which transmission hard line is the outflowing line and which one is the inflowing line on the GS300 (looking directly at it from the front of the vehicle)?

 

So all in all what name brand tranny cooler would you guys recommend on a non-FI GS (when installing a PI TC)? Thanks

 

Hayden, B&M, Flex-a-lite, etc.