HAYDEN TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER
I installed a Hayden Transaver Plus OC-1679, for extra heavy duty kit. It is rated for gross vehicle weights of up to 30,000 lbs. It measures 9 7/8 inches x 11 3/4 inches. It is designed for heavy duty driving, Class A motor homes, large travel trailers and 5th wheels. Yes! Everybody said, the bigger the better! This was in preparation for the 4.10 gears and the stall converter.
There are endless debates about having the stock cooler connected in series but after reading and analyzing each approach, we decided to bypass the stock cooler.
Transmission-Hayden-radiator: One option is to install the auxillary cooler in between the transmission and the radiator. With this configuration, the hot fluid will leave the transmission and pass through the auxillary cooler, then to the stock cooler, then back to the transmission. Those who prefer this method believe that on cold days, the radiator will actually warm up the fluid. I don't agree with this because on the cold days where you would need to warm the transmission fluid, the radiator isn't going to provide any heat. The thermostat in the engine will be closed or almost closed. The coolant in the radiator will be at the ambient freezing temperature. How is that going to heat up your transmission fluid?
Transmission-radiator-Hayden: Another option is to have the auxillary cooler on the return line. Return line is defined as the line that the cooled fluid returns to the transmission. On my 2004 Mustang GT, this is the line near the top of the radiator. The idea here is that the transmission would get the coolest fluid since it has passed through two coolers. Well, I didn't quite agree with this either. The auxillary cooler is so much more efficient than the stock cooler. Why bother? It will be like trying to fan yourself while standing in the back of a moving pick up.
The installation was going to be simpler without having to deal with the stock radiator. The first thing we did was to remove the plastic shroud in front of the engine. It gives you access to the area behind the grill and forward of the radiator. Next we removed the radiator fan.
Then we installed the Hayden cooler using the zip ties and locks that come with the kit.
Then we disconnected the two connections to the stock cooler and connected the rubber hose onto the fittings using the hose clamps. Plug up the holes in the stock cooler with some high temp RTV to prevent contamination.
Clean it all up, put the fan and shroud back, and you're done!
Did it make a difference? Before the auxillary cooler, my transmission fluid temperature (TFT) would hover around 180-190*F. Under hard driving (sustained 3000 RPM for over five minutes), the TFT would go above 200*F. With the auxillary cooler, normal driving would have the temperature around 135-145*F. Under hard driving, it would go as high as 169*F. Did I need the stock cooler inline? Nah! I have never seen it go above 170*F. When I get the high stall converter, I expect my temperatures will be in the 160-170*F range in city driving. We'll see...
Cost: $55.00 for the cooler
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