Transmission Oil Cooler Install

[Monster3663]

I installed a Hayden Transmission oil cooler 526 kit that comes with a 650 cfm fan and pre-drilled mounting brackets on a front XJ skid plate . The cooler has 4 cooling rows and the fan can be setup to pull or push air. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hda-526


First I cut and ground off the angle iron from the skid plate the width of the fan.







I had the old rusty skid plate sand blasted. I made some brackets that lowered the skid in the back by 3.5 inches I then flattened the front part to mount it onto the frame. I drew a grid of 1 inch squares for the vent holes.
















The lowering brackets attached using a bolt from the sway bar bracket.



Plenty of clearance from sway bar. You can see the brackets that come with fan raise the fan up about an inch.




Approach angle is still pretty good.



Fan is connected to same relay as electric cooling fan with no issue. When electric fan kicks on so does trans cooler fan.

 

[Mach2nh]

Wouldn't that shield cut down on air flow for the engine compartment? Things in that area are warm as it is no need to make it worse.

 

[WB9YZU]

That's a factory skid plate.

You have to remember that from the factory, XJs came with a rubber "Diaper" that sealed off the engine compartment from the road.

I might think about making the holes bigger, then welding a heavy guage screen over it. For some reason, I'm thinking rocks and sticks. I have been known to bend front skidplates pretty bad

 

[Monster3663]

That's a factory skid plate.

You have to remember that from the factory, XJs came with a rubber "Diaper" that sealed off the engine compartment from the road.

I might think about making the holes bigger, then welding a heavy guage screen over it. For some reason, I'm thinking rocks and sticks. I have been known to bend front skidplates pretty bad

I went with that size hole because of rocks and sticks, with bigger holes your just inviting things to go through. Plus the cooler is not flush and it gets air from the sides too.

 

[Mach2nh]

I know its factory. I have not seen one in yrs in my neck of the woods. Most people take them off to help with keeping things cool.

 

[techno1154]

Monster 3663, I like what you have done. However, I would have moved the skid forward and attached the front of it to the bumper and not lower the back of it. The angle seem steep to me.

That's a factory skid plate.

You have to remember that from the factory, XJs came with a rubber "Diaper" that sealed off the engine compartment from the road.

I might think about making the holes bigger, then welding a heavy guage screen over it. For some reason, I'm thinking rocks and sticks. I have been known to bend front skidplates pretty bad

Yes, many XJ's came from the factory with a front rubber diaper and just about all with the off road package had the front skid included with the package. The skid did not contribute to the engine overheating. In my opinion, it may have achieved the opposite in these ways:---

1) It acted as an air dam forcing frontal air up and through the radiator.
2) The back of it being lower than the front causes a vacuum at the
back edge of the skid and pulling hot air from the back of the engine
compartment passing it under the XJ and out the back.

Yes, many people have removed this skid for various reasons and all claim that removing it did not hurt the XJ's cooling ability. While such claims may be accurate, there is no real proof of this especially on the un-modified XJ.

 

[joe_peters]

My only input on what you did--a nice job and good write-up--is you may want to add a fan kill switch for water crossings.

 

[Monster3663]

My only input on what you did--a nice job and good write-up--is you may want to add a fan kill switch for water crossings.

hahaha Thanks for that advise but I live In New Mexico if I have to cross that much water I'm in trouble.

 

[O-Gauge Steamer]

Similar to what I did. Except that I dropped the entire skid down three inches by taking a 3" box aluminium extrusion and cutting it in half creating 3"x 1.5" U shaped brackets. I elected not to drill holes in the skid, instead, I spaced the heat exchanger off of the skid by 3/4" to allow air flow. I use the Derale Transmission Cooler Thermoswitch to control the puller fan via a relay.

Plumbing wise, the fluid runs from the transmission to the Flex-a-lite Transmission cooler that is in front of the radiator, then to the stacked plate fan forced cooler, then back to the transmission. It does not go through the radiator as Flex-a-lite does not have the provision in their aluminium radiator. It is their opinion that it adds to heat in the engine coolant.

IMO, the stock front skid becomes useless once the Jeep is lifted unless it is dropped down.

Given that the skid was part of the "Up Country" option package when new, there is zero negative impact on engine cooling with it in place.

If I were in New Mexico where snow is a tad unlikely, I would have drilled out the skid as well for air flow as it is an overall better solution for heat control. I have to deal with snow so that changes things...

 

[Monster3663]

Similar to what I did. Except that I dropped the entire skid down three inches by taking a 3" box aluminium extrusion and cutting it in half creating 3"x 1.5" U shaped brackets. I elected not to drill holes in the skid, instead, I spaced the heat exchanger off of the skid by 3/4" to allow air flow. I use the Derale Transmission Cooler Thermoswitch to control the puller fan via a relay.

Plumbing wise, the fluid runs from the transmission to the Flex-a-lite Transmission cooler that is in front of the radiator, then to the stacked plate fan forced cooler, then back to the transmission. It does not go through the radiator as Flex-a-lite does not have the provision in their aluminium radiator. It is their opinion that it adds to heat in the engine coolant.

IMO, the stock front skid becomes useless once the Jeep is lifted unless it is dropped down.

Given that the skid was part of the "Up Country" option package when new, there is zero negative impact on engine cooling with it in place.

If I were in New Mexico where snow is a tad unlikely, I would have drilled out the skid as well for air flow as it is an overall better solution for heat control. I have to deal with snow so that changes things...

I just ordered a Derale switch. Was it a simple connection to a 12 volt supply and a relay to the fan?

 

[O-Gauge Steamer]

Yes.

I tagged into one of the lines that go hot with the ignition but not the accessories. The switched contacts wire Battery to Fuse to Relay to Fan.

The relay coil wired ignition hot line to relay coil to thermoswitch to ground.

Do not tag onto the line that runs to the coil...

 

[Glenn B]

Looks great! Was nice to see your project today when you stopped in to work.

I eventually want to do something similar, but that is a ways off.

Looking forward to wheeling with you Sunday.

 

[CobraMarty]

Those Derale switches are nice units. Great price on Amazon.