CRD Auto Transmission - To cooler or not to cooler?

[VooDooJeep]

Hi Guys

New to the forum. Sorry for the following story book, got carried away.

Been running a Derale Trans Cooler 12x10inch, with fully sealed 10inch thermo fan (on constantly), in my 07 CRD Unlimited now since October last year. The difference has been very noticable. Holds fifth up hills now with ease, no kicking down, and even when it does drop down its smooth. Running in some of the super soft beaches around Perth it keeps its cool. Its added a fair bit more oil to the system, and just to make sure the trans dip stick doesn't try to jump out have added a quick spring to hold the stick in place. Have been told that the trans should stay healthy for quite some time with the temps its running now, longer time before a rebuild will be needed and will keep the oil in better condition. Have been told that when trans oil goes over 120degrees C is when the oil starts to break down and cook quicker. Mine never gets close to this even when working hard, that includes playing on a beach up near Jurien in 42 degrees (wasn't meant to be that hot, damn weather guys!!), the JK was fine but we were happy to stop and have a cold beer.

I still have to install a switch to turn off the fan in deep water crossings but have not had any problems yet. Had an auto meter comp trans temp guage installed on the box hot side. So the temps I'm getting are after being through the box, which means the input oil temp is a lot lower. The rise and fall in the temps will freak you out a bit initially but you quickly learn to understand the loads and the work your auto box is doing, you can't cook it when your watching it. The standard pipes are still there (blocked off) so if need be can switch over if needed, gives a bit of redundancy to the system in remote localities.

The other side benefit has been that the air con, which shares some of the cooling up the front with the standard cooler, is now super cold, have to turn the thing down, even when up in the Pilbara last year.

And what you all want to know, where is it? When I switch the Jeep on it sounds like there is a turbo fan under the rear of it. I've been told by some that it won't get enough air, but that has not proved to be true. In the end, as you have rightly said there ain't many places to put it, but there is one place. Right up under the rear diff !! Its protected from rocks (have done the Burrup rocks with it), never going to be worried by a roo, high enough to not get touched by sticks or grasses. I was sceptical at first but after hundreds of kms of gravel roads, bush bashing, beach runs, dune climbing, towing a camper trailer, all during one of Perths hottest summers I no doubts about its positioning or its effectiveness.

A trans cooler is a must, whether its a petrol or a diesel. One of the best tech mods have done. The other would be the Pro-Vent that I got installed on the JK at the same time.

Yeah nearly forgot, the guage proves the point that you should be taking off the overdrive when running in city traffic, the rise in the box temp when just cruising around city traffic and leaving the overdrive on is much more than you would believe.

Cheers
Mick

[chippi]

thats really good infomation my mate has told me apperently not sure how true but even the new hilux's have them underneath the car. so looks like its been done.

[VooDooJeep]

Guys who installed for me work on comp 4x4s and that is the spot they stick all of them. They built a custom guage pod for me and incorporated the tweeter into the unit, looks amazing. The fonts of the numbers, the size, the colour, the metal surround all matches the standard guages. If you didn't own a JK you'd be hard pressed to pick it as anything but factory.

Cheers
Mick

[Festa]

Hiya Voodoo,

I have seen your cooler first hand at Jambo and agree that it is in the perfect position for virtually every situation.

Have you had the oppertunity to test it out in mud holes yet? as that would be the only place I would worry about the fins clogging up with mud and possibly causing some problems.

[double black offroad]

I have noticed a big diff in the shift patterns offroad from using the mopar ATF4 to the Penrite syn trans. Mine use to have occasional rough shifts in low range, but once I shifted to the Penrite, no longer a prob. Something else to consider.

[zerosecta]

Originally Posted by VooDooJeep

Guys who installed for me work on comp 4x4s and that is the spot they stick all of them. They built a custom guage pod for me and incorporated the tweeter into the unit, looks amazing. The fonts of the numbers, the size, the colour, the metal surround all matches the standard guages. If you didn't own a JK you'd be hard pressed to pick it as anything but factory.
Cheers
Mick

Hi VooDoo, Great info, Thanks... Would it be to much trouble to get a few pics of where it is mounted and also where its pipes\lines have been connected to the factory lines. and one more thing perhaps where\how the transtemp gauge has been tee'd into the lines.

Cheers

[zerosecta]

UPDATE on the original mission for this thread:

I am still planning on going through with the experiment as outlined in post #1.

Unfortunatly the guys from aeroforce are having trouble getting the gauge settings (PID's I guess) from Crysler for the CRD jeep. They assure me that they are working on it though, so I am keen to give them a little more time since the interceptor gauge really does it all - "if it works that is ".