GutlessPhred

Why wait til something goes wrong? Just put one in, they are cheap and easy to do. First time I went off road with the recall done it went off ten minutes into the trail. A real PITA if it goes off. That week I put one in. Lots of trips later no problem.

ronjenx

I know I should. I keep a close eye on the temps and it hasn't gone too high yet.

I did start collecting the parts today, though. I want to try something better than hose barbs and clamps.

ronjenx

If them temps climb with a cooler, it will be pretty easy to make them come back down with some changes to what you are doing that made them rise. I don't know of anyone who has overheated their JK transmission after installing a cooler. (I could have missed it, though.)

Sahara_Maverick

What's best store to find the kit? There's a kit that already comes with everything, correct? Cooler, hoses, clamps, etc.

Jiblet

it was in stock, cheaper, lower profile. mainly the lower profile, if I can even remember!


Amen.

Really, street driving (traffic and/or hilly terrain) wherein the TC keeps unlocking etc. may be more problematic than 4-lo wheeling. The only wheeling overheating postings I seem to remember all begin with: "so I was wheeling in 4-Hi and heard a chime...."

Just to repeat good advice:

Jiblet

Well, the popular B&M kits come with all the goodies needed and are available online and in local stores. Summit Racing for example. Shop around.

You may want or need a longer piece of hosing than they supply. Do a dry fit before you start cutting. If you get extra hose, be sure it is Transmission line, not fuel line. Big difference in heat tolerance.

Also, some kits have threaded-screw-together-hose barb connections. (Can't think of the real name!) I tossed those and picked up some one piece connectors and extra hose clamps.

And of course you need some ATF+4 to fill up the new volume. How much depends on the cooler you install.

There is a write up by paratus13 somewhere on the forum.

cidd

The auto trans in any vehicle will get the same temp as the motor because the trans cooler is part of the radiator. This helps the trans warm up in the winter and keep cool in the summer BUT jeep seams to be having a problem with the way they designed there system and it seams when in 4 wheel and in sand or mud where the torque converter is slipping a lot it over heats and causes the fluid to boil over and exit thru the dipstick if it comes into contact with the hot exhaust it will burn. That is why you need to put the cooler in line after it has gone thru the radiator if you drive in sand and mud or slow trail driving where the air is not moving over the rad and you are relying on the jeeps rad fan for air movement I would but a cooler that has its own fan built in and install a temp switch for it or even a manual switch would do turn it on for 4 wheeling and off for the street.

Jiblet

not in the JK

ronjenx

That's a common misconception about the JK.
I think one reason the transmission fluid is not routed through the engine radiator is the water temp is allowed to reach 215°F before the fan comes on; too hot for transmission fluid.

wired

Why does the wrangler not have a tranny temp gauge as stock epuipment? If this is a common problem, one would think that Dodge would do two things;

1. Make a transmission cooler either a stock item, or an option that can be installed from the factory.
2. Have the transmission temp gauge installed at the factory on all jeep wranglers.

That way we can all see how hot things get, and maybe avoid doing damage to the vehicle.