3rd Gen 4Runner Transmission Cooler & Filter Install 

Youre very welcome. Best of luck.

Awesome Ian. Good luck on the trans job.

Did it help?

I'd say it's with doing. Extra filter is handy as well.

What most people don't understand like one of the replies is, the trans actually needs hot Temps to operate and shift correctly. So seasonality and location have a fair amount of input here. A thermostat control control valve would be ideal or if you live in a really hot or really cold location. Not cooler in the winter full cooler in the summer, especially if towing.

Bypass is good if you have a brand new radiator and a sufficient cooler. But the series method is what Toyota does to all the rigs that come factory with trans cooler. So this RU-vid is spot on installation. Also, you actually void most manufacturer warranty if you install the bypass method. I did mine with the 699 model (built in thermostatically controlled to allow cool fluid to bypass through the first couple rows of the cooler). This model is good if you live in colder climate. Instead of using the junk zip ties, I chose to bracket mount mine with the Hayden bracket kit. So the transmission cooler never touch the condenser or anything else. Using the zip tie method is ok if you plan to not do hard off-road because with time, the zip ties are bound to come loose. When it does, vibrations will cause leak if the condenser is rubbing against the cooler. The BEST method is to properly mount it with brackets. I took advantage of Timmy the tool man's method but did it slightly different without any drilling or having to bend the bracket. It fit like a glove. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-34wnfq85_qk.html

@@genxiong2695 Thanks for your suggestion. Do you have any photos of the cooler installed showing the mounting holes you used?

Thank you and yes it's correct. Being a generic part it will show that is doesn't fit.

Goodluck!

Thanks, tomorrow i will install the grill and the proof.. What is the reason why you installed the cooler?

Not really unless your radiator is old you shouldn’t really have a problem and yeah if you live up north yeah that would probably be about only reason

I bypassed mine. It’s not that I need extra cooling, it’s that I don’t want to get the dreaded pink milkshake.

That’s what I thought. I wanted to see how to bypass mine.

Yes

How is your shifting feel?

That's amazing, do they still work today

@Miles-wy1zr yeah, should basically be the same.

Yes and no. There's multiple ways of looking at this depending on application and planned use. I'm not overly concerned about mixing as I stay on top of my stuff. You can actually over cool your trans fluid depending on outside temps and tome of year. The trans operates best at with warm fluid. This setup will cool hot fluid and warm it to correct on the way back into the trans. Running it a thermostat control would be the best way but it costs more and more difficult to setup. Hope that helps you understand a bit more. I could keep going but that should cover it.

There are no issues to report.

Thanks, yes i briefly mentioned it in the video. just runs the lines to it. The return side it the same as I did. Disconnect the pressure side from the oem cooler and install to bottom of external cooler.

Great video will be doing this mod on the hoonirunner soon 🤘🏽

@@Beacon_Offroad you do realize that the point of a trans cooler is to not use the radiator due to coolant and transmission fluid mixing in the radiator which is a problem these T4R have. You did it completely wrong. It fixes nothing

@@jmp216 Exactly right. Have you found this to be the case since it's been a couple years since posting this video?

We're in Surrey, B.C.

@@Beacon_Offroad Perfect. What's the name of the shop?

@@MrAnticaArte OK Tire Surrey-Fleetwood 604 503 3959

@@Vosmalus when I do my timing belt I change the radiator. Probably the best way you're going to prevent milkshake from happening. By running a standalone transmission cooler and not running it through the radiator when it's cold out you won't properly warm up your transmission.

Yes, but as mentioned, it's a good practice to pop a new radiator in a 3rd Gen 4Runner as a maintenance item much like lower ball joints are on these. Those are the only 2 weak spots on these. Radiators are cheap (115 USD for an 'OEM ' Denso unit) and easy to install. This prevents the Pink Milkshake but retains the heating functions the Toyota engineers intended. New upper and lower hoses and a new OEM thermostat with the jiggle valve a 6 O'clock and you're good for another 250k miles. Edit - while you're at it, get a trans temp gauge or OBDII gauge or app (1999 and later trucks only) to monitor temps when wheeling or if you tow in mountains. The idiot light doesn't come on until about 300 degrees and you're risking real damage to your tranny at that point. Blah blah blah - sorry. Nice video!

Its a dual purpose

@@jameswatt4694 So- I picked up a 99 SR5 with 169K miles PO took really good care of the truck all Toyota hoses and belts etc & looks like the original radiator as I can faintly make out Toyota on the radiator. I should be good with replacing the radiator with another Toyota radiator and no need for the external trans cooler? I plan on doing no heavy 4wheeling or towing. Tia

@@richardmiller2313 A new radiator is a good idea for sure. External trans cooler isn't a must unless you are wheeling in high heat under heavy load. It's never a bad idea to to hook up a simple data system to the OBDII port - either a Bluetooth unit that send all the data to an app or a full time unit like an Ultra Gauge or Scangauge II. I'm not even sure what thread I'm relpying to here, but if anyone reading this want answers to anything you could imagine having to do with 3rd gen 4runners (96-02) you want to check out this forum. I've learned so much about keeping these running forever and all the mods you can do from nearly free to sky's the limit: (it's an bit of an oldschool interface): www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/ Cheers!

Not a concern, there's plently of pressure there. You'd know if you ever had a line come off or get a hole in it lol.

@@Beacon_Offroad you're right! Going to try a bypass setup with this filter. Ty.

So he can tow a trailer full of moose.

This is a balancing act. Depending on use, time of year and location. Factory cooler doesn't cool enough but it is meant to heat the trans fluid at a certain point as well. Depending where you live can be a factor. Here in the winter running a external cooler only would over cool the fluid.

What else would you need to coolers for??? Think think think.........

Yes, inside your transmission there is a pump that generates the pressure.

but these Gen 3 radiators fail and leak radiator coolant into the transmission. So what is the problem with Not running the trans fluid thru the radiator? is it bc the trans fluid then wont heat up to a proper temp? seems like that would only occur in very cold climates in the winter...or does it happen in moderate climates in the winter too?

Running the trans fluid through the radiator helps heat the trans fluid up to temp.

I dont think it really matters and let's be honest if there was a major failure and large amounts of metal you shoukd extensively clean the cooler and or just replace it in general.

Imo it would be same same.

@@Beacon_Offroad awesome, thanks for the videos

Unfortunately I can not confirm nor deny.

It looks like it will only prevent the milkshake if you run the cooler bypassing the radiator. If you run it in series like this, it will still run through the radiator. So there is still a chance of the radiator failing and, in turn, the dreaded pink milkshake!

Nope. He missed a great opportunity to avoid that issue.

Yes but slightly different, I just did one recently here at the shop.

No you do not have to drain.

Yes he did. That's a major mistake he made.

I understand exactly every point of what your saying but if you don't understand why it's set up like this then it's beyond you. Thanks for leaving a comment, have a great day 👍.

@@Beacon_Offroad your reply seems evasive. @jmp216 seems correct. What is wrong with what he is saying?