UPDATE: Installed. Pics below.

I'm planning on running the Dragon (US 129) for a hiking trip, and to make sure I don't toast my trans (as well as prevent overheating in the searing East TN summers in traffic), so I am adding this:
First, I have no idea where I would mount this. I don't want to block the oem cooling system too much. I have seen remote mounting in the rear, but I don't have an aftermarket exhaust to make this happen, and don't want to run that much line. I definitely want to keep this thing up front. I've seen OEM BMW turbo cars mounted in the wheel well; this may be an option but I don't want to swiss chess my OEM wheel wells and mounting would be tricky.

So any input? I see that the 2nd gen sedans replace their OEM cooler with a upgraded version but we don't have that option. I'm thinking mounting opposite of the OEM P/S cooler at this time.

Will 3/8 trans/oil hose work? On my 3rd gen altima this didn't quite work, and I had to remove the cooler cause I couldn't get a good seal on the OEM cooler nipples on the radiator.

Thanks!

 

Okay guys, let's not all respond at once .

I am trying to decide between doing a one circuit cooler as listed above and finding a semi hidden location for it, or doing a 2 circuit cooler and mounting it where the the OEM powersteering cooler is.

Either way, I will try to make a write up for whatever I do. I may also be adding a remote trans filter. I'm at 93K but figure it can't hurt to do.

 

stock cooler is inside the radiator. It is sufficient for most people - unless you are boosted or track your car.

I am running a B&M cooler - I have it mounted in front of the AC condenser on the passenger side. I also am running it in-line with the stock cooler.

 

I am going to do this a little differently than originally planned. I won't be using the stacked plate cooler above. Instead I will be using an Earl's 3x13" 10 row cooler, AN/NPT fittings, oil thermostat and magnefine filter. I will also do a drain/fill after I'm done. Should be a pretty good setup.

I'm aiming for a low pressure drop and to not overcool the trans (hence the thermostat) while increasing ISO cleanliness. I did a drain/fill/mini flush when I got the car at 88K with about 6.5 qts and have another 6 on hand for make-up and the drain/fill. I would like to do a UOA to make sure all of this isn't a waste of time before and after, but money is tight so we shall see

In addition to the dragon/mountain trips, the staggering heat in Knoxville traffic (91* last week! ) doesn't make me feel so good about trans temps. It also gets really cold here (we saw a few single digit days) so I don't want to have trans temps in the 80s holding condensate in the winter. I was going to use a pusher fan but feel that this setup should be better than nothing at all.

Parts should be coming in Wed, install Thursday. I hope to remember to take as many pictures as possible, but we'll see how time goes.

 

So after about ten hours (three spent chasing leaks, and one for random breaks) the cooler has been installed and I've driven about 50 miles.

The key components of this kit are:

*Earl's 41008 cooler. ~$100 shipped. It's the 13x2x3" cooler.
*Derale Oil thermostat ~$60
*Derale Oil thermostat mounting kit ~$20 (this is optional, but I don't have many tools like a break/vice (I rent a house) so I used stairs to ge my 90* bend
*AN fittings to interface with oil thermostat (I used -8, Jeg's Push-Loc).
*3/8" Hose (I used about 9' total)
*Magnefine in-line filter ($16)

It was just north of 300 all said and done, but I feel much better with it on, including the filter which I think is very cheap insurance.

I spent alot of time trying to figure out a clean way to install without blocking the OEM P/S cooler and keeping routing as short as possible.

Album (more detailed pics here): https://g35driver.com/forums/members...-05-coupe.html





I mounted the cooler by tapping some M5 holes into the bumper support. Ditto for the thermostat. I'm temporarily letting the magnefine filter hang on the sway bar.

Warnings: My thermostat housing kept leaking. Leak #1 was from a "loose" barb. Retightened, leak gone. Leak #2 was from bad manufacturing. The mounting holes to mate to the bracket were drilled too deep, causing ATF to seep out of the mounting holes. Advice: Use liquid teflon on every hole. Every. I would send it back but it seem ok for now. And it's already rigged up

It seems to shift better (more consistently). The cooler definately is working. I burned **** out of my hand touching it after some traffic.

I tried to mount it in a very inconspicuous location, so that it would look OEM. The grille fits perfectly over the whole thing. I was somewhat worried about airflow, but I think it's ok for right now.

If you have questions feel free to ask.

 

i have a b&m 20500 btu supercooler that i want to use as a tranny cooler for my FI build. Tollbooth do you have any pics of how you ran your lines i would like to run it in line with the stock cooler. i have an 5AT so the cooler is supposedly built into the rad correct?

should it route- tranny to radiator IN then from radiator OUT to b&m cooler IN then cooler OUT back to tranny??

 

Thrills, yes you have the right idea. You want to run a line from the driverside of the radiator, to the cooler. Then out of the cooler you want to run a line back to the pipe the driver side radiator tube went back to the solid transmission lines.

This way it runs through the factory cooler under the radiator, through the aftermarket cooler and back to the transmission.

 

I would skip the oem warmer. Its not really a cooler. Its a warmer.

 

Papa so I take the line that is coming from the tranny to the driverside pipe on the rad and I'm actually connecting it to the cooler. Then I am taking a line from the other end of the cooler and attaching it to the pipe that was initially detatched on the driver side of the rad. So the passanger side of the rad is left untouched? Thanks for your help

 

Why not install on the bottom of the crash bar directly behind one of the lower grills? Doesn't look like its getting much airflow in its current location.

 

this is your engine oil cooler correct. not a tranny cooler. just wondering because your refereeing to a thermostat which shouldn't be needed for a tranny cooler but only for a oil cooler

 

Then you need to get caps to block off the trans nipples to the bottom of the radiator. Nissan and every other manufacturer who utilizes this technology wouldn't have done it if it didn't actually work....

 

Eh Thrilla... sorry I know you've asked me for some photos but the shop never forwarded them to me... they took some but when I picked up the car they told me you couldn't see much anyway.

And you can't see ANYTHING now with the bumper back on that would be of any use.

Anyway, sorry again for dropping the ball on you.


Hmmmm wonder if they're talking a thermostatically controlled cooler that allows for temps to get up to operational before circulating through the cooler?

 

oh no worries man im just got my kurumaz in so im going to install the tranny cooler and oil cooler this weekend before i test fit and mount the bumper.

since im going to be putting the intercooler in pretty soon also would it be a good idea to mount the stock PS cooler right behind the front grille? or is there a better ideal place for the ps cooler relocation?

im going to do what has been said here. i know that the supply line from the tranny to the rad is on the passenger side and obviously the return back is on the driver side. so im routing the tranny cooler from the return side of the rad to the aftermarket cooler and from the cooler to the return of the tranny. (IN SERIES AFTER OEM RAD)

i will be mounting the tranny cooler on the far most driver side infront of the rad is there enough space to exhaust the air without having to cut out air vents on the inner wheel like some have been doing? obviously the car does not have air tight seal so the air passing through the cooler will exhaust somewhere but is that enough?

i aslo just picked up a greddy intelligent informeter from a member cuz it looks pretty cool lol, so i will check what the temps are. right now im at around 91-93 c (max 168 F) so ill check what its will be putting out after the install.

 

I wouldn't use a filter for transmission line. The line pressures on Nissan Transmissions are not sufficient for remote coolers and filters unless you adjust pressure.

I attempted to use a remote B&M Filter.