Gang,

After about eight months of sitting on my shelf, a Factory Tech transmission fluid cooler was installed on Hawgelt this morning.

All the necessary fittings and mounting bracketry were included in the kit. Muchos gracias to Gregg for providing the hardware for allow for various cooler attachment points.

Here's the skinny on the install.

Remove the radiator shroud. Locate the factory cooler. It is the small cooler on the lower left hand side of the radiator.

Prefit both braided stainless tubes to the cooler.

Slide the cooler down to just above the factory cooler.

I opted not to attach the cooler to the radiator. Not a big fan of that. Rather, the supplied bracketry was carefully installed onto existing mounting points for the body on the top end of the radiator area and one existing hole on the center mount for the hood latch assembly. Images below will highlight the locations.

As you look down from the top, feed the lines through the rubber on the right side oem cooler.

Have a catch pan ready when you remove the fitting from transmission supply line on the the bottom of the OEM cooler just above the heat exchanger hose. Only lost about four to six ounces of fluid.

Insert the supplied fitting into the cooler FIRST, snug it down, then attach the braided hose.

Here's where it becomes a now or never install. The supplied barb fittings didn't fit the small end of the braided line. Went to Lowe's to locate the correct item. WRONG.

Pull out the pipe cutter and pick a spot to cut the transmission fluid supply line. Again, image below will show where I chose.

Once the line is cut, slide the compression cap onto the line, followed by the compression fitting, then the connector. Ensure the transmission supply line is seated into the connector as far as it can go.

Slide the compression fitting down into the seat then snug the compression cap down onto the connector. Attach the remaining braided hose onto the compression connector.

Double check all the fittings for tightness then start the truck and let it run for a couple of minutes while checking all the fittings.

Pull the transmission dipstick and verify the fluid level. I had to add approx .5 quart of fluid to reach the top of the cold line.

TEST DRIVE

Haven't run the truck yet today to verify the change in tranny temps with the AutoTap but will monitor and report the results later this week. Wife doesn't like holding a laptop. LOL

Gratuitous Imagery.

Top View installed:



Upper Left mounting point



Upper Right mounting point:



continued on second post...

Bob

 

Bottom right mounting point:



Plumbing:

 

Another fine writeup Sir Speedin......bookmarked..JR

 

Bookmarked... Thanks for the great write-up.

This might be something I need to do, being here in Hawaii with nothing less then 80 degree weather...


Thomas

 

Nice write-up Bob, thanks a meeeelion!

Tim @ Chikenears

 

Tim, JR, Thomas, and all

You are quite welcome. Just helping out the minions, or something.

Bob