Aux trans cooler install- fittings...

[higney85]

06 explorer 4.0 with the class III tow package to start..

The explorer already has the factory tow package, which included an aux trans cooler, but I will be towing really close to the limit of gross vehicle weight with the trailer and I am in the heat of the south (95-105 degrees in the summer). I have already mounted the aux trans cooler and installed an engine oil cooler. I had to stop the trans cooler install as I hit a brick wall. My plan was to tap into the line from the radiator cooler going to the factory trans cooler, but there wasn't enough line. I have some 11/32" that came with the hayden cooler kit, but the connections have me baffled as it wouldn't be possible to just splice into the existing line. The aux cooler is mounted towards to bottom of the radiator and condenser area on the drivers side for access to install and air flow. In my past installs (limited) I have been able to tap in and use hose clamps with a fresh hose to the final product. The connector at the radiator through me a curveball.

For those who have installed a cooler, or secondary cooler, what type of connections did you utilize? The ideal case would be to disconnect the factory cooler to radiator line, cut/install to the aux cooler line, and run a fresh line from the aux cooler to the radiator but I can't seem to find a connector... Open to ideas or past lessons learned.

 

[engineeering]

For those who have installed a cooler, or secondary cooler, what type of connections did you utilize? The ideal case would be to disconnect the factory cooler to radiator line, cut/install to the aux cooler line, and run a fresh line from the aux cooler to the radiator but I can't seem to find a connector... Open to ideas or past lessons learned.

[MENTION=137346]higney85[/MENTION]

I just installed an inline 23000 gvw cooler and just cut the downstream 5/8" diameter hose coming off the stock cooler. Since my kit had only 1/2" fittings/hose (stock hose is 5/8")... I mustered up some 5/8" and 1/2" barb/NPT brass fittings and simply used my NPT tap and tapped a thread inside the larger one (essentially making a 1/2" barb X 5/8" barb fitting). Then I just connected up the 5/8" & 1/2" hoses using hose clamps and it worked great. My temps dropped around 30-40degF during low-speed & idling conditions. It usually stays under 175degF now on hot days (it was 102F here this week and kept cool).

while I was at it I installed a tranmission dip stick in the oil pan using an extra oil stick from a spare engine. Works great so long as you only check it at operating temp (level changes when running).

ps. after all that... I'm thinking about a manual swap!

 

[higney85]

Thanks for the reply. Is the stock hose 5/8 or 11/32? The kit came with 11/32 and looking online that's the size listed for the 06/4.0..

Thinking about possibly making my life really easy with putting NPT fittings together (create 2 male ends) and have hose clamps to button it all up. It would allow me to do all the lines in 1 easy to reach spot....

I don't see how that wouldn't work being that NPT fittings are used elsewhere in the trans line system. Thoughts on that?

 

[engineeering]

Not sure what the diameters were to be honest... I just grabbed a few fittings around the garage and it worked great for me

The hardest part of the job was getting the grill off. I decided to do some googling first and found a how-to on here regarding the best way to pop it off. PS. you don't need to take off the mud shields around your wheel wells. I did however remove the headlights, the panels at the bottom of the rad though, and had to drop trans fluid and top it back up. That ... and fabbing up the fittings took me like 2 hours.

With another brass fitting, dipstick, and some 1/2" copper water line, you can add an ATF dipstick! Totally worth it. (I will however be swapping it to a manual M5OD this fall though.. LOL)

 

[higney85]

Well, finding out the hard way that the aux cooler line is 1/2 inch line and the 11/32 line obviously won't match up.

Now I have to find a way to make this join up, lovely. Didn't figure it out until after cutting the line. All the research I did on hoses said 11/32 for the trans lines, but that is not the case.

 

[engineeering]

I did my best to squeeze a photo past my lower grill. It's not the prettiest... but it worked great. Just two brass fittings threaded together with teflon tape (the larger one was tapped with an NPT tap on the inside for the other one to be threaded in). Like you... I cut into the lines with only the fittings provided in the box and realized they are too small. Then I did some digging around the garage and made this up. I figured I would probably find a barb-barb fitting to replace it but it works fine (I think it is a 3/8"barbX1/4"npt threaded into a 1/2"barbX3/8"npt... essentially making a 3/8"barbX1/2"barb. Not totally sure so buy a bunch of fittings and bring the ones back you don't use)

edit: judging by the pic... I think I just put RTV black in the threads prior to connecting (no teflon tape)

 

[higney85]

Got it to work with brass NPT fittings just like you did. After a test run everything is only warm to the touch so I'm happy with that. Thanks for the help!

 

[engineeering]

Great to hear it!!