How can you tell if the trans cooler is stock?

[Xceler8x]

I did a search on this and came up 0

So I'm asking...how can you tell if you trans cooler is stock?

I checked mine out last night and it's mounted on the right hand side of the rad, in front of the AC rad, behind the grill. It has two rubber hoses connected with screw type hose clamps to hard lines that go backwards from it to the tranny. But it also has hard lines that run into the rad as if for a rad-built-in tranny cooler like on my old 1973 Mustang with used the bottom 1/4 of the rad to cool the tranny.

How can I tell if this is stock or an aftermarket setup?

Nxt question : Can I use a regular oil temp gauge to measure trans fluid temp? How about a water temp gauge? Don't they all measure temperature and shouldn't the sending unit respond the same to temp no matter the fluid it's reading?

I'm also checking into a remote filter for my trans just in case...I'll save those questions for later...

 

[Rhett]

Without me seeing the transmission cooler, it's harder to tell if it's stock or not. I would say, from what you describe, that it is a stock one, as all the stock ones I've ever seen were mounted on drivers side. All the one's I've seen had the tubes and fins, too.

The hard lines going into the radiator also carry transmission fluid with the auto trans.

 

[aldive]

What you describe "sounds" stock.

 

[AspenX]

Sounds like mine. I'll go measure it. OK it's 3/4 thick and 7 1/2 x 11 1/8 and it is black. Hope this helps.

 

[snocross1985]

I highly suggest the secondary tranny filter. I put mine in and is very easy to install and only cost me $30 for the basic one from summit. check out this link here for more info on it: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34136

 

[Bill MacLeod]

Xceler8x:

The stock cooler is black in colour (as mentioned above) and a very compact unit. Referred to as stacked plate type. Not fin tube type where you see large fins and the tubes are clearly visible.

Yes you can use any type temp gauge. Temp is temp. I have a trans temp gauge in my 99 with one sending unit for trans temp and one sending unit for engine temp. Just need a single pole double throw (SPDT) toggle switch.
Obviously, you can only do this with an elec. gauge.

 

[cjpwalker]

How is your tranny cooler mounted? Most aftermarket ones are "zip-tied" to the radiator. Stock ones are mounted on a bracket.