Report on installation of a Hayden transmission
cooler
By: Phill Vanderschagen
I installed a transmission temperature gauge on my '96 CC 4X4
Powerstroke. Around town in 80-90 degree temperatures the transmission
temperature never exceeded 170 degrees. However, when pulling
my 25 foot travel trailer at highway speeds I found that the auto
transmission was getting as hot as 230 degrees on mountain grades
and was running at 200 degrees on the flats when air temps were
over 90 degrees. Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) begins to
break down at temperatures over 170 degrees. The rate of breakdown
doubles for every 20 degree raise in temperature. It is obvious
that the stock transmission cooler does not do an adequate job
during hot weather.
I ordered a Hayden 679 transmission cooler from DIS and installed
it in series, after my stock cooler. The Hayden cooler is much
larger than the stock unit. After the installation I took a 400
mile trip over southern California mountains and across the Mojave
Desert. In spite of ambient temperatures in excess of 100 the
transmission temperatures never exceeded about 180 degrees. This
included climbing long mountain grades. Even in 100 plus temperatures
the transmission normally ran at 170. Without the trailer the
transmission is running at 140-150 in 90 degree plus temperatures.
In cooler air temperatures (60s-70s) transmission temperatures
are in the 140-150 range.
The Hayden cooler can be ordered from DIS for about $57 plus shipping.
They also said I needed an adapter kit, which I did not need.
The cooler comes with everything I needed to install the unit,
in fact I had most of the hose and one hose clamp left over. I
installed the Hayden cooler below the stock cooler. I ran a loop
of hose from the return end of the stock cooler to the Hayden
unit and connected the existing return line to the Hayden. Fluid
now flows through the factory cooler, then into the Hayden unit
and then back to the transmission. I encountered no major problems
installing the unit, the entire project did not take more than
one hour(the directions say it should take 30 minutes).
Parts Included in the Hayden 679 Cooler Kit: Cooler, 4 hose clamps,
hose, 4 nylon connectors, 4 small foam pads and one threaded adapter.
I only used two nylon connectors, three hose clamps and about
10 inches of hose. The nylon connectors substitute for bolts and
hold the cooler in place.
Hayden Cooler Installed Below Factory Cooler: The Hayden cooler
is connected to the lower(out) connection on the factory cooler.
The Hayden cooler is at least twice the size of the factory cooler.
The Hayden cooler is connected to the plastic crossmember with
the nylon connectors included with the kit.
