I by-passed my in radiator tranny cooler

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trowerpow
Posts: 15
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:52 am

Postby trowerpow » Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:01 pm

i bought a 70255 b+m trans cooler for my 2005 pathy figurin' the stock trans cooler in front of rad was'nt enough. you guys think it is? i live in michigan, could trans fluid run too cold?

kramer- why do you bother plugging the cooler line holes in the rad? i thought maybe if my rad did fail i would know immediately?


kramer
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:33 pm

Postby kramer » Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:13 pm

Why leave them open? I didn't want the remaining fluid leaking onto my driveway, and I don't want coolant leaking in case the failure does happen.

If the seal between the cooler and the radiator does fail it won't make a difference now, so I really don't care either way.

As for your other question, no I don't think the ATF can be too cold. It will take longer for it to warm up in winter, sure, but it won't stay cold. And yes the external cooler is MORE than enough. Most other cars and trucks don't even have a single cooler, so you're way ahead of the game. The external cooler that comes standard on our trucks is generally something you'd have to pay extra for as part of a towing package.

Perhaps if you do tons of serious towing in a hot and hilly climate then you'd want to add another cooler, but I really don't see that being the case. At least not for me.

trowerpow
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:52 am

Postby trowerpow » Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:28 pm

thanks kramer- i figured if i left trans cooler holes in bottom of rad open (after blowing out the bottom of the rad with compressed air) and the rad does fail, my engine coolant would'nt get contaminated with any residual trans fluid.

kramer
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Postby kramer » Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:07 pm

That's fair, but I figure there isn't really much fluid left over in there anyway, and if some gets into the coolant it's no big deal. I can't think of anything that would get damaged from a little bit of ATF getting into the coolant.

Cliff_Jumper
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:12 pm
Location: Maryland

Postby Cliff_Jumper » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:50 pm

kramer wrote:You'll also need a 5/16" double ended barbed brass hose fitting like this one:
Image
Don't bother ordering the Nissan hose joiner for $15, it's a waste of money. The barbed hose fittings are like 2 bucks.

Finally, you'll need some vacuum caps, I believe the size is 3/8" internal diameter to plug the radiator outlets.
I am starting to question Nissan's reliability on their vehicles. First the fuel gauge issue and now this. Did Nissan cut back and used cheap parts in their vehicles.

I guess a trade is in plan for the future. :x

kramer
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Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:33 pm

Postby kramer » Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:51 pm

Nissan is at the bottom of the list when it comes to reliability.

I bought the Pathfinder without doing too much extensive research and the price was right... but I won't keep it for more than a year or two. My brother's Sentra blew the headgasket at 50k, and its apparently a common issue, just like this transmission thing with the Pathfinders. :roll:

They just aren't up there with Honda and Toyota.

xtreme
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:29 pm

Postby xtreme » Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:52 pm

Does anybody know if AAMCO would do the mod? I never really do work myself on my car, so i'm going to take it somewhere to have this done. Basically I would tell them to disconnect the trans cooler line from the rad and install that auxiliary cooler?

kramer
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:33 pm

Postby kramer » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:16 pm

Anybody with a socket set and 30 minutes to spare could do the mod. So yeah I guess that includes AAMCO.

You don't even need to install an aftermarket cooler, you can just bypass the stocker. There's even pictures and a tutorial posted in one of the links.

xtreme
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Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:29 pm

Postby xtreme » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:14 pm

I somewhat get the bypass itself. However, if I do install the cooler. Where can it be mounted?

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08Datsun
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Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Postby 08Datsun » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:37 pm

You already have one. The bypass simply eliminates the one in the radiator, but continues to use the external auxiliary cooler.

xtreme
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Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:29 pm

Postby xtreme » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:44 pm

Thanks 08Datsun, that explains it. So there really is no need to get another one unless I want to tow alot...

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:24 am

xtreme wrote:Thanks 08Datsun, that explains it. So there really is no need to get another one unless I want to tow alot...
I guess further to this, I do tow alot. Instead of just randomly installing more coolers, I was thinking of installing a transmission fluid temperature gauge.

I was thinking the gauge should take its reading right at the fluid outlet of the transmission. (it would be hottest here). Anyone see anything available on the net that would work?

t

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jspitz
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Location: Exurban Cleveland, OH

Postby jspitz » Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:10 am

kramer wrote: They just aren't up there with Honda and Toyota.
Funny - my '99 V6 Accord had 3 transmissions in less than 100k miles. I drove it another 30k, then dumped it. I'll probably never buy a Honda again. My CPO Passat went to the dealer at 20k for an oil change and 8 issues - all minor, but issues nonetheless, and this was after the original owner went through a bunch of the same type of stuff (I have all of the service records). My Pathy had the fuel sending issue and was fixed for 1/2 labor cost, but I think before the part was changed. All cars suck, and all the manufacturers suck even more.

Does anybody know if the radiator issue extends beyond the '05s? Is there a TSB for this (I didn't find one for the '06)?

Cliff_Jumper
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:12 pm
Location: Maryland

Postby Cliff_Jumper » Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:00 pm

jspitz wrote: [Does anybody know if the radiator issue extends beyond the '05s? Is there a TSB for this (I didn't find one for the '06)?
As far as know, there's none yet. This issue is just coming out. As soon as I read this issue, I called the wife and told her to park the PF and don't drive it. I don't want to take that risk.

I just did the bypass mod this morning and the only issue I had was using a 3/8 barbed connector instead of 5/16. 3/8 will fit, HOWEVER, you can't re-use the old hose clamps. Their too small and I have to buy bigger ones. I believe 5/16 fit perfectly and you will be able to use the old clamps.

While underneath the radiator, I noticed small amount of coolant from the radiator. It's not enough to drip, but this surely is a sign that the radiator is going to give any day/month now.

coolant leak
Image

How much hose I cut
Image

and the bypass
Image

This really $ucks as I'm still trying to fix the "fuel sending unit" issue. I'm wondering what else did Nissan use that will break after the "powertrain warranty".[/img]

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xd9-g19
Posts: 311
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:08 pm

Postby xd9-g19 » Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:06 pm

I just did this mod, but didnt cut any hose off, I did route it so it wont kink, do you think Ill have any problems with this?


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