Confused
13-05-2009, 10:10 PM
I eventually got my transmission cooler fitted to the VR4 tonight... but boy what a PITA!
I got it physically mounted up on Sunday, but didn't plumb it in. So, tonight I go out after getting back from work to make a start (yes, in the pissing rain!).
I get myself a couple of pairs of mole grips, and clamp up the feed pipe from the gearbox either side of where I'll be wanting to cut. Get ready the new jubilee clips, and prepare myself to cut the pipe!
Moment of no-return!
I cut the hose, and catch the few drips of ATF that escape. I take one bit of the hose, slide the jubilee clip over the loose end, and mate it up to the barb on the cooler.
/Grrr!!!
The hose doesn't go over the barb on the cooler! /wall
The Internal Diameter of the pipe was smaller than I'd anticipated (the positioning of all the hose makes it almost impossible to accurately see the sizing - schoolboy error of not carefully measuring before cutting...)
So, I had to then dive out and get myself some more hose - whilst leaving my VR4 essentially :censored: due to no cooling for the transmission.
A very quick blast to Halfrauds for some pipe (which luckily they had some of!) and then I set to replacing both bits of hose - onto the solid pipe that goes up towards the standard cooler in the bottom of the radiator, and the bit that comes straight off the gearbox.
Get the bit to the OEM cooler sorted without too much hassle, then come to the bit to the gearbox...
Oh my god, what a PITA! Could I get to the crappy spring clip easily? Could I hell! It probably took me longer to remove that clip and little bit of pipe than it did to do any other step of the job!
But, I finally got it off, and the new bit of hose on and clamped down - and I've now topped up the ATF (will have to check it again after running it for a day or so), and should hopefully all be good!
The new cooler has been installed inline with the one built into the bottom of the radiator, only before it reaches the radiator.
This is so that the external cooler can reduce the temperature of the ATF by as much as it requires, then the one built into the bottom of the radiator can then stabilise the temperature to the required range for the transmission - as if it's too cold (as it might be if I bypassed the standard cooler, or placed the external one after the standard one) then the gearshifts will be slow and not as smooth as when the ATF is the correct temperature.
So, hopefully - now my ATF will be running at the right temperature, I should be able to drive it like I stole it and not worry about overheating my gearbox :)
I got it physically mounted up on Sunday, but didn't plumb it in. So, tonight I go out after getting back from work to make a start (yes, in the pissing rain!).
I get myself a couple of pairs of mole grips, and clamp up the feed pipe from the gearbox either side of where I'll be wanting to cut. Get ready the new jubilee clips, and prepare myself to cut the pipe!
Moment of no-return!
I cut the hose, and catch the few drips of ATF that escape. I take one bit of the hose, slide the jubilee clip over the loose end, and mate it up to the barb on the cooler.
/Grrr!!!
The hose doesn't go over the barb on the cooler! /wall
The Internal Diameter of the pipe was smaller than I'd anticipated (the positioning of all the hose makes it almost impossible to accurately see the sizing - schoolboy error of not carefully measuring before cutting...)
So, I had to then dive out and get myself some more hose - whilst leaving my VR4 essentially :censored: due to no cooling for the transmission.
A very quick blast to Halfrauds for some pipe (which luckily they had some of!) and then I set to replacing both bits of hose - onto the solid pipe that goes up towards the standard cooler in the bottom of the radiator, and the bit that comes straight off the gearbox.
Get the bit to the OEM cooler sorted without too much hassle, then come to the bit to the gearbox...
Oh my god, what a PITA! Could I get to the crappy spring clip easily? Could I hell! It probably took me longer to remove that clip and little bit of pipe than it did to do any other step of the job!
But, I finally got it off, and the new bit of hose on and clamped down - and I've now topped up the ATF (will have to check it again after running it for a day or so), and should hopefully all be good!
The new cooler has been installed inline with the one built into the bottom of the radiator, only before it reaches the radiator.
This is so that the external cooler can reduce the temperature of the ATF by as much as it requires, then the one built into the bottom of the radiator can then stabilise the temperature to the required range for the transmission - as if it's too cold (as it might be if I bypassed the standard cooler, or placed the external one after the standard one) then the gearshifts will be slow and not as smooth as when the ATF is the correct temperature.
So, hopefully - now my ATF will be running at the right temperature, I should be able to drive it like I stole it and not worry about overheating my gearbox :)