DSE auto transmission cooler

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
D

dave4x4

Active Member
Posts
360
Location
Chester, England
The diesel p38 has the transmission cooler tucked under the front wing. It is in a dumb place and gets clobbered easily when you go offroad. I know to my cost. I would also like to fit fog lights but there is no easy way. I have the later cooler with the fan.

I have looked at putting another cooler up front as some have done but on mine there is no space as I fit a winch occasionally.

The auto has a separate engine cooler under the turbo intercooler while the manual has a different radiator with the engine cooler built in.

Suggestion ...... if a manual diesel radiator were fitted to the auto the built in engine cooler could be piped up as the transmission cooler instead. Unfortunately I don't have one to look at.

Anyone have the manual radiator fitted to their auto? Anyone see any snags?
 
As I recall, if you spec'd fogs from the factory the rad was moved to front mount (I think it is shown in RAVE). Might be worth looking for one being broken and taking the parts you need.
 
dave4x4 said:
The diesel p38 has the transmission cooler tucked under the front wing. It is in a dumb place and gets clobbered easily when you go offroad. I know to my cost. I would also like to fit fog lights but there is no easy way. I have the later cooler with the fan.

I have looked at putting another cooler up front as some have done but on mine there is no space as I fit a winch occasionally.

The auto has a separate engine cooler under the turbo intercooler while the manual has a different radiator with the engine cooler built in.

Suggestion ...... if a manual diesel radiator were fitted to the auto the built in engine cooler could be piped up as the transmission cooler instead. Unfortunately I don't have one to look at.

Anyone have the manual radiator fitted to their auto? Anyone see any snags?
Click to expand...
Only the relatively rare problem of water leaking into the oil as has happened. It also reduces engine cooling.
 
This is what I did to get around this problem

Radredcircle.jpg


Make sure you mount this as far away from this sensor or your outside temp gauge will be showing it's rather warmer than it really is, the fiddly bits are getting the sensors back on the rad and moving and extending the wiring for the fan.

Front_zps82cb4271.jpg


on this is what it's like once back together :) I have covered nearly 10,000 miles with this set up.
 
That photo is clearly fake. Where is the puddle of oil under your "Range Rover"? That is blatantly a Toyota.
 
Bix said:
That photo is clearly fake. Where is the puddle of oil under your "Range Rover"? That is blatantly a Toyota.
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't leak?? it did for a while but that was the FIP

so far so good on oil :) due a change though, so is the gearbox ATF :-(
 
JohnnyCrash: Thanks for the pics.
I can't mount the cooler where you have because I have a removeable winch and the receiver part bolts there.


imgp0042b.jpg


Datatek: Thanks. Getting water into the transmission fluid would be a very remote possibility I would guess. I have not heard of water leaks into engine oil via that route. I could probably live with that.
Just leaves the issue of reduced engine cooling. Any idea by how much based on heat transfer area .... 5%, 10% ? I don't have one to look at.
 
I see your problem!!

but the manual gearbox doesn't generate as much heat, and check Rave out it's not the best cooler!!

Gearboxcooler_zpse4ce13f5.jpg


No way this set up is going to remove enough heat, and you wouldn't be able to hook up your sensors that would warn you about cooking your auto box!

My suggestion would be to look around the engine bay on the inlet manifold side as this area is cooler than the other side (turbo and exhaust heat) and lots of room to fabricate something in there :)
 
Personally, if I was going to up the power, I would relocate the intercooler. Moving the fuel filter would give enough room to mount a custom unit flat between the engine and EAS box, A nice scoop on the bonnet would provide cool clean air and a fan could be fitted if needed. This would also improve airflow the the RAD giving a better margin of cooling and leave space the relocate the auto box oil cooler where the intercooler was.
 
Datatek said:
Personally, if I was going to up the power, I would relocate the intercooler. Moving the fuel filter would give enough room to mount a custom unit flat between the engine and EAS box, A nice scoop on the bonnet would provide cool clean air and a fan could be fitted if needed. This would also improve airflow the the RAD giving a better margin of cooling and leave space the relocate the auto box oil cooler where the intercooler was.
Click to expand...


Sounds like a much better plan, not my taste as I like my cars to look as Factory as possible, only a super geek should be able to spot the mods ;-)
 
I have fitted an Allisport intercooler which is a lot bigger than the original. It rests on the chassis rails with the engine cooler now on top. It just fits in. There wouldn't be room to get one the same size between the engine and EAS box.

I won't be cutting a hole in the bonnet any time soon. I want to keep the factory look. My winch mount is hidden behind the number plate.

I got it wrong about the manual radiator as I don't have one to look at unfortunately.

I thought it was the engine cooler in the rad whereas it is the gearbox cooler. It does not look anything like big enough as an auto cooler.

The only other solution would be maybe an aftermarket one behind the grill in front of the aircon fans. The grill cover might have to be modified.
 
Couldn't you just get some ducting to channel air to the cooler where it is then fab up some kind of plate to protect it from crap being splashed up the back? Maybe a filter or something similar?

Why make a massive job out of this?

But of tumble dryer pipe (or something similar) from the front grille to the cooler. Job done, fogs can go in place and your gearbox will get near as no difference the same level of cooling as it does right now.
 
The only issue I can see with placing the cooler in this location would be the fluid draining back to the box when not running, not sure if this would cause any issues??

could be sorted with a 1 way valve?
 
I looked at just putting a duct in with a small grill opening in the side of the bumper. However when you look at it underneath there is no space.

I have the later cooler with a fan fitted and the back of the fog light fouls the fan. The duct size also would not be big enough imho. The existing cooler gets clobbered easily so the best solution is relocating it.

An airlock in the cooler might be a problem if it is mounted higher up. It could be engineered out by having the oil inet at the bottom and the rtn at the top.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Grrrrrr
P38A Gearbox cooler pipes (manual)
2
Replies
28
Views
739
Grrrrrr
Grrrrrr
B
Discovery 2 TD5 Oil Cooler coolant outlet
Replies
6
Views
268
Bugz
B
M
L405 2018 oil cooler replace /leak cost
Replies
1
Views
670
marjon
marjon
Jake Hewitt
For Sale 2000 P38 Auto 2.5 DSE Oil Cooler
Replies
0
Views
510
Jake Hewitt
Jake Hewitt
Graculus
L405 Engine oil leak / fumes in cabin
Replies
10
Views
887
marjon
marjon
Back
Top