How to install a Derale 20561 transmission cooler on your Wrangler TJ

If memory serves, Gerry mounted his up behind the skid plate which protected it a bit more (if he sees this, he can clarify). Texas TJ's is in a much more exposed location.

But as he said, it makes a difference where you wheel. Here in TN, a tree branch would find that thing in a heartbeat,

Curious what your input is on this @Jerry Bransford
 
I believe that's what @NashvilleTJ did with his.
Yup.

8EA0571B-0B0D-4385-8495-9A330EA2E934.jpeg
 
Here is my radiator for the automatic transmission. My garage considers the design of the automatic transmission in TJ for a design flaw and strongly recommends a separate oil cooler - the oil cooler inside the water cooler is much too weak..... Best Regards, Edgar

photo_2022-12-02_17-57-37.jpg
 
After recently buying a TJ I’ve been finding some questionable things done to this Jeep.
I noticed the automatic transmission cooler lines are only going to and from the external cooler and are not going through the radiator at all. I assume this is a problem or could be, but at the same time until I get a radiator that doesn’t leak right away I don’t want to take the risk of having the coolant mix with tranny fluid.
I’d appreciate any feedback as I’m almost debating getting rid of this Jeep.

5A44DAFC-CCAA-47C3-ACBC-9896C600BE2D.jpeg
 
After recently buying a TJ I’ve been finding some questionable things done to this Jeep.
I noticed the automatic transmission cooler lines are only going to and from the external cooler and are not going through the radiator at all. I assume this is a problem or could be, but at the same time until I get a radiator that doesn’t leak right away I don’t want to take the risk of having the coolant mix with tranny fluid.
I’d appreciate any feedback as I’m almost debating getting rid of this Jeep.

View attachment 399545

I've never heard of a single failure with the heat exchanger inside the lower tank of the radiator that mixes coolant with transmission fluid or vice versa.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Amberfire01Tj
After recently buying a TJ I’ve been finding some questionable things done to this Jeep.
I noticed the automatic transmission cooler lines are only going to and from the external cooler and are not going through the radiator at all. I assume this is a problem or could be, but at the same time until I get a radiator that doesn’t leak right away I don’t want to take the risk of having the coolant mix with tranny fluid.
I’d appreciate any feedback as I’m almost debating getting rid of this Jeep.

View attachment 399545

Welcome to the club. A TJ owner discovering that a previous owner did questionable things to their Jeep is about as rare as a mlb fan seeing a Yankees jersey with pinstripes.

We fix them as good as we can and then love them as our own.
 
After recently buying a TJ I’ve been finding some questionable things done to this Jeep.
I noticed the automatic transmission cooler lines are only going to and from the external cooler and are not going through the radiator at all. I assume this is a problem or could be, but at the same time until I get a radiator that doesn’t leak right away I don’t want to take the risk of having the coolant mix with tranny fluid.
I’d appreciate any feedback as I’m almost debating getting rid of this Jeep.

View attachment 399545

I think that plenty of people were tempted not to use the radiator cooler and use stand alone only.
Main motivation for me considering it was that I could find only Mopar manual radiators, not for Auto, and they dont even have the transmission cooler.
I ended up using radiator that is for auto and connecting Derale cooler inline, on a return line from the radiator.
The issue is that transmission needs to be at certain temperature, exactly as the engine, ideally around 170F. In cool weather, engine heats up really fast compared to transmission, and the transmssion cooler inside servers as a heater for the transmission.
 
I think that plenty of people were tempted not to use the radiator cooler and use stand alone only.
Main motivation for me considering it was that I could find only Mopar manual radiators, not for Auto, and they dont even have the transmission cooler.
I ended up using radiator that is for auto and connecting Derale cooler inline, on a return line from the radiator.
The issue is that transmission needs to be at certain temperature, exactly as the engine, ideally around 170F. In cool weather, engine heats up really fast compared to transmission, and the transmssion cooler inside servers as a heater for the transmission.

I did find a new Mopar radiator for automatic which I’ll order if the 2nd Murray rad fails again.
I guess at least here in SW Arizona it doesn’t get too cold in the winter
 
Installing a Derale automatic transmission cooler was a game changer here in Dubai where the summer temperatures reach 50 degrees celcius (122 f) and remembering from the workshop manual that the engine operates between 95-105 C but the automatic transmission operating temperature is 65-85 C so the transmission must have awesome cooling capabilities. My ASD kept kicking in when the transmission overheated but now it does not - note also upgraded the radiator and replaced the crank position sensor (with Mopar still available on Amazon). Now the TJ runs cooler and does not stop - transmission cooler on an automatic is essential in my humble opinion.
 
If you found a Mopar buy it and keep for when the Murray fails! They're getting nearly impossible to find, that's not something you should expect to find again in the future.

For now (with emphasis), the radiator for autos aren’t nearly as difficult to find like it is for the manuals (w/o oil cooler function).

But I agree 100% that it’s worth getting a spare assuming you have the spare funds and can safely store the part.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Amberfire01Tj
If you found a Mopar buy it and keep for when the Murray fails! They're getting nearly impossible to find, that's not something you should expect to find again in the future.

Assuming that Mopar won’t send me a different brand…I ordered a Mopar thermostat from Mopar and one from RockAuto…both were Motorad brand, so I sent back the one from RockAuto and installed the Motorad from Mopar
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jerry Bransford
@Jerry Bransford - do you know in which direction the fan is supposed to blow?
For me it blows up, pulling the air through the fins to the tub. Is it correct? Is it actually supposed to blow down and not heat the tub up?

It should act as a puller not pusher…I believe Jerry addressed the issue with someone else in this thread who had it wired backwards.
 
So heat up the tub?

Based on what you wrote I believe so.

I don’t have the kit installed, so the best I can confidently say is have it pull air through the fins…not pushing towards the fins.

I’ll be installing this kit soon when I attempt to repurpose the Setrab unit in the grill to cool my turbo (gonna be an experiment).
 
  • Like
Reactions: TexasTJ2004