Automatic Transmission Coolers

[Vantropy]

I'm in the mood for an automatic transmission/transaxle cooler, mostly just as a preventative measure against the dreaded possible ATF to Coolant mix, but better cooling couldn't hurt. I've read through a lot of posts, and the field currently looks like this:

Small Car Performance: $185+s/h Simple. No Thermostat.

Foreign Auto Supply: $299+s/h. Heat sink style, used to be sold by VanCafe (also sold by Vanagain and German Transaxle), who has abandoned this for their front-mounted version. No thermostat. No long hoses, bolts straight to trans, clean, simple.

GoWesty: $357+s/h. Thermostat=better for cold climates. Up under the van more: better protected from snow/rocks (?). Increases volume of transaxle at idle.

Country Homes Campers: $425+s/h. Fan-forced air over radiator for better cooling. Thermostat.

VanCafe/Rocky Mountain Westy: $449+s/h. Kind of like taking Small Car's radiator and GoWesty's thermostat and putting it up at the front of the van. Better cooling and possible (though no reports of any) low-pressure problems of ATF having to run that far.

Then, there are a myriad of DIY solutions that piece together different combinations of radiators, hoses and fittings, based on one or the other of these different packages, often for about half the cost of the commercially available versions, with more work and uncertainty of using a design that hasn't been repeatedly tested.

One question: if a radiator is put up in front of the already stacked radiator & condenser, wouldn't this disrupt air flow & reduce cooling efficacy for the ones behind?

I'm leaning toward the Small Car solution, in part because I'm in California, and wouldn't benefit as much from the thermostat. Also, if it doesn't cool well enough, I could modify & move to front, and maybe add a thermostat at that point too.

But...in order to know whether it's working well enough or not, I'm going to have to stop at the top of every mountain pass and point my infrared thermometer at the trans to check. Or, install a sender & gauge to monitor while driving. I've seen a post adding these inline to a GoWesty cooler, but has anybody installed one to a Small Car unit?
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1989 2.1L Vanagon Westy, Automatic, Titian Red

[vanagonjon]

I have had on of the FAS units for three years. I put it in to my Bostig 2010 install with some other upgrades and it has been there happily doing it's job with no issue since.

John

[djkeev]

I put on the FAS version.
No worrisome lines to get snagged and yanked out or do you have even more liquid fittings and hoses to possibly leak.

Easy fast install.

You do of course need to upgrade to the standard transmission cooling hoses if you don't want plugged hoses simply hanging under the Van.

Dave
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Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[bjrogers86auto]

FAS version here as well for the last two years. Simple and effective.

Brian
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86 Vanagon GL Westfalia 2.1
18 Nissan Frontier Pro 4X
19 Honda Civic Hatchback

A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin and Hobbes.

[MarkWard]

First step would be to add a trans temp gauge. See what temps you actually are getting. Then when you add your cooler you can document the difference.

Before I added a cooler with external lines, I would want a definitive answer to where the stock cooler is in the pressure circuit. The automatic depends on pressure to function properly. For sure running lines to the front and back will have a measurable pressure drop. The shorter the loop the less pressure drop you’d measure.

If the stock cooler is parallel and returns to the pan, pressure drop shouldn’t be an issue.
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[wesitarz]

I fashioned a Smallcar style cooler in 2003 using a MR Transmission cooler, 3/8 transmission hose and the appropriate fittings for the trans. Ran it with the cooler mounted in front of the rad until a couple of years ago. Now I have it under the van on the DS with a Derale thermostat and an Autometer temp sender/gauge. I thought the cooler might be tripping the high speed rad fan to come on after a highway run, that's why I moved it, but there is no difference with the rad fan. Seems that's the way it works after I replaced the rad thermal switch. I have a 2.5 Subie in a GL tintop. I can upgrade the cooler to a larger one from Summit Racing if needed.

[Vantropy]

[MarkWard]

I've read conflicting information as to where the stock cooler fits into the pressure line. I've never taken the time when I had an empty case to actually visually trace it out. Certainly there are enough out there running with lines and coolers of all types.

I tend to be more scientific when I consider mods. My real background is Road Racing. I have spent a lot of time exposing the weakest link. There is a ton of stuff for the aftermarket for all makes and models. If an improvement is not documented properly, is it really an improvement.

Example, We had a BMW track car in here with an oil pressure problem that showed up after adding data acquisition. It was utilizing a stock sender location for an analog gauge, and a second sender where the oil returned from the aftermarket cooler. There was a 25 psi difference between what was coming out of the engine and what was returning. The cooler kit was from a very reputable bmw racing parts house. They had never had a problem, but probably no one had ever actually measured the pressure drop. We ended up putting in a Porsche cooler to solve it.

I would weld a bung to the automatic pan for the sender. There is no drain.
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[dschaftlein]

I went with the FAS cooler for the same reasons above. no issues whatsoever, really well made.

[Eric_Taylor]

Looks like you've got a stock motor/trans and so i'd also put in my vote for the FAS cooler. It's so straight forward.

The only thing I've heard is that if you want to run more power, you may start to exceed the cooling abilities of it. Motor swaps heat up and stress the trans and I would personally go for the RMW unit to mount it up front with that situation. I've seen one owner that went EJ25 with an auto and was overheating the trans a lot with, what I think was an external go westy cooler. Once up front, immediately dropped temps. The flow of cold air is so much better.

Anyway, if you plan to stay stock, FAS all the way! I've had one for a couple years and the peace of mind alone is worth it. Trans cooler failure on a long trip is a MAJOR game over. No road side repair. Not worth it.

[jlrftype7]

The one thing I've always wondered about the FAS unit is that it's up and out of the road air that's available elsewhere on the Vanagon while driving down the road. Granted, the fan on the TC is moving air while turning, and the air coming down the engine inlet feeds on either side of the body is pushing air as well.
I just wondered how much of that air hits and cools the FAS unit...
Has anybody measured their before and after trans temps with a FAS installed on a Stock Vanagon motor?

I have the Gowesty kit since Chicago Winters would probably work best with a thermostat to control flow through the trans cooler as needed.
Don't yet have a temp readout installed on my cooler kit , but eyeing up my trans fluid going down to Texas recently, it stayed cool and no signs or smells of running hot even with hours and hours of highway driving.
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'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[maco70]

I’ve been with the FAS cooler and happy with.

But there is two things to think about, before choosing FAS cooler.
I believe it is not a good option if you wish to use the vanagon during cold seasons, because you want then to bring heat to the transmission, from the engine and the coolant. Also, I believe the FAS cooler would not be enough if you might want to make an engine swap to Subaru etc.

Otherwise, it is a simple an efficient option.

Hope it helps.
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Martin from Montréal

1986 Vanagon GL full camper westfalia
(brown/tan interior)

[jlrftype7]

[puchfinnland]

So on this discussion I have an untested concept.

Keep the original cooler, but plumb it into a small radiator with a Bosch circulation pump and a fan if needed.

Pros- no pressure drop in trans fluid,
A simple amazon purchase 12v dual thermostat can turn on the pump, and also a fan.

If the original cooler is desired to be replaced, using a marine transmission Cooler.
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ABYC marine master technician , EX European auto technician, new business- EASTCOASTWEST , custom work on campers, only systems, no mechanical

[bjrogers86auto]

With regards to the FAS cooler...it's been noted that pre liquid cooled these transmissions had no cooler at all, no issues.

I think FAS shows bench testing with their cooler on their website. Forget now, it's been a couple of years...

Brian
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86 Vanagon GL Westfalia 2.1
18 Nissan Frontier Pro 4X
19 Honda Civic Hatchback

A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day. Calvin and Hobbes.

[Vantropy]

[MarkWard]

[Vantropy]

As much as I prefer the simplicity and elegance (and fewer hoses) of the FAS cooler, I've decided to go with the Small Car kit, because I want to install a Magnafine filter and an inline sender for a temperature gauge.

Meanwhile, one thing that I've finally been able to clarify is exactly what is meant when folks briefly mention swapping out the manual coolant hoses for automatic when doing this kind of coolant kit. My understanding is that this is for late model Vanagons. There are various coolant towers and some (pre 87 I believe) would need a new tower to get rid of the hose.

Here are the existing automatic trans coolant hoses:

and these are the manual transmission replacements:

So you can see that the Automatic Transmission versions have extra appendages, headed to the Cooler. In most replacement kits, there is a coupler to join those two appendage hoses together and make a useless loop. To replace with the manual trans versions eliminates that extra loop.

These are the two manual hoses for the replacement:

025121062E
Radiator Return Pipe to Thermostat Cap/housing - Vanagon w/ Manual Transaxle 86-92

https://www.buslab.com/product-p/025121062e.htm
https://www.busdepot.com/025121062e
https://www.gowesty.com/product/hoses/23403/coolant-hose-radiator-to-thermostat-?v=

N90287303
Radiator Return Pipe to Coolant Junction/Thermostat - Vanagon w/ Manual Transaxle 86-92

https://www.buslab.com/product-p/n90287303.htm
https://www.busdepot.com/n90287303
https://www.vancafe.com/N90287303-p/n90287303.htm
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1989 2.1L Vanagon Westy, Automatic, Titian Red

[VicVan]

Thanks for clarifying this. I installed the FAS cooler a couple of years ago, and it was on my to do list to sort out the part numbers needed to remove that loop. Cheers!
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'90 Little Blue Truck, 2WD auto, FAS GenV 2.0 NA (AVH)

[mtnride1]

I have had the GW cooler for about 5 years driving a lot in So Cal desert temps in summer up to 123 have not had any issues.
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87 westy 2wd (NED)