Recommendation and Location of Transmission Cooler on 1997 Toyota RAV4

Question:

Where would you locate the transmission cooler on a 1997 rav 4 and what brand do you recamend

asked by: Arthur A

Expert Reply:

The transmission cooler kits are designed to be mounted flush against either the radiator or the AC condenser core. For maximum cooling ability, the heat exchanger must receive the most airflow possible.

On your 1997 Toyota RAV4 the location with the greatest efficiency is between your vehicles grille and the AC condenser core. The next most efficient location would be between the condenser and the radiator.

To determine what kind of transmission cooler you will need depends on how much weight you will be towing and where you will be towing and how much room you have in front of the AC condenser or radiator to be able to install the transmission cooler.

If you will be towing a light load, less than 2,000 pounds, in flat driving conditions, your 1997 Toyota RAV4 will do fine with a Class I rated cooler. If you will be towing more than a 2,000 pound load through some hills, I would use a Class II or Class III cooler.

The Class I cooler you can use would be the Derale Dyno-Cool Tube Fin Transmission Cooler, part # D12902. It measures 15-1/4 inches wide x 5 inches tall x 3/4 inch deep.

A Class III cooler does not cost much more than a Class II so I would recommend the Derale Series 8000 Transmission Cooler, part # D13503. This cooler measures 11 inches wide x 8-3/4 inches tall x 7/8 inch deep.

I am including a link to a FAQ page on transmission coolers. This page will talk about the different types of coolers and the best locations to install the cooler.