Installing a power steering cooler

[EldoradoFJ60]

Last weekend when I got up to Chinn's Lake my PS was starting to boil over. It was only 2-3 miles or so of harder terrain. So in order to keep things cooler I've been thinking of running a small tranny cooler like this one.

Should I bypass the stock cooler which is just a piece of tube under the radiator? Or should I leave it in and add the tranny cooler to the system?

[Java]

any idea why it's running so hot? in my limited (1, my 86 FJ60, stock steering w/31s on 8" steel) experience the powersteering was never hot or problematic, could there be another issue causing it to overheat?

[Ardent]

The LC's have really poor cooling for the PS. It's just a "paper clip" shaped tube that runs below or in front of the radiator. It's fine if you have airflow, but not so much on the trail. On our run last weekend, mine also was boiling over.

I don't see any reason not to install this in series with the stock cooler. The only potential down side I see would be additional connections for possible leaks. The added fluid capacity should help with cooling too... :D

[Brody]

What Nate said....and the bigger the better. More fluid, more heat loss, fewer bubbles, etc. You may also want to upgrade the PS fluid to Royal Purple as it is a more dense race fluid that is less prone to heating up and bubbling. It may also be relatively easy to make your stock reservoir bigger, but this requires welding and I would only do it if the cooler and/or Royal Purple doesn't do the trick.

[frisco31]

rly to mid 90s Explorers have nice little radiators for power steering. Just go to the pick a part. I need to go get one for my power steering one of theese days. Also a 7 in cooling fan and you will never have any problems.

If you want we can go together and pick.

[Brody]

To add to that, you can get a really sweet Volvo or Yota single fan for around $17, or a double Mercedes for around twice that much. Wire then up to a simple on/off switch (or a thermostat if you want) and turn it on when things get warm....Also all the big American cars all have large coolers on them. One I got for Frank came off of a big Ford van and all I had to do was clip some zip ties and two hoses, nothing else in the way.

[EldoradoFJ60]

Well I went to Napa today and picked up the little cooler in the picture for $40. I'll probably just install it inline with the stock "paper clip" cooler.

Thanks for the Royal Purple tip. I'll pick some up.

[EldoradoFJ60]

Doing a little research on fluids. The FSM calls for Dexron ATF fluid. Some people are running PS fluid instead of the ATF. Any issues with mixing PS fluid with the ATF that is in there.

Or is it a case of "oil is oil"?

[Brody]

Oil might not be oil in this case, though many people have run regular ATF instead of specific power steering fluid, or vice versa, myself included. Has more to do with what the seals are made out of than anything else as some "oils" will break down the seals faster.

By the time you install the cooler and 'bleed' the system, you are going to have very little fluid of any kind left in the system, but I cannot tell you if you are going to have issues with mixing ATF and PS fluid. I believe that the Royal Purple PS fluid is compatible with all other PS fluids, but again, don't know what would happen with mixing the Royal Purple with ATF. I am sure I have done it (mixing various ATF/PS fluid combos) more than once, since I have owned a mess of Toyotas, and had no issues.

Might be worth a quick call or two to Royal Purple or Yota service department. If not, then simply run the recommended fluid and just put more in.

[Ardent]

I personally would not run PS fluid in a Toyota pump. From what I've read, and seen multiple cases, PS fluid will cause the pump to leak. It happened on my pickup and is well documented on yotatech and other sites.

IMO, stick with ATF, add the cooler and see how it goes.

[Java]

The LC's have really poor cooling for the PS. It's just a "paper clip" shaped tube that runs below or in front of the radiator. It's fine if you have airflow, but not so much on the trail. On our run last weekend, mine also was boiling over.

I don't see any reason not to install this in series with the stock cooler. The only potential down side I see would be additional connections for possible leaks. The added fluid capacity should help with cooling too... :D

I kind of remember a similar thing from my 82 pickup, it came with manual steering and I bought a used power setup from the Yota Yard that bolted right in. the cooler was actually just a simple U-shape, IIRC. I only got to drive it a few times before selling it (my dog needed surgery so we put it on Ebay), so never had any chance to have issues. This was it:

[Ardent]

That's a really nice truck. Too bad you had to sell it.

[EldoradoFJ60]

Nice little truck. It has the same ugly wheels as mine.

I'll pick up some ATF after work tonight.