Installation Damage

Well Today isn't my day I guess. I'm installing a transmission cooler on my 2021 Tundra. While drilling for a bracket mount, the worst happened. My drill bit slipped right into whatever cooler is behind and $hit spewed everywhere.


Now I need the experts. Is this part of my A/C system? Now I have to shop for a new cooler for this system and get it serviced if it is the A/C.

 

I think that's AC. Motor radiator is behind it.

Watch the cap where the coolant goes, you can figure out this way which one is for the motor and the other one would obviously be AC.

 

Refrigerant oil has UV additive, check it out with black light.

Glue the hole with something, so it would not suck in much moisture.

 

Yea it is a small radiator in front of the engine radiator. I've checked it out and it is the A/C system. Doesn't look hard to replace. Just stings in the pocket.

 

Will it still suck in if I don't run the AC? I'll fix it asap. I can shoot some silicone to block the hole until I get it fixed.

 

That's the AC Condenser, not a big deal to replace, but you'll have to have the system recharged once replaced.

 

Excellent. I just found the part online. 100 bucks and looks like an easy install. Then service whatever that costs. Could have been a lot worse

 

Yeah, you could've gone blind

 

On my other vehicle the compressor engages for a second on start, to self lubricate. My guess would be they all do it. The holed and empty system will unavoidably suck air and moisture in.

You actually have a very good place to have a hole in: there's moisture absorber right downstream the condenser, which is also a part of condenser assembly. It must be replaced every time the system is opened, too, so you'll have a new absorber with the new condenser. But minimizing moisture intake is still good to do.

 

Oh, congrats on your transmission cooler, too! My temps dropped by like 30F at pan and 50+ at torque converter.

 

Probably moot at this point but that center brace will come off to drill into it safely.

 

Or zip-tie a wooden backstop.

 

Yep, I do that sometimes too. Of course, I realized that after failing to do so once......

 

Wellll F ME!!!! Can someone send the the Dunce had of the month award??

I got the new AC condenser drier in and decided I'd put it in. It isn't difficult and won't take long. I took the bad one out... started to put the new one in and noticed coolant leaking from the radiator.

Apparently when I lifted the condenser out the bottom edge bumped up against the radiator and put a hole in it.

Well congrats to me by the end of the week, I'll have a new transmission cooler, new AC condenser/drier and now a new radiator. Soon enough this 2021 will be as new as a 2023!

This has become an expensive week. Now I don't want to buy a new radiator at the dealer (ripoff). These prices seem low, are they legit?

https://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2021/toyota/tundra/cooling_system/radiator.html

 

Stuff happens haha. S l o w d o w n as you work on stuff.

 

Lol are you even saving any money over having just purchased the kit from @Genuine Cooling Systems at this point?

 

You damn sure got a point there! In the end I'll probably break even with a whole lot more grease on me

 

I'm thinking about welding the radiator myself with torch and aluminum rod. Has anyone done this?

 

Well today was a bit better day. I have installed the new radiator, new AC Condenser/Dryer, and the Transmission Cooler (cooler only, not thermostat yet). That said the truck is put back together and lastly I need to crawl under the truck to install the transmission thermostat. But wouldn't you know I installed all that CAT Security to keep the idiots out. I have to pull that down to get to the transmission now.

Just another day's work right.

 

I thought so, too: "it's a day or work to take it out and put back", but then I found that RCI and Valhalla's were all rusty, with the paint peeling, so it took me more than a week to sand 4 skids down to metal, prep and spray with Raptor. And I screwed it up, since Raptor has virtually zero adhesion to my zinc primer Will need to redo it in a year or so.

 

*waiting to read "Well guys, I installed new radiator but slipped and put my foot through the engine block and transmission...not my day"*

 

Lol I think any new threads on making your own cooler bracket should directed back to this thread and linked to https://genuinecoolingsystems.com/

 

You get there in time. I love that Raptor spray. I used it for chrome delete on my bumpers and I'm very happy with it. Minus all the sanding on the chrome.

 

Well lucky for my you won't be reading that post. The job is done. Of course I still have to go get my AC recharged but that will be next week. What a pain in the o-ring. I got under the truck today only to realize I have to take down all my CAT security to get to the darn part for the transmission. Nothing hard it just added to my time before and after the job I was down there for. But enough of that sweaty talk, here are the result. These temperatures are before and after installation at 70mph highway speed.

Before:


After:



I will feel better pulling a 32ft RV around with the cooler installed. Oh and I found another guy driving a 2019 yesterday and I pulled over to talk to him. He was pulling a 40ft trailer and he said it was LOADED. The trailer was 15k lbs alone and he said he has no problems pulling that load around. He did tell me he installed RAS and took off about 4 inches of the truck sagging. I was impressed he was pulling so much and he said it was no problem. Plus he doesn't have a cooler installed. Though he has ordered one and will be adding it.

So I think I'm going to be fine pulling this 32ft RV lightly loaded 4 hours through flat South Texas.

 

I just was googling RSA and kept getting road sign assist lol did you mean RAS(Road Actice Suspension)?

 

Yes I meant RAS

 

Agree. I drove it around several hours today in 100 degree weather and the temps stayed around 190. I can live with that.

 

Empty, which is most of the time. I'll be pulling my 32' RV about 4 hours away in late October so I'll report then what the trans temps are because I'll be watching during the trip.