I installed a Hayden Transmission oil cooler 526 kit that comes with a 650 cfm fan and pre-drilled mounting brackets . The cooler has 4 cooling rows and the fan can be setup to pull or push air. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hda-526 I installed it on a stock XJ front skid plate.

First I cut and ground off the angle iron from the skid plate the width needed to put fan in place.





I had the old rusty skid plate sand blasted. I made some brackets that lowered the skid in the back by 3.5 inches I then flattened the front part to mount it onto the frame. I drew a grid of 1 inch squares for the vent holes.














The lowering brackets attached using a bolt from the sway bar bracket.



Plenty of clearance from sway bar. You can see the brackets that come with fan raise the fan up about an inch.




It is connected into the same relay the electric cooling fan is connected to with no issues. When the electric fan kicks on so does the trans cooler fan.

 

I like it. I would suggest using a sensor installed on the trans lines to kick the fan on though.

 

Why it that?

 

To measure the temp of the transmission fluid... Not the coolant.

 

Did you set it to push or pull air? I would think pushing air would help keep junk out of the holes in the front.

 

I would bash that in on my first trail ride. I don't know what your skid plate is even protecting really.

 

Yep, that whole assembly would last about 5 minutes on the trail on my jeep.

 

I set it to pull cool air from the outside and not hot air from the engine compartment.

 

My skid plate protects the fan and cooler underneath it. I did not have a skid plate installed before. I did not want the trans cooler on the radiator blocking air and creating more heat for fans to dissipate. There is really not a lot of options for mounting a trans cooler on XJ.

 

If that is the case I would suggest you do not do one like it.

 

I mounted mine in front of the radiator and haven't noticed any difference in the engine temps.

 

I would be worried about any kind of mud. First hole you hit and the mud would push through the holes and clog the cooler. If you hit a rock or stump, it will cave in the skid plate and take the cooler with it.

It's a great design, if it is a road vehicle only.

 

I will let all you whatiffers, speculators and doubters know how it works out this weekend.

 

I just ordered a Derale trans cooler thermoswitch, to run it separate.