Hello, my girlfriend has a 2005 Legacy Wagon, and we'd like to tow a small pop-up camper (about 2000 pounds fully loaded, 1400 empty), and wondering about an add-on cooler for the transmission. Does anybody have recommendations, or do you think it will be okay without one? I'm thinking it probably needs one. If we do install one, I would think it should go in the return line (the one returning oil from the radiator's oil cooler) to be most effective. Which line is which?

I would do it for sure. Go to summitracing.com and they have a wide variety of fluid coolers.

 

Heat is the biggest enemy of the automatic transmission. It is said that if the fluid ever reaches 270 degrees F, the unit is toasted. A temp guage might be a good idea since you will be towing.

 

If the nipples on the rad are not labeled in/out and noone else has this info, then pull one off and start the motor briefly - you will have your answer.

 

rd

Most Autostores (Napa, Advanced, etc..) usually carry some... i think nipper or grossgary are the guys to talk to about em though, they know whats up

hell, even uhaul has them, although overpriced.

 

advance auto has a decent yet affordable model...

 

there are plenty out there

i got my tranny cooler [ light duty] from advance auto on line , 37 bucks i think shipped + new 2 row radiator for my turbo wagon , no i am not going to tow anything ,just piece of mind , i am going to run the ac this summer , so the motor + tranny should be cooler, i ran it going though the new radiator + tranny cooler

recommendations for an 02 legacy wagon MT towing?

Do a search ehre and see what comes up. There is no such thing as too much cooling of the tranny unless you live where it gets 20 below. Its real easy to do

http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html/translife-coolers.html

http://www.bmracing.com/index.php?id=products&sid=4&cat=20&subcat=28&pid=73

 

to start

 

nipper

Do a search ehre and see what comes up. There is no such thing as too much cooling of the tranny unless you live where it gets 20 below. Its real easy to do

http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/html/translife-coolers.html

http://www.bmracing.com/index.php?id=products&sid=4&cat=20&subcat=28&pid=73

 

to start

 

nipper

Hello, my girlfriend has a 2005 Legacy Wagon, and we'd like to tow a small pop-up camper (about 2000 pounds fully loaded, 1400 empty), and wondering about an add-on cooler for the transmission. Does anybody have recommendations, or do you think it will be okay without one? I'm thinking it probably needs one. If we do install one, I would think it should go in the return line (the one returning oil from the radiator's oil cooler) to be most effective. Which line is which?

 

You car does have a two row cooler in the bottom of the stock rad, and a warning light that flashes AT temp if it gets hot. I would also switch to AAMCO semi-syn Dextron III ATF, or another semi-syn ATF.

You car does have a two row cooler in the bottom of the stock rad, and a warning light that flashes AT temp if it gets hot. I would also switch to AAMCO semi-syn Dextron III ATF, or another semi-syn ATF.

 

i like semi-syn in the tranny

I dont know the threshold of the ATF light, and one really wants to avoid a light coming on as opposed to waiting for the light to come on. A tranny temp gauge would be a good investment too.

 

nipper

The manual exsplains it but, IF light ever comes on pull over as soon as posible and put the car in Park. DO NOT shut off let the fluid circulate for five minutes while in Park to cool the 4EAT.

You car does have a two row cooler in the bottom of the stock rad, and a warning light that flashes AT temp if it gets hot. I would also switch to AAMCO semi-syn Dextron III ATF, or another semi-syn ATF.

 

This is technically correct, but the stock cooler is insufficient in hight speed driving or towing in HOT, tropical weather. The Subaru was made to run in both arctic AND tropical weather, so there are compromises here.

Nobody knows what the AT temp is calibrated at. I saw up to 220F in my tranny and the lamp was off.

I'm sure Subaru in their engineering designs considered the cooling requirements when they specified the vehicle's towing restrictions. I've read posts from a number of people who have been towing with their older Subaru (some going beyond the recommended weight limits) without extra cooling having no trouble (including mountains and hot travel areas).

 

That said, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have some extra cooling capacity added to the stock system - if nothing else but to give some peace of mind....

 

No listings for 2005 Legacy Wagon on etrailer.com, but here are recommendations for the Baja:

 

http://www.etrailer.com/products.asp?model=Baja&image1.x=13&image1.y=6&image1=submit&category=tran&year=2005&make=Subaru&t1=&h=

I'm sure Subaru in their engineering designs considered the cooling requirements when they specified the vehicle's towing restrictions.

 

now now don't make assumptions:-p . There are many many cases of the SVX trannies dying prematurley from overheating or their coolers getting clogged from being too small.

Besides there is nothing like 50-75.00 worth of insurance to save you from buring up your tranny.

hehe one doesnt have to go far to see somone overload a car, forget towing. Just go to home depot can be fun to watch.

 

nipper

How far will you be towing, and over what terrain?

your 4eat will start shaking violently before the light turns on, this will be your first sign :-\

hehe one doesnt have to go far to see somone overload a car, forget towing. Just go to home depot can be fun to watch.

 

haha, i've done that plenty of times. 16 panels of plywood would break the roof rack of a ford taurus sw, but 15 won't. -fun fact for you guys

 

anyways, put a cooler on it, a temp gauge, and tow away. just don't snap the chassis in the process (example: i know it can pull this 50 ton trailer full of bananas, i just know it can...)

Thanks to all for the info. Mostly we'll be sticking to flat land, but possibly going through hilly areas in southern Ohio or West Virginia. Her dad suggested the oil cooler, since the towing package includes an external cooler. I'm not too confident that the stock oil cooler would keep things sufficiently cool, and we'd rather not find out the hard way. A friend of ours has an Outback with the towing package, so we'll look at how the cooler is plumbed in on that one. Thanks again!

-Dave