4R70W Transmission Cooler, new and ready to install. Fits the 4R70W. Ships fast from the USA.
Heat is what wears out a Ford 4R70W. If you tow with an F-150 or Expedition, run a Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis that spends its life idling and creeping, or just rebuilt a transmission and want it to last, an external auxiliary cooler is one of the cheapest pieces of insurance you can bolt on. This is a new add-on cooler kit for 4R70W-equipped vehicles. As pictured it is a stacked-plate cooler with braided hose, color-anodized fittings and a bag of mounting hardware, meant to sit in front of the radiator and take load off the factory cooler.
From the factory the 4R70W sends its fluid out of the case, through a cooler tank inside the radiator, and back into the transmission to feed lubrication. That in-tank cooler can only bring the fluid down to roughly engine coolant temperature, and when the converter is unlocked under load, as it is when towing, climbing grades or crawling in traffic, the converter makes heat faster than the radiator can pull it out. An auxiliary cooler plumbed in series after the radiator gives the fluid a second pass through air flow before it returns to the case. Cooler fluid holds its friction properties longer, keeps the varnish down in the valve body, and is easier on the intermediate band, forward clutch and converter clutch, which are exactly the parts that tend to fail first in these units. Ford itself notes that 4R70W fill capacity varies with the cooler fitted, which is a reminder that the cooling circuit is part of the transmission, not an accessory.
Start with the fluid. Check the level hot in Park and smell it; dark, varnished fluid on a unit with normal mileage points to heat. A scan tool that reads transmission fluid temperature tells you more: watch it on your normal tow or route and compare it to the temperature with a light load. Also make sure the existing system is not the real problem. A kinked line, a clogged radiator cooler or a weak pump can all cut cooler flow, and a new cooler will not fix those. If the unit already slips or flares, read our 4R70W F-150 common problems guide or the Expedition common problems guide first, because a cooler protects a healthy transmission but will not repair a worn one.
This is an add-on cooler, not a direct replacement for the radiator's internal cooler, so it suits 4R70W vehicles generally: F-150 and Expedition trucks, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car, and Mustang. What varies is the hose routing, the line size and the space in front of your radiator, which differs between truck and car bodies and with A/C condenser layout. Measure the open area ahead of the condenser before ordering, and check that the included fittings suit how you plan to tie into your lines. If you are not sure, send us the year and VIN and we will help you sort it out. Everything else for the unit is on the 4R70W collection page.
If you are installing it after a rebuild, pair it with a fresh pump such as the 1995-2003 4R70W pump, since good pump output is what keeps fluid moving through the cooler. If the old unit is coming apart anyway, the 4R70W master rebuild kit and this cooler belong on the same order.
| Fits | 4R70W |
| Part type | Transmission Cooler |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. It is an auxiliary cooler that works alongside the factory radiator cooler. The best setup runs fluid through the radiator first and then through this cooler before it returns to the transmission.
It helps most on vehicles that tow, haul, idle for long periods or sit in stop-and-go traffic, since that is when the converter makes the most heat. A lightly used car on the highway gets less benefit, though cooler fluid never hurts the transmission.
The cooler and the added hose hold extra fluid, so plan on topping off after the install. Ford notes the 4R70W capacity varies with the cooler size. Run the engine to fill the new circuit, then check the level hot in Park and add MERCON V until it reads full.
No. A cooler slows down wear, but it cannot restore burned clutches or a worn band. Diagnose and repair the slip first, then add the cooler to protect the repaired unit.
In front of the radiator or A/C condenser where it gets clean air flow, secured so it cannot vibrate or rub. Keep the hose away from the exhaust and the fan, and leave access to the fittings for checking leaks.
