Thursday, May 3, 2012

Better Protection

One day while I was at my friend's workshop, he noticed that my ATF is very black. I went back to my records and there is a post here in this blog on 25th June 2011 regarding my last ATF change. It's been 10 months and more than 30,000 km after my last change and it is way pass the time I should have changed it. While I was in UK no one was aware about it and after I returned I did not noticed it.

So, it was time to change the ATF again and this time I have a sticker that will remind me of my next change. However, after the ATF change my friend warns me about my gearbox. If the ATF is not changed often, it might be the end of my current gearbox. The possibility is increased because of my driving style that uses the M-Mode (tiptronic) all the time. This frustrates me as I can't drive without rhw M-Mode and worries me that I might have to stop racing.

I went on the look for ways to protect my gearbox. There was an idea I had a year back that could be helpful. It was for one day I would bring my car into the circuit for races but due to the lack of chances, I did not implement that idea. Now is the time to put that into action. So, I went to look for that part and had it install today. It is none other than an ATF cooler. An extra cooler that reduces the temperature of the ATF more so that when it is hot, there won't be lost of power and protects the gearbox more.

I bought an used ATF cooler from a chop shop (junk shop) for a cheap price. I was lucky it is a Calsonic ATF cooler. It is a company famous for tuning Nissan Skyline GTRs and by the look and size of it, it would be a good one. It is installed in front of the radiator and is highly visible from the front if someone look into the lower grill. My friend mentioned that it will reduce the ATF temperature and fuel consumption might be lower. What I felt was a slight increase in smoother power delivery. I hope in long term, it would be beneficial and protects my gearbox. It would be a very good investment.

ATF Cooler 
Brand and Model
Installed