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© 1998 Brian F. Schreurs
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We used the frequently-visiting 1995 Ford Mustang GT to demonstrate the ease of installation for a B&M trans cooler (part no. 70264), manufactured by Long. Trust us, if we could jam this puppy into a SN95 Mustang, you can get it into your ride.

Note that we installed an oil cooler in conjunction with the transmission cooler. We highly recommend doing these projects together, as they face many of the same hurdles and must occupy the same general space. For instructions on installing the oil cooler, see Installing an Oil Cooler.

Unplug the battery. Remove both terminals, starting with the negative. The reason is that you will be working near the airbag sensors and you don't want them going off.

Jack up the car.

Remove the plastic cover on top of the radiator.

Remove the passenger-side airbag sensor.

You'll need two of these brackets (top), one of each; the bent one slides under the hood latch (above).

Remove the hood latch. You can leave the cable attached; just push it to one side.

Drop the transmission cooler down the passenger-side of the radiator. Make sure the openings are on the top.

Use two of the provided brackets to hold it in place, as follows.

The outboard bracket is straight. It will bolt under the outboard airbag bolt. Use a washer (not provided in the kit) to act as a spacer for the inboard airbag bolt. Don't actually reattach the airbag sensor until all other work is done.

The inboard bracket must be bent. Bend it 90 degrees at the third hole, and back 90 degrees at the fourth hole. Attach it through the second hole to the passenger-side hood latch mounting bolt, then use a hammer to bend the protruding tab flush with the latch support. If you're installing the oil cooler, the latch will sit evenly; otherwise, use a washer on the driver-side to keep the latch straight. Don't worry, the added thickness will not keep the hood from closing. Don't actually reattach the hood latch until all other work is done.

Unbolt the overflow tank bracket.

Unbolt the overflow tank, disconnect the overflow tube, remove the cap with sensor, and remove the tank from the car.

Unplug the electric fan wiring and pull the two tabs off the fan shroud.

Pull the two tabs holding the electrical wiring on the passenger-side of the fan shroud.

Unbolt the electric cooling fan. It is held on by two bolts, one on each side.

While one person holds the air conditioning and electrical bundles out of the way, another person can pull the electric cooling fan out.

Use two of the plastic cooler retaining pegs to keep the cooler from rattling. Run them through the lower mounting holes of the trans cooler and through the radiator. If you bung them up, B&M sells packs of four under part no. 80278.

Fitting two hoses where there was once only one requires some careful over-under planning.

Run the hoses along their intended paths. The best way is to go from the cooler, down the front of the radiator, and through a gap on the driver-side between the radiator support and the bumper bulkhead. If you're installing the oil cooler, it's the same gap.

Disconnect the transmission line fitting at the bottom of the radiator, just above the lower radiator hose.

Put threadlocker on the brass fitting included in the kit and screw it into the lower radiator fitting.

Run one of the hoses from the gap, toward the rear of the car, and bend it around the outside of the wire bundle near the lower radiator hose. This gradual bend will prevent kinks or binding. Put a hose clamp on it and attach it to the brass fitting. Tighten the hose clamp.

On the steel trans line, push the fitting back to the first bend. Then put a clamp on the other hose and jam it as far up the line as it will go. If necessary, lubricate the inside of the hose with an oil-soaked cotton swab. Tighten the hose clamp. The hose should be able to dogleg around the radiator and get through the gap.

This is the trans cooler snug in its new home. Note the hose placement.

Back at the cooler, attach the inboard hose first. Thread a clamp on the end of it, then run the hose around the outboard side of the inboard bracket. Tighten the clamp.

Attach the outboard hose. Thread a clamp on the end of it, then run the hose around the inboard side of the inboard bracket, across the top of the cooler, behind the outboard bracket, and to the cooler nipple. Tighten the clamp.

With everything in place, it's time to reassemble.

Put the radiator fan shroud, overflow bottle, and wiring back together.

Reinstall the hood latch.

Reinstall the airbag sensor.

Reinstall the upper radiator cover.

Connect the battery.

Drop the car.

Start the car and check for leaks.

After the car has run for a couple of minutes, check the ATF level. Add as needed.

Congratulations! The car's transmission should be running much cooler now, which should help extend the life of the trans. Plus it looks way awesome, especially when it's sitting next to an oil cooler. The oil cooler is really much easier to install if you do it in conjunction with the trans cooler. You really should do them both.