Part 1, Hot Isn’t Cool: “I think the vision an outdoorsman has of a hunting or fishing trip is a lake filled with jumping trout or a big deer stepping out into view at first light. I don’t think it’s peering under a truck, watching boiling transmission oil pour out onto the ground.”

Those are the words of transmission specialist Brian Appelgate of B&M Racing and Performance Products. I’ve corralled him at a trade show to talk turkey: I want to know how hunters and fishermen can improve the performance of the automatic transmission in their 4x4.

His words surprise me. I was braced for an arcane discourse on clutch packs, control valve bodies, and vacuum modulators.

Appelgate looks at me, smiles, and says, “Now that I’ve got your attention....” This is a guy used to the thousand-yard stares that transmission talk normally induces. I realize I’m in for something special. So stay with me; you’re about to get a painless lesson on how to keep your transmission out of trouble.

           
Cool Solutions: “Hunters and fishermen need to know that a transmission will last the life of vehicle--if it’s cooled properly,” Appelgate says. “Unfortunately, the way your guys use their trucks--grinding slowly over offroad trails, climbing steep hills, towing boats and trailers--places a great deal of stress on the transmission. Stress creates heat, and heat is the number one killer of automatic transmissions. That’s the main reason why so many fail prematurely. But that can be prevented.”

How?

“The primary way to control heat is with an auxiliary transmission oil cooler. Any good unit that can circulate transmission fluid efficiently will do the job. And when the fluid stays cool, the transmission enjoys a long life.”

I interrupt. “All right. I hear you. But over the years I’ve talked to many outdoorsmen who believe such equipment really isn’t necessary. They say, ‘I don’t stress the vehicle enough to need one. And besides, the truck comes with a cooler. The dealer’s just trying to rip me off for another option.’”