S550 FTBR Differential Cooler - need wiring help

[Jwodon]

Hi All,

I recently ordered the FTBR diff cooler. I am very impressed with this kit. Has everything that you need aside from additional 12 gauge wire (I think).

I installed all of the hardware over the weekend - new diff cover with additional ports for oil lines, cooler with fan, and pump - and am now beginning to wire it up. The relay harness that they supply has a temp sensor and is thermostatic, which is great because knowing me I would forget to switch it on before heading out on track.

My question is with the yellow wire on the harness - FTB states that this needs to be hooked up to a (+) ignition source. Where is the best place to fuse this wire to? Assuming I would want something that only gets power when the ignition is turned on that way there isn't constant power going to the harness while the car is turned off, but also always has power while ignition is on.

For those of you that have installed this kit, any insight? I reached out to FTBR but am still waiting for a reply.

Thanks

 

[JDee]

Hi All,

I recently ordered the FTBR diff cooler. I am very impressed with this kit. Has everything that you need aside from additional 12 gauge wire (I think).

I installed all of the hardware over the weekend - new diff cover with additional ports for oil lines, cooler with fan, and pump - and am now beginning to wire it up. The relay harness that they supply has a temp sensor and is thermostatic, which is great because knowing me I would forget to switch it on before heading out on track.

My question is with the yellow wire on the harness - FTB states that this needs to be hooked up to a (+) ignition source. Where is the best place to fuse this wire to? Assuming I would want something that only gets power when the ignition is turned on that way there isn't constant power going to the harness while the car is turned off, but also always has power while ignition is on.

For those of you that have installed this kit, any insight? I reached out to FTBR but am still waiting for a reply.

Thanks

I haven't installed this kit, but I do have a Tilton pump for my trans cooler wired so it is hot only with ignition on. It needs lots of current so I ran mine right off the battery through a relay. Not sure if there's any wiring in the rear of the car that is heavy enough to support the amp draw of this pump. I looked around back there last summer as I am considering a diff cooler but so far I see no heavy wiring so my plan includes also running that pump switched off the battery through a relay.
I am continually amazed (in a bad way) at how light the wires are in cars these days. I do understand why they do that. It just makes it difficult to wire in high amp draw stuff without using a relay.

 

[JeffV8]

I haven't installed this kit, but I do have a Tilton pump for my trans cooler wired so it is hot only with ignition on.

JDee, what radiator did you use and where did you mount it ? Also the pump location ? I had Ben Calimer do a stage 2 on my transmission. You can pm me.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

There are a couple ignition switched fuses in the BCM (passenger footwell fuse panel) that you could fuse tap for switched power. By my calcs you can run 14ga from there to the pump as max actual draw is 6.6a at startup per tilton (in install manual, sticker on pump says 8a). That said, not sure if the BCM can handle the extra current or not, but I’d imagine so.

 

[Jwodon]

Thanks for the help. This is likely what I will do. Their instruction manual has the + wires from the pump and fan going directly to the battery. The relay/harness has a wire going to a +12V switched power source. I heard back from from FTBR and they mentioned that the 2018+ model years actually have a tap in location at the bottom of the fuse box that will take a spade terminal plug. Have yet to look at my fuse box (2017) so I will need to find somewhere to tap into. I

I might use a fuse tap, assuming I will need to plug into a 30amp fuse?

 

[Jwodon]

There are a couple ignition switched fuses in the BCM (passenger footwell fuse panel) that you could fuse tap for switched power. By my calcs you can run 14ga from there to the pump as max actual draw is 6.6a at startup per tilton (in install manual, sticker on pump says 8a). That said, not sure if the BCM can handle the extra current or not, but I’d imagine so.

Thanks for the help. This is likely what I will do. Their instruction manual has the + wires from the pump and fan going directly to the battery. The relay/harness has a wire going to a +12V switched power source. I heard back from from FTBR and they mentioned that the 2018+ model years actually have a tap in location at the bottom of the fuse box that will take a spade terminal plug. Have yet to look at my fuse box (2017) so I will need to find somewhere to tap into. I

I might use a fuse tap, assuming I will need to plug into a 30amp fuse?

 

[JDee]

I haven't installed this kit, but I do have a Tilton pump for my trans cooler wired so it is hot only with ignition on. It needs lots of current so I ran mine right off the battery through a relay. Not sure if there's any wiring in the rear of the car that is heavy enough to support the amp draw of this pump. I looked around back there last summer as I am considering a diff cooler but so far I see no heavy wiring so my plan includes also running that pump switched off the battery through a relay.
I am continually amazed at how light the wires are in cars these days, not necessarily in a good way, though I do understand why the do that. It just makes it difficult to wire in high amp draw stuff.

JDee, what radiator did you use and where did you mount it ? Also the pump location ? I had Ben Calimer do a stage 2 on my transmission. You can pm me.

I used a rad from Summit,
SUM-331218 FLUID COOLER 30 ROW BLACK
Mounted in front of the rad, I have a base car with the A/C entirely removed.

I mounted the pump in the opening in the very front of the right fender, where the windshield washer reservoir usually sits, there's a big opening there. It's hung vertically in there. The filter is on the entry to the pump, left side, which is where you want it to protect the pump. I replaced the stock huge reservoir with a tiny square one I got off Scamazon that has its own pump. Rarely need it, but nice to have. The breaker, relay and wiring is on top of the right shock tower. I put an on/off switch for the pump on the flat panel of the console on the drivers side, easy to reach to turn the pump on and off.

 

[Scootsmcgreggor]

I just wired up my diff cooler but did not plumb in a filter. What is the preferred type?

 

[JDee]

That one is an inline filter with 2 male -8AN ends on it, so a female -8AN is needed on the hose. I have a straight thru inlet right off the filter into the pump but the outlet from the pump is a 90 as I wanted the hose go that way back to the trans. There's several different companies that make them, I got mine from Summit, they have a pile of aeroquip style hose fittings and hose. Mine can be taken apart and the filter can be cleaned. There's different styles of these filters as well, I'm certainly not an authority on what is the best, this was my first shot at doing something like this.