[MuttMutt]

New to the forum but have lurked a little bit since getting my 2015 Juke Nismo AWD. Anyway we have had it about 10K miles and this fall we have a trip planned from the Tulsa area down to Miami and over the summer I would like to do a few things with the vehicle.

First off I am going to change the CVT fluid and want to add in a small cooler. Seems this is one of the ones with the square beehive on the front of the CVT with 4 lines so I should be good to splice in with a secondary cooler. I found this post which has some good information but sadly the video has been removed and I think it would have something helpful. I am very visual so I keep looking at things and cross referencing online to figure it all out but hopefully someone has a little bit of direction to give me. It looks like the CVT fluid lines go down to some banjo fittings near what I believe is the round filter housing. Anyway if someone took this all apart and has a couple pictures I would LOVE to see what it looks like in there and if possible which line is the better one to use for an external cooler.

When I put in the cooler I have also considered adding an external filter for added capacity, filtration, and cooling. Would this be overkill for longevity? I want this car to last and intend to do CVT fluid changes every 30 to 40K miles. I figure a filter with about a quart of capacity can't hurt in the long run but will it cause any issues? Not sure about the line pressures here either and if a filter will cause more problems than good. If the pressures run around 15 psi it shouldn't be an issue from my understanding.

I am going to put in Amsoil CVT fluid as well. Like I said I want this to last. Sadly though I keep finding two different filters for the CVT for this model year and two different pan gaskets though the filter strainer in the pain seems to have only one. Anyway they both say they are for my vehicle but I am stumped on which one is right. Torque Converter,Housing & Case - 2015 Nissan Juke The gaskets listed are 31397-1XF0C and 31397-1XF0D and the filters are 31726-1XF00 and 31726-3XX0A but I can't tell heads or tails which one is correct for sure.

I live about 25 miles from a parts store and about 60 miles plus from a dealer so when I take it apart to service things I have to have the right parts on hand or put the old ones in and wait for replacements which I really don't want to do so any help would be appreciated on the subject.

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Now for the other part of the question. Upgrades.

What upgrades are worth it for a daily driver you want to last. I figure a better intercooler would be helpful since it will keep intake temps lower especially since I live in an area that will see 110 degree summer days and I will sometimes be heading to area's with even higher temps. I was also looking at an upgraded blowoff valve since what I have read says the factory ones are not great so that will give a bit of better performance over the long run. Is there anything else I should look at or for?

My goal is to have everything to service the CVT and add in a cooler this summer, in fact I was going to get stuff ordered in the next couple weeks so I can have everything done before the end of July and save the CVT from a little bit of the heat this summer. Any help on figuring that stuff out will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
MuttMutt

 

[pboglio]

Good questions.

External filtration wouldn't hurt if done correctly. The 4-port is the practical way to do it. Unfortunately this is in series unless you add an external oil pump and run it in parallel with the stock pump. The way the stock filter get's loaded up with debri, having (2) in series wouldn't help much. Looking at the +2015 CVT oil filter it's fairly huge, much bigger than a car filter actually. I'd simply change the oil cartridge filter often along with dropping the sump pan and cleaning the magnets periodically.

A well maintained CVT doesn't really "need" external cooling though towing/elevation/ambient temps/engine modifications etc. could make it required. Much debate on what temps to actually run but over-cooling the CVT on startup/cruise will wreck it just as fast as overheating would if you live in a cold climate. I'd pick 75-85*C to run it at but try and use a thermostat if you can so the oil temps come up quickly. In Chicago I didn't have problems with CVT cooling except when the transmission oil level was set incorrectly from the factory or the oil filter was clogged. But again, it wouldn't hurt if done correctly and you weren't aerating the oil while trying to cool.

Regarding the filters, the 31726-1XF00 works on the Gen 1 Juke CVT but seems to also come up on the +2015 as well. The 31726-3XX0A seems to only fit the +2015 as it's physically longer. This is kind of odd because the beehive actually blocks the filter in place, so a shorter filter might simply fall out. I'd go with the latter one, the risk is pretty low since the filters are cheap. You'll find out quickly removing the original filter and comparing which it is.

Regarding mods, plenty of options. I'm a big fan of the Synapse Diverter valves, love it on my EVO X and another one going onto the Juke. Stay away from Forge as mine fell apart literally while driving. Intercoolers I like going overkill. Definitely avoid the Forge FMIC or chinese knockoffs, terrible cooling. There are a few Mishimoto kits out there but I'm partial to the 2J Intercooler design.

 

[MuttMutt]

Ok, that helps some and I have made a couple changes. Put in an order for filters as well as a cooler and thermostatic valve for the cooler that will bypass till about 180F or 82C. I wish I could trust not having a cooler but where I am with 100 degree plus days while hauling 3 people and groceries among other things around I KNOW it's getting hot. At some point I will likely be heading through Phoenix and some other hot area's and I don't want to kill the CVT. For now I will not bother with an extra filter and will see how things go. I figure I will be replacing fluid every 30 to 40K miles and I will be doing at least one flush through as well each time. It currently has 69K on it and we got it at 59K from a dealer and I know the brakes were replaced by the dealer but not sure what else was done. Going to head over to a local place that supposedly has Amsoil but I doubt they have the CVT fluid so will probably have to order that as well.

Mods are going to be a little bit but I was looking at a couple things over at FastReligion and figured the Intercooler and diverter would be a good start. Maybe throw in some of the urethane bushings and such. Gotta finish replacing the roof on the house, insulating, wiring, datacomm, among other things before I get to do much playing though.

 

[Macgyver]

Remember that North American Jukes were the only Jukes in the world per say that did not come with CVT coolers.

I just did bushings all over. Just a little more interior road noise. But combined with coil overs etc. Really drives nice.

Doing a CVT oil change back to back is needed. You get just over half the CVT fluid out per drain so you just gotta do it twice.

 

[pboglio]

Ok, that helps some and I have made a couple changes. Put in an order for filters as well as a cooler and thermostatic valve for the cooler that will bypass till about 180F or 82C. I wish I could trust not having a cooler but where I am with 100 degree plus days while hauling 3 people and groceries among other things around I KNOW it's getting hot. At some point I will likely be heading through Phoenix and some other hot area's and I don't want to kill the CVT. For now I will not bother with an extra filter and will see how things go. I figure I will be replacing fluid every 30 to 40K miles and I will be doing at least one flush through as well each time. It currently has 69K on it and we got it at 59K from a dealer and I know the brakes were replaced by the dealer but not sure what else was done. Going to head over to a local place that supposedly has Amsoil but I doubt they have the CVT fluid so will probably have to order that as well.

Mods are going to be a little bit but I was looking at a couple things over at FastReligion and figured the Intercooler and diverter would be a good start. Maybe throw in some of the urethane bushings and such. Gotta finish replacing the roof on the house, insulating, wiring, datacomm, among other things before I get to do much playing though.

Makes sense, the region where you drive is hot so an external cooler is a no brainer if it's done right. The oil change interval I'd almost recommend 15k miles if you can afford it but 30k -40k would still be an improvement. This is why I highly recommend dropping the transmission pan and cleaning the magnets periodically, they keep the metal debri out of the fluid. I know it's a pain because you have to replace the expensive pan gasket but it would make a big difference. An oil change without cleaning the magnets is going to kill the oil filter quickly. I added a 3rd OEM magnet into the pan to increase the debri load capacity. Modding the vehicle greatly increases the CVT internal wear and metal debri so oil/filter changes/cooling mods & running AMSOIL become much more critical.

Regarding mods and CVT is a tricky subject. Based on the number of guys I've talked with trying to trouble shoot their CVT problems I'd almost suggest not touching the engine. Many who've modded a CVT have killed them prematurely. I started modding around 12k miles on the car and by 60-65k miles it was already showing signs of slipping and by 80k miles it had failed completely with the bolt-on mods in my sig. If you're already at 69k miles I'd say this wouldn't be a good mileage to start loading up on engine mods but it all depends on how it was treated previously.

Without getting overly technical, the Juke CVT runs a (3) pack forward clutch assembly which is way undersized for any kind of modding, these will 100% slip first before the pushbelt does at lower mileage. As reference, Nissan put identical size clutches but a (4) pack forward clutch assembly in the Maxima to handle 261 lb-ft, so that tells you right there how much on the limit a Juke is going beyond stock. I'll put a max value of about 247 lb-ft (crank) (210 lb-ft @ wheels) where the forward clutches will almost certainly slip, thus you want to stay below this torque level with any engine mods to avoid burning up the clutches. Having seen the slippage consistently on my dyno & datalogs it's obvious the CVT can't handle much beyond this. Some guys have gotten higher by running AMSOIL or aftermarket CVT boosting the clutch apply pressures, but generally that value is about it. The Gen2 Juke's have some nice improvements over the Gen 1 CVT but also carry over some critical design flaws. When the clutches slip the CVT starts overheating. Most guys mistake that for needing more cooling, which is a hack basically for this particular problem. The AMSOIL CVT oil will bump that torque value up another +22 percent which is great but still the clutches run hot & eventually burn up if abused. The pushbelt doesn't slip initially because the TCM can ramp up more pressure to clamp it and compensate. At higher mileage that won't work effectively as the belt wears out and then the belt starts slipping as well which causes intense internal heat in the CVT and basically destroys everything.

Filtration, cooling, and clutch/belt life are all tied together. When the filter clogs the clutch packs & CVT belt and bearings get starved of lubrication and cooling oil massflow. Thus fixing a filtration problem also fixes a cooling problem while reducing clutch/belt wear. When I replaced my completely clogged beehive oil filter and switched to AMSOIL the CVT was consistently running 90-98*C with 83*C engine coolant running thru the beehive cooler. Before the filter/oil change it would nearly hit 110*C after a good 1 hour heatsoak on the expressway and eventually the transmission would hit limp mode. So an external cooler will definitely help but keeping up on the maintenance will also keep the temps cooler.

So, basic bolt-on mods are fine but you can see the specific engine torque is critical to the life of the CVT. The AMSOIL will make a huge difference because it produces a +22% higher coefficient friction on the clutches and pushbelt while also providing better wear additives, so most definitely run that if you can. A few bolt-ons & tune to improve throttle response/driveability with the boost capped at ~14 psi I think would still be reliable but I'd say it wouldn't make it much past 100-120k miles if driven hard. Just have seen too many owner's with failing CVT and it's pretty much the same story. Maintenance and driving style make a huge difference too.

I here you on the house upgrades. I'm having to spend money fixing my A/C on (2) houses and it's a nightmare. My car budget is kind of putting my house upgrades on hold at the moment. My garage remodel is on hold but eventually that'll be the next big project, should be fun. Anyway, sounds like you know what you're doing with the CVT cooling upgrades so good luck.

 

[MuttMutt]

Was planning to do a flush when I service the CVT for sure. Planning to order 10 quarts of fluid and run 3 through after the first drain then potentially drop the pan and change the filters and install the cooler and bypass and fill it up again and run that for a bit. Drain again and fill up for the final fill so should be good there. I have some magnets I pull out of hard drives I can easily add to the outside of the pan too and actually was going to toss a few on the outside of an external filter if I put one in line. I run them on oil filters and I figure that does a lot of good in the long run.

Honestly I am not worried about making more power. This is probably the fastest vehicle I have ever had and at 43 that says something, I had a 91 Camaro RS in 97 and took it to 105 but have already had this Juke to 120 and it got there FAST. My pickup could probably get close but would take longer though the stupid rev limiter kicks in at 99 and until I get that pushed higher with a programmer I won't know it's top speed. Sadly my little 4.7 V8 makes a little less power than my Juke is rated for so I know the car is still faster at almost half the weight. The CVT mods (adding the cooler and changing the fluid to Amsoil) should give a little better longevity and I figure the intercooler will do much the same and the diverter seems like it will help keep things happy when I do need the power. I may tinker a little bit here and there for fun but unless I hit the lottery or someone leaves me a ton of cash I won't be doing much beyond that, I think the biggest upgrade on my 4.7 is a dual oil filter, homebrew CAI (3 inch pvc pipe), and I swapped the injectors for a set of 12 holes from a Ford Focus of the same year.

On the house front we bought this place for 18K. Still has some knob and tube wiring in the house if that says anything, LOL. But it's a long term live in project, materials for the roof have cost us about 5500 to 6000 which is a lot better than the 25K most people are being quoted. I tore off 4 layers of roofing (2 cedar shake and 2 asphalt) and removed 2 brick chimney's that were falling apart, have made repairs to the 1X4 slats where they were damaged, then sheathed with 7/16 CDX, put down the ice and water barrier and synthetic underlayment, and have an architectural shingle with a "lifetime" rating so I will never have to do that again. That is all being done in stages and I have 1/2 or about 1000 square feet done with another side to go. Didn't even need a roll off to dispose of the old stuff, just sent it out in the weekly trash while borrowing a neighbors trash can, LOL. Removed a bunch of electrical conduit that was ran on the outside of the house because they were lazy, removed the 100 amp service outside and put a 200 amp shutoff in it's place with a 200 amp panel inside where it belongs. As I go with electrical I am switching off the old lines where some rooms only had 1 set of outlets (2 plugs total) and in the bedrooms I am putting in 3 double gang boxes for a set of 6 outlets (12 plugs total). Other rooms are getting upwards of 20 sets of outlets (office, living room, kitchen) and I am installing 20 amp twist lock plugs for outside use. Eventually have to pick up enough mini splits to cover 8 zones for heating and cooling though the bathrooms (only one right now) will get heated floors and I think the kitchen may get a semi heated floor as well. Oh and the house had ZERO insulation when we got here so I am furring out the 2X4's with 2X2's then putting R19 fiberglass in the opening and capping that all off with R10 XPS foam so the whole house downstairs is growing by 3.5 inches.

Did I mention I am a geek? LOL. I am as happy working on a house as I am a car or a computer. My router started acting up so I decided I may as well upgrade from dual L5630's with a HDD to an E3-1226 V3 and an SSD plus I through in a fiber optic NIC so I can electrically isolate my input from the rest of my network. That runs OpnSense and lets just say when it acted up and I had to switch back to a commercial router I swore never again to buy one to use it created so many headaches.

But I often figure a lot of things out if you can tell but don't mind asking advice when I am not sure. I prefer to do things correctly and with older V8's like the SBC I already know a lot of little simple mods that can boost power, like one of the simplest is taking one of the lower drainback holes in the heads and drill and tap it for a small piece of pipe so that the air can flow easier from the bottom end to the top end. It doesn't sound like much but with oil flowing down getting splattered around fighting the air a little simple inch long piece of pipe allowing a space dedicated for air is supposed to net 10 to 15 horsepower near the top end while allowing the oil to get back into the pan faster. A lot of the newer stuff I plain have not had a chance to tinker with so figured I may as well ask. Thanks a lot for all the info though, it will be put to good use for sure.

 

[pboglio]

Trust me, being an engineer we definitely geek out on the stupidist things so I get it.

The factory magnets are extremely powerful and have good load capacity they are like $5 so worth it and they'll stay put. I put loctite and bonded them to the inside of the sump. The drain and fill isn't too bad. Typically I'll do (3) flushes and that'll get about 85-88% new fluid back in, I had a spreadsheet for that calculation somewhere. I bought a Mity-vac oil siphon tank/pump and it makes swapping CVT oil effortless though you can't get more than 4 qts out at a time it's so easy. Handy when you overfill and need to pull a smidge backout of the sump. Dropping the valvebody will get another 1 quart out but it's a heck of a lot of effort and definitely not recommended for just a fluid swap. Sounds like you got it covered so I'd be interested in your results after the cooler is installed, please do post up your results. I'm using CVTz50 app and a bluetooth OBDII adapter to track CVT data and temps and pressure datalogging, worth every penny.

The Juke 1.6L engine is fairly knock resistant and has outstanding engine cooling from what I've datalogged. The intercooler upgrade is kinda not super needed for bolt-ons though the improved throttle response is worth the upgrade. I can't remember the IAT temps but definitely long pulls they were getting up near 130*F which isn't good for piston cooling on those highway pulls. However, I've never seen knock retard on 93 octane with bolt-on/tune mods on 17 psi but definitely I'm a definite fan of big intercoolers just as added protection and of course they look cool. I think when you start pushing +21 to 23 psi on most 4-cyl turbos is where 93 octane can be hit/miss depending on the A/F ratios and ignition timing settings. Haven't seen the inside of the latest Mishimoto IC core but I do not prefer to run a short core height IC (i.e. 6-8" core) for (2) reasons: pressure drop and internal fin pitch design. They are a compromise, ran into this problem with the Forge IC for the exact same reason, weak internal fin geometry hurt IC cooling but helped pressure drop. But the older/big 2J intercooler have good internal fin pitch design similar to the Garrett cores and a taller +10" core height for reduced pressure drop. I run a large AMS/Garrett IC core on the EVO and they seem to cool well though overkill for 23 psi pump gas it's more peace of mind so that is my attitude towards the Juke as well. Juke isn't designed for an FMIC directly in front of the radiator/condensor core so keep that in-mind. I'll be switching to the RS front bumper & grill to get more over-bumper airflow cooling into the radiator core along with some other tricks to pull more into the rad core.

I'm not a big house expert but I am a mechanical engineer and I remodeled my garage putting in (2) subpanels with dedicated 120V & 220V circuits, lighting, insulation, drywall, etc. and it came out pretty good for a complete amateur. I'm on a 100 amp panel so I have to pick/choose what equipment I can run simultaneously. Have the CNC vert mill, TIG welder, air compressor, vapor hone machine, and all the other fab equipment so definitely can't run all that at the same time. Can't remember what rating insulation I put in the garage, maybe the R19 but it helped enormously and since the garage is attached I only had (2) walls exposed with a split shared wall with another garage unit. Having the steel conduit put in helped as I can pull new wiring in anytime I want. I"ll have to pick your brain as I want to get more into interior upgrades but that's definitely a skill I'm going to have to learn. Next challenge is laying down wood floor and some porcelain tile in the garage.

Lot's of hot rodding tricks still apply to the Juke for sure. Not too much experience with V8 or carbs but a ton with 4-cyl AWD boosted fuel injection and ECM tuning and the whatnot.

 

[MuttMutt]

Not an engineer at all. Just a geek. If I didn't have certain issues I would have probably become a physicist or something along those lines. But can't go back and change that stuff now can I?

Anyway got the cooler, thermostatic valve, lines, and filters in. Still have to order the CVT fluid but it's all good, when it gets here I will plan for a day to tear everything down in the shade. Looks like I got about a week of 100 plus weather to deal with though. Premium down here seems to be marked at 91 Octane but not sure if they are just using a different computation or something. I can get ahold of 100 plus octane at some of the VP Racing Fuels stations around here though so if I really needed higher stuff I could get it. Winter time when it stays below 70 ambient for a high I do cheap out a bit and throw in midgrade in but I know there is some risk associated with doing that. I know saving 30 cents per gallon isn't huge but it helps the wallet a little and with a larger intercooler I won't worry about it at all. The increased throttle response will just be icing on the cake there.

I do have a cheapo ELM327 but CVTz50 doesn't like it. Torque has been happy with all the ones I have thrown at it but at some point I may need to swap that out for the Juke though. And I will be sure to take some pictures and such as well as try to keep track of things when I can.

As far as this house it's an old place (1911 is the listed year buitl) with lots of little quirks. It's almost like it was built one room at a time in some places on the exterior walls, in fact one I can almost guarantee was an add on because there is siding in an area with a 2X4 nailed onto it to start the next wall. A few places have 2X4's that were floating in the wall with a board underneath of it but in an L shape so it never goes to the bottom sill plate. So as I go along and add 2X2's to the existing 2X4's I am also fixing that stuff and making it right. Finished up one of my long walls today and started putting siding back on. Would prefer to replace the siding but sadly that is not in the budget so the original siding is getting removed 1 nail at a time so I can put it back on for a little while. Should save me a few bucks in taxes as well since there is no real visual upgrade. Never done anything like this before but I am pretty good at working through things I understand and I always tell people once I understand the basics there isn't much I can't figure out. By the time I am done I will have removed all the floors downstairs and one room which I am using as an office will get some of the old flooring put into it after it's been cleaned up a bit and have made some modifications to the joists. I can stand in the middle of most of the rooms and watch everything bounce if I jump up and down a little bit. But getting a house around 2000 sq feet of total space for 18K is a pretty good deal even if it needs some work to me, unless I was paying someone else to do the work. Right now I have around 30K in equity in the house already and it's only going to get better. I am also adding a bunch of automation stuff in, I have a front porch that is lit with 1200 addressable LED's controlled by an ESP32 running WLED with HomeAssistant running the on and off times and such. At sunset each day they come on and run till about 11:00PM, while they are on if I walk onto the porch a motion sensor causes HomeAssistant to change the LED's from whatever pattern they are on to change to a solid white around 60% brightness which can light up the whole front yard. After 2.5 minutes it goes back to a pattern again. After things are shut off at around 11:00 PM the motion sensor still triggers the LED's to turn on but they just turn back off after a certain amount of time. Eventually the whole house will be setup in a similar fashion but at certain times the lights will turn on a red color to preserve night vision. And I will eventually have around 10K addressable LED's around the house inside and out. The house is built in a partial craftsman style so I am trying to preserve and enhance that a bit but also add some modern flare.

Anyway feel free to hit me up with questions about the remodeling and such though. I can probably help figure a few things out for sure.

 

[MuttMutt]

Well things are starting to progress. Got it up on some ramps at all 4 corners pulled the bumper cover off, mounted the thermostatic control valve, mounted the cooler, ran all the lines and fairly happy with how things went there. Dropped the pan and the fluid only has a slight blue tint, more of a yellow green so seen a few miles and been cooked a little. Sadly the filter I got isn't even close... Started looking at filters for the Nissan Altima and found one that looks the same. 0440437 is that filter number which seems to be for a 2017 which makes me wonder if this has had a swap done before we got it. Anyway the other filter fit no problem and is 0440455 through Beck Arnley. So going to return that and get the other one.

 

[MuttMutt]

Ok, my back is killing me and I am ready to just go to sleep but I figured I would toss a couple pics up real quick. I tossed the U bend intake and mounted the thermostatic valve there. It was the most stable place I could find with fairly easy routing of lines and since I may do some sort of CAI at some point the other part was going to get pulled at some point anyway. The valve did not come with fittings but I figured these brass ones would do ok. I ran them in with my 1/4 inch impact driver so I didn't crack the housing. I know it's pretty stout looking but I have actually broken something like it before. If I have to I can always tighten them with a wrench. The hoses slid on mostly ok and all the lines got a hose clamp on them I just couldn't find them when I took the pics. The lines are zip tied together so they will flop around less and actually only tough the aluminum refrigerant reservoir on the condenser coils so I am not too worried about them there. Up above I did something similar and am routing so they go underneath the fuse box and computer though those all had to move to get the lines dealt with. The cooler is mounted with a couple of the plastic zip ties and a piece of foam rubber at each corner to isolate from the condenser.

The line was pretty easy to get off the square beehive block but the one that connects to the CVT was a bit of a pain. I removed the top line and it seems to be the one that flows out from the CVT and into the beehive so I am guessing it will be the hottest CVT fluid the thermostatic valve should keep the temp around 180 degrees though so even if it gets a little cool then travels through the beehive it should be just fine and I would suspect that the engine as a whole should run just a touch cooler since it will not be getting really hot CVT fluid to deal with as well.

As I posted above I did not get the right filter so I tossed the pan back on with 4 bolts, the other filter will be here Monday between 12:00 and 2:00 so maybe if I am feeling really good I will deal with it then, otherwise Tuesday it is. Supposed to be 102 for a high Monday as well but supposed to cool off a bit to around 97 Tuesday and Wednesday and since I can get started early I think we know what's going to happen there unless I REALLY feel good on Monday, lol.

Left the bumper and computer out for now but will drop the computer back in along with remounting the fuse box and putting the battery back in. But the bumper stays off so I can check for leaks.

Drained the oil and swapped the filter as well since I was there and it was due. CVT pan is empty for now but will fill it up when I get the filter put in and can do a leak check while the fluid circulates for a bit. Then I can drain that down and top it off unless I am sure I have extra to run a second flush. 10 quarts of Amsoil CVT is what I have available. And I replaced the crush washer on the oil drain and have one for the CVT drain plug as well. Not going to change them every time but every other time won't hurt.

The cooler came with 5 feet of hose but I picked up an extra 5 feet of line so I knew I could route things correctly without sharp bends and such. I ended up cutting about 1 foot off for the line that went to the beehive. It's a little convoluted the way it's running but I couldn't see another spot that would work as well for the thermostatic valve. And extra line is just extra capacity once it's all filled up I may get an extra 1/4 quart or so for the line and cooler and such. Nothing huge but won't hurt either.

Oh and caught this video for doing a CVT fluid change and the filter is exactly the same location and the plug for the check is there too.

I am going to measure what I took out and use that as a basis for how much to put in once I do the first flush through. But it will be nice to be able to check things and verify where it should be when I am all done.

And sorry the pictures loaded backwards. I am too worn out to deal with it today. And yeah the lower crossmember is bent, my girlfriend got turned around and bumped into something about 2 weeks after we moved into this house. I will try and find one I can swap it out for sometime but it hasn't affected anything otherwise.

 

[Macgyver]

Looks really good.

 

[MuttMutt]

And..... Sucess!!

Was working on pulling off the siding on the house so I can fur the 2X4's into 2X6's and then insulate with R19 fiberglass and R10 XPS foam but since it was going to be extra hot and humid today I decided to take and have a mostly off day from getting stuff done. Filter showed up around 1:00 this afternoon and fit like a glove so I am pretty sure I have the 2017 CVT in my Juke.

Anyway tossed the filter in and bolted it all back together except for the bumper cover and poured in 3 quarts of CVT fluid. Pulled the "inspection plug" and had my girlfriend pour a 4th quart in and right as the quart was finishing up it started to come out of the inspection plug. Started it up and let it idle for a bit and shifted between drive and reverse a few times while keeping my foot on the brakes. Then let it idle for a little longer and again shifted between gears as before. Shut it off and pulled the inspection plug again and had my girlfriend pour in another quart which again topped it off so pretty sure I had fluid completely through the system so probably added another quart of capacity with the cooler. Got the car off the ramps and went for a short drive without the bumper cover on so I could stop and check if fluid was going through the cooler or bypassing. Stopped after about 1.5 to 2 miles and checked the thermostatic valve block and it was HOT but the cooler wasn't even close to heating up. Drove a little bit more around a local lake and stopped at about 4 miles total and had hot fluid going through the cooler. Current temp is 101 degrees via The Weather Channel but the car temp sensor showed 105 for most of the trip. So I suspect that if you live in an area that gets over 100 degrees a cooler would be a VERY good thing since 4 miles, outside of idling for a few minutes, was all it took to get heated up and force cooling. But I am extremely happy that I have this done and now only have to worry about a line leaking.

Got back and poured the old fluid in the pan into the empty bottles and had exactly 4 quarts that I poured out of the pan. Letting things cool down now a bit and then going to toss the cover back on and drain the pan and top things off again. Going to pull the inspection plug one last time and see if it drains out a bit or not but I suspect it will. Since it is already 100 degrees out honestly I don't even need to let it warm up much but it's too hot to play with at the moment. Will drain the pan down and then pour in fluid till it comes out of the overflow again and should be all set, I have 5 quarts left so should not be an issue but I don't think I have enough to run another cycle and drain, plus I would prefer to have a spare quart sitting around for just in case. And since you can check the level between 95 and 113 through the overflow I am pretty sure I will just plan to do changes in the summer when it will be over 100 to make it easy because I shouldn't need to let it run outside of running the fluid through the system to do a flush.

Looks really good.

Thanks, I am not great at running lines but I wanted to make sure this one has minimal issues.

 

[MuttMutt]

Just an update here on the cooler installation and such.

So far so good to be honest. Had a small leak in a line due to a hose clamp that wasn't as tight as it should be. Amount of fluid lost was miniscule but it took a few months to show up as well. Noticed the CVT fluid smell and started checking, swapped the hose clamp and got it good and tight with no issues. So far have put a few thousand on the work, drove down to Miami to hop on a ship for 10 nights which left out on Black Friday... All I can say there is HOLY CRAP there are some jerks on the road around that time. Actually had what I assume is a transport officer ride right up on a tractor trailer in the left lane then cut me off to go around them. All that aside I am extremely happy with things. For those wondering I am near Tulsa, drove down to Mobile, AL and spent the night and then headed across. On the way back I stopped for the night in Helfin, AL then headed home.

Next upgrade is a swap from using a lead acid battery. From what I am hearing the lead acid batteries are no longer made in the US at all and during COVID a bunch of them sat around and got new stickers, I have replaced it a couple times thankfully only paying once but I just bought 24 3.2V LiFePo4 cells rated at 8AH each capable of putting out up to 200 amps of power in surge with a BMS and holder. Yep I am heading to Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. Got a 500 amp rated relay and a 400amp fuse so far and working on the circuit design so far which I will be making another post for to figure a couple things out. But will have 48AH of power with 1200amps capable starting and it's rated at well over 2000 cycles to 80%DoD so this one should last for years.

For those wondering about how my trip went well it was amazing once on the ship and I spent about 10 hours under water with a little time swimming with the sharks.

 

[Macgyver]

Lead acid batteries are made about 25 minutes from me a East Penn Manufacturing. My next door neighbor works there. They had a sickening accident there 8 months ago or so. A guy fell in the lead melting furnace while they were charging it. He was alive for a bit as he landed on his feet and the melted depth was around 18".

As far as the design. We have some pretty smart people here that I am sure can help out.

@Bargeld , @FastReligion , @pboglio , @Swiftab , @squirtbrnr just to name a few.

 

[FastReligion]

Im all for Lithium ion batteries in cars.....if it s a race car and weight is the most important thing in the world. Outside of that; why fix what aint broke? Lithium ion batteries used in a 14v system is a massive waste of a battery. Even EV's use lead acid batteries for their 14v systems.

 

[Bargeld]

Lipos on a gas vehicle are not only unnecessary, but actually hazardous and far more dangerous and complex than necessary.

I race RC cars, which use standard 3.8v LiPo cells and high voltage graphine & carbon LiPo versions as well. Typically referred to by the number of cells, their storage capacity, and their discharge rate. Like 4s 7000mah 130c. 4 cell and the discharge rate is roughly a measurement of max charge and discharge current (130 * 7000ma). The problem is that there is no industry standard that verifies the "c" rating, and is very much based on brand reputation (similar to old school car audio watts).

I digress... The point is that LiPos are #1 very, very dangerous. There are very specific balancing requirements and circuit design needed for same charging, along with specific output requirements for the charger. They are very volatile when physically damaged. Since they are a layered design, if they are damaged to the point where layers are able to interact, you will get a fire at minimum, and very possibly an explosion (think samsung phones from 5 years ago).
Also, their purpose is completely different. They actually have a very limited charging range and number of usable cycles. If the voltagr drops below a certain range, there can be serious damage to the battery preventing future charging and capacity. They can't be stored at above 85% capacity for long periods. They get hot with high discharge and charge. Finally, they are meant for burst, high capacity usages, where they start full, get used to a low voltage quickly, then get charged up again immediately.

They are really not meant for engine starting in a gas vehicle. And good luck getting the juke charging system to play nice with it... People have severe problems with alternator swaps and the BCM, let alone trying to control balanced charging.

Return what you have and get your money back. OR get a used electric golf cart and have a blast with that project!

 

[pboglio]

Yep, will not run a Lithium battery no matter how much weight or space savings. Going to run a lightweight racing battery to clear up some room in the engine bay for a custom intake. When they perfect the battery technology I'm all in but not any time soon.

 

[MuttMutt]

The batteries no longer being made in the US is what I was told but who knows. And remember I didn't say Lipo this is LiFePo4 it's much more stable and lower voltage per cell. The cells are 38120 round cells so the swelling and issues with Lipo doesn't happen either. Worked with Lipo cells and they are a huge risk, I have a racing drone that will do over 100mph and I charge those cells outside in a tin container because they can go boom. These cells do not. I still have a ton of power available as well.

I have replaced the lead acid battery 3 times already and the one I have now is still acting up, won't stay charged longer than a few days. Not going to play with it any more. I fully understand your concerns but Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are used in home solar storage and RV power storage systems. If you go out and buy a powerwall these are the batteries installed in it giving your house power.

https://cleversolarpower.com/is-lifepo4-battery-safe/

 

[squirtbrnr]

All of the above. Stick to a Lead Acid or an AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat). Tried and true. LiPo has its place in small things like RC cars or small electronics. If you were to get into a front end collision with a Lead Acid the worst you’ll have if the battery ruptures is leaking battery acid on the ground which can be neutralized. If you have a LiPo or similar battery, you’ll have a raging fire that requires specialized equipment and training to contain. There have been reports of EVs reigniting days later in the wrecking yard. And those cells are small (though numerous).

 

[Bargeld]

My misunderstand here!

Yeah those LiFePO4 look interesting and are basically the exact opposite of LiPos. Literally. But with that, there are disadvantages, as you are probably aware. I would think that interfacing with the juke charging system would still be a headache too.

Personally, I had the OEM battery for 5 or 6 years until it starting showing signs of failure. The juke really is an oddball with the way it behaves and tests with failing batteries. I decided to get a Duramax group 35 AGM, thinking I might get a better warranty and lifespan out of it. Nope. Failed in about 4 years. I ran the math of a new AGM vs a walmart lead acid battery on sale and it just didn't justify the extra cost. I went for the cheapest walmart battery that was the correct fit for the juke. I want to say it was like $150 vs $220. Even if I only get 3 years out of it, I'm still ahead of the game vs the AGM that I already had. Yeah, it's not the most environmentally friendly option, but really, we all know there is no such thing as an environmentally friendly car battery. Especially after a century of mainstream automobiles. I'm also riding a fine line of getting rid of it soon, so I'm trying not to put any more money into it. This sounds like more than a cost basis for you, more like a hobby project and since you plan on keeping it for the long haul, have fun with it. Just stay safe!