99 TJ radiator transmission cooler line questions

[99greenTJ]

I am considering cleaning up the transmission cooler lines to the radiator. Former owners work leaks at best.
There are two fittings in the lines I want to ask about. They are odd looking. Is one a fixed restrictor?
Should it be removed?
Someone mentioned my radiator is not from a TJ, I don't have an overheating problem, it does have a small drip near or at the drain plug, which is on the bottom.
What's the current thinking on not running transmission fluid through the radiator, just using the plate, non fan cooler in front of radiator?

 

[hear]

I run mine through the radiator and then also through a cooler mounted in front of my radiator. There has been some discussion here about the benefits of heat exchange between the engine coolant and the transmission fluid, but I'm not sure it's actually a first order effect. If mine were leaking, I wouldn't hesitate to bypass the radiator and just use the external cooler, but it's kinda silly to do any work in this area without also installing a temperature gauge. Otherwise it's all just guesswork as to what works and what doesn't, and you'll only really know if you end up with burnt fluid.

 

[99greenTJ]

I think there saying if just using the non fan transmission fluid cooler, if you aren't moving, like heavy traffic, the fluid will get to hot.
I have wondered if the radiator cooler was heating the fluid up needlessly. If you have no other means of cooling the fluid, the factory set up is good option?