1998 5.7 K1500 oil cooler delete

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RonRonnster

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My oil cooler lines are leaking like crazy around the oil filter adapter on my ‘98 K1500 with the 5.7. It looks like the other end of the lines are also seeping at the crimp point. I’m thinking of just getting rid of the oil cooler - I put maybe 5-6k mile on my truck a year, and never tow with it. I really don’t like lines that leak and end up leaking again even after replacing - I’ve had this happen often on previous GMT400s that I’ve replaced cooler lines on. I saw some threads on the forum that cover this - seems like an easy enough thing to do with the classic style SBC oil filter adapter and a short enough oil filter to clear the front driveshaft.

My question is this - have any of you folks that deleted your oil cooler regretted it? Any engine issues after the fact? It seems like the factory oil cooler is really a method to get oil temps up faster on a truck that doesn’t tow or work hard. Heck, my ‘07 Yukon XL Denali with the 6.2l didn’t come with an oil cooler. Let me know if I’m missing something here - but I would rather get rid of it all and have a leak free truck again and not worry about it any more.
 

evilunclegrimace

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I stand corrected on the speed at which oil heats up. So I will edit my post to read as follows The oil cooler and radiator are working in tandem to get the engine to operating temp as quickly as possible.

The TBI engines are lighter castings than their predecessors for several reasons. One is to save weight, and another is to allow the engine to reach operating temp faster. Lighter castings warm up faster than thicker castings. The hotter that you can run a gas engine the more efficient it becomes WITH IN LIMITS! Older engines were able to be overheated with a smaller chance of warpage due to thicker castings again with in limits.

The increased operating temps are one of the reasons that the intake manifold gaskets have restrictions built into the rear ports. This is to slow down the flow of coolant through the engine to allow it to absorb the maximum amount of heat that it can before being returned to the radiator. A positive out come of this is the heater core is fed the highest possible water temp for maximum operator comfort in cold temperatures.
 
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RonRonnster

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Actually it is the other way around, oil heats up faster than coolant initially. The oil cooler and radiator are working in tandem to get the engine to operating temp as quickly as possible. The oil heats up due to friction and it in turn dumps heat into the radiator through the oil cooler. This helps heat the coolant up faster until it reaches operating temp and then the roles are reversed. The coolant helps keep the oil temp down to promote longevity and viscosity of the oil.

The TBI engines are lighter castings than their predecessors for several reasons. One is to save weight, and another is to allow the engine to reach operating temp faster. Lighter castings warm up faster than thicker castings. The hotter that you can run a gas engine the more efficient it becomes WITH IN LIMITS! Older engines were able to be overheated with a smaller chance of warpage due to thicker castings again with in limits.

The increased operating temps are one of the reasons that the intake manifold gaskets have restrictions built into the rear ports. This is to slow down the flow of coolant through the engine to allow it to absorb the maximum amount of heat that it can before being returned to the radiator. A positive out come of this is the heater core is feed the highest possible water temp for maximum operator comfort in cold temperatures.

Thanks for that detailed explanation! So it seems like it’s function is not only to cool the oil during extreme temps, but to also help regulate the temperature of the engine oil AND coolant. I wonder how effective this truly is. I’m usually one to think if the manufacturer put it in there, then just keep it in there, but given the trouble I’ve had with the leaking it’s so tempting to just get rid of it. Sounds like something great to have - if it doesn’t leak.
 

454cid

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I disconnected mine for exactly the reasons you want to. I may reconnect it with Sunsong lines. They're steel like the originals.
 

RonRonnster

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I disconnected mine for exactly the reasons you want to. I may reconnect it with Sunsong lines. They're steel like the originals.

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Are these the Sunsong lines you are thinking of? - found them on RockAuto. Much cheaper than the Delco’s, and if they are a quality steel line then it might be something to consider for sure. I’m wondering if I would also need to replace the connector fittings that are threaded into the oil filter adapter. Not sure if they have an internal o-ring or what, but I’ve read that they should be replaced to prevent leaking. I’ll never buy a Dorman line that’s for sure - I’ve done so in the past and they don’t last very long.
 

454cid

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I have a 454 so my lines are probably different. I think it would be a good idea to replace the fittings.
 

evilunclegrimace

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Someone on here did a write up that replaces the factory style lines with Braided line and AN fittings. It is a bit more expensive but will last a very long time.
 

Supercharged111

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Actually it is the other way around, oil heats up faster than coolant initially. The oil cooler and radiator are working in tandem to get the engine to operating temp as quickly as possible. The oil heats up due to friction and it in turn dumps heat into the radiator through the oil cooler. This helps heat the coolant up faster until it reaches operating temp and then the roles are reversed. The coolant helps keep the oil temp down to promote longevity and viscosity of the oil.

The TBI engines are lighter castings than their predecessors for several reasons. One is to save weight, and another is to allow the engine to reach operating temp faster. Lighter castings warm up faster than thicker castings. The hotter that you can run a gas engine the more efficient it becomes WITH IN LIMITS! Older engines were able to be overheated with a smaller chance of warpage due to thicker castings again with in limits.

The increased operating temps are one of the reasons that the intake manifold gaskets have restrictions built into the rear ports. This is to slow down the flow of coolant through the engine to allow it to absorb the maximum amount of heat that it can before being returned to the radiator. A positive out come of this is the heater core is fed the highest possible water temp for maximum operator comfort in cold temperatures.

My oil temp gauge would disagree with you. Oil takes longer to reach operating temp than coolant.
 

JackE

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I used the SunSong lines from Rock Auto last year when I did my rebuild. I did not replace the fittings, but did clean them up and used Teflon tape when I reinstalled them. I haven't noticed any leakage from them yet with about 5000 miles on the rebuild.
 
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