Adding Factory Trans Oil Cooler

[studigggs]

Adding Factory trans oil cooler to trucks that never had it.

Parts:
Cooler (1): 15990593 - Amazon
Cooler Line (1): 15982923 - RockAuto
Cooler Line (1): 15990062 - RockAuto
Cooler Quick Connect: GM 15718023 - Amazon
Nylon Hose Clip (2): 15738800 - eBay
Bracket, Lower (1): 15974696 - eBay
Bracket, Upper (1): ?????? - eBay
M6 "J-Nut" (4) - Local Hardware Store
M6 x 1" Body Bolt (8) - Local Hardware Store

My '90 has never had a factor aux trans cooler. Just the radiator inset, so wanted to keep my original 4L60 a little cooler. I dont really like the look of aftermarket coolers with rubber hose or soft lines running around, so thought I would retrofit an OEM version. All parts are freely available online (RockAuto, eBay, Amazon) EXCEPT for the upper cooler bracket. I don't know if my Google-foo is lacking or what, but I could not find a part number for this bracket. The stubby version (15968707) is available new for cheap, but in order to use this OEM cooler, you'll need the long-length bracket. This bracket took me a while to track down and I ended up having to PM an eBay seller to see if they could pull it off a parts truck they had listed. The one I received had some surface rust, so I wire brushed and painted it. Turned out nice enough. A parts yard is your best bet for this bracket I'm guessing. Another wonky thing is that the cooler lines dont fit into the quick connects that come on the cooler. If you use this parts list, you'll need to swap out the fittings that come on part number 15990593 for the quick connect fittings listed above. This is likely because I had multiple model years of parts, but I did use GM websites to get parts for a '94, so don't know what happened here. It all worked out in the end though. Once you get the parts, install was quick. Remove the parking lights, remove grill, remove the upper transmission cooler line at the radiator and upper transmission port. Install the bracket and cooler with the M6 body bolts, cut the old line in pieces to aid removal and feed the new lines in from the front. Start and run, fix the leak, add about 2 quarts of Dexron and enjoy. Temp difference? No idea, but likely cooler than without.

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[SUBURBAN5]

Awesome post

 

[df2x4]

The stubby version (15968707) is available new for cheap, but in order to use this OEM cooler, you'll need the long-length bracket.

Now I'm curious about that stubby upper bracket...

I wonder what the distance is between the top and bottom cooler mounting points when you use it (15968707) with the lower bracket you mentioned (15974696)? Reason I ask is I'm wondering if it would be a drop in replacement for upgrading to a larger cooler like a TruCool M7B, as described in this thread.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/how-to-factory-auxiliary-trans-cooler-upgrade.18104/

I did this with an M7B and just shortened the top bracket as described, but it would be neat if there was an off the shelf solution.

 

[studigggs]

Just measured the stubby one I bought by mistake. Its 5.25" in the vertical from bottom mounting hole to top hole. for the width it fits the factory holes in the cooler and upper frame. The whole process was quite confusing. Appears GM made various coolers, the 2500 in some years got larger coolers, the oil cooler part numbers kept coming up, and diesel parts kept showing up.

 

[alpinecrick]

NIce! I like it.

 

[df2x4]

Thanks for measuring!

The TruCool M7B and those B&M coolers referenced in the thread I linked are 8"x11"x1.5", so it looks like the stubby top bracket would still be too long for those. But it might work for something smaller like a TruCool L7B (5.75"x11"x1.5")...

 

[alpinecrick]

Now I'm curious about that stubby upper bracket...

I wonder what the distance is between the top and bottom cooler mounting points when you use it (15968707) with the lower bracket you mentioned (15974696)? Reason I ask is I'm wondering if it would be a drop in replacement for upgrading to a larger cooler like a TruCool M7B, as described in this thread.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/how-to-factory-auxiliary-trans-cooler-upgrade.18104/

I did this with an M7B and just shortened the top bracket as described, but it would be neat if there was an off the shelf solution.

df,
With the M7 cooler two of the short brackets may well work with no or little modification. I'm trying to figure how to install a H7. The H7 cooler basically runs from the top to the bottom of the radiator, any bracket on the top is gonna be really short. Also the H7 runs into the hood latch strut, and has to be moved over an inch or two to towards the passenger side to fit. I've measured it several times trying to come up with an idea for a clean factory style install.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

df,
With the M7 cooler two of the short brackets may well work with no or little modification. I'm trying to figure how to install a H7. The H7 cooler basically runs from the top to the bottom of the radiator, any bracket on the top is gonna be really short. Also the H7 runs into the hood latch strut, and has to be moved over an inch or two to towards the passenger side to fit. I've measured it several times trying to come up with an idea for a clean factory style install.

I looked at the H7 but simply did not need the capacity with the in-radiator cooler in place. I downsized from the Trucool 40K. The M7B even with the 2,800 stall and towing my travel trailer on a 105°F day my 4L85E rarely cracked 165°F behind the 350. 383 held lockup better even with the big lunati bootlegger cam. With the small cam and crossram intake I am sure it will rarely ever even unlock the converter now. The way I see it covering more of the condenser than necessary only sacrifices my a/c cooling.

 

[alpinecrick]

I looked at the H7 but simply did not need the capacity with the in-radiator cooler in place. I downsized from the Trucool 40K. The M7B even with the 2,800 stall and towing my travel trailer on a 105°F day my 4L85E rarely cracked 165°F behind the 350. 383 held lockup better even with the big lunati bootlegger cam. With the small cam and crossram intake I am sure it will rarely ever even unlock the converter now. The way I see it covering more of the condenser than necessary only sacrifices my a/c cooling.

That's good to know. I've thought about the effect of a larger cooler on the condenser and radiator. I have the HD radiator in my 96, and with my IR gun coolant temp won't budge off of 195 no matter where I point the gun even on a hot day, after climbing the pass at altitude. With the auxiliary cooler in the rad doing a chunk of the work at cooling the trans, I'm still debating with myself how much I really need a bigger external trans cooler.

 

[TheAutumnWind]

Why get the little 1/2 ton cooler? I purchased a 1 ton cooler.

Got it for $65 ish ( ACDelco 89022577 GM Original Equipment Automatic Transmission Auxiliary Fluid Cooler https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C9TRWG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7TUfCb3DF43YV)

That's on my nbs esky. Install should be essentially the same. The bracket would be the only variable but that's pretty simple to do.