Aluminum radiator install 99 gmc 7.4l

[dozerpilot]

Those RW8044 adapters didn’t work out, fwiw. I’m thinking of building some AN cooler hoses.

 

[OBSBurban]

Ok so I’m late to the party. I just bought a 3 row all aluminum radiator off eBay for my 1999 Burb with the 5.7. Fitment is great. Tranny cooler lines fit and are tightened down. Engine oil cooler lines not so much. The radiator came with steel (brass coated) female to male adapters for all of the cooler ports. I stripped out the fitting on the truck’s engine oil cooler line trying to force it to thread. I have been to Oreilly’s and Advance Auto trying to figure out my options without having to do makeshift cooler lines since that was all the inexperienced kids behind the counter could offer. I already have another set of OEM cooler lines ready to go on but I am having zero luck finding these cooler fittings. About to head to Lowe’s (long shot, I know) to see if maybe they have anything similar since the specialty hardware and hydraulics shops are closed for the weekend. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Schurkey]

You guys need to stop buying cheap eBay radiators that don't fit.

 

[454cid]

You guys need to stop buying cheap eBay radiators that don't fit.

The Delphi radiator for the Votec 454 pickup is no longer made, so I went with a TYC from Rockauto, and have been very happy with it. It came better packaged than the Delphi, and everything connected just the same. The fins looked better, and it's a newer design.... two wider rows of tubes instead of three narrower rows. The only thing that I'm a bit disappointed in, is that the radiator cap sits a little high, such that it rubs on the hood liner. I'm not sure why TYC did that, as they also offer the taller filler neck for the HD, so it's not like they're splitting the differance and offering one part number to cover both.

 

[Supercharged111]

You guys need to stop buying cheap eBay radiators that don't fit.

And stop with the aluminum 3 row units. 2 rows of 1"+ tubes is what you want in an aluminum radiator.

 

[OBSBurban]

You guys need to stop buying cheap eBay radiators that don't fit.

Well the radiator fits just fine and the tranny cooler lines threaded right in. Just the damn cooler line adapters that were provided don’t fit the OEM threaded cooler lines. Fixing to try some specialty hardware shops today to see what I can find. If this produces nothing, then tomorrow I’m flaring and making my own cooler lines.

 

[ralmo94]

I bought mine off eBay, and it's a great piece, all aluminum tanks, 3 row, and came with a 20psi cnc cap.

When I put mine in, I deleted the oil lines. Talking to an old gm calibration engineer, he said the coolers don't really do much good on our trucks anyway, at the proving grounds the put a temp sensor on the main bearing caps, there was only a 1 or degree difference. I just got some plumbing plugs and screwed in the block, with some tephlon tape. Works great, oil pressure is the same as before, and no future oil line leaks.

My old radiator leaked where the plastic tank is. With the new one, and a 180 t-stat, I cruise down the freeway or in town at about 178, if I pull a long grade with the trailer on, it will go up to about 200, and quickly cool back to 178. The OE with the same t-stat would get up to about 210 and not cool off as quick. I understand there is some junk on eBay, but eBay shouldn't be knocked in general, or 3 row aluminum radiators, mine was physically much larger than oe and bolted right in.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I wouldn't run without a transmission cooler. If nothing else, mount one in front of your radiator and bypass the in-radiator cooler.

 

[OBSBurban]

I wouldn't run without a transmission cooler. If nothing else, mount one in front of your radiator and bypass the in-radiator cooler.

My problem is the engine oil cooler lines. Tranny cooler lines are hooked up and ready to roll. That is a good idea though. I was contemplating an external engine oil cooler setup but if it doesn’t make that much of a performance difference to plug the engine oil cooler and Plug the lines at the oil filter housing then I can go get me 4 plugs and have this thing mobile again.

 

[OBSBurban]

I bought mine off eBay, and it's a great piece, all aluminum tanks, 3 row, and came with a 20psi cnc cap.

When I put mine in, I deleted the oil lines. Talking to an old gm calibration engineer, he said the coolers don't really do much good on our trucks anyway, at the proving grounds the put a temp sensor on the main bearing caps, there was only a 1 or degree difference. I just got some plumbing plugs and screwed in the block, with some tephlon tape. Works great, oil pressure is the same as before, and no future oil line leaks.

My old radiator leaked where the plastic tank is. With the new one, and a 180 t-stat, I cruise down the freeway or in town at about 178, if I pull a long grade with the trailer on, it will go up to about 200, and quickly cool back to 178. The OE with the same t-stat would get up to about 210 and not cool off as quick. I understand there is some junk on eBay, but eBay shouldn't be knocked in general, or 3 row aluminum radiators, mine was physically much larger than oe and bolted right in.

Agreed. This radiator is stout as hell. Plus my old radiator was some junkyard deal the previous owner threw in her. She’s got 205k on the odo and she’s been overheating after head gaskets, radiator cap, water pump, and thermostat. Figured I’m this far in it, might as well go the extra mile and get something decent. My mother bought one of these “cheap” 3 row all aluminum eBay radiators for her ‘06 f350 about 4 years ago. Fit like a glove and all the cooler lines went in without a hitch and the truck has been fine ever since. It’s what prompted me to go this route and not just buy another waffle thin oem radiator.