have a 2011 chevy 1500 pickup. oil cooler lines have been weeping for years. i recently bought a truck camper and plan on going on longer trips. these lines have been weeping for years but i want to do something about it. i have before on older trucks just removed the cooler lines completely, so my question is do i just remove or is it worth it to fix these lines, im thinking if i fix the lines i should just ditch the cooler in the rad tank and get a nice external cooler?
2011 Chevy truck Fix or Bypass oil cooler?
- Thread starter Guinelle1
- Start date
That is the route I'd look at.
If, down the road, your radiator failed / got damaged, replace the radiator would be simpler as you'd have no cooler lines to deal with.
However, someone here with experience in these things might advise to repair your lines as they are AND ad an external cooler.
See how much room you have and what sizes are available.
I'm pretty sure just deleting the cooler -in the name of weeping line repair- is a bad idea.
Big camper = wind resistance = heat = roasted transmissions = $$$$$
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
they’re really not too bad to replace just can be a mess. i would recommend keeping them to keep oil temps down when towing and for help warming it up in the winter.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2022
- Messages
- 5,566
Lots of testing shows the in rad tank - fluid to fluid heat transfer - is much more efficient than air to fluid transfer only. Should be an easy fix anyway - no?
Longer trips, with a load - I would fix the lines. And add a air cooler on top of it if you have space. My Nissan's came from the factory that way - with both.
Longer trips, with a load - I would fix the lines. And add a air cooler on top of it if you have space. My Nissan's came from the factory that way - with both.
You'll want an oil cooler if you're towing. I'd keep the stock oil-coolant heat exchanger since replacing the lines should be easy enough.
If you decide to install an aftermarket oil-air cooler, get one with a thermostat with a setting that's at least as high as your coolant temperature, maybe around 95°C. Otherwise your oil will take longer to warm up, and might run cooler than what's ideal even after the engine is warm, especially in cold weather.
If you decide to install an aftermarket oil-air cooler, get one with a thermostat with a setting that's at least as high as your coolant temperature, maybe around 95°C. Otherwise your oil will take longer to warm up, and might run cooler than what's ideal even after the engine is warm, especially in cold weather.
If the stock oil cooler is in the radiator, would it even be exposed to warm coolant before the thermostat opens up? It seems to me that it might actually increase the oil's warm up time unless there's a separate thermostat for the oil.
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
for a trans cooler i would agree i was always told it helps the trans with warm up but this is the ENGINE were talking about. plenty of these trucks dont even come with an engine oil cooler... only reason i asked. im going to replace them with AN line to the radiator then. the dorman and even GM ones always leak at the crimps.
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
all original GM lines with 234k on them and not a drop seeps from them.
Any manufacturer doesn't spend a penny unless it's needed. I replaced mine with custom hydraulic lines- been trouble free for many years since I got rid of the GM garbage lines.
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2021
- Messages
- 1,204
You need to go buy some lotto tix. Luckiest freaking person on the planet.
BrendanC
$100 site donor 2024
i have replaced one set of lines in a fleet of of 80+ LY6 2500hd trucks. just make sure all the OEM clips/fasteners are in place so the lines aren’t bouncing around.
I have replaced the oil cooler lines twice on my 98 Chevy K1500 that I bought new. Dealer replaced the first set under warranty and I just replaced that set last year. It wasn't too hard of a job. I also replaced the ones on my 98 Chevy K3500 once since 2007 when I bought it.
Similar threads
