Tru Cool 40K trans cooler install
 

Well, my buddy and i finally got around to installing the Tru-Cool trans cooler tonight. Ive only driven around altittle but with 85deg weather the temp gauge hasnt moved much past 150deg. ill be driving it hard this weekend to see what the temps are.

here are some pics of the install:

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03397.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03398.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03401.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03402.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03404.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03407.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03410.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03408.jpg
http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m...e/DSC03411.jpg

when i went to the track with 78-85 deg weather, i think i ran a total of 9 or 10 times, ill have to go back and count the slips, but with the stock cooler it got right at the 200deg tick mark. so im hoping it will drop it down into the 170's or so.

Nice and clean install...I like it! Thanks for the pictures too! Let us know how it works. It has to make a difference - thats a monster compared to the stock one.

Very nice write-up!

thanks guys. the only thing im contemplating is spraying it all down with flat black paint. right now it looks like an intercooler in the front of the truck.

i would definetly suggest this upgrade to anyone that tows more than once or twice a year and who has a 4l60 transmisison (well the 80e would benefit too).

...or anyone with a transmission... :)

I have the same set up. I use the new one and the factory in the same spot. I also bypassed the lines goin into the radiator. I can put my hand on the return line and its only warm. When its winter out I will hook up the lines to the radiator to keep it warm at least. But I already have bout 15k miles on the new tranny fluid and it still looks clean since I installed the cooler. Even if your not towing or hauling anything, just a daily driver, I recommend it anyways!!

I really like that cooler. My stock one looks identical to the one you had. I'm going to look at getting the same for my truck.

yea i just left it hooked up through the radiator. so far with a 2 days of 85deg weather, the temps havent really gone about 150 or so. it seems to be a big improvement so far.

oregon performance off ebay.

I know it's been a while but I finally got around to buying that same cooler. It should arrive here next week.

I was just wanting to know ahead of time what tools you needed, how long it took to uninstall the old one and install the new one, and how much more transmission fluid did you need to add?

Thanks in advance.

I left the factory hooked up and just slpiced in the new one. You just need tubing cutters and a flat head screwdriver.

Hey BAD2006Z71 how has the tranny cooler helped? Now that you have had it on there for a while...let us know what you think. Anything you don't like about it? How are the connections holding up? Does it use the factory ones or do you have to cut the lines and use a hose with a clamp? I don't want to have a leak issue later on. My new GMC (new to me it's a 2002) seems to run cooler than the Chevy I just got rid of so I am wondering if I even need one on this truck (I definitely had plans on the Chevy to install one). The Chevy ran just under 200. I just towed our 22 foot boat yesterday through some hilly terrain, about a 45 minute drive, and it never got over 180. It was in the upper 80's here yesterday too. I think that is pretty good, but I guess 15-20 degrees cooler would be nice as well.

Well i have yet to tow with it since i put the cooler on, but i did go to the track. with the factory one and 9-10 passes with 79deg weather, it got to about 200-210, with the 40K cooler and 9-10 passes it only got to about 180-185.

with the hot 90-95deg days and with the ac on full blast i has yet to creep past 160.

i think it is a good upgrade no matter what, you know what they say, heat is the #1 killer of transmissions. but if youre not getting about 180 deg towing, then you are probably fine with what you have.

as for leaks... i havent seen any yet, i just cut the factory lines and used the hardware that came with the cooler. so far so good.

if you havet done it yet, i would also suggest a vette servo upgrade, i really like mine so far.

I'm not following ya'll here. How are ya'll getting your transmission fluid temps? And what is the point of doing this? Are ya'll just trying to prevent premature tranny failure or is there some kind of performance difference?

I'm doing it to make my transmission last longer. I have had a truck that ended up going through 5 transmissions because of the heat. Some of the new trucks have a transmission temp. gauge so thats how we know. I would recommend having a trans. gauge on any vehicle.

BAD2006Z71- I think that is a great difference since you haven't seen it over 160 with normal driving and under 190 racing. Thats what I'm looking for. Were you able to install it all in one afternoon? I don't have a whole lot of time to get out and work on it so I just want to see if I can do it after say 4pm and be done that day. We have a race this friday so if it comes in by then, I'm gonna try to install it first.

I have an ss cluster with the trans temp gauge (yea i know they arent supper accurate) so that is what im going off of. heat kills transmissions so that is why i did the upgrade. because i do treat it like sh*t alot of times and the 4l60/70's need all the help they can get.

i doubt it would give any performance differences.

yea a friend of mine and i installed it in about 2hrs. but i did have the factory one already there, so i just used the existing hoses and stuff. not that bad. worse part was being scared to take the front end apart, fearing that i would break something or scratch something up.

Cool I am ordering one today.

Thanks, for the help. I've already looked over all the nuts and bolts that I need to remove so I will kinda have an idea of how to start taking things apart. I didn't think it would be too hard.

I got the cooler yesterday and installed it that evening in about 2 hours with road testing in everything. Very easy to do job yourself. Today it has been running around 40 degrees cooler than it used to. With it 85 and sunny today I haven't seen it get past 126.

Good investment.

Great to hear!

no issues with direct mounting the bottom of the cooler to the structure and floating the top with the bent universal mounting straps? No issues to date?

Thx