Auxiliary Engine Oil Cooler Questions

[adf5565]

I’ve been tossing around the idea of a separate engine oil cooler and had a few questions:

For those that have done it, did you still run the oil through the radiator first or bypass that and just do the standalone separate cooler? And if you did the standalone, what did you use/how did you route the lines? Did you still use the hard lines across the radiator? Obviously the oil lines come out of the block on the drivers side and the current radiator cooler is passenger, and the transmission oil cooler is on the drivers side.

And then with the cooler installed, did you notice any difference in system temperature? Or was it more just a feel good measure?

 

[Barrman]

GM made the oil cooler separate on all of the GMT 400 trucks. That made me think it would be ok to do the same on my 6.5 Banks turbo GEP engine when I built up a Suburban to put it in. That was 7 years and 34,000 miles ago. I also installed an oil temperature gauge.

I used a 1995 6.5 turbo cooler with braided steel hoses and AN fittings at each end.

My oil temperature has never been over 195°. Even when the coolant temperature was over 215° climbing mountains or pulling heavy trailers. The lowest I have seen with a fully warmed up engine was 165° in 11° outside temps. I am very happy I separated the oil cooler from the radiator.

 

[adf5565]

GM made the oil cooler separate on all of the GMT 400 trucks. That made me think it would be ok to do the same on my 6.5 Banks turbo GEP engine when I built up a Suburban to put it in. That was 7 years and 34,000 miles ago. I also installed an oil temperature gauge.

I used a 1995 6.5 turbo cooler with braided steel hoses and AN fittings at each end.

My oil temperature has never been over 195°. Even when the coolant temperature was over 215° climbing mountains or pulling heavy trailers. The lowest I have seen with a fully warmed up engine was 165° in 11° outside temps. I am very happy I separated the oil cooler from the radiator.

Awesome, great to know! Did you end up mounting it on the drivers side then?

I have a pretty large secondary trans fluid cooler there (mounting has slightly changed from this pic but it is more or less in a similar position) so just wondering if it’ll still fit there or if I’ll have to do some additional customization.

 

[Barrman]

Yes, drivers side with an extra transmission cooler that still goes through the radiator on the passenger side. Here is a video I did a few months ago about making new braided stainless hoses:

 

[adf5565]

Yes, drivers side with an extra transmission cooler that still goes through the radiator on the passenger side. Here is a video I did a few months ago about making new braided stainless hoses:

Makes sense, great video. A little bit of work then to switch sides but not a big deal. And then the engine/trans cooler lines don't each have to cross sides like they do now. Probably would help transmission temperatures too since the fluid would go through the "cool" side of the radiator.

 

[Barrman]

The transmission cooler before, after or independent of the radiator is a ball of worms this thread doesn’t need to touch.

I put my oil on the drivers side and the external transmission cooler on the passenger side. I probably should have run the transmission lines to the passenger side of the radiator where the oil cooler in the radiator would be. But, not knowing how well the external stand alone oil cooler would be and wanting the option of plumbing the oil into the radiator cooler if needed. Keeping my transmission lines into and out of the radiator on the stock driver side location. If I was starting from scratch or with a new radiator. I would now move the transmission lines to the passenger side of the engine, transmission and radiator.

 

[WWRD99]

Awesome, great to know! Did you end up mounting it on the drivers side then?

I have a pretty large secondary trans fluid cooler there (mounting has slightly changed from this pic but it is more or less in a similar position) so just wondering if it’ll still fit there or if I’ll have to do some additional customization.

View attachment 924141

That is a nice cooler!!

 

[adf5565]

That is a nice cooler!!

It was one of the largest I could find! It works very well

40 Row Series 10000 Stack Plate Cooler, -6AN

40 Row Series 10000 Stack Plate Cooler, -6AN Stack Plate Oil Cooler 40 Row, -6AN 54006

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