Derale 8000 series Trans Cooler?

[Mbrockman6]

Has anyone had any experience with Derale’s transmission coolers?

I just installed an 8000 series plate/fin cooler this morning to help with the temps while towing my travel trailer. I’m not sure if it just takes a while before I start seeing a difference or what, but just driving down the road (not towing) I’m still seeing trans temps in the 190’s.

 

[Fless]

Has anyone had any experience with Derale’s transmission coolers?

I just installed an 8000 series plate/fin cooler this morning to help with the temps while towing my travel trailer. I’m not sure if it just takes a while before I start seeing a difference or what, but just driving down the road (not towing) I’m still seeing trans temps in the 190’s.

@Geotrash did, IIRC.

 

[swathdiver]

Has anyone had any experience with Derale’s transmission coolers?

I just installed an 8000 series plate/fin cooler this morning to help with the temps while towing my travel trailer. I’m not sure if it just takes a while before I start seeing a difference or what, but just driving down the road (not towing) I’m still seeing trans temps in the 190’s.

They make an excellent product! Now, how did you hook it up? I reckon that the lines are not routed right and if so, get them sorted out quick before they take out your transmission.

 

[Mbrockman6]

I hooked it up to the top “passenger” side tranny line that goes into the upper connection of what I’m assuming is the radiator/factory trans cooler. (And of course, I didn’t take pictures before putting everything back together)


That’s the thing, though… I found 2 connectors/ports. One at the top passenger side and another at the bottom driver side. I cannot find anything anywhere online that shows which line goes to and from the tranny.

I couldn’t find a single install video or guide for my year or generation Yukon 5.3 (XL or otherwise). Even the install video from Derale (one trailer.com) is for a 2007.

 

[Rocket Man]

I’m not sure which lines are which on your year truck but I’m sure you can Google it. Don’t assume anything. If you’re not sure, find out or you risk destroying your transmission like @swathdiver stated. And why aren’t you on Derale’s website instead of a vendors? Derale has tons of install videos.

https://derale.com/product-footer/product-instructions-footer?download=85:13501&start=80

 

[swathdiver]

I hooked it up to the top “passenger” side tranny line that goes into the upper connection of what I’m assuming is the radiator/factory trans cooler. (And of course, I didn’t take pictures before putting everything back together)


That’s the thing, though… I found 2 connectors/ports. One at the top passenger side and another at the bottom driver side. I cannot find anything anywhere online that shows which line goes to and from the tranny.

I couldn’t find a single install video or guide for my year or generation Yukon 5.3 (XL or otherwise). Even the install video from Derale (one trailer.com) is for a 2007.

Does your radiator look like this? Photo taken from ACDelco's website of a 2017 Tahoe without Enhanced Cooling.

This photo from Rock Auto website shows Enhanced Cooling Radiator.

The radiator above, the view is from the driver's seat looking forward. Those two lines/fittings on your left are for the engine oil cooler. The two lines/fittings on the right are for the transmission oil cooler. An external transmission cooler connects to the top right line and then goes back to the transmission.

Now having said that, on a K2, your generation truck, the factory external transmission cooler is built into the top of the AC Condenser. So make sure you don't have that already.

Oh, almost forgot, your K2s have a transmission thermostat to keep the temperature nearly the same as the engine coolant. This shortens the life of the transmissions and the remedy is to "flip the pill". Google it.

This is how Mishimoto plumbed theirs: https://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/thr...14-silverado-sierra-1500-trans-cooler.104487/

 

[Mbrockman6]

I’m not sure which lines are which on your year truck but I’m sure you can Google it. Don’t assume anything. If you’re not sure, find out or you risk destroying your transmission like @swathdiver stated. And why aren’t you on Derale’s
website instead of a vendors? Derale has tons of install videos.

https://derale.com/product-footer/product-instructions-footer?download=85:13501&start=80

Because It’s honestly the closest thing I can find about installing a trans cooler on my 2015 Yukon xl (5.3). Everything else is just generic instructions.

 

[Mbrockman6]

Hopefully these pictures can give you an idea of how/where I installed it. I’m pointing to where it was routed to, and I highlighted to where I connected to.

 

[swathdiver]

Hopefully these pictures can give you an idea of how/where I installed it. I’m pointing to where it was routed to, and I highlighted to where I connected to.

View attachment 280530 View attachment 280531 View attachment 280532 View attachment 280534

Sorry Mike, I'm not able to follow it. The line coming from the transmission goes into the bottom fitting on the passenger side of the transmission. The fluid then comes out of the top fitting on the passenger side and either goes to a cooler or back to the transmission. In the second photo, I see the top line still connected and not sure what else. If you did anything on the driver's side, that's engine oil and if so, get your wallet out.

 

[Mbrockman6]

Everything is on the passenger side. Thankfully

 

[Mbrockman6]

Here is where I have the lines connected.

 

[Mbrockman6]

Is this where I need to connect it to?

 

[Rocket Man]

Because It’s honestly the closest thing I can find about installing a trans cooler on my 2015 Yukon xl (5.3). Everything else is just generic instructions.

That’s all you need or will get from any manufacturer. Nobody does trans cooler install instructions for every make and model of vehicle for a part that is universal. You just need to figure out which line is the return line, that’s the one you tap into like the instructions state.

 

[bigdog9191999]

on my 02 avalanche the return was the upper line.

it will help some on either line, but you want it on the return for best results.

 

[Mbrockman6]

I think I figured out what was going on. I think I had the lines criss crossed so it was working harder to move the fluid “up”through the cooler.

So, I just swapped the connections with each other so the input was going through the top port of the cooler and the return coming out from the bottom port.

I took it for a test drive up and down the highway (hwy 99 near sac) and around town for a bit. Even with 45 minutes of a mix of steady speed and stop & go traffic/stop lights/slow traffic the temp never went over 185-190 and would even periodically drop lower.

Compared to before, the trans temp got to at least 190 after only 15 minutes on the highway. The ultimate test will be this coming week when we take the travel trailer and the boat camping about 45 minutes away.

 

[FrankU]

Mike you did a good job, you also may want to also consider removing or flipping the transmission thermostat .

 

[Rocket Man]

I think I figured out what was going on. I think I had the lines criss crossed so it was working harder to move the fluid “up”through the cooler.

So, I just swapped the connections with each other so the input was going through the top port of the cooler and the return coming out from the bottom port.

I took it for a test drive up and down the highway (hwy 99 near sac) and around town for a bit. Even with 45 minutes of a mix of steady speed and stop & go traffic/stop lights/slow traffic the temp never went over 185-190 and would even periodically drop lower.

Compared to before, the trans temp got to at least 190 after only 15 minutes on the highway. The ultimate test will be this coming week when we take the travel trailer and the boat camping about 45 minutes away.

Glad you figured it out. Looking forward to your test so post up the results.

 

[Mbrockman6]

Well, after a week of towing the [36’] travel trailer, as well as the boat to and from the lake a couple times to some decent grades, and all in all, my TFT never got to 200 degrees.

I’m pretty satisfied with it and definitely glad I did it. We have another camping trip coming up in mid July and will be towing from north of Sacramento to an RV resort in the hills above Santa Barbara. That will be the ultimate test, but I’m pretty confident with it.

 

[Geotrash]

Well, after a week of towing the [36’] travel trailer, as well as the boat to and from the lake a couple times to some decent grades, and all in all, my TFT never got to 200 degrees.

I’m pretty satisfied with it and definitely glad I did it. We have another camping trip coming up in mid July and will be towing from north of Sacramento to an RV resort in the hills above Santa Barbara. That will be the ultimate test, but I’m pretty confident with it.

Fabulous work! Glad it's working out for you! One thing I would recommend is to re-check the torque on those worm-drive hose clamps within the first month, and then again at 3 months and about every year afterwards - maybe just before towing season. I've seen the connections fail when the clamps let loose once the hose takes a 'set'. One of them was a poor fella on I-80 in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming a few years ago. I just went back over mine and re-did the connections with spring clamps after finding one of my hoses already starting to weep a little.

 

[Mbrockman6]

Good idea. Thanks for the pointer.