Oil Cooler Blocking Plate

[mpotter1970]

Asked dealer to locate oil leak on my 2007 Chevy Tahoe (4WD) today. Came back with the oil cooler blocking plate. To repair they’d have to drop the front axle. $1600!! I find no where that lowering the axle is needed for access to make this repair. Is this legitimate, or they just don’t want the work?

 

[j91z28d1]

no not at all. I've had mine off about 3 times. at most you might need to lower one end of the front drive shaft if you don't have the right combination of tools to get to it.


1600$ should he a crime

 

[Fless]

no not at all. I've had mine off about 3 times. at most you might need to lower one end of the front drive shaft if you don't have the right combination of tools to get to it.


1600$ should he a crime

^^^ THIS. Easy job once the front propshaft is disconnected right below the blocking plate.

Are you sure they weren't quoting a new oil pan gasket?

 

[adventurenali92]

I just had my oil cooler lines replaced on my 2006 LQ4 6.0. I brought the new lines in($143ish in parts price from autozone) since I already picked them up. shop charged me $365 in labor as the lines would not come out without dropping the front diff to give clearance for the plate at the bottom end of the lines to come free of the truck. And to get the new lines routed. I couldn’t get the 13MM bolt at the forward end of the pan that keeps the lines secure undone with the diff in the way not dropped. Three failed attempts and I finally gave up.

Their quote seems high but it is a bit of work for getting that block off plate replaced because the space is so tight without the diff or driveshaft out of the way.

 

[OR VietVet]

I just had my oil cooler lines replaced on my 2006 LQ4 6.0. I brought the new lines in($143ish in parts price from autozone) since I already picked them up. shop charged me $365 in labor as the lines would not come out without dropping the front diff to give clearance for the plate at the bottom end of the lines to come free of the truck. And to get the new lines routed. I couldn’t get the 13MM bolt at the forward end of the pan that keeps the lines secure undone with the diff in the way not dropped. Three failed attempts and I finally gave up.

Their quote seems high but it is a bit of work for getting that block off plate replaced because the space is so tight without the diff or driveshaft out of the way.

I am getting ready to do the oil cooler and the transmission cooler lines on my 2004 K2500HD 6.0. I already plan to drop the lower plastic air dam, front diff and driveshaft and grill for transmission cooler access. It is gonna be a job but I am not paying someone else to do what I know I can do myself, even if I cuss like a sailor during it. My girl already has plans to spend the day helping/talking with me.

I have the same oil cooler lines job to do on mt landlord's 2018 Suburban 5.3. Both jobs will be done when spring hits and the weather cooperates around here.

 

[Noggles]

I plan to do the oil cooler delete maybe in the spring when I do the next oil change. Get a simple plate online and then you never have to worry about the lines themselves leaking. It also isn't a cooler so much as it is a warmer to help the oil heat up so I don't think there will be any issues going forward.

 

[OR VietVet]

I plan to do the oil cooler delete maybe in the spring when I do the next oil change. Get a simple plate online and then you never have to worry about the lines themselves leaking. It also isn't a cooler so much as it is a warmer to help the oil heat up so I don't think there will be any issues going forward.

Yea, people do that sometimes. Make sure to get a billet plate/cover. They don't warp over time like the stock OE plates do.

 

[Noggles]

Yea, people do that sometimes. Make sure to get a billet plate/cover. They don't warp over time like the stock OE plates do.

Yeah that's exactly what I got. Got mine from Improved Racing

 

[11bravo]

I plan to do the oil cooler delete maybe in the spring when I do the next oil change. Get a simple plate online and then you never have to worry about the lines themselves leaking. It also isn't a cooler so much as it is a warmer to help the oil heat up so I don't think there will be any issues going forward.

Does blocking the lines with a plate involve the same amount of work as replacing the lines?

 

[OR VietVet]

Does blocking the lines with a plate involve the same amount of work as replacing the lines?

No. Installing the block off plate is easy. You can cut the old lines out, piece by piece, instead of snaking them out. Then just deal with the oil spill. Also, IMO, I would thread in a block at the radiator where each line attached. Should also diminish the amount of oil needed for each oil change.

 

[Geotrash]

I plan to do the oil cooler delete maybe in the spring when I do the next oil change. Get a simple plate online and then you never have to worry about the lines themselves leaking. It also isn't a cooler so much as it is a warmer to help the oil heat up so I don't think there will be any issues going forward.

It's definitely both. It's been studied by at least a few folks here: Take the radiator's heat exchangers out of the circuits, and fluid temps will peak significantly higher under sustained loads, like when pulling a camper up a mountain pass in the summer. I have demonstrated this with transmission fluid using different configurations of coolers. Peak fluid temperature was 30ºF higher (265ºF) at the top of a pass I pull our camper over several times a year, than it was with the radiator's heat exchanger in the circuit.

 

[Noggles]

It's definitely both. It's been studied by at least a few folks here: Take the radiator's heat exchangers out of the circuits, and fluid temps will peak significantly higher under sustained loads, like when pulling a camper up a mountain pass in the summer. I have demonstrated this with transmission fluid using different configurations of coolers. Peak fluid temperature was 30ºF higher (265ºF) at the top of a pass I pull our camper over several times a year, than it was with the radiator's heat exchanger in the circuit.

Was that not using an external cooler at all or an external but without going through the radiator as well?

 

[Geotrash]

Was that not using an external cooler at all or an external but without going through the radiator as well?

I was using a Derale 13960 fan-forced external fluid cooler that I had initially plumbed with the radiator's end tank heat exchanger out of the loop, which turned out to be the mistake. So I plumbed the radiator back into the loop and that's what brought the fluid temperature (at the top of the mountain) down again.

It's worth mentioning also that the GM Upfitters manual for these trucks specifies that fluid coolers should be plumbed in series with, and downstream from, the radiator's heat exchangers, if so equipped.

 

[j91z28d1]

yeah.. I don't think people realize these trucks don't have actual oil temp sensors. it's just a fake number you see.

oil Temps can get significantly higher than coolent Temps when working hard. 300deg sump Temps are not unheard of and the cooler is right off the pump, which when you compress a fluid it adds heat.
gm doesn't send the corvette into reduced power mode till 320deg oil Temps, which they can't hit pretty easily on a track lap with even a novice driver. towing some of these big campers up mountain passes is working these trucks harder than the 3k lbs car that only sees full throttle for a few seconds at most.


it absolutely cools the oil to run it thru the radiator end tank and usually more efficiently than air to oil doesn't. if you don't tow, sure you won't need it. my yukon doesn't have one but it was designed to be a minivan, not a tow rig.

your call if you need it or not.

 

[Foggy]

My corvette has an actual oil temp sensor & gauge readout.
I've seen it pretty dang high in high summer temps and that's
just normal driving (read old man on the highway)
I can't imagine what my temps would be on my Yukon towing
my camper or even just driving normal.. It's twice the weight of my car !!!
And the rpm ranges are about the same !!

 

[Noggles]

I was using a Derale 13960 fan-forced external fluid cooler that I had initially plumbed with the radiator's end tank heat exchanger out of the loop, which turned out to be the mistake. So I plumbed the radiator back into the loop and that's what brought the fluid temperature (at the top of the mountain) down again.

It's worth mentioning also that the GM Upfitters manual for these trucks specifies that fluid coolers should be plumbed in series with, and downstream from, the radiator's heat exchangers, if so equipped.

Very interesting. Do you think it was caused by the thinner air at altitude? I’ve read for a long time about deleting the stock in radiator cooler and going with a bigger external cooler (at least on the gmt800 trucks which uses the exact same radiator and trans cooler setups) causing massive trans fluid temp drops. I don’t understand why running your trans fluid through a heat sink that also contains 210-230 degree engine coolant would be better than it having its own divorced loop of cooling?

 

[donjetman]

I would never delete the radiator heat exchanger from the loop.

Engineers use heat exchangers for fluid temperature stability.

Lets say the oil or atf leaves the engine and/or tranny at 250+ degrees, then goes into the radiator thats at 210 degrees (or less because its been cooled already since its left the engine), thus being cooled somewhat.
Of course in the winter you want to heat the oil and/or atf so that its viscosity (resistance to flow) is correct.

 

[Geotrash]

Very interesting. Do you think it was caused by the thinner air at altitude?

I don't. It was in the Shenandoah Mountains on a road we take several times a year with our camper. Elevation at the top is less than 3500'.

I’ve read for a long time about deleting the stock in radiator cooler and going with a bigger external cooler (at least on the gmt800 trucks which uses the exact same radiator and trans cooler setups) causing massive trans fluid temp drops. I don’t understand why running your trans fluid through a heat sink that also contains 210-230 degree engine coolant would be better than it having its own divorced loop of cooling?

Don's answer is spot on. To explain a little further, oil-to-water heat exchangers are many times more thermally effective than oil-to-air exchangers are. So the heat exchanger in the radiator end tank can easily shave off 30-40ºF before it gets to the external oil-to-air cooler.

Here's a whole thread documenting my (and others') experiments with coolers:

Keeping coolant and transmission temps under control when towing in the summer heat

Hi All, the 2012 XL Denali is a towing beast, but after the cam upgrade, new HD torque converter, and adding the Tru-Cool 40K in front of the radiator, the engine itself is running warm now that we're getting into spring. Hauled our 6500 lb camper down to Virginia Beach this weekend in 83º...

www.tahoeyukonforum.com

Bon apetit!

TL/DR, a large external cooler like the Trucool 40K will block enough airflow to trigger engine cooling problems when towing uphill in the summer heat - especially on 6.2L rigs because they generate more power and heat. Lots of documented examples of this on these pages. Hence why I ended up with the fan-assisted Derale mounted below the bumper behind the lower grille on my 2012 XL Denali. It's proven to be the perfect setup for my needs.