I just ran through this on my 2009 Yukon Denali. I installed the kit without the thermal bypass. We'll see how this winter goes. Last winter it was cold, but very few times did it go below zero and most of the time it was in the very low temps, my truck was parked in my heated garage so it didn't matter.
As far as the install goes and what additional materials you will need, here is the list of tools and hardware additional to the what the kit provided that I used on my install:
- 10mm socket, extensions, & rachet
- 1/2" & 9/16" wrenches
- small pick or screw driver
- air cut-off wheel
- air finish grinder
- air reciprocating saw
- tubing cutter
- flat black paint
- 3/16" & 5/16" drill bit & drill
- 1/4" x 3/4" long sheetmetal screws
- Left over angle bracket from some other project
- 1x 3/8 compression union (Dorman 490-025)
- 2x Edelmann A63018 Transmission Oil Cooler Fitting
Here are the basic steps that I went through to install the cooler which should apply to just about any NNBS SUV:
- Remove front bumper/fascia
- Remove foam receiver tray (plastic piece that the foam bumper filler fits into held in place by 4 bolts)
- Remove stock cooler
- Remove the air temp sensor from the angle bracket
- Cut off the aluminum angle bracket that the stock cooler mounts onto
- Remove the cooler lines from the retaining clip
- Cut the line on the passenger side on the vertical section halfway between the bends
- Install the 3/8" compression fitting with the line pointing in the opposite direction
- Bend the driver side line slightly for better alignment with the new cooler
- Install the transmission cooler fittings into the new cooler
- Mount the brackets supplied in the kit onto the cooler using the supplied hardware - the brackets on the top will point inwards and the brackets on the bottom will point outwards
- Drill 5/16" hole on each of the bottom brackets between two of the holds currently in the brackets to line up with the inner-most bolt holes for the foam receiver tray.
- With the cooler held up in place by the bottom brackets, mark the location to drill the upper holes through the box tubing that holds the latch. My holes were almost in line with the bottom corners of the plate welded onto the tube.
- Drill 3/16" holes on your marks.
- Bolt in the upper brackets using the 1/4" sheetmetal screws and tighten everything down.
- Connect the transmission lines
- Place the foam receiver tray as close into position as you can so you can mark the sections that need to be cut away to clear the lines, then cut those sections away.
- Once the receiver fits properly, place it over the foam which should still be in the bumper/fascia and, if necessary, mark and trim away the foam that protrudes past the sections you cutout on the receiver
- Reinstall the receiver - you will need to remove the bolts holding the lower brackets to the truck and reinstall them when the receiver is in position - I used an angle bracket that I had left over from some other project to mount the air temp sensor on. I just put that bracket on with the passenger side bolt that went through the receiver, trans cooler bracket and into the hood latch support. I drilled a 3/8" hole and then had to open it up a bit for the sensor to fit in properly.
- Reinstall the bumper/fascia
Getting the bumper off can be interesting. I found it best to leave the bolts (2 each side) that went up into the bottom of the front fenders in place, just loosen them enough to get the bumper out (this requires taking out several of the fasteners on the wheel well liner to access the bolts. For the Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Yukon XL, there are six bolts up top and two more down low. If you have fog lights, do not forget to disconnect the wiring.
