'88 Sub Factory Oil Cooler

The oil flows all the time.

Doc

Any guesses how much the oil cooler heats the air on a hot summer day? The oil will be 200F or so? Will it be able to heat the air passing through more than 10-20F above ambient?

How many of these Suburbans came with an oil cooler? (1/2 ton 4x4, automatic) I assume eliminating it will have little effect on the engine. Modern motor oils are pretty tough. Seems like a real tranny cooler would have made more sense.

-RC

R.Clarke spam snipped-for-privacy@BlocKmindspring.com RTP, NC, USA

I have a '90 'burban with both an engine oil cooler and a transmission cooler mounted in front of the condensor and the air conditioner works just fine. I think the problem lies in your AC, not the coolers. Rich B

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% There are two classes of pedestrians in these days of reckless motor traffic - the quick and the dead. ~ Lord Dewar 1933 ~

Climbing into a hot car is like buckling on a pistol. It is the great equalizer. ~ Henry G. Felsen 1964 ~

No the oil runs through it all the time. I will bet that the fact your burb is 16 years old has a lot more to do with your AC problems that a trans cooler. All the seals and "O" rings probably have microscopic leaks in them after all these years, and your AC need a charge. If you or some other shade tree mechanic has been charging it with the do-it-yourself kits from X-Mart then it probably needs a flush, the accumulator changed, vacumed down, before charging.

I'm hoping the previous owner (PO) didn't do anything silly like put

134a in it. It cools some, the low pressure switch kicks and there's a slight amount of oily residue around the compressor clutch.

The truck has 90k miles, garaged. In 16 years I bet a remarkable amount of r12 can diffuse through that mile-long rubber hose that feeds back from the rear air. I'm guessing if I top it off with freon it will go about a year before the compressor seal finally gives it up.

What to do? $100 bucks now for another year (maybe) or $400 or so to do the compressor and accumulator? Summer heat is upon us and there are more pressing items to service first (brakes, shocks) so I may go for the quick temporary fix.

-RC

R.Clarke spam snipped-for-privacy@BlocKmindspring.com RTP, NC, USA

That's very useful info. Thanks,

While I'm at it, this '88 burb has had little done except an oil change once a year (5k miles). The oil cooler lines can't last forever. Any guesses if oem replacements are available?

-RC

R.Clarke spam snipped-for-privacy@BlocKmindspring.com RTP, NC, USA

Would an engine with this cooler have a catastrophic melt down if one were to A: Plug it B: cut out the cooler I'm guessing; A: Yes (melt down) B: No (but hotter) I snagged a hose from my 85 K5 for my 90 Jimmy and would like to be able to move the 85 around still.

~KJ/TLGM

The oil cooler is part of the oil circuit. You can plug it, but the lines had better damned well be spliced together first! You can eliminate it without any adverse affects so long as you're not climbing any mountians in

1st gear or towing a huge load.

Doc

By plugging I meant plugging the lines going too/from the cooler. However you answered my question none-the-less. Thank you!

~KJ/TLGM