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Need a transmission cooler that doesn't use rubber hoses to splice it in.

Earl Cordova

By Earl Cordova
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Earl Cordova Enthusiast

Earl Cordova

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Posted (edited)

Need a bigger transmission cooler for my 2011 Suburban 2500 since it gets too hot when towing in the Arizona desert.
The vehicle only has 19,000 miles and is in excellent condition, so I know everything is sound mechanically.

Been googling for quite a while, but they all seem to use rubber hoses to splice in the lines.
Is there a cooler that can be bolted in to the original cooler lines ?

Or is there a place that could custom build one ?

Edited by Earl Cordova
Jsdirt Senior Enthusiast

Jsdirt

Posted
Posted (edited)

I highly recommend a Tru-Cool unit. About the biggest cooler you'll find for a pickup truck. I've been using one in my Silverado since 2020 with excellent results. If the trans gets hot in traffic, or on a long hill, as soon as the converter locks at speed, that temp plummets before your eyes. I've watched it drop 30° in minutes. 

 

I live in MA, but the high summer humidity makes cooling that much more difficult. Out there in the dry heat, it'll work just as good, if not better I'd wager.

 

You can shop around for price - this is just the first place that popped up: https://www.oregonperformancetransmission.com/product/LNG-47391.html

 

I got mine here: https://www.dieselsite.com/

 

You'll have to get adaptors for the cooler lines. Bypass the radiator cooler completely. Makes a BIG difference in a GOOD way in cooling, contrary to popular belief. That's how mine's been hooked up for the past 31k miles of hard towing in hilly New England, with a few trips down South in the heat.

 

An installation kit helps as well. There's a guy on this forum here that's been building & selling them forever. I bought mine here. 1st one I ordered got lost, then when it arrived, the adaptors wouldn't thread into place. I think he sent adaptors for a GMT-800 series truck instead of the 900 series I have. The installation kit worked beautifully, though. I can't remember the name of the forum - you'll have to check out the vid below.

 

I also got trans lines from this place. You probably won't need to do this living in AZ, since metal lasts an eternity there. For anyone else reading that lives where metal disintegrates thanks to winter road salt, I bought my lines here: https://www.linestogo.com/

 

I've got a YouTube vid of the install. My attitude SUCKED in the video,  since I was pretty pissed off my 103k mile 4L60E decided to take a steaming dump on my finances. Plus, it was election time ... and we all know how that turned out ... 😬

 

This is Part III of the install, and shows the Tru-Cool install. Mine's an '07 don't forget, but the install should be similar in many ways. You can run metal all the way to the cooler, or, you can run rubber like I did - just have to use GOOD hose, GOOD clamps, and BARBED fittings so they never come off.

 

 

Edited by Jsdirt
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Earl Cordova Enthusiast

Earl Cordova

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Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, Jsdirt said:

An installation kit helps as well. There's a guy on this forum here that's been building & selling them forever. I bought mine here. 

 

 

 

Can't find the installation kit on here.

Edited by Earl Cordova
Jsdirt Senior Enthusiast

Jsdirt

Posted
Posted (edited)

Google must've been monitoring my post - just got an email with a link to the exact thread I was talking about: https://www.performancetrucks.net/forums/member-made-tools-parts-classifieds-197/tru-cool-max-trans-cooler-4739-47391-install-kit-brackets-fittings-hardware-508374/page69/

 

Sorry for the poor wording - I didn't mean THIS  forum, but I see how it came across that way. My bad.

 

EDIT: I see you already ordered one! Saw your post there. Said "yesterday", so I was confused ... but it's 1am, so that explains it. 😂

Edited by Jsdirt
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