cant find oil cooler?

[fixitman4710]

hey everyone its me again. new here from n.carolina. 98 chevy k3500
4x4 auto 6.5 turbo diesel. can someone tell me where the oil
cooler lines bolt to the block. also where should the oil cooler be
mounted. i think its been removed. does anyone have picts of location.
i only found transmission cooler, powerstreering cooler ,ac condenser
and radiator. my oil filter is mounted sideways and hard to get off
and no oil cooler lines near it. found 2 plugs in the block near oil filter.
please help. will this truck survive without oil cooler.

thanks again everyone

steve

[JohnC]

found 2 plugs in the block near oil filter.
please help. will this truck survive without oil cooler.

Sounds right. There are 2 fittings for the oil cooler on the block just above the oil filter adapter.

You should not plug them, though. The oil cooler bypass is not intended to handle all the oil flow for the engine. And, no, you really need the cooler to dissipate the heat. The cooler should be in front of the radiator on the driver's side just above the bumper.

[fixitman4710]

Sounds right. There are 2 fittings for the oil cooler on the block just above the oil filter adapter.

You should not plug them, though. The oil cooler bypass is not intended to handle all the oil flow for the engine. And, no, you really need the cooler to dissipate the heat. The cooler should be in front of the radiator on the driver's side just above the bumper.

hey john thanks for the info. there is no oil cooler on drivers side.
i just bought the truck on ebay 3 months ago. it took me 2 months
to get the tranny rebuilt. i didnt make it home. the dealer i bought it
from may have removed the oil cooler. this may explain my low oil
pressure problem after engine heats up.i will install one.

thanks again
steve

[DmaxMaverick]

That could explain everything. If the cooler has been removed, and the ports plugged, it's a good thing you found it now. As John said, the cooler bypass will not manage the oil flow required, and this condition will kill the engine in short order. If the cooler and lines were deleted, and the ports plugged, you got duped on the sale. It's only a matter of time before the engine will self-destruct if it continues like this.

[fixitman4710]

That could explain everything. If the cooler has been removed, and the ports plugged, it's a good thing you found it now. As John said, the cooler bypass will not manage the oil flow required, and this condition will kill the engine in short order. If the cooler and lines were deleted, and the ports plugged, you got duped on the sale. It's only a matter of time before the engine will self-destruct if it continues like this.

thanks maverick for your help on this. again im new to chevy diesels.
im learning the hard and expensive way. i bought the truck on ebay
auction out on philadelphia pa . i flew up there and drove home. i only
made it to richmond va before tranny overdrive went first. it was too
far for me to return the truck. the dealer sent me a tranny rebuild kit
and a friend who has tranny shop did the rebuild for 700.00 dol.
so i thought it would be good work truck. then oil pressure problem
began. i love the truck so i will fix it as i find it. lol
thanks so much for help guys
steve

[brherrmann]

I recently bought a parts engine (including a broken crankshaft) courtesy of someone removing the oil cooler.

[JohnC]

Not to beat a dead horse, but...

The oil cooler is intended to always be in the circuit. There is no thermal bypass, only a pressure bypass. The intent is that some of the oil will always pass through the cooler and the pressure bypass is there only to ensure adequate oil flow when the oil is cold.

If you simply plug the ports for the oil cooler you are forcing all the oil to flow through the bypass. The oil pressure bypass on the pump will open and the volume (and, consequently, the pressure) going to the engine will be reduced. If you install a shunt between the two ports you will get adequate flow, but, regardless of what anyone may tell you, there will be times when the oil temperature will go out of bounds (and the pressure, consequently, go down). These engines, especially the later ones, depend on oil for a significant portion of their cooling. Turbos without water cooling jackets rely on oil for 100% of their cooling.

[6.5TDTahoe]

They perform analylsis on the current oil in the crank case. Best & first place to get an answer on the engine interlnal condition.Several providers here for the after market oil cooler & oil lines. Contact PMD/E-BAY ,company for low cost oil cooler & lines.Hope you get a satisfyied Lab test.

[jamesm]

The other thread got closed, so I'm replying here. only an ac delco ops is recommended; all others are reported to be weak.it can be changed with manifold on if you have the right goofy socket

[fixitman4710]

hey guys i installed my oil cooler kit on sat and sun. i must say what
a pain in the butt to install. just no room to work. but i got it in with
no leaks. my oil pressure cold is 50 psi 38 psi at 2000 rpm 15 psi hot idle.
its much better than before, but i think the ops is junk and eratic.
i put a cheap aftermarket on it and have learned from my mistake.
i will change it this weekend and check with mechanical guage and give
another update. thanks for all your help. truck water temp is even running
cooler by 15 degrees.

steve n.carolina

[fixitman4710]

The other thread got closed, so I'm replying here. only an ac delco ops is recommended; all others are reported to be weak.it can be changed with manifold on if you have the right goofy socket

hey james what kind of socket will work and where can i get it

thanks
steve

[jamesm]

hey james what kind of socket will work and where can i get it

thanks
steve

Oops. Up to 95 uses socket. 96 on uses "basin wrench" from the plumbing tools department. Some have better luck moving the filter out of the way; just pull its bolts but not the lines.

Fwiw, I have a piece of plywood I set across the engine to sit on, or flatten the front tires to 4 psi and work from the ground.

[fixitman4710]

Oops. Up to 95 uses socket. 96 on uses "basin wrench" from the plumbing tools department. Some have better luck moving the filter out of the way; just pull its bolts but not the lines.

Fwiw, I have a piece of plywood I set across the engine to sit on, or flatten the front tires to 4 psi and work from the ground.

thanks alot for the info. i would have never thought of basin wrench
lol

steve

[fixitman4710]

hey guys installed the oil cooler and pressure is good now. used a basin
wrench to remove the ops and replaced with ac delco. pressure cold 60
at 2000 rpm 45 idle 25 to 30. i also had a hose made at hydraulic shop
to extend my oil pressure switch above the intake for easy access.
thanks for the help

steve n.carolina