You need to change out your transmission thermostat for the pressure bypass type, or you won't get the advertised and recommended fluid temps. With the pressure bypass type, you'll be in the 130's unloaded, and 150's towing.
Just my two cents. I have a 2023 LTZ with the 3.0 LZO. My experience is that once up to full operating temp my transmissions temperature hovers around 200°F +/- 5°F no matter if I am loaded, unloaded, highway, city, low ambient, or high ambient temp. That tells me that these transmissions are thermostatically controlled. So adding a larger trans cooler is not going to lower transmission temps in this towing example. The larger cooler will only play a factor once the limitations of the factory cooler are exceeded. Being an Engineer myself I feel confident that the Engineers at GM took the max towing rating at an extreme ambient temp, and grade when sizing the factory cooler. Like you mentioned it may be good insurance for the ones that are towing often at the weight limits in areas like west Texas, but those people probably bought 2500's not 1500's.
Bingo! There is a thermostat in the transmission cooling circuit. The only time you will notice any real difference is towing (especially up hill) in the heat. The larger cooler will be able to 'shed' more heat (provided you are moving). So instead of hitting say 230* towing, you may only get to 200 or 205* with this cooler installed as it can pull more heat out of the fluid due to the larger surface area.
I would add to this that I upgraded to much larger tires (35s) which weigh twice the stock tires (60lbs each corner) and my temps rose significantly especially when giving good acceleration to merge on highway for instance. Therefor for anyone running large tires this would definitely be a good upgrade to keep things cool especially when loaded up and towing on top of that
My girlfriend overheard you talking and said upgrading from 3.25" and less than half an inch to 6.75" and 2"+ inches would be indeed a nice so I'm ordering a new Pee PeE piece even though I do not own a truck.
Many years ago, long before PPE started making OEM style upgraded transmission coolers, there was a guy (Mike L was what everyone knew him as on the Duramax Forums) that worked at Inglewood Transmissions, presumably in Inglewood, CA. He sold upgraded OEM style coolers for the Allison 1000. Everyone called it the "Mike L trans cooler" I installed one and it made a significant difference in trans temps on my 2009 3500HD 6.6L / Allison. It was pretty similar to your new cooler, total bolt on in place of the factory wimpy cooler.
Thanks for the tech video! Very few (if any) RUclips automotive folks work on their own vehicles. This is what makes your channel stand out above the others. It's cool to see what's involved getting the grille taken apart and put back together.
Great video! In my Lexus GX460, the two horns are placed directly in front of the rad. I actually moved them down behind the bumper support (which already blocks airflow), and afterward noticed that my cooling fans run much less under the same conditions. You might be able to bend that horn bracket so that the inner horn module doesn't block as much airflow. Love these vids! Great work!!!
Hey Tim, Thanks for the look at installing the PPE and how it performed. Seems like from what you’ve shown here and prev, that trans fluid flow may be held until temp reaches near 200F. That temp reached 205 before but stayed steady near 200 suggests the PPE CAN dump all of the heat from the trans even while towing the RV on your test hill. So you’ve still got available cooling capacity with the PPE where the stock cooler was not quite keeping up. good deal!!
There is a thermostatic control valve that regulates the fluid flow in the trans to maintain temperature at 200F. you can see that 200 is just about dead center of the gauge temperature. There are other videos of people bypassing or removing the control valve to allow full flow and cooling of the trans cooler.
These trucks have a 190 degree thermostat, no matter how efficient the cooler is the thermostat will keep it around 190. They make thermostat kits so that you can reduce the temperature to 150-160.
I put the PPE Trans cooler, thermostat bypass, and +4 quart trans pan on my 21 AT4 3.0 It never goes over 170deg F no matter how hard I run it towing my 7000lb rockwood.
I live at 7500’ but to get supplies I have to travel from a valley at 4000’ over a ridge at 9000’. With a somewhat empty truck (‘23 GMC SIERRA LZ0) transmission temp was 183 at 4000’ (71 deg ambient) and 199 deg at 9000’ (58 deg Ambient) over a distance of 16 miles (3.23 rear axle). Not towing.
Awesome video. You should swap in the PPE thermal bypass valve to completely delete the ATF thermostat. PPE doesn't tell you that but you really won't see any temp improvement with that cooler unless you allow constant free flow through it. I have the PPE deep trans pan paired with the thermal bypass valve and stock cooler on my 2023 LZ0 Trail Boss, trans temp never goes over 175.
Is running at 175 advantageous? Kinda seems a little on the cold side. I'd prefer to keep it right at where it was designed to sit stock, but keep it there and not elevate if used in a more extreme fashion (like towing).
@@ALMX5DPno it isn’t. People just like to install stuff like this because other people do it. If someone is towing and their trans temp is rising above manufacturers specifications then they are way over weight and need a bigger truck.
@@ALMX5DP actually running over 175 is dangerous and reduces transmission component life including bad for the seals - doesn’t allow adequate cooling for the clutch packs during up shifts and down shifts. The ONLY Reason the manufacturers run the transmission above 190° is to squeeze out a little bit more fuel economy, since that is when the oil is at its thinnest. There is a 190° thermostat bypass valve that keeps the transmission at least at 190° no matter what kind of larger cooler you put out front but the advantages to a larger transmission cooler is that the transmission temperatures will not run away deep into the 200°F s
@@MarkSmith-cz3by do you have a source that supports being over 175 is dangerous? I’d think fluid viscosity can be altered to meet whatever temperature range is desired. From what I’ve seen it sounds like oils are okay at slightly lower temps but never heard anyone say it’s dangerous to run above 175. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any road engine which normally operates at or below that temp, but again if there are sources supporting it I am all about reading up more there.
What this truck reallywhat this truck really needs is a proper intercooler, the in/out temp of the top mounted intercooler is marginally impacted at best.
I asked my dealer about the fuel pump issue a few years ago. His response was they hadn’t seen any duramax diesels come in because of the fuel pumps exploding. Yet you don’t have to search very hard to find horror stories from owners where the pump exploded. This really stinks-and GM should be held liable for replacement cost.
Its not an exact science experiment as you pointed out with the warmer ambient temperature but I was wondering if the engine coolant max temperature was any warmer then the day before. Definitely anything that adds heat in front of the engine coolant rad or covers more area of it would be a possible negative to its cooling performance. A more drastic example are vehicles from years back that could be purchased with or without air conditioning and so therefore the non air con vehicle had no condenser in front of the coolant rad to hinder air flow and of course in any vehicle when using the air con, it rejects heat causing the engines radiator to not be as capable to cool the engine, why in Death Valley the sign at the bottom of the steep grade out of the valley says "Turn your Air Conditioning Off". Without a doubt the general theme has been that 1/2 ton pickups had a thinner coolant radiator then a 3/4 or 1 ton but also the fan blades were far deeper on the heavier pickups and could move a lot more air and it used to be that the same engines were being used in both light and heavy pickups, the only difference was the whole cooling package was more capable.
You probably should check/top off the trans fluid. Not only did you loose what was in the old cooler. But your new bigger cooler will eat up more system volume as well. Probably not low enough to be catastrophic or anything. But still a brand new truck and all. You don’t wanna be driving around low on ATF for the next 30k or whatever the service interval is.
You're like a firehose of information this week. That's a bit of effort and coinage if you're not having any issues IMO. TBH, manufacturers have gotten pretty good about their towing claims in recent years provided you comply with any restrictions/recommendations. Then again, I operate at sea level with mostly flat terrain so maybe Western folks don't experience the same.
I like how people say: "blah blah OEM engineers did the research and you dont need that" But when it supports their bias: "idiot engineers, cost cutting accounting dept, planned obsolescence blah blah"
When towing do the shutters stay open? I say this because they wouldn't help the cooler's performance if they are closed. Maybe they work following engine temperature and not transmission temperature.
Not sure if they stay open when towing. I’d have to mount a camera and check that. I do know GM has told me they open and close based on temperatures and at certain times for better aero.
Hey Tim, Nice DYI trans cooler upgrade and test drive! Does this cooler exchange require pre filling the new unit with correct ATF and or can there be an issue with not burping the air out of the system per instructions? Last but not least. Thanks for not making the latest issue of “ Plummers crack exposed “ on RUclips video! ;) As always stay safe and healthy! Ron
First, yeah, long shirts are my friend! LOL. Second, there were no directions on install from PPE. This told said to me it was a simple parts swap. And no, I didn't pre fill the new unit nor have I added any fluid as of yet.
Yeah, I wasn’t really thinking that was something on people’s minds. The stock radiator didn’t really have much fluid in it at all. I’ll have to double check coolant levels.
@@Pickuptrucktalk So is it a dedicated ATF loop? You can't check the levels on the Rams, long story and it shares a cooler with the AC condenser. Sometimes air bubbles can be an issue, maybe you have some extra performance to unlock there.
When you did your tests - did you account for the outside air temp (OAT) on each test? That's really what will help you measure your transmission cooler efficiency. The delta between your OAT and trans temp is what you want to measure. I installed a larger cooler on my 09 Tahoe and dropped the delta to about 50 degrees from OAT at highway speeds, or 80 degrees delta from OAT while towing. So, if it's 100 degrees OAT out, the highest I see on straight and level while towing is 180. I also have a 24 Silverado 2500HD - I'm thinking about the PPE trans cooler for that. But don't know if I will see that much of an improvement.
Those louvers as you called them are shutters. Over the road diesel engines had those back in the 50s,60, 70s and early 80s then they were phased out by better control over the cooling system
Bigger transmission cooler blocks the radiator more and could make the engine radiator work harder because it's getting less airflow. This upgrade seems unnecessary and probably voids the trucks warranty.
If a radiator/cooler blocks airflow, it literally will not work. The air that passes through will simply be a bit warmer and slower than air that doesn't. Also, see every HD truck on the planet (they are STACKED with auxiliary coolers).
Thinking of doing this same upgrade on my Lm2... Just curious about transmission fluid - did you need to add any? What happened to the excess fluid that was in the original cooler? Did you lose any on the swap, or need to add some after?
I was thinking about this. I’m about to upgrade the radiator in my car and the volume increase is significant. I bought extra coolant than the specified capacity to compensate for it.
Did you add back any transmission fluid after the change? How much fluid do you think you lost when removing the old one? With the larger radiator I imagine it would hold a little more. Should there be any worries about adding air to the lines when installing?
@@Pickuptrucktalk the transmission circuit is separate from the coolant circuit. If you didn't open the radiator/heater hose/or radiator hoses then there is no need to burp engine coolant system. The transmission lines that go into the radiator actually serve to bring transmission fluid to a more ideal temperature before going into transmission (it's a liquid-liquid heat exchanger... unlike the new transmission cooler which is air-liquid). The transmission cooler handles the majority of the heat rejection and then the trans fluid goes into the radiator to 'normalize' the temp. Transmissions have an ideal temp to run at just like the engine does and liquid-liquid gives quickest energy transfer (think of it by standing in 50 degree air versus 50 water).
Did you have to top up the trans fluid? I'd think you were down at least a quart by adding this cooler upgrade. Great job though, you can never have too much cooling, especially on a tow vehicle Curious question, what's the difference in highway cruising RPM vs max towing package with 3.73 axle ratios? I've been considering an elevation with the max tow but mainly want it for the stiffer leaf packs since I'm constantly varying a few hundred pounds in tools and material. I'm more concerned about the added noise from the higher rpm and the added fuel
Gonna be honest off the bat, only watched the results. But did you remove the thermostat device that controls when the oil cooler is used? New trucks have them where they only use the cooler at certain temps. This could be why there was little change. I recommend if you didn’t that you and retest with both stock and aftermarket
GM uses those air flaps in the grill to force high temperatures. They want the water and transmission fluid to run hot. They deliberately drive oil and rad temperatures high to help with fuel mileage.
I like these install videos of you doing mods on your trucks. Wish you could do more of them. But I understand you only have them for 1 year, so you don't really want to mod them too much.
I'm too worried about modding the truck. This type of video really comes down to how the audience treats it. If they get the views then I'll do more. Kind of fun doing this mod.
@Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk This is just a heat exchange loop then? There is no transmission oil in this cooler? I need to check my LZ0 and LM2 transmission cooling diagrams soon. The gas trucks definitely use A transmission oil based cooling loop.
@@terrencejones9817 Agree with your comment. I thought it was taking the hot transmission oil sending it through a loop through the new radiator and back to the transmission, which would require more transmission oil to fill the voids in the larger transmission radiator. Are they cooling the transmission with radiator fluid?? In the old Ford PowerStroke 6.0l they used a heat exchanger to cool the oil with fluid from the radiator. Unfortunately the hot radiator fluid did a poor job cooling the hot oil which would overheat the oil causing internal cracks in the heat exchanger contaminating the oil with radiator fluid causing catastrophic damage to all systems.
I didn't since you can't do it easily. The transmission is sealed unit and dealer can only add fluid. Even though the size of the radiator difference was quite a bit, the transmission comes overfilled with fluid from the factory. I don't think more fluid would amount to anymore than a small cup full.
@@Pickuptrucktalk I’ve actually changed the transmission pan to a PPE deep pan and replaced the transmission fluid & filter already once. Adding fluid is actually pretty easy. There’s a plug on side of transmission to check levels. I have the Lm2 & from what I can tell, it’s not over filled from factory. I really enjoy all your videos on the 3.0. 👍🏼 keep them coming.
You don’t want your transmission to run cold because it will lower fuel mileage. That said, the new cooler won’t lower temperature if the louvers are closed, so you might want to check the conditions to make those open.
@@Pickuptrucktalk just wondering, just trying to be meticulous in possible purchases and not void the warranty but I have done some research and it looks as if it won’t void it! I’m looking to add this because I do tow a lot with my 2021 1500 Chevy duramax! Also, do you have any knowledge on the PPE water to air inter cooler for the 3.0L duramax, do you believe it’ll help engine temperatures when towing, I’d like to hear your opinion on it or even just make a video?
@@Pickuptrucktalk not that it would in any way unless it’s determined to be the cause of an issue that you wanted to be fixed. I’m sure that company has done their research on pressure changes from the larger cooler and any potential influence it has to the coolers around it/behind it etc.
Here is the stock towing test: ruclips.net/video/w5KAzjYKVAQ/видео.html
Because the cooler is bigger , how much more tranny oil does it hold over the stock cooler & did you add more fluid ?
@@tigermanmccool4037 I didn’t add any due to transmission design. It’s a sealed unit. I need to have the dealership check.
You need to change out your transmission thermostat for the pressure bypass type, or you won't get the advertised and recommended fluid temps. With the pressure bypass type, you'll be in the 130's unloaded, and 150's towing.
Just my two cents. I have a 2023 LTZ with the 3.0 LZO. My experience is that once up to full operating temp my transmissions temperature hovers around 200°F +/- 5°F no matter if I am loaded, unloaded, highway, city, low ambient, or high ambient temp. That tells me that these transmissions are thermostatically controlled. So adding a larger trans cooler is not going to lower transmission temps in this towing example. The larger cooler will only play a factor once the limitations of the factory cooler are exceeded. Being an Engineer myself I feel confident that the Engineers at GM took the max towing rating at an extreme ambient temp, and grade when sizing the factory cooler. Like you mentioned it may be good insurance for the ones that are towing often at the weight limits in areas like west Texas, but those people probably bought 2500's not 1500's.
PPE makes a thermostat bypass & larger oil pan that compliments the trans cooler.
@@ryanlogan2911 you would need to really need the extra cooling before you did that. The 10 speed seems to like the fluid warm.
My 2022.5 LM2 always sits at 183°F. I’ve seen it break 190 once in stop go traffic but otherwise it’s always 183°F at operating temp.
Bingo! There is a thermostat in the transmission cooling circuit. The only time you will notice any real difference is towing (especially up hill) in the heat. The larger cooler will be able to 'shed' more heat (provided you are moving). So instead of hitting say 230* towing, you may only get to 200 or 205* with this cooler installed as it can pull more heat out of the fluid due to the larger surface area.
I would add to this that I upgraded to much larger tires (35s) which weigh twice the stock tires (60lbs each corner) and my temps rose significantly especially when giving good acceleration to merge on highway for instance. Therefor for anyone running large tires this would definitely be a good upgrade to keep things cool especially when loaded up and towing on top of that
My girlfriend overheard you talking and said upgrading from 3.25" and less than half an inch to 6.75" and 2"+ inches would be indeed a nice so I'm ordering a new Pee PeE piece even though I do not own a truck.
Lmao😂
Many years ago, long before PPE started making OEM style upgraded transmission coolers, there was a guy (Mike L was what everyone knew him as on the Duramax Forums) that worked at Inglewood Transmissions, presumably in Inglewood, CA. He sold upgraded OEM style coolers for the Allison 1000. Everyone called it the "Mike L trans cooler"
I installed one and it made a significant difference in trans temps on my 2009 3500HD 6.6L / Allison. It was pretty similar to your new cooler, total bolt on in place of the factory wimpy cooler.
You're supposed to add transmission fluid after installation. Add the remaining ounces the new cooler has over the old one.
Thanks for the tech video! Very few (if any) RUclips automotive folks work on their own vehicles. This is what makes your channel stand out above the others.
It's cool to see what's involved getting the grille taken apart and put back together.
I appreciate that!
There are a number of pickup truck channels that work on their own vehicles!
Very cool video on the trans cooler . Great job showing all the details . It shows it improves the cooling of the trans overall .
Great video! In my Lexus GX460, the two horns are placed directly in front of the rad. I actually moved them down behind the bumper support (which already blocks airflow), and afterward noticed that my cooling fans run much less under the same conditions. You might be able to bend that horn bracket so that the inner horn module doesn't block as much airflow.
Love these vids! Great work!!!
Hey Tim,
Thanks for the look at installing the PPE and how it performed. Seems like from what you’ve shown here and prev, that trans fluid flow may be held until temp reaches near 200F. That temp reached 205 before but stayed steady near 200 suggests the PPE CAN dump all of the heat from the trans even while towing the RV on your test hill. So you’ve still got available cooling capacity with the PPE where the stock cooler was not quite keeping up. good deal!!
There is a thermostatic control valve that regulates the fluid flow in the trans to maintain temperature at 200F. you can see that 200 is just about dead center of the gauge temperature. There are other videos of people bypassing or removing the control valve to allow full flow and cooling of the trans cooler.
These trucks have a 190 degree thermostat, no matter how efficient the cooler is the thermostat will keep it around 190. They make thermostat kits so that you can reduce the temperature to 150-160.
Who makes thermostat kits?
@@tgsubiePPE, thermal bypass
I put the PPE Trans cooler, thermostat bypass, and +4 quart trans pan on my 21 AT4 3.0
It never goes over 170deg F no matter how hard I run it towing my 7000lb rockwood.
Did it affect how it shifted or your fuel economy?
@@melvinhanson3659I’m interested to know that as well
I live at 7500’ but to get supplies I have to travel from a valley at 4000’ over a ridge at 9000’. With a somewhat empty truck (‘23 GMC SIERRA LZ0) transmission temp was 183 at 4000’ (71 deg ambient) and 199 deg at 9000’ (58 deg Ambient) over a distance of 16 miles (3.23 rear axle). Not towing.
Awesome video. You should swap in the PPE thermal bypass valve to completely delete the ATF thermostat. PPE doesn't tell you that but you really won't see any temp improvement with that cooler unless you allow constant free flow through it. I have the PPE deep trans pan paired with the thermal bypass valve and stock cooler on my 2023 LZ0 Trail Boss, trans temp never goes over 175.
I think I have that valve in the garage. It’s on the list to install.
Is running at 175 advantageous? Kinda seems a little on the cold side. I'd prefer to keep it right at where it was designed to sit stock, but keep it there and not elevate if used in a more extreme fashion (like towing).
@@ALMX5DPno it isn’t. People just like to install stuff like this because other people do it. If someone is towing and their trans temp is rising above manufacturers specifications then they are way over weight and need a bigger truck.
@@ALMX5DP actually running over 175 is dangerous and reduces transmission component life including bad for the seals - doesn’t allow adequate cooling for the clutch packs during up shifts and down shifts.
The ONLY Reason the manufacturers run the transmission above 190° is to squeeze out a little bit more fuel economy, since that is when the oil is at its thinnest.
There is a 190° thermostat bypass valve that keeps the transmission at least at 190° no matter what kind of larger cooler you put out front but the advantages to a larger transmission cooler is that the transmission temperatures will not run away deep into the 200°F s
@@MarkSmith-cz3by do you have a source that supports being over 175 is dangerous? I’d think fluid viscosity can be altered to meet whatever temperature range is desired. From what I’ve seen it sounds like oils are okay at slightly lower temps but never heard anyone say it’s dangerous to run above 175. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any road engine which normally operates at or below that temp, but again if there are sources supporting it I am all about reading up more there.
What this truck reallywhat this truck really needs is a proper intercooler, the in/out temp of the top mounted intercooler is marginally impacted at best.
I asked my dealer about the fuel pump issue a few years ago. His response was they hadn’t seen any duramax diesels come in because of the fuel pumps exploding. Yet you don’t have to search very hard to find horror stories from owners where the pump exploded. This really stinks-and GM should be held liable for replacement cost.
Its not an exact science experiment as you pointed out with the warmer ambient temperature but I was wondering if the engine coolant max temperature was any warmer then the day before. Definitely anything that adds heat in front of the engine coolant rad or covers more area of it would be a possible negative to its cooling performance. A more drastic example are vehicles from years back that could be purchased with or without air conditioning and so therefore the non air con vehicle had no condenser in front of the coolant rad to hinder air flow and of course in any vehicle when using the air con, it rejects heat causing the engines radiator to not be as capable to cool the engine, why in Death Valley the sign at the bottom of the steep grade out of the valley says "Turn your Air Conditioning Off". Without a doubt the general theme has been that 1/2 ton pickups had a thinner coolant radiator then a 3/4 or 1 ton but also the fan blades were far deeper on the heavier pickups and could move a lot more air and it used to be that the same engines were being used in both light and heavy pickups, the only difference was the whole cooling package was more capable.
You probably should check/top off the trans fluid.
Not only did you loose what was in the old cooler. But your new bigger cooler will eat up more system volume as well.
Probably not low enough to be catastrophic or anything. But still a brand new truck and all. You don’t wanna be driving around low on ATF for the next 30k or whatever the service interval is.
I would think Chevy installs a big enough cooler/radiator that will work just fine. Changing your transmission fluid and filter often matters most.
Bad boy! Only a GM certified mechanic can install the water line to the front camera. Was that T-15 an approved GM tool!
I'm a #rebel. LOL
You're like a firehose of information this week. That's a bit of effort and coinage if you're not having any issues IMO. TBH, manufacturers have gotten pretty good about their towing claims in recent years provided you comply with any restrictions/recommendations. Then again, I operate at sea level with mostly flat terrain so maybe Western folks don't experience the same.
I like how people say:
"blah blah OEM engineers did the research and you dont need that"
But when it supports their bias:
"idiot engineers, cost cutting accounting dept, planned obsolescence blah blah"
When towing do the shutters stay open? I say this because they wouldn't help the cooler's performance if they are closed. Maybe they work following engine temperature and not transmission temperature.
Not sure if they stay open when towing. I’d have to mount a camera and check that. I do know GM has told me they open and close based on temperatures and at certain times for better aero.
Hey Tim,
Nice DYI trans cooler upgrade and test drive!
Does this cooler exchange require pre filling the new unit with correct ATF and or can there be an issue with not burping the air out of the system per instructions?
Last but not least. Thanks for not making the latest issue of “ Plummers crack exposed “ on RUclips video! ;)
As always stay safe and healthy!
Ron
First, yeah, long shirts are my friend! LOL. Second, there were no directions on install from PPE. This told said to me it was a simple parts swap. And no, I didn't pre fill the new unit nor have I added any fluid as of yet.
Thanks for your response to my questions.
Ron
@@Pickuptrucktalk I would check levels. But you won't be more than .5qt low, I imagine. Nothing critical.
May have introduced air bubbles into the cooling system maybe ask gm
The popular question seems to be "did you add more transmission fluid"?
Yeah, I wasn’t really thinking that was something on people’s minds. The stock radiator didn’t really have much fluid in it at all. I’ll have to double check coolant levels.
@@Pickuptrucktalk So is it a dedicated ATF loop? You can't check the levels on the Rams, long story and it shares a cooler with the AC condenser. Sometimes air bubbles can be an issue, maybe you have some extra performance to unlock there.
is it a 3.23 rear diff or 3.73? cant seem to fine the option for the 3.73.
I wonder if the temps would be down if you topped it off for the larger capacity?
Possibly. The stock transmission cooler was empty for the most part.
When you did your tests - did you account for the outside air temp (OAT) on each test? That's really what will help you measure your transmission cooler efficiency. The delta between your OAT and trans temp is what you want to measure. I installed a larger cooler on my 09 Tahoe and dropped the delta to about 50 degrees from OAT at highway speeds, or 80 degrees delta from OAT while towing. So, if it's 100 degrees OAT out, the highest I see on straight and level while towing is 180.
I also have a 24 Silverado 2500HD - I'm thinking about the PPE trans cooler for that. But don't know if I will see that much of an improvement.
Those louvers as you called them are shutters. Over the road diesel engines had those back in the 50s,60, 70s and early 80s then they were phased out by better control over the cooling system
Bigger transmission cooler blocks the radiator more and could make the engine radiator work harder because it's getting less airflow. This upgrade seems unnecessary and probably voids the trucks warranty.
Good point. Wouldn’t the air pass through at high enough speeds tho and get to the engines radiator? Good YT name btw
Aftermarket parts don’t void warranties.
If a radiator/cooler blocks airflow, it literally will not work. The air that passes through will simply be a bit warmer and slower than air that doesn't. Also, see every HD truck on the planet (they are STACKED with auxiliary coolers).
@@Pickuptrucktalk They certainly do, if that part is determined to be the cause of a failure.
@@terrencejones9817 sure, I should have clarified.
It's been a month since this video. Did you install the PPE thermal bypass? did you top up the trans fluid? People want to know!
Sorry, been busy with travel. I'll get around to it. The transmission is a sealed unit meaning I need to have the dealer check it.
Thinking of doing this same upgrade on my Lm2... Just curious about transmission fluid - did you need to add any? What happened to the excess fluid that was in the original cooler? Did you lose any on the swap, or need to add some after?
Slight loss in radiator fluid. I didn’t add anymore as of yet.
Did you have to add any trans fluid with the bigger cooler?
I was thinking about this. I’m about to upgrade the radiator in my car and the volume increase is significant. I bought extra coolant than the specified capacity to compensate for it.
Did you add back any transmission fluid after the change? How much fluid do you think you lost when removing the old one? With the larger radiator I imagine it would hold a little more. Should there be any worries about adding air to the lines when installing?
No radiator fluid was added. The overflow still has quite a bit in it. I’m burping the radiator today to see if there is any improvement.
@@Pickuptrucktalk the transmission circuit is separate from the coolant circuit. If you didn't open the radiator/heater hose/or radiator hoses then there is no need to burp engine coolant system. The transmission lines that go into the radiator actually serve to bring transmission fluid to a more ideal temperature before going into transmission (it's a liquid-liquid heat exchanger... unlike the new transmission cooler which is air-liquid). The transmission cooler handles the majority of the heat rejection and then the trans fluid goes into the radiator to 'normalize' the temp. Transmissions have an ideal temp to run at just like the engine does and liquid-liquid gives quickest energy transfer (think of it by standing in 50 degree air versus 50 water).
@@wilmarbarrick3194 seems to me I have some learning to do!
Did you have to top up the trans fluid? I'd think you were down at least a quart by adding this cooler upgrade. Great job though, you can never have too much cooling, especially on a tow vehicle
Curious question, what's the difference in highway cruising RPM vs max towing package with 3.73 axle ratios? I've been considering an elevation with the max tow but mainly want it for the stiffer leaf packs since I'm constantly varying a few hundred pounds in tools and material.
I'm more concerned about the added noise from the higher rpm and the added fuel
Gonna be honest off the bat, only watched the results. But did you remove the thermostat device that controls when the oil cooler is used? New trucks have them where they only use the cooler at certain temps. This could be why there was little change. I recommend if you didn’t that you and retest with both stock and aftermarket
How much extra trans fluid did you have to put in for this mod?
I didn't add any. The stock transmission cooler was empty for the most part.
GM uses those air flaps in the grill to force high temperatures. They want the water and transmission fluid to run hot. They deliberately drive oil and rad temperatures high to help with fuel mileage.
Is your truck a max tow package? The trailer you were towing , do you have a weight of the trailer
did u add extra trans fluid to fill the volume of that much bigger cooler?
I like these install videos of you doing mods on your trucks. Wish you could do more of them. But I understand you only have them for 1 year, so you don't really want to mod them too much.
I'm too worried about modding the truck. This type of video really comes down to how the audience treats it. If they get the views then I'll do more. Kind of fun doing this mod.
My 23 LZ0 has the max tow package. I wonder if this cooler is much of an upgrade?
Did you add more transmission fluid to fill the void caused by adding the transmission cooler?
It would be antifreeze and I didn't add any. The old radiator didn't really have much antifreeze in it.
@Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk This is just a heat exchange loop then? There is no transmission oil in this cooler? I need to check my LZ0 and LM2 transmission cooling diagrams soon.
The gas trucks definitely use A transmission oil based cooling loop.
@@terrencejones9817 Agree with your comment. I thought it was taking the hot transmission oil sending it through a loop through the new radiator and back to the transmission, which would require more transmission oil to fill the voids in the larger transmission radiator.
Are they cooling the transmission with radiator fluid??
In the old Ford PowerStroke 6.0l they used a heat exchanger to cool the oil with fluid from the radiator. Unfortunately the hot radiator fluid did a poor job cooling the hot oil which would overheat the oil causing internal cracks in the heat exchanger contaminating the oil with radiator fluid causing catastrophic damage to all systems.
By adding the new cooler, did you need to add transmission fluid? If so, how much?
I didn't since you can't do it easily. The transmission is sealed unit and dealer can only add fluid. Even though the size of the radiator difference was quite a bit, the transmission comes overfilled with fluid from the factory. I don't think more fluid would amount to anymore than a small cup full.
@@Pickuptrucktalk I’ve actually changed the transmission pan to a PPE deep pan and replaced the transmission fluid & filter already once. Adding fluid is actually pretty easy. There’s a plug on side of transmission to check levels. I have the Lm2 & from what I can tell, it’s not over filled from factory. I really enjoy all your videos on the 3.0. 👍🏼 keep them coming.
@@Jim.Christy Well that's interesting. I was told it was a lot harder than that. Good to know!
Do you know if the ppe trans cooler will affect the warranty
You don’t want your transmission to run cold because it will lower fuel mileage. That said, the new cooler won’t lower temperature if the louvers are closed, so you might want to check the conditions to make those open.
That should help. How long did it take you?
About a few hours. I worked slow. First time I’ve ever taken the grille or upper bumper off.
Did you put atf back in it???
Just did. The new video showing the procedure just went live.
@@Pickuptrucktalk so you towed with it missing a few quarts of fluid? Dude.
@@salloroc20 hardly. It wasn’t a few quarts.
Does this void the warranty?
Why would it?
@@Pickuptrucktalk just wondering, just trying to be meticulous in possible purchases and not void the warranty but I have done some research and it looks as if it won’t void it! I’m looking to add this because I do tow a lot with my 2021 1500 Chevy duramax! Also, do you have any knowledge on the PPE water to air inter cooler for the 3.0L duramax, do you believe it’ll help engine temperatures when towing, I’d like to hear your opinion on it or even just make a video?
@@MrSmurf459 my sense on all aftermarket parts is they help incrementally, but the truck is pretty good as is.
This does what to the warranty ?
Thanks
Why would it affect the warranty?
@@Pickuptrucktalk not that it would in any way unless it’s determined to be the cause of an issue that you wanted to be fixed. I’m sure that company has done their research on pressure changes from the larger cooler and any potential influence it has to the coolers around it/behind it etc.
How much fluid did you have to add to the system after changing the cooler??
Zero. I just double checked and the overflow reservoir still has lots of fluid in it.
lol @11:28 "I didn't have any problems, you shouldn't either"