VinnieGTP
Full Member
I ordered part #19244188 from GMPartsDirect and it came in today. I'm not really worried about the install, it should be straight forward; I wanted to start this thread to give other interested members the opportunity to ask questions about why I chose to use this kit, the install and how it performs.
My Baseline - Driving to work in the morning on an 85* day my trans temp hit 206* It's a gradual 1300' elevation climb.
Why did I decide to go this route over a larger aftermarket cooler? This is the question I asked myself for weeks before going this direction. This kit was $70 +S&H. Shipping by itself was like $13 but I bought a bunch of stuff for my wife's Volt too so I could lessen the blow of shipping costs. A custom install not only requires the cooler, but the lines and fittings. For me, the transmission is a critical component esp when living in the middle of nowhere like I do. I don't want to use barb fittings and rubber hose; I did this once and it worked just fine but I was always worried about the line dry rotting or a hose clamp and fitting failing. When I built my GTP I used all AN fittings and hose and I loved not only the confidence it gave me in the strength of the parts but also how it looked, but it was somewhat expensive. Making AN hoses to length isn't hard but you'll sacrifice a little blood in the process because making them without pricking your fingers is almost impossible. The fittings and hose aren't cheap either. The hard line-AN adapters were like $15 a piece if I remember correctly and you would need at least 2 of those, 2 NPT-AN fittings for the cooler, 4 AN hose fittings, and 10'ish of AN line. Here is where my decision became easier. For $70 I can get factory made hard lines, fittings, a cooler, and warranty honored by GM. Worst case scenario is this cooler isn't large enough for towing in the heat of NM and I have to get the aftermarket cooler after all. Money and time wasted? NO WAY! I already have the lines I need, headed to the spot I want them and I don't have to make any of the AN hoses or buy all those AN fittings. I can adapt the hard line to the NPT threads of the aftermarket cooler I was considering, with just 2 fittings.
Morale of that rant? The lines that come in this kit are worth the cost of the entire kit if you plan to put your cooler up front behind the grill anyway. I'm willing to give the small GM one a try.
My Baseline - Driving to work in the morning on an 85* day my trans temp hit 206* It's a gradual 1300' elevation climb.
Why did I decide to go this route over a larger aftermarket cooler? This is the question I asked myself for weeks before going this direction. This kit was $70 +S&H. Shipping by itself was like $13 but I bought a bunch of stuff for my wife's Volt too so I could lessen the blow of shipping costs. A custom install not only requires the cooler, but the lines and fittings. For me, the transmission is a critical component esp when living in the middle of nowhere like I do. I don't want to use barb fittings and rubber hose; I did this once and it worked just fine but I was always worried about the line dry rotting or a hose clamp and fitting failing. When I built my GTP I used all AN fittings and hose and I loved not only the confidence it gave me in the strength of the parts but also how it looked, but it was somewhat expensive. Making AN hoses to length isn't hard but you'll sacrifice a little blood in the process because making them without pricking your fingers is almost impossible. The fittings and hose aren't cheap either. The hard line-AN adapters were like $15 a piece if I remember correctly and you would need at least 2 of those, 2 NPT-AN fittings for the cooler, 4 AN hose fittings, and 10'ish of AN line. Here is where my decision became easier. For $70 I can get factory made hard lines, fittings, a cooler, and warranty honored by GM. Worst case scenario is this cooler isn't large enough for towing in the heat of NM and I have to get the aftermarket cooler after all. Money and time wasted? NO WAY! I already have the lines I need, headed to the spot I want them and I don't have to make any of the AN hoses or buy all those AN fittings. I can adapt the hard line to the NPT threads of the aftermarket cooler I was considering, with just 2 fittings.
Morale of that rant? The lines that come in this kit are worth the cost of the entire kit if you plan to put your cooler up front behind the grill anyway. I'm willing to give the small GM one a try.