LS3/L99 Factory oil cooler delete: Removal of coolant fitting on engine block
Am I able to remove the coolant fitting on the 10-15 SS engines, with the headers or exhaust manifolds still in place? It looks like a tight fit to get through, but some people have stated that they are better off with the front driver side wheel off, as well as that fender liner removed.
I currently have some 1-7/8” long tube headers in the way, and I’m debating on whether or not to remove them all the way; as loosening them partially probably won’t help too much… I got a metric 34mm hex socket for the coolant fitting to be loosened; and people say they’ve used huge crescent wrenches and whatnot, but that sounds like a job with the headers OFF all the way. I most likely have to unclip/undo the coolant line from the fitting, and then I’ll be able to place the socket over it. I also purchased the OEM replacement brass plug that has a metric 17mm allen hex head. Will be using teflon tape on it, and it also came with dried orange thread locker on it; hoping I’ll be good and no leaks will come of this install… I’ve heard horror stories of 10-11 SS’ with the TSB for replacing CROSS-THREADED coolant fittings in the engine block; forcing people with bad coolant leaks, to have their whole engine block replaced under factory warranty. Yikes. |
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I'm not sure but I assume it's possible because they sell the delete kit for it and I believe it doesn't say anything about removing the engine or anything crazy like that. I do believe it will be easier with the wheel removed and the inner fender lining like you said though. Here's a picture of it to help you.
Attachment 1147377 |
Yes, you can delete the oil cooler without removing the headers. The hardest one to get to is the top bolt of the oil cooler itself.
Here are some notes/pictures I recorded in my build thread when I deleted mine last year. https://www.camaro5.com/forums/showp...4&postcount=87 |
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I basically just got the parts numbers from Improved Racing and set out to find the OEM parts I needed for cheap. For the oil cooler setup itself, I looked at the list of parts the Mishimoto oil cooler kit had, but settled on a oil cooler feed thermostat that would mount directly to the oil pan feed, instead of the oil filter housing (Mishimoto). I think I’m pretty set on installing the oil cooler setup, as it’s fairly simple. I attempted to fix the stock oil cooler leak like 3 times before giving up. First time was simply tightening all the bolts, which didn’t help. Second time, I drained the coolant and oil, so I could replace all the gaskets (oil pan feed and oil cooler); this sadly did not help either. I ended up slathering tons of black Permatex RTV 90-minute, oil resistant gasket maker all over the oil cooling block surface itself; this also proved to be futile…. I think the mating surfaces of the oil cooler housing and block are warped/defective, causing it to inevitably leak. I saw it leaking like the 2nd day I checked underneath the car, and was quite frustrated. I brought it back to Chevrolet, and they fcked around with me 3 times; after another time (4th attempt) at a local Chevy STEALERship, I ultimately gave up. They kept telling me that my EXTENDED warranty fine print details stated that, the oil cooler and gaskets for it were a “gray area” regarding warranty fixes/repairs… and that if it gets “worse” from driving it daily, to just bring it back. You damn well know I said, FCK THAT. Worst corporate stealership experience I had with buying a pre-owned nicer car. |
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I also fear that my cheaper AN-10 oil cooler lines (braided stainless steel) will leak at their fittings. However, this is also fear from some other users’ experiences; and some even had their Mishimoto oil cooler lines and cooler fittings/threads leak, especially after heavy, hard driving (track driving, drag racing). I think I should be pretty set; as I looked up which fuses to pull, in order to prime the engine oil (should be fuses for fuel injectors). I think I’m probably going to pre-fill the oil cooler itself, but I’m not sure about the lines themselves… Maybe someone with experience can chime in? I usually fill the oil filter, but that’s also debatable; and it’s probably not even nearly as important in this case… |
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