Trans Cooler question

Over the weekend while towing our camper we saw trans temps reach 213 so after some searching ive read the tru-cool 40k is the way to go. all the installs ive seen seem to replace the small oem cooler but more reading ive discovered its possible I may not have an external cooler at all. My Tahoe is currently in the shop due to hail damage so i cant just go peek, is there a way to tell using the vin? and if there is no external cooler, does anyone have a writeup on the install?
Its a 2016 with 5.3, 3.08 gears, tow mode button on the stick and oem hitch. no OEM integrated brake controller.

faredo said:

Over the weekend while towing our camper we saw trans temps reach 213 so after some searching ive read the tru-cool 40k is the way to go. all the installs ive seen seem to replace the small oem cooler but more reading ive discovered its possible I may not have an external cooler at all. My Tahoe is currently in the shop due to hail damage so i cant just go peek, is there a way to tell using the vin? and if there is no external cooler, does anyone have a writeup on the install?
Its a 2016 with 5.3, 3.08 gears, tow mode button on the stick and oem hitch. no OEM integrated brake controller.

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2016s did not use the old style external cooler. The transmission cooler is now combined with the AC Condenser with the transmission cooler residing in the upper portion. You can still plumb in your Tru-Cool. 213 degrees is nothing. It'll go over 260 before you get the warnings. That said, if you get it that hot, change it, don't wait for 100K or even 50K.

Don't forget, you truck has a thermostat for the transmission cooler, either "flip the pill" or get the new lower temperature thermostat. This will probably give you an even bigger bang for your buck over the Tru-Cool come to think of it. Get some more advice before deciding what to do.

I installed the Mishimoto cooler on my 2016 Yukon and along with the new updated transmission thermostat my coolant barely reaches 180 in the summer in Arizona. Not the cheapest cooler, but far superior to any of the others and most trouble free, perfect install possible.

I did the pill flip like suggested and it was a huge improvement. I haven't pulled in the middle of summer yet but temps went down to mid 140s towing 6k.

faredo said:

I did the pill flip like suggested and it was a huge improvement. I haven't pulled in the middle of summer yet but temps went down to mid 140s towing 6k.

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I towed about 4k this week through 90+ degree heat for about 60 miles each way and my trans never got above 170. Huge improvement over the stock set up. No extra coolers, just flipped the pill

used the Mishimoto MMTC-K2-14 Transmission Cooler kit for a 2017 Chevy Tahoe 4x4 Premier.

Amazing kit. Works excellent. High quality kit. Not too hard to install, but have to take off the front bumper. Kept the thermostat in place, so the cooler only gets used when the thermostat turns on at like 180-190. But normal operating temps I heard was good for the transmission. above 210-220 bad of course.

I don't think its ever gone over 200 or 210 now while towing up steep grades in > 100 F weather.

Flip the pill....e.g. replace the trans lines and have the thermostatic valve removed when the updated lines go back in

WHAT IS "FLIP THE PILL"???

bstrada said:

WHAT IS "FLIP THE PILL"???

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You disassemble the transmission thermostat, then flip over some of the internal parts. It makes the fluid flow continuous to the external cooler. There are a bunch of youtube videos on it. Takes about a half hour to do.

Essentially you are flipping the part that moves inside the thermostat and by doing so you are causing the thermostat to stay open and always allow cooling. I did this over the weekend and I have driven about 70km so far - no issues. Transmission used to stay steady around 90 to 95°C now I'm steady around 65°C. People always ask why did GM do this in the first place and it was because it was a government mandated implementation? Frankly, it's a pointless bypass.
If you're not interested in doing this, you can buy a proper bypass kit.


Hope this helps.