Engine Replacement & Oil Cooler

[Jamierayo]

Hello everyone. I'm a new Yukon owner & just joined the forum.

The truck is a 1999 Denali that I bought with a blown motor. Everything else is in great shape.

I ordered a new crate motor from the dealer & it should arrive in about a week, so hopefully I'll be driving within two.

The story I got is that the head gasket(s) blew & then it spun some bearings. There was plenty of coolant in the oil pan & some ugly noises from the crancase.

I'm concerned about the oil cooler. If the oil is full of shredded bearings, won't the cooler be as well? Can it (and the lines) be flushed well enough? Do I need to pull the radiator & have it flushed at a shop?
If the oil cooler were seperate, I'd just repace it, but I think my Yukon has a dedicated tranny cooler with the oil cooler lines integrated in the radiator.

I'm not new to engine swaps (although this one has been hired out), GM trucks, or SBC's, but any other advice would be welcomed too.

---------- Post added at 10:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 PM ----------

Sorry folks.
I just read the sticky about the content of the tech section.

Is there a mod that can move this thread for me?

 

[Freedom Motorsports]

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Speaking from experience, I would replace the radiator and oil cooler as well. No need messing around with them when they could be full of metal. Not sure if flushing them out would remove enough of the wear metals, etc.

 

[bowtiefreak]

yes replace it. JUST went through this. I had a bad motor and knew it but popped a radiator / oil cooler and swapped in a new one as I kept drving the truck. Re placed the motor and assumed the cooler was ok, BUT upon inspection it had metal in it. Save the trouble and replace it.

 

[Jamierayo]

Ok, thanks for the advice.
Is that correct that Yukon has the oil cooler lines in the radiator, and they're not separate units?

 

[bowtiefreak]

both my tahoe and suburban have a common radiator / oil cooler.

 

[SunlitComet]

the vehicles have a radiator with the oil cooler tank in left section and tranny cooler on right section. since you are replacing engine replace the radiator system as well. And no matter what do not disable either cooler for any reason.

 

[Jamierayo]

I'll be replacing the radiator, but the tranny cooler is definately a separate unit, (located in front, on the passenger side) so it can stay.

 

[bowtiefreak]

Are you sure it's not parts of the AC?

 

[SunlitComet]

there maybe an extra cooling unit for tranny but it should not eliminate the rad mounted one. it is supposed to be in addition to it.

 

[domin8]

There can be an additional oil cooler on front of the radiator, but the radiator definitely has a trans oil cooler on the right side of the radiator. I say can be because people can install auxiliary trans coolers via GM accessories. I did this to my truck. Instead of returning the cooled oil from the radiator to the trans mine now goes to an auxiliary trans cooler and then back to the radiator. GM's kit even included new cooler lines that were already preformed.