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  1. #1
    Member qwik219d9's Avatar
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    silver
    99 ws6

    what type of junkyard car can I snag a small oil cooler from

    what type of junkyard car can I snag a small oil cooler from to use as a power steering cooler for my 99WS6?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    11 years of bangin gears cammed goat's Avatar
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    Phantom Black Metallic
    2004 GTO M6

    You could try one from an older F-Body. Like a 93-97. Just an idea.

  3. #3
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Any brand truck is a good bet for extra coolers. I could suggest alot of older cars that actually had PS coolers like late 60's and early 70's ford mustangs and pontiacs, but you are unlikely to find them in junkyards nowadays.
    Impalas of mid 90's vintage (LT1) is also a good source. Some had police car packages with coolers on just about everything. Basically any police car package would be a good source whether SUV or car. Easy to spot with the hood up as they almost always have silicone hoses that are green in color.

    It's just one of those things where you'll have to find a good yard that still has older stuff and put some time in walking around. Junkyard exploring is one of my favorite pass times

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    Member qwik219d9's Avatar
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    silver
    99 ws6

    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    Any brand truck is a good bet for extra coolers. I could suggest alot of older cars that actually had PS coolers like late 60's and early 70's ford mustangs and pontiacs, but you are unlikely to find them in junkyards nowadays.
    Impalas of mid 90's vintage (LT1) is also a good source. Some had police car packages with coolers on just about everything. Basically any police car package would be a good source whether SUV or car. Easy to spot with the hood up as they almost always have silicone hoses that are green in color.

    It's just one of those things where you'll have to find a good yard that still has older stuff and put some time in walking around. Junkyard exploring is one of my favorite pass times
    very good suggestions thank you.

  5. #5
    Senior Member JayTA98's Avatar
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    Mean Black
    1998 Trans Am

    Why not install a brand new aftermarket? just wondering?

  6. #6
    ʢ ൧ ൨ ൩ ൪ ൫ ൬ ൭ ൮Ր Ց Ւ Փ Smittro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JayTA98 View Post
    Why not install a brand new aftermarket? just wondering?

    This..

  7. #7
    Senior Member redbird555's Avatar
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    2002 Camaro Z/28 Pewter

    I have to agree with these guys, usually oem coolers arent the best in terms of actual cooling and aftermarket ones will vastly out perform them second of all a new cooler is about 50-60 bucks. Idk about anyone else here but if the junkyard car had a blown tranny and clutch material got into the cooler what's gonna happen when you put that cooler in your car? It wont really be pretty the marignal savings you would get by getting a used one from the salvage yard isnt worth it imo

  8. #8
    Senior Member JayTA98's Avatar
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    Mean Black
    1998 Trans Am

    Exactly my point why install a part that is not that expensive and have the peace of mind that will last you a long time? The one I installed was around $50, it came with hoses and everything
    Last edited by JayTA98; 01-04-2012 at 06:37 AM.

  9. #9
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Biggest reason is that in a nutshell, OEM is best if you can find it. Nothing beats the fit and function of the OEM parts. When things get discontinued it's either swap meets or junkyards. Alot of aftermarket is crap unless you spend real money,,,,sorry to say. The used parts that are basically unaffected by mileage is no real concern when used part hunting.
    Some of the aftermarket coolers aren't that great for $50, you get cheap hose barb fittings, low fin counts, and junk like that. I much rather prefer good 37 degree AN fittings for a leak free and tight seal for just about any liquid cooler.
    Aftermarket coolers like that will run you over $100. OEM coolers had this stuff factory, or at the very least a flared fitting with o-rings (still a superior seal).

    It doesn't take much to flush out a cooler either, so the fear of trash passing through it really isn't a concern. I've even used small AC condensors for tranny coolers. Extremely high fin counts, nothing more efficient either, leak free flare fittings, doesn't get anymore robust than that,,,,,and cheap too. An aftermarket cooler of that caliber will easily run $100-150 or more, then you have to make your lines.
    Last edited by Firebirdjones; 01-04-2012 at 07:23 AM.

  10. #10
    Senior Member redbird555's Avatar
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    2002 Camaro Z/28 Pewter

    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    Biggest reason is that in a nutshell, OEM is best if you can find it. Nothing beats the fit and function of the OEM parts. When things get discontinued it's either swap meets or junkyards. Alot of aftermarket is crap unless you spend real money,,,,sorry to say. The used parts that are basically unaffected by mileage is no real concern when used part hunting.
    Some of the aftermarket coolers aren't that great for $50, you get cheap hose barb fittings, low fin counts, and junk like that. I much rather prefer good 37 degree AN fittings for a leak free and tight seal for just about any liquid cooler.
    Aftermarket coolers like that will run you over $100. OEM coolers had this stuff factory, or at the very least a flared fitting with o-rings (still a superior seal).

    It doesn't take much to flush out a cooler either, so the fear of trash passing through it really isn't a concern. I've even used small AC condensors for tranny coolers. Extremely high fin counts, nothing more efficient either, leak free flare fittings, doesn't get anymore robust than that,,,,,and cheap too. An aftermarket cooler of that caliber will easily run $100-150 or more, then you have to make your lines.
    I agree with you on that good coolers can top a hundred bucks but a 29,000 btu B&M cooler with quality fittings and oil hose ran me about 90 bucks so it can be done a little cheaper. The only other thing I'll argue is that most oem coolers arent even really big enough to help the car too much anyway. Take the stock oil coolers that come on ford 1 ton trucks or the power steering coolers in our cars more often than not they just arent up to snuff. Also if he's pulling the cooler off an unrelated car to an fbody fit really wont matter because the cooler wasnt designed to fit into an fbody an aftermarket one of appropriate size will do ok. No offense jones just playing devils advocate here

  11. #11
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by redbird555 View Post
    I agree with you on that good coolers can top a hundred bucks but a 29,000 btu B&M cooler with quality fittings and oil hose ran me about 90 bucks so it can be done a little cheaper. The only other thing I'll argue is that most oem coolers arent even really big enough to help the car too much anyway. Take the stock oil coolers that come on ford 1 ton trucks or the power steering coolers in our cars more often than not they just arent up to snuff. Also if he's pulling the cooler off an unrelated car to an fbody fit really wont matter because the cooler wasnt designed to fit into an fbody an aftermarket one of appropriate size will do ok. No offense jones just playing devils advocate here
    Actually, that's why I mentioned AC condensors for coolers. They come in various sizes but even the smallest ones are plenty large enough to cool just about any liquid you throw at it. Not to mention the benefit of about 4 extra quarts of fluid . I run one on my 79 pickup that I tow with for a tranny cooler, pulling around 10,000 lbs trailer with the original 400 turbo still in it, works great. We also installed one in a friends 69 mach 1 that's running a 4500 stall converter, driven on the street for several years now. I believe they actually work more efficient than the aftermarket stuff.
    On 4th gens you are at the cars mercy, GM just didn't leave any room to do much of anything on those cars. Sad. I still stuffed a large tranny cooler on mine though and bent my own lines and flare fittings. It was tight but worked excellent.

  12. #12
    ʢ ൧ ൨ ൩ ൪ ൫ ൬ ൭ ൮Ր Ց Ւ Փ Smittro's Avatar
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    You could say it's up or down on OEM units when it comes to different makes imho.

    My z34 had a factory trany cooler so small you could have it sticking out of the roof and the 4t60e would still get too hot and die..

    A cooler for the PS fluid is a waste imho.

    I've had more than 8 GM's that did'nt have one and never had a PS pump ever die from heat...

  13. #13
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smittro View Post
    You could say it's up or down on OEM units when it comes to different makes imho.

    My z34 had a factory trany cooler so small you could have it sticking out of the roof and the 4t60e would still get too hot and die..

    A cooler for the PS fluid is a waste imho.

    I've had more than 8 GM's that did'nt have one and never had a PS pump ever die from heat...
    You have to get out of the little V6 stuff to see any substantial factory coolers

    Get into the police car packages with V8's and SUV's and you'll see big stuff that will work for any car with a little enginuity.

  14. #14
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Actually Smittro, PS coolers become necessary if you do any road type racing. I've seen some of those things smoking hot on just a simple road rally at goodguys. For a street car though, I agree, unnecessary.

  15. #15
    ʢ ൧ ൨ ൩ ൪ ൫ ൬ ൭ ൮Ր Ց Ւ Փ Smittro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    You have to get out of the little V6 stuff to see any substantial factory coolers

    Get into the police car packages with V8's and SUV's and you'll see big stuff that will work for any car with a little enginuity.
    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    Actually Smittro, PS coolers become necessary if you do any road type racing. I've seen some of those things smoking hot on just a simple road rally at goodguys. For a street car though, I agree, unnecessary.
    Had many v8 trucks none had PS coolers even my 3/4 ton 4x4 had no need for a cooler with 35's on it..

    Even the Hummer does'nt have one.. <-- that would be a ~$40k new and ~ $26k used SUV..
    http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...-hummer-h3.htm

    Just because I like the little GM v6 does'nt mean I'm some kid whom never had a v8..

    By the time I was 8-9 years old I had a hand full of field cars I used to beat the crap out of..

    All v8's, no coolers, and no smoking PS pumps..lol
    Last edited by Smittro; 01-04-2012 at 01:16 PM.
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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smittro View Post
    Had many v8 trucks none had PS coolers even my 3/4 ton 4x4 had no need for a cooler with 35's on it..

    Even the Hummer does'nt have one.. <-- that would be a ~$40k new and ~ $26k used SUV..
    2008 Hummer H3 - Consumer Guide Automotive

    Just because I like the little GM v6 does'nt mean I'm some kid whom never had a v8..

    By the time I was 8-9 years old I had a hand full of field cars I used to beat the crap out of..

    All v8's, no coolers, and no smoking PS pumps..lol
    I didn't mean any of that had power steering coolers, however it was original equipment on many older cars. My 69 SCJ Mach has one. 69 Trans Ams had them, of course 4th gen SS and WS6 had them as well as optional on Z's and TA's,,,etc etc...

    My point was that you can use anything for a power steering cooler, it doesn't have to be specifically "FOR" a power steering cooler. You can run something as big as an AC condensor if you wish, pulled off of any junk yard car, although I think that would be extreme overkill

    Hit a road rally somewhere and you'll see what I'm talking about with overheated PS fluid. It makes a mess and boils past the cap in some cases. The track officials really love it when track clean up is needed

  17. #17
    ʢ ൧ ൨ ൩ ൪ ൫ ൬ ൭ ൮Ր Ց Ւ Փ Smittro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    I didn't mean any of that had power steering coolers, however it was original equipment on many older cars. My 69 SCJ Mach has one. 69 Trans Ams had them, of course 4th gen SS and WS6 had them as well as optional on Z's and TA's,,,etc etc...

    My point was that you can use anything for a power steering cooler, it doesn't have to be specifically "FOR" a power steering cooler. You can run something as big as an AC condensor if you wish, pulled off of any junk yard car, although I think that would be extreme overkill

    Hit a road rally somewhere and you'll see what I'm talking about with overheated PS fluid. It makes a mess and boils past the cap in some cases. The track officials really love it when track clean up is needed
    I gotcha.. Ya PS fluid spattered on paint jobs don't mix well either..

  18. #18
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smittro View Post
    I gotcha.. Ya PS fluid spattered on paint jobs don't mix well either..
    That could be ugly.

    I saw a couple of guys go straight through the cones for no reason, only to come back and say "my power steering just stopping working and I couldn't turn the wheel". And had a puddle under the car.
    Although I've never had that happen, I assume the fluid got hot and it was airated (sp?) and caused the PS pump to spiratically work or not pump? So the wheel gets hard to turn at times, I guess.

    I'm not a road racer so I can't be sure, just what I've seen watching those guys.

  19. #19
    ʢ ൧ ൨ ൩ ൪ ൫ ൬ ൭ ൮Ր Ց Ւ Փ Smittro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    That could be ugly.

    I saw a couple of guys go straight through the cones for no reason, only to come back and say "my power steering just stopping working and I couldn't turn the wheel". And had a puddle under the car.
    Although I've never had that happen, I assume the fluid got hot and it was airated (sp?) and caused the PS pump to spiratically work or not pump? So the wheel gets hard to turn at times, I guess.

    I'm not a road racer so I can't be sure, just what I've seen watching those guys.
    I dunno I accidently put anti freeze in one b4, not good lol,, (it was dark grabbed wrong bottle) long story..

    I don't know what would make it lock up, only ever had that happen on an 87 chevy 4x4 short box when the front universal joint took a dump.

    Most times with a lost PS pump, when they're rolling you can usually still turn them sorta easily.

    Though I can see PS fluid full of air bubbles (boiling) causing some sort of issue..
    Last edited by Smittro; 01-04-2012 at 04:37 PM.

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