Oil cooler lines blocked off
 

I found out that the oil cooler lines where taken out and the engine oil is not being cooled. I have looked at aftermarket kits and their prices. I think I have three options:

1. buy an aftermarket oil cooler/lines
2. buy stock oil cooler lines and call it a day
3. buy a new radiator and oil cooler lines because the radiator is old. Truck has over 175k and I know the radiator was the same radiator was re used when the new block was installed at 125k. I have a leak coming from the lower driver's side of the radiator. Still have not checked this out.

What do you think? I am leaning towards #3.

Stock lines and a stock cooler will cost just as much as one of hte aftermarket kits available from PMDcabledot com or lubricationspecialistsdotcom.

The stock lines WILL fail, it's just a matter of when. Depending on how long you plan to keep the truck, it might not be worth buying the stock ones. They usually leak at the swage, but some have been known to blow the rubber line right out of the swage. If this happens, your very expensive diesel engine becomes a very effective boat anchor.....

Your 98 should have an engine oil cooler that is separate from the radiator. If you tow anything at all, you should have the engine oil cooler installed as the 506 blocks (IE: your 98) has the piston oiling jets to help remove heat from the pistons. This means the oil is under more stress than the non oiling jet blocks, especially under towing conditions.

Thank you for your knowledge AGAIN Great White. I have looked at the Heath diesel cooler, the lubricationspecialist cooler and have contacted Derale as well (I have used them before with success). I think I am leaning toward Lubricationspecialist. I will check out PMDcabledot later tonight. After reading the FAQ's and replacing oil cooler lines constantly on another GM truck I have, I am definitely going with an aftermarket oil cooler.

If there is a separate oil cooler, I have not found it yet. The previous owner said he never installed the oil cooler lines after replacing the block. There is 50k on the new block. If there was never an oil cooler used, could there be damage? My block is a 506 Peninsular block if that makes a difference. I am sending a sample of oil out to get tested at a lab this week.

X2 not much more to be said. I tried the new and improved GM engine oil cooler lines and they were leaking within a year and a half of installation.

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If it never got hot, there should be no damage. Hopefully he ran synthetic oil.

My vehicles that have been on synthetic oil for many years carry better oil pressure than those that were on Dino oil for the same number of miles.

He did not run synthetic. Dino Rotella. I have been running Dino Rotella as well. The Oil pressure gauge was all over the place and the former owner said he tested it at 35psi at idle. I replaced the OPS and the gauge was normal again. The oil pressure looks more like 25-30 at idle and 40-45 moving.

Its a no brainer, get an oil cooler.

Leroy