Is a Transmission Cooler for a 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 with 5.3 liter Engine a Smart Choice

Question:

I have a 2014 Chevy Silverado 5.3 L motor 4 x 4 and I would like to put an external transmission cooler on my truck. So I looked in the motor compartment and you have a transmission line coming into the radiator about a quarter of the way up from the bottom Of the radiator and then it comes out of the top of the radiator on the driver side and goes into my air conditioning condenser on the driver side and then it comes out the condenser on the passenger side and goes into the transmission. Is there any external transmission cooler that will work on this vehicle.

asked by: David R

Expert Reply:

Installing a transmission cooler on a truck like your 2014 Chevy Silverado 1500 with a 5.3 liter is a very common modification and one that is very possible and not difficult. The Derale cooler part # D13504 that you referenced is a very popular choice for your truck due to it's very efficient design and also it's larger size which helps with the cooling capabilities. You want to install the cooler on the return line of the transmission lines after it's passed through the radiators so that you maximize the cooling power of both the factory cooler and this one.

If you are not sure which transmission you have you can start up the truck, keep your foot on the brake, and shift into drive for about 15 seconds or so. Put it back in park and then you can feel each transmission line. One should be noticeably warmer. The cooler one is the return line.

You can follow the return line from the transmission to the radiator to determine which line is for the transmission and which are for coolant.

expert reply by: Jameson C