2004 Blazer 4x4. For a couple mounts I've been noticing a little "wetness" all over everything on the front right side bottom of the truck in the engine bay and all over suspension parts. To ME it looks like engine oil, not trans fluid, but I haven't taken the time to trace the lines back. It's leaking fast enough to come back and get on the exhaust cross pipe and every so often when I park the truck, I can smell what to me smells like cooking oil... The top fitting is definitely leaking, because it's getting all over the side of the radiator and running down, and even getting over to the battery some.

I know I can just replace the adapter fittings on the radiator that the hoses pop into. But is it safe to just do away with the cooling loop all together instead, and just loop the line and bypass the radiator? How important is the oil cooling through the radiator on these 4.3s?

 

Many people (including myself) have deleted the oil cooler lines all together and put the filter back on the engine block where it should have been from the start! Do a quick search and you will find info and the part number you need to make it happen

 

I just added a trans cooler & oil cooler. $30 a piece attached to front of radiator or a/c condenser. Keeping your engine/trans cool is worth it too me.

 

well I kind of like the location of the filter, makes oil changes a breeze lol it's just the leaky connections at the radiator that I don't like...

 

Important to know if trans fluid or oil level drops. The fittings on the passenger side are transmission cooler lines. The lines on the driver side are oil cooler lines. The fittings for the oil cooler lines have O rings inside and they can and do leak. If that's the problem, it's a cheap fix.

 

hmmmm, it's definitely the passenger side :/ maybe I'll have a check at the trans fluid level when I get home today

 

Yup, good idea. The oil and trans coolers are both inside the side tanks of the radiator. They are basically a coiled piece of tubing, (pretty cheesy) and they do not go through the radiator core. They are both submerged in coolant, so if either cooler ruptures inside the radiator, the coolant will become contaminated, and it's pretty easy to diagnose which one is leaking. If there is no coolant contamination, (strawberry milkshake or chocolate milkshake in the radiator) with only an external leak, it's either the fitting, the tube, or the O ring.

 

yep, trans fluid is definitely low... going to throw a quart in it this afternoon after work takes Dexron III correct?

Thanks!