Tranny cooler needed?
 

So I'm making a cross country move..NH to WA. I will be towing a boat along with me. The boat weight is about 1200lbs and with trailer probably looking at about 1500lbs. Not to mention things I throw inside the boat and all of the gear I have inside my blazer.

I have a 2001 S10 Blazer LT 4wd. Just turned 55k on it. It was my gradparents and they only really used it around town, hence the low mileage. In the last 2 years I have replaced the distributor cap, rotor, and plug wires, just did the front O2 sensor, and all ball joints in the front.

My question is this..do I need a tranny cooler to tow this boat the 3k miles? Im guessing its a good idea and cheap insurance. But if so, what cooler should I buy? I noticed each company has several different models, which one and where should I buy from? Also, how much should I expect to pay someone to install this?

What are other preventative maintenance tips I should do to this thing before leaving (not just engine and tranny, but the entire vehicle)? I plan on an oil change just before leaving. Should I do a tranny flush? Also, do you need additional tranny fluid if you install a cooler?

Thanks for the help guys. I don't leave until late may but I want to make this truck as reliable as possible to prevent issues along the way!

This is a topic that has been discussed quite a bit in the past. "trans+cooler" should turn up quite a few results with the answers you seek.

You don't need one but it is very highly recommended that you get one. Towing that little bit behind you shouldn't cause a problem, but as you said, it is great insurance and cheap. Plus, it will keep your tranny cool for the years to come and as we all know, heat kills trannys more than anything else.

Get the largest one you can fit on your vehicle. They are very easy to install yourself but if you are planning on changing out your tranny filter/flush at a shop prior to the trip, ask how much they will charge to install one. I don't think it should be more than $100. You will require a little more tranny fluid after installing an external cooler, which is a good thing.

Here is the cooler I installed in my vehicle:

http://www.shop.synergyoffroad.com/B...oler-70268.htm

AJ, this #70268 is the exact one you installed? And this will fit my 01 4dr blazer with the 4.3L? I just want to be sure I don't buy one that doesn't fit! haha. I work on snowmobiles a lot (mainly 2 strokes) but when it comes to automotives I'm always hesitant to tackle something without some knowledge going into it.

And do you think I'm looking at $100 to flush tranny, new filter, and install cooler? or $100 just to install cooler.
Also, would you recommend flushing the tranny and replacing filter at 55K? Would it be smart due to its age (01)?
I will check the topics lised in the link above and maybe these will answer some of my questions as well. Thanks guys.

$100 for just installing the cooler, probably around the same to flush/change out the filter. Go to a transmission shop, not a general mechanic or the dealer. If you've got a buddy who is a good shade tree mechanic, they should be able to get it done no problem.

55K is the perfect milage to do a flush/filter change. Well, maybe about 5K past perfect, though some like to do it every 25K. I do mine every 50K.

And, yes, that is the cooler I installed.

Excellent, thanks for the info. Where do you guys recommend buying this B & M supercooler? Some websites better than others? Do places like NAPA or VIP caryy these?

Lots of places carry them. I think I bought the one I have on my Rainier from Amazon because it was the cheapest at the time.

So the other day I brought my brother's car in for some warranty work at a dealership. They do tranny work there so for sh*ts I asked them about the flush, filter, and cooler install. They are working on a price quote at the moment, but the person I talked to said GM makes an additional tranny cooler that installs with compression fitting as oppoed to the hose clamp style used on these B & M supercoolers. I was thinking the compression fitting might be a better way to go butI'm not really sure what type of pressue these coolers see. Would I be better off with the GM cooler or is the B & M supercooler the way to go?

There shouldn't be any real pressure in the lines. It just dumps back into the transmission pan on the other end. Of all of the kits I've installed over the years, none have ever leaked using the proper hose barbs and good clamps.