M4N14C

iTrader: (3)

Flushed my coolant so I thought might as well remove the power steering "heater" before it blows up on me or leaks PS fluid into the radiator. Got one of those kits from AutoZone and it works really well. PS temps went from 210ish to steady 160, not to mention I don't have to worry about PS getting into my coolant






My PS cooler



The results

With OEM cooler



With aftermarket cooler

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Not surprised to see that at all.

I never took the time to test PS fluid temp prior to disconnecting the stock cooler, but with no cooler at all my readings were usually in the 18x range in the summer heat, 16x range in spring/fall temps. I figured that the PS fluid would have gotten much hotter than that when being run through engine coolant as hot as 22x° (stock fan settings).

In factory configuration and with stock fan settings, under most conditions it does end up being a "heater" rather than a "cooler".

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

Funny that it was utilized as an "upgrade" and selling point for the SS/WS6 in literature.

NW-99SS

iTrader: (6)

Excellent post, I am going to look into this as well. Plus I hate the PS hoses attached to the rad hose when trying to remove the rad, etc.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I think the only time it actually served the purpose of a "cooler" would be in extreme heat and/or when the car was moving at constant speed (keeping the coolant inside the radiator cool) but the PS system was being pushed hard. Or, if you had a lower temp t-stat and fan settings, then it could have helped as well (but then this would not be stock, and thus not something GM was counting on.)

I remember noticing much less fluid weep from the cap once I deleted the cooler, which would also suggest that the stock unit was more of a warmer across the average conditions in which I used the car.

_JB_

iTrader: (33)

Good info! How warm was it that day?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

I still haven't seen the information that will prove this, yet. It's an interesting theory, but would be an absolute failure of common sense.

The temperature of the fluid going in to the radiator is 210*. The stock P/S cooler uses the outlet coolant from the radiator, which is somewhere south of that temperature.

M4N14C's temperatures compare stock to externally cooled. RPM WS6 has some really good readings with no cooler. We just need good radiator outlet temperatures to confirm the engineering behind the whole thing, and if its really "heating" or "cooling."

So, if the no-cooler temperature is 160* but the radiator outlet temperature is 150*, then it would still be cooling. Not as well as an external cooler (60*-ish differential) - but it would be doing some cooling. (10* differential)

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I took and posted several readings of radiator outlet temp and PS cooler housing temp (disconnected from PS pump, but still in the radiator hose) in the latter pages of the massive PS cooler sticky. The outlet temps are higher than you might imagine with stock fan settings, unless you've been cruising at steady speed. For traffic/city situations, coolant temps climb quite a bit. Keep in mind that stock fan settings don't engage the low speed fans until 227°F, so what's coming out of the radiator is going to be at or near ~200°F (or possibly higher) at that point. Unless you've been pushing the PS system hard, this temp is going to be warmer than any of the readings I saw from the PS fluid (sans cooler) on days that were <90°F (ambient).

So while the stock cooler might be able to do some cooling while you're at steady cruise, it's going to also do some heating while you're stuck in slow moving traffic on a warm day. At this point it has created a need for itself, but with little net benefit unless you're the type to push the PS system hard while at steady speed (such as road race/AutoX).

Again, with modified fan settings (and even more so with a cooler t-stat) you could actually make this cooler work as a "cooler" full-time. But whether or not you want the side-effect of running your engine that cool is an entirely different debate.

dailydriver

And sadly, it was the ONLY option I opted for on this car when I ordered it, thinking it would actually be a benefit.

My current stacked plate cooler keeps the fluid so cold in the winter (this is a YEAR "ROUND car for me), that I have to go to the VERY thin, very high viscosity index, Pentosin 11S fluid in order to keep the pump from complaining about the fluid being too thick!

(I did not want to bother with the complications of putting a thermostat on the cooler lines.)

Z28 6spd

iTrader: (3)

What upper rad hose did you go with after deleting the GM cooler?

Majestic9C1

iTrader: (19)

the factory hose without the cooler option.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Whoever started that thread must have been out of their mind. It would be great if someone would summarize all the good stuff in there so we could re-sticky a smaller, more concise thread.

Great point.

M4N14C

iTrader: (3)

Both days were similar, around 80-85 both coming back from 45 min cruises. And I used one of the smaller coolers. Get one of the longer ones and I'm sure you'd see significantly lower temperatures.

Yep picked one up at O'Reilly for $12.

demonspeed

iTrader: (7)

ACDelco 26347X if you want to stick with GM ($25 shipped on Amazon).

A summarized "solution" thread is a great idea. The the thread author of it should start that second thread. I mean, who better than the originator?

99WS6MAN

iTrader: (2)

I'm guessing this was a optional addition when buying a Trans Am? I checked my 99 TA and I don't see this...

_JB_

iTrader: (33)

I've got a frame mount cooler and I think its a 12" model. I want to get a temperature reading but always forget to purchase a thermometer.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Like I said, the originator is a nut case. An objective third party would probably do a much better job.

Cole Train

iTrader: (30)

did you use all the factory cooler line hose or did you use the new hose? i ask because i've got the cooler and the new coolant hose, just gotta pull the old crap out.

38DD2436

Did you happen the read the temp before you installed the cooler?

M4N14C

iTrader: (3)

Like the upper radiator hose? I pulled it out entirely and added one that didn't have the PS cooler.

Yea that's the first temp reading pic at 206 degrees vs 155 with my cooler.