Power Steering "Heater" Delete
Power Steering "Heater" Delete 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
My PS cooler
The results
With OEM cooler
With aftermarket cooler
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,631
Likes: 2,555
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
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".
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".
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,631
Likes: 2,555
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
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.
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)
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)
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 34,631
Likes: 2,555
From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
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)
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)
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.
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Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Bucks County, Pa.
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.)
Great point.
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.
Yep picked one up at O'Reilly for $12.
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? 
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.
Yea that's the first temp reading pic at 206 degrees vs 155 with my cooler.