Cooler Chevelle

We chose electric gauges to facilitate the installation. The first step was locating the sending units. We could have welded a bung into the stamped steel trans pan on our brutish 4L80E, but JET Performance offered up an alternative in its beefy deep-sump cast aluminum pan. It’s necessary to drill and tap a 1/8-inch NPT (tapered pipe thread) hole to accommodate the sender. We dabbed a small amount of Teflon thread sealant on the sender’s threads before screwing it into the side of the pan.
We chose electric gauges to facilitate the installation. The first step was locating the s
We wanted to keep the factory “idiot light” low oil pressure warning, so we headed to the hardware store to buy a two-way tee. The sending unit was screwed into one of the female ports, and the factory oil light sender was screwed into the other port, shown plugged in this pic.
We wanted to keep the factory “idiot light” low oil pressure warning, so we head
Ah, just when you think you’re good to go, Murphy’s Law strikes in full force. For reasons unbeknownst to us, GM used square-head pipe plugs to block the oil pressure port on our ZZ502 motor. The inset square head is 5/16x5/16-inch in size—what to do? We headed to a good industrial supply shop and bought an 8-point 5/16 socket and a small length of 5/16-inch square key stock. Insert the stock in the socket, and the plug comes out flawlessly with a ratchet handle. We hope this saves you the 2-plus hours of scouring the city for a 5/16-inch square drive socket. With the plug removed, we screwed the sending units in this port (located above the oil filter on a Chevy big-block).
Ah, just when you think you’re good to go, Murphy’s Law strikes in full force. F

Once the sending units are screwed in place, it’s a matter of running three wires per gauge—one to the sending unit, one to +12V, and the last to ground. We powered the gauge lights via the “ILLUM” terminal on the fuse block so the dimmer controlled their brightness. Installed under the dash, just left of the steering column, we’ve got an uninterrupted view of the compact 2-inch gauges.
Once the sending units are screwed in place, it’s a matter of running three wires per
We ordered Perma Cool’s PN 40189 oil cooler and PN 13515 Maxi-Cool Jr. electric-fan–assisted transmission cooler for the Chevelle. The trans cooler was already fitted with male AN-6 ends, but we had to install adapters to convert the oil cooler’s 3/8 NPT fittings to male AN-10 ends.
We ordered Perma Cool’s PN 40189 oil cooler and PN 13515 Maxi-Cool Jr. electric-fan&#
Our Chevelle has a reasonably large radiator opening, but that space looked awfully cramped when we mocked up fitment of the oil and trans coolers. We settled on installing the oil cooler horizontally, with the hose fittings toward the driver side. Perma-Cool furnished sturdy push-through plastic hold-downs to secure the cooler to the radiator.
Our Chevelle has a reasonably large radiator opening, but that space looked awfully crampe

Perma-Cool supplied this adapter that spins on the engine block where the oil filter would reside. We fitted AN-10 male ends to the adapter, spun it on the block, and found the cooler lines cleared the header with ample room using 90-degree hose ends.
Perma-Cool supplied this adapter that spins on the engine block where the oil filter would
Braided stainless hose is pretty easy to work with, provided the hose is of good quality like our top-notch Goodridge stuff. Wrap the hose ends with a few turns of masking tape (electrical tape works OK), and cut straight through the hose. The tape should keep the braids from unraveling, whether you use a hacksaw or a cutoff wheel. We had good results using a hacksaw, but make sure to install a sharp new fine-tooth blade before attempting to saw through the braids.
Braided stainless hose is pretty easy to work with, provided the hose is of good quality l
Installing the hose ends is a breeze if the hose has been cut cleanly and squarely. We found it easier to tighten the hose ends with the crimping nut secured in a vise. Cover the vise jaws to prevent scoring or scratching the hose ends (the finish is fragile). Properly installed, the hose shouldn’t back out of the crimping nut as the fitting is tightened.
Installing the hose ends is a breeze if the hose has been cut cleanly and squarely. We fou

The remote oil filter adapter was installed on the Chevelle’s core support with an aluminum bracket, which was rescued from the scrap bin and painted black. Make sure there’s adequate space to install and remove the filter element! This adapter accepts a big-block Chevy–style filter so we don’t have to restock our parts bin. It’s got ports on both sides to accommodate any installation orientation. We blocked off the extra ports with the supplied pipe plugs and installed AN-10 ends on the remaining two. We found that straight hose ends allowed for a comfortable radius to snake the AN-10 lines along the top of the radiator. We needed 45-degree hose ends in and out of the oil cooler to keep the lines from kinking. Snaking the cooler lines between the fender and fenderwell kept them secure and out of view. The lines were then terminated at the engine block adapter using 90-degree hose ends to keep them away from the headers. Now, the oil leaves the engine block, passes through the relocated filter, traverses the cooler, and returns to the engine, cleaned and chilled.
The remote oil filter adapter was installed on the Chevelle’s core support with an al
The Maxi-Cool Jr. enlisted to cool the 4L80E is a pretty serious piece. It’s factory fitted with AN-6 hose ends and incorporates a slick electric fan to keep a healthy supply of air flowing through the core. Space constraints pretty much forced us to mount it directly in front of the oil cooler. Not optimal, but the Perma-Cool techs thought the “stacked” coolers wouldn’t pose any problem. The Maxi-Cool weighs more than a typical cooler, due to its tough construction and electric fan, and bracketry isn’t furnished. We cut and bent some 1/16-inch–thick steel strap, and drilled holes for nuts and bolts to “sandwich” the cooler ends between the straps.
The Maxi-Cool Jr. enlisted to cool the 4L80E is a pretty serious piece. It’s factory
We attached our mounting straps to the trans cooler and drilled two holes in the core support and in the top of each strap. After bolting the straps to the core support (using nylon locking nuts to keep the bolts tight), the cooler was plenty secure. We wired up the cooler’s fan to a 30-amp relay and mounted a switch under the dash (although Perma-Cool recommends running the fan at all times). Keep in mind that the motor’s polarity must be reversed in this mounting orientation so it “pushes” air through the core. Attach the black lead to +12V; red goes to ground.
We attached our mounting straps to the trans cooler and drilled two holes in the core supp

The 45-degree hose ends allowed the braided lines to clear the floorboards. We made sure to leave some slack in the cooler lines to allow transmission-to-chassis flex without hose failure. The hoses were cable-tied together for security after exiting the framerail. On GM A-body cars, we found routing the lines through the frame rail is easiest, and does a good job of protecting them. Just make sure to keep the lines away from the front coil spring.
The 45-degree hose ends allowed the braided lines to clear the floorboards. We made sure t
Converting the transmission case cooler ports to AN-6 isn’t hard with the correct parts. We purchased a pair of these fittings from a local shop. They convert the O-ringed nontaper-threaded transmission ports to a male AN-6 end. While the factory used metal crush washers to seal this type of fitting, we substituted robust Viton O-rings which are effective through 400 degrees F. The fittings were carefully tightened a quarter-turn past snug.
Converting the transmission case cooler ports to AN-6 isn’t hard with the correct par
For added safety, we used cushion clamps to secure the braided hose. Over time, the rubbing action of the braided lines can file down the wire insulation, exposing the conductor and creating the potential for a short. CC
For added safety, we used cushion clamps to secure the braided hose. Over time, the rubbin

One of the recent car crafting trends is something wed never have predicted if youd have asked us 10 years ago. That trend is making mods that dont necessarily make your car go any fastersuch as brakes, safety equipment, and reliability equipment. Thats because our street machines have to share the road with todays cars, which stop better, protect their riders better, and are more reliable than much of the old iron we drive.

And those are the standards that we plan to meet with our beloved Cheap Street Chevelle. Its hard to divert our money away from making performance-improving mods, but considering the cars recent reliability record, we felt it was time to optimize the equipment weve already got. Since the car often gets used on long road trips through the desert, we thought wed begin bulletproofing the powertrain by installing a transmission cooler and an oil cooler, both from Perma-Cool. In a diversion from the bare-minimum installation you might expect from Car Craft, we opted to go a step further and plumb both coolers with braided-stainless hose from Goodridge, and monitor the temperature of the engine oil and trans fluid with a duo of Ultra-Lite gauges from Auto Meter to quantify any improvement. As youll see, it got real expensive in the process.

We anticipate the letters complaining of the relatively high cost of doing a quality cooler installation. Were certain that others will question the need for any oil cooler at all. Thats why we conducted tests and collected data to substantiate the need for the coolers. And to be perfectly frank, its still good insurance for a $6,500 motor and a $4,000 transmission.

SOURCES
Auto Meter 667 West 100 North Box 717 Ephraim UT 84627 435-283-4142	JET performance
Goodridge	Perma-Cool 671 E. Edna Place Covina CA 91723 626-967-2777 www.perma-cool.com