buying new radiator - but how to tell which one i need?

Well I've searched and it says that auroras come with two different kinds of radiators one with tranny and oil cooler and one without oil cooler. I called the dealer hoping that they will be able to point me towards the right one and even with the VIN# they couldn't say.

I've looked under the hood trying to locate "metal lines " on passenger and driver side but there is so many hoses and lines there i wasn't able to tell which one i need.

also can i use radiator from different year - mine is 97 - there are rads on ebay but for 95-96 - will that one fit?

fellow members please respond with any info that would help me distinguish between those two.

thanks in advance

Ironkrakus

If that is the same guy I think it is he will sell you one for your same year. Just email him and he will let you know.

is the Ebay seller Tiger-by?

I went to www.radiatorbarn.com and ordered online. The cost is $219 and if you do the online purchase they take $5 off plus ship for free. It looks like it only takes 1 or 2 days to get to me also. I hope that this oil cooler isn't going to be a problem. My father has a constuction business and one of his workers is also a mechanic so the guy said he would do the radiator swap for the same amount of money per hr as what he makes in the construct biz. Lucked out on that one because I went to a radiator shop in my town and he wanted $50 per hr and said it would be a minimum 5hr job.

It should be here by mid week and I think we are installing it this weekend if everything is cool. Will let you know what I find.

thanks for great info guys !!! now i just need to figure out if i need on with oil cooler or not
how can i tell that? - looking at the driver side of radiator didn't help much - but i've noticed two silver metal lines coming out of the radiator than they turned into rubber lines and went towards the engine/tranny area
also on the bottom of it there is an ABS unit i think
with plenty of metal lines running right there by the botom of the splash guard.

I think i will take it to dealer and ask which one i need .....

IronKrakus

As for the silver lines, there is a transmission cooler on my 95. It's easy to tell when the shop leaves it unhooked after working on the radiator...

I have a feeling that any radiator you buy will be plumbed for the transmission lines. However, the 95/96's have an extra line from the top left of the radiator to the overflow tank, I think.

Or am I full of it?

one other thing I forgot to mention is that the radiator guy in my town said that in his book he could see that at least the 95-98 radiators were the same...don't know about anything newer then 98.

Did mine last year - 97 with oil cooler - sorry i dont remember the #s but ---
if you look on the pass side of the radiator (from under the car is best) you will see a pair of hoses going from the engine (oil filter area) directly into the radiator (one hi and one low) if you have the radiator with the built-in oil cooler (unfortunately this is the expensive one).

From what i remember, i was told that older models (some 97 and older) used an auxiliary oil cooler separate from the radiator.

The lines on the drivers side are tranny cooler lines and not oil cooler lines---

ok..from what I gathered while talking to a radiator tech is that if you order your radiator from Olds then you might have to worry BUT if you order an aftermarket radiator then it will come with all the holes and you just plug the ones not used...so it comes with the holes for every possible line that Auroras have and if your car doesn't have it then you plug it...thats what he said.

ok , thanks a lot guys - i'm ordering one without oil cooler form www.radiatorbarn.com

IronKrakus

so radiator barn has one with or without...hmm, hope the one I ordered works for my car. well, I think it should be shipped by now.

I have a 97 and recently put a 98 radiator into it. Works fine, just a couple of tips...1. might as well do the air box mod, you'll need the room. 2. tighten both oil lines and tranny lines to toque specs. I've posted them before and it's a pain to go back and tighten them later.

Thanks a lot !!! all the tips are greatly appreciated !!!
I'm about to subscribe to ALLDATA and get some instructions on "how to"
Also I have 97 Aurora FSM coming in mail - but it might take a while
I'm installing the rad this friday, I hope everythintg goes smooth
while i'm there i'll throw new thermostat and upper radiator hose with some SS clamps.

and now those dreaded " GM seal tabs " i might throw in 3 at the most.

IronKrakus.




I have a 97 and recently put a 98 radiator into it. Works fine, just a couple of tips...1. might as well do the air box mod, you'll need the room. 2. tighten both oil lines and tranny lines to toque specs. I've posted them before and it's a pain to go back and tighten them later.

Well I've searched and it says that auroras come with two different kinds of radiators one with tranny and oil cooler and one without oil cooler. I called the dealer hoping that they will be able to point me towards the right one and even with the VIN# they couldn't say.

I've looked under the hood trying to locate "metal lines " on passenger and driver side but there is so many hoses and lines there i wasn't able to tell which one i need.

also can i use radiator from different year - mine is 97 - there are rads on ebay but for 95-96 - will that one fit?

fellow members please respond with any info that would help me distinguish between those two.

thanks in advance

Ironkrakus

They might list withor without oil cooler, but to my knowledge all auroras have a oil cooler, you can check the tranny lines both come into the drivers side of the radiator and the oil coolerlines come in on the passengers side. I have replace my radiator so I know.

got my radiator via UPS on Wed. and started working on it this morning around 8:45am...at 11:30am the car was started up and ran for about 15 min to check for leaks...all seems well, will let you know if anything comes up...the guy that works for my father zipped right through it, only problem had was the bottom metal line on the passenger side had rusted a little due to water dripping on it and had to be heated a little to get loose...also, the radiator that it shows on the www.radiatorbarn.com was an exact match for $215

Well my radiator came in today , i will install it tommorow. I ordered it from radiatorbarn.com and it is the one without the engine oil cooler - i'm really stressing now and hopeing that i've got the right one.

Also quick question - when disconnecting the transmmision oil lines from the radiator will there be huge lead and loss off tranny fluid ?

I hope that everything goes well tommorow , i will post updates.

IronKrakus.

I'm really stressing it now - it seems that most of 97 Auroras have oil cooler and i've ordered one without it !!!
I had two dealers look at my car though !!! one Chevy and one Caddillac - both said no oil cooler
but they seemed " shady and not trust worthy"
well atleast I know what i'm looking for now - metal lines on driver side- tranny cooler , metal lines on passenger - oil cooler.

IronKrakus.

I just ordered what "The Barn" had and it was the exact same thing..dont stress yourself out..and no there wasn't much fluid loss, nothing to buy a bottle of stuff to refill..also I replaced the thermostat and the car is running around 200 interstate and 220 to 230 in town..I wonder if my "advance auto" thermostat is working properly..may put the old on back in for a test run...or goto and Olds dealer and pay big money for a new one.

My brother helped out and we got it put in with no major problems -
the old one had a crack about 1/2" long on the passenger side right under the upper hose inlet.

Also I've installed new thermostat and lower and upper radiator hoses.
After we got everything put together and right when we were filling the system with coolent i've noticed major coolant leak form the lower part of the thermostat housing - I've got the nut torqued pretty tight ( i know it should be 15 ft lb) but it still leaked !!!! we were stunned !!!
Than we decided to drain the coolent and see whats wrong with the thermostat housing - it turned out that we put in " upside down "
it fits on both sides but in order to seal properly it needs to sit "really flush and the only way to see it its to try it both ways and there is a difference.Ok that we refilled the coolant and started the car - few minutes later we've notice tarnny fluid on the floor !!! Arghhhhhhh!!!!
The top tranny cooler line leaked - enen though we got it torqued to proper specs - onother 1/4 turn with the wrench took care of the leak.

Also we didn't use GM seal tabs - But i'll be on the lookout for leaks in next few days - if it leaks i might use 3 of them.

overall i'm happpy with the results and it was great learning experience
I'm hopeing she will stay leak free !!!

BTW: Radiator from www.radiatorbarn.com was great deal $213 shipped including Tax. Shipping was quick and tracking info helped a lot
Fitment is outstanding @@@!!!!!

IronKrakus.

Seal tabs are recommended to prevent head gasket problems. I'd suggest putting them in (since GM calls for them)...

I bought the absolute cheapest radiator from a local store (it was around $175 new). Everyone else (Pep Boys, Auto Zone, ect) wanted $350+!!! It had the exact same connections as the original one. I just hooked up the hoses to the same ones on the new one. Works perfect.

5 Hours? Wow. I have a 97 Aurora that needed a radiator. I am poor so have to do my own work. I bought an aftermarket radiator and it had all the connections that I needed (oil and tranny) plus the extra one for the return to the overflow bottle that I simply plugged since there is no connection on the bottle for it. In my garage, doing it without a book it took about three hours start to finish. Knowing how, I believe it could be done in two, max. If they are charging you for 5 Hours something is wrong.

:smokin:Hello Iron Aurora:

I was in your neck of the woods last weekend with blown water pump and cracked radiator.On The Golden State in front of the LA Zoo.

:banghead:Thank You Gray Davis for the conditions you left the roads in.:banghead:

In any case the radiator does run a colling line from the transmission.
There is only one type of radiator that fits the 1995 ro 1999 Aurora.

I had my car towed to my father in law hoem, where I picked up a water pump kit from a Caddy dealer along with the tool to insert and remove the pump.

Also got a radiator from a company called Radiator Hot Line.
A nationewide company that can deliver a radiator to you in 4 hours or less. (800) 248-8270 and very reasonable. Or buy one on Ebay.

Because I was standed in LA, I had them deliver the radiator to my father in law home. Then had the car towed to Ostrom Chev in Montebello. For about $ 405.00 in labor, they got me back on the road.

A real good job, made sure all the sensors worked and cooling fans cameon. The car is running cool even in bumper to bumper heavy traffic in the Bay Area of Northern California.

Maybe we will meet soon when that guy in LA parts out his Aurora.
Take Care

:2cents:Yes indeed Radiator Hot line is a great company!!!
1-800 radiator, lifetime warranty. (keep the receipt!):smile: